Remembering Michael Jackson

1. Reflecting on the life of a child molester who continually paid his way out of legal problems?
   A self loathing person that mutilated his own body beyond recognition?
   A careless parent that spent his days drugged out and foolishy jeopardized his childs life by dangling him off a balcony?
   In the words of Karen Banda
   “I think society’s values are just a tad effed-up.”

2. Herbeverschmel is on the mark here.
   Though his personal woes and mental illness don’t negate his talent and influence as a musician, I thought it was total nonsense how people whitewashed and glossed over Jackson’s very troubled life after his death.
   Presuming Jackson was victimized at a young age–whether by the cult of “celebrity” or physical abuse, nothing legitimizes his own victimization of children.
   Many fiends throughout history were artists–Hitler and John Wayne Gacy were both failed painters. Charles Manson was a failed musician.
   Granted, there is a certain sympathy I can feel toward Jackson since his childhood was anything but normal, and his music has brought many people a lot of joy, but the creepy fantasy world he created around himself, one that no doubt was a horror for many innocent kids, should never be overshadowed by how great “Thriller” or the Jackson 5 may have been.

3. I’m with you two. I don’t understand the continued adoration for someone who, had he not been rich and famous, we would have locked up and thrown away the key long ago.

4. “Honor only Saints, as the Sinner’s committed ways negates a shared memory of joy.”
   — the prof, 6/25/2010

5. I really miss Michael. He was so talented, I get the chills just thinking about it. He had more money than God and that’s ultra-cool too. I heard he had an animatronic T-Rex out by his pool that breathed fire and did a spastic ‘moon walk’. Michaels favorite food was Hershey’s chocolate syrup. What a coincidence! That’s my favorite food too.
   Little known Michael facts:
   – He could dry swallow an entire bunch of bananas.
   – Michael never learned how to drive, preferring to hitch-hike everywhere.
   – He was a hermaphrodite and once nearly carried his own child to full term.
   – His favorite song was ‘Happy Birthday’
   RIP Michael.
   🙂

6. The topic of how morally compromised humans can bring us beloved music is a juicy one.
   Herb, great topic. Let’s take it further.
   Any thoughts on Richard Wagner ?
   ( … adulterer, virulent antisemite, prolific writer, and composer of superb classical music…)

7. Whatever Wagner’s many faults, Spiro T., he at least did not resort to the human equivalent of brood mares as a means of obtaining children. Nor was his estate picked over and “expanded” on by so many vulturous and half-talented (at best) relatives, all of whom have a great financial stake in keeping Jackson’s musical memory alive while blurring the facts of his grotty personal life.
   I’d also bet that Wagner’s music will be around a lot longer than Michael Jackson’s. He was the king of disposable pop, after all. The amazing thing to me is that, while warts-and-all writing about Wagner is a matter of course and has always pretty much been so, something similar about Michael Jackson invariably arouses howls of protest from the true believers out there. (And I truly hope you’re not one, not even I see you as that beyond the pale.)
   Really, you’re just being even more expansively silly and desperate this afternoon than usual, Spiro.

8. Well, jolly ol’ cathar, I’ll agree with you this time – there is no doubt that Wagner’s music has passed the test of time, and Michael Jackson’s output is more likely to wind up in the dustbin of music history .
   Nonetheless, I sense you are feeling a compulsion to jump in and pinch hit for fusty ol’ Herb, out of anxiety that perhaps he may have not listened to “Tristan und Isolde” this week, (although Herb may have heard “I Want You Back” or “Thriller” on CBS-FM this week, and tapped his foot merrily to it) …also keeping in mind that Herb may not necessarily have a well-formed opinion on the topic of “Deviations from Tonic Triads in Classical Western Music Deliberately Inserted Into Preludes to Operas, With the Intention of Keeping Audiences at the Edge of Their Seats”.
   But nevertheless, you assume way too much – I’m hardly desperate at all, (au contraire mon frere),
   I’m just glad I got all my work out the door before I party with my family (family is the cornerstone of US Civilization-just ask Herb or Hannity ) in another part of the USA starting tomorrow — so I figured I’d give you something to be condescending about (your favorite hobby apparently is being condescending towards others in cyberspace)

9. Jackson wasn’t a failed musician. He was something of a miracle, actually. He shouldn’t have been diddling the kiddies, but I see no reason to deny his talents or his contributions.

10. Good ol’ walleroo, jumping in to defend the King of Pop. Next you’ll be telling us how Charlie Chaplin’s unlawful infatuation with pre-pubescent females should be dismissed as of no moment.
    But you, Spiro T., are just trying to make fun of Herb with your futile stab at wit above. Who among us listens to *Tristan und Isolde” weekly, after all? Who can even sit through “Die Meistersinger” more than once? You, Spiro? If so, you might be an even bigger twit than I’d guessed, clearly lacking in anything approaching a real social life.
    And you wouldn’t want to be rated that way, would you? Next thing you know, you’d probably also be posting (speaking of excercises in desperation) round 2AM just like poor good ol’ walleroo above.

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