It took a while for this new blog entry - sorry people, I was busy with other difficulties. Now, after four weeks, I am back and kicking on the new madness that has come to town.
The news of this month (or let's better say of the end of last month) is clearly the death of one of the greatest artists and musicians of the last century: Michael Jackson. Now, to me the news came just as shocking as to everyone - even though I must admit that I thought about this day some years ago already. I never thought that he would really grow old, because for that his life was just too crazy, too much of ups and downs and way to excessive (and I am not talking about the drugs in this part!). Having a life that is full of highs and lows, full of being celebrated and then pulled down to the lowest low possible makes you start to feel weak, it makes your life miserable. And with that you realise that you will not really grow old and grey, because there is too much stress involved, too much of a maximum of feelings that make your heart beat faster. From how I see Michael Jackson's life (and I admit, I can only see it from a distance!), his heart was beating way too fast with way too much of stress, pressure and the feeling of not being accepted at all.
Right now, it is a fight going on between the black community and the rest of the world. While the black community didn't really give a good lord on Michael Jackson in the past 5 or even 10 years, they now show up calling Michael "our black man". And of course, the press has a hugh laugh on that, comedians and all those that hated him laugh about this as Michael got his skin bleached (well yeah, it is a skin disease according to him... whoever still believes that!) and now he is all of a sudden the "black bro" again? The man that got nose jobs made several times and looked in the end so far away from being black that you would rather call an albino tanned? Nevermind! I don't want to sound as if I am making fun of Michael, because in fact, I am not.
I am not judging him on the trial against him (which was the only really big news at the last part of his life) or how many nose jobs he really had made on him. To me it is more than ever about the artist Michael Jackson (and thank God, people start talking now more about his music again!). To me, Michael is a musical role model, who wouldn't dream about becoming a megaselling artist with ideas that no one had before and which get copied a million times, still not without the success of the original? On the other hand you start to think: would you really want fame at all? How much fame is healthy and how much is just so sick that it drives you insane?
From my not so long life so far I can say that there were several phases when I had at least some fame - not a "to die for million dollar earning" fame as Michael had, but I was popular and easily pulled everyone's attention. The moments when you step in somewhere and you got everyone's head turning, bringing up a smile to their faces and the desperate will of them to be just as genius as you are. Okay, I admit, I still got that, not the point I am talking about right now. But sometimes, attention just becomes too much and that is when you start to fall apart. When people start to expect your genius mind to work, you know what happens? The genius mind just packs it's bag and heads to the time clock! "No more good ideas coming from my side, you wanted the fame, now make something up yourself...." And of course, you are just insane enough to believe, you could actually do without it! Especially because everyone still feels so flattered being around you.
Well, somehow it must have been like that for Michael. I guess, his genius mind took him to levels that 95% of us will never achieve - and then it got stubborn, out of too much attention and too much fame, too many people dying to meet him and get a tiny crumb of what was the madness around Jackson's creativity. Didn't he feel with the years like superman? Well, let's better say he felt like Peter Pan, since that was his role model character. But he just felt as if he could beat them all, he felt immortal, not possible to get damaged or hurt. And of course (like in every really sucked up fairytale) people know how to destroy this way of thinking. So the stories start: what is his sexual orientation? Did he bleach his skin? And later on (as the success faded out) they asked a million times whether Michael was bankrupt or not.
So in the end Michael had only two choices: leave everything behind and start off afresh or fight by proving his genius mind. He took the second choice and let's be honest: he couldn't have chosen the first choice! Because from his level of fame, how could he have gone into the world of becoming "Mr. Nobody", when actually he was and will always be "Michael Jackson Superstar"? It wasn't possible.
And still: when he announced the 50 concerts that should have been taking place in London, I already knew they would never happen. Sometimes I think I get visions (but not in a crazy way!)... cause it is usually right what I think, may it be concerned within myself or others. Or have we all in the end sensed this? That the concerts would never happen and that he would die? The cause of his death gives now room for a lot of frenzied speculation. Was it an overdose? Or just a wrong medication? Too many painkillers? We will find out sooner or later, that is for sure. But I cannot help myself (and this might sound sarcastic, but hey: I am fluent in talking sarcasm, so don't be surprised!), somehow I am happy for Michael. He got to a better place, without growing old, without seeing his kids gratuating (that is really sad!), but in the end gone off to a better state. You'll say now that only a truly depressed nature can write something like that - wrong! I am just being realistic.
Death itself is a better state. At least it is not worse than life. Not that I am longing for death (nor should anyone else, even when you might think of it in weak hours!), the thing is that the mind, the soul, never dies. That is really immortal, like Michael always thought he'd be. He thought he was Peter Pan? Well, somehow now he is. His music and the legend of his at times crazy, outstanding life and at times tragical life will remain in all of our hearts and heads. And his own legacy, the personal mind that nobody but him knew? That has now moved on to a better place - without pain or humiliation. No questions about what he looks like when he takes a glimpse in the mirror, no questions about if he is good enough, if he is really loved by his family or friends and fans. It is just him and all he ever wanted to be but with the boundaries of being trapped in his body. He has cut lose. In a tragical way I admit, but that way he even succeeded in one more thing: he is now on the same level as Elvis!
The legends that rise and fall... or that maybe just rised in their lifes to fall very very deep. Michael is in the end yet another good example for one simple truth: as soon as you get born, you have to struggle your way through, fight to win with a lot of effort very very small pieces. And with that you can only win - or completely lose everything that was important to you. Now when that happens, it is only a question of will power to stand up again and fight again - or lay down and die. Sometimes you also die while fighting for your life, but at least you show that you never give up.
A good lesson to be learned by the "King of Pop": he never stopped fighting, even if that costed his life in the end!
Contributing with two of his best videos (at least they are my favourites ;-)):
PS: The video "Thriller" is not included in this even though I find this video just insanly great - but when people talk about Michael Jackson lately, they only talk about "Thriller" being the most successful album of all time. So I decided to skip that for this entry.
Have a nice weekend, everyone! - Gene :-)
