Mark Steel: The macabre details of Michael Jackson's death
One reporter told us the news from LA was 'truly a JFK moment'
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Within minutes of the first reports, it was clear the world was going mad. The reporter on Radio 5 Live told us the news from Los Angeles "was truly a JFK moment". Because the sense of shock and grief were identical, in one case millions feeling a new era of civil rights and peace had been cruelly snuffed out; in the other, the realisation we would never again see a man go "Yow" while spinning in a circle.
From the tone, you expected the next reporter to say: "I think it's much more momentous than that, and feels like the Norman victory at the Battle of Hastings, or even the collapse of Roman civilisation into warring feudal tribes."
Then came the messages: "Judith from Luton has texted to say nothing matters any more so she's going to convert her Facebook page into a suicide cult. Well, Judith, I think we all feel that way and wish you the very best of luck with that project."
Then the newspapers started, with 63 pages devoted to pictures of painkillers and articles about the impact of "ABC" on linguistic theory, and agony aunts advising how to console an orphaned monkey. It seemed every bit of every paper had to be dedicated to him, so the chess puzzle would go "Today, in honour of Michael, the pawns are allowed to move one square backwards as long as they make it look like they're going forwards. And both players can be on the same side, as the black pieces are allowed to pretend they're white."
And the crossword would be full of clues like "Tennis queen who loses her King is not my lover. 6,4."
At one point on Friday evening, while in a bar in Runcorn, I noticed a huge TV screen was displaying tributes, and for a whole minute it told us: "Amanda Holden says 'I'm thinking of his family on this sad day'." Well that must have been a comfort to them. But presumably this kept going all day, so eventually it was displaying messages such as "Mick McCarthy, the manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers, says, 'I'm absolutely gutted. I haven't felt this bad since I was relegated with Sunderland in the 2002-3 season. Rest in peace, Michael'."
And it's still going on. The front page of yesterday's Daily Mirror showed a picture of Michael, declaring that it was taken on the morning he died, and asking in huge letters "So what went wrong?" It certainly is a mystery, how anyone that dies in the evening can have been alive in the morning. Presumably, inside it carried on, "Our investigations have revealed that he may have been living RIGHT UP TO THE MOMENT HE DIED. But still the authorities have provided no explanation."
One music journalist on Radio 5 Live told us "he was the most influential pop musician ever," and on Radio Four we were told he was "more influential than any other soul artist, including James Brown". And this is where the madness springs from, because they seem to confuse record sales and celebrity status with influence. For example, James Brown's "influence" cannot be measured just in retail units, but from the impact of him yelling to people categorised as officially inferior, "Say it out loud, I'm black and I'm proud." Whereas Jackson's attitude towards his colour was slightly less forthright. Still, he could at least have made an effort and sang, "Say it's apparent, I'm almost transparent."
Michael Jackson aimed solely to make people dance, which is a fine aspiration, and he was himself a fantastic dancer. But while he provided a catchy soundtrack to the early 1980s, truly influential dance music has created more than a hypnotic beat, it has made its audience want to dance to express itself, finding pride in its colour, sexuality or youthfulness that is restricted in other areas of society and transform the world beyond the dancefloor,
Jackson, though, was tragically hollow, which may be why his main influence was on combining music with new technology, firstly by transforming videos into mini-feature films, then by becoming the subject of the world's first globally mass-texted useless jokes.
So, as the media assured us the universe was in mourning, most of the planet's JFK moment will mean always remembering where you were when you read a contrived question that could arrive at the punchline "Don't blame it on the boogie".
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Comments
I think that proves your point Mark
Either way - with you Mark! If I hear another word about Wacko (funny how the tabloid Wacko has become a tabloid latter-day saintly hero?) I'll go round and try to resurrect him just to get some peace.
He was of course eccentric and, I believe, misunderstood but given that he lived his whole life in the public spotlight after being robbed of his childhood by a cruel and at times brutal father, I think it is understandable.
A friend of mine put it better than I ever could when he said, "As cynical and as immaturely giggly, to the point of disrespect, some are being about Jackson, I know of no wedding, barmitzvah, 21st party or plain old flashing-light disco that didn't welcome his distinctive, impressive, infectious and wonderful sound. The apparent madness, the faux-regimental outfits, the alleged surgery and the controversy are but a small part of the life of an astonishingly creative entertainer."
The truth is that Jackson was a confused, tragic man who deserved sympathy when he was alive. Instead, he was hounded in the media and gossipped about around water coolers the world over, all for a few minutes of vicarious titilation.
So, now he's dead, what changed for everyone?
Made my day and it's only 8.
Well said, well said. Bang on.
I never admired Jackson, let alone worshipped him. I neither mourn, nor miss him. On balance, I feel that he got the end he wanted, as he could not possibly have allowed himself to grow old, since he never even allowed himself to grow up. However, I feel wonderment and sadness at the thought of the many, many people around the world who seem to be experiencing his death as a personal loss. How empty can a life be that needs to be filled by a cardboard cutout?
A great article, Mark Steele, telling us how it is. God forbid there should be another ott Diana reaction...
That guy wasn't Curtis Mayfield, was certainly not Marvin Gaye, wasn't Chuck D, wasn't Stevie Wonder, wasn't Otis Redding, was nowhere near Bob Marley, wasn't even Prince! -I could go on.
Presumably, all these people who find time to get distressed about this irrelevant popstar must be satisfied with the rest of the world.
he Ran Underneath The Table
He Could See She Was Unable
So She Ran Into The Bedroom
She Was Struck Down, It Was Her Doom
Or as JFK would have it "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them... Hoo! Hoo! Hoo! Aaow! "
Of course you and your chip must be right. The fact is, the loss of JFK was the loss of a President decades ago - sad and shocking etc etc. The death of MJ is here and now, and perhaps the reporter should have compared the reactions of MJ's death to the reactions of the death of Elvis. But perhaps the comparison was made because actually his death was shocking and people genuinely feel that a great talent has passed, especially as most of us grew up watching/ listening to him. Something that we may have missed out on with your stupid remarks about the JFK comparison. Many of MJ'S fans weren't alive when JFK passed!
Think that the public interest rather proves you wrong, even if it does go over the top (like it did with Diana's death, or JFK's). Whether you like it or not, people from every country and all walks of life liked this performer or his talent, so deal with it.
Jackson's death was sad and tawdry and brought down the curtains on a musical career that really ended 2 decades ago.
But the enormity of his celebrity guaranteed the same crazy hysteria that followed the death of Lady Diana who is largely forgotten today. The lesson seems to be that when someone attains a massive celebrity profile and are an almost daily presence in people's lives the public simply doesn't question their intrinsic greatness.
Why
One top class album, Thriller and two good ones, all produced by Quincy Jones, a much bigger musical talent and one the one of the most successful producer, arrangers of the 20th century.
Jackson's career coincided with the launch of MTV and the music video allowing him to reach an audience earlier and bigger stars could have dreamed of.
To suggest that he's a more significant figure than James Brown and a host of other brilliant, innovative musicians who were generally innovative is simply silly. Celebrity and greatness are too very different things
I'm getting pretty tired of hearing about 'poor' Michael's tortured childhood. Lots of kids are whacked by their dad but they don't all turn into complete narcissists. The guy made multi-millions out of marketing a derivative, but highly commercial music machine, and squandered it all on lavishing himself in tasteless tat and defending his dubious relationship with juveniles.
The only story of any interest to emerge from this saga (which nobody has covered that I've seen) is the dubious ethics of some Californian plastic surgeons. They were happy to transform a quite attractive individual into a hideous, bleached pixie for cash; when all he really needed was a referral to a competent psychiatrist.
Like the self-indulgent Imelda Marcos was misunderstood?
Like the self-destructive Elvis Presley was misunderstood?
Like Narcissus was misunderstood?
Like OJ Simpson's lawyers and a willfully blind jury were misunderstood?
Or like how Gary Glitter is misunderstood?
Enough already, a great pop artist (not my view - and I can dance very well) died, so what ? First black artist on MTV, shame on them - what's wrong with James Brown or Little Richard who were true pioneers and real artists.
And by the way I don't like hear sick jokes about dead people - "Michael Jackson is one of the architects of the world we live in today" is presumably a joke ?
I thank you
Firozali A Mulla