"Michael Jackson dead? What are you talking about?"
This was my reaction when I was first told about the death of the eccentric entertainer. I would write at some length about this, however time is, as usual far too constraining.
A number of points I would like to make briefly.
Firstly, Jackson was a creation of the media and people knew him as a household name through the media. This may sound a little trite, however people felt that they
knew Jackson even though the vast majority of people didn't know him at all. Jackson, with the exception of, perhaps Madonna, played the role of Pop Star and media icon/personality better than anyone else. Jackson was especially appealing to the public because he had this talent mixed with a vulnerability that, somehow seemed to transmit into the global "public consciousness".
Secondly,Jackson was a bright and very talented individual - we shouldn't let his eccentricity detract from his artistic development as a Pop performer and songwriter. His experiments with rock music and soul/pop were
influential to many musicians and his dancing was excellent.
Thirdly, Jackson was troubled in his latter years by allegations of molesting children. Never out of the media for long (e.g. oxygen tents, a pet monkey, plastic surgery, skin-whitening, etc.) we may never know the truth about these allegations. Jackson was, undoubtedly eccentric and this may have been misinterpreted as something sinister. As a wealthy man, Jackson could have been the target of
unscrupulous individuals. Although the allegations were proved false in court, suspicions still remained regarding his behaviour.
Because of Jackson's untimely death, at the age of fifty, it seems fitting to remember him as a talented and innovative Pop musician and performer. He brought pleasure to many peoples' lives through his music and performance. However, as a master of playing the media game, reinventing his image and frequently, innovative within the Pop music field, it could be said that he was a victim of his own, tremendous success.
BBC article on Michael Jackson's death