Today, G, L and i were talking about the legacy of Michael Jackson after dinner. I was finally able to share my thoughts and mixed emotions, something I have been trying to come to terms with since MJ's passing, with my girlfriends who understood.
I was actually called a "pseudo MJ fan" earlier today and I surprised myself that I was actually offended. There is a difference between being someone fairly new to this MJ influential sphere and simply making false claims. I did only become truly intrigued and appreciative of MJ in recent weeks but I believe I have managed to catch up with lost time to experience the magic of his life.
Michael Jackson's memorial is playing again on TV right now. I was a little tired at work having slept at 430am last night but it was totally worth it. It was a memorial that was also a celebration of MJ's life. It was a very heartening show that was put together by AEG, especially by having the spotlight on the stage with the micstand just after the casket exited.
Every tribute was touching and memorable but what I appreciated most was how there were people from all walks of life who shared with us the greatness of MJ.
The influence of MJ has been almost God-like if I dare say so myself. Regardless of religion. He knew the reason for his existence very early in his life and lived it to the fullest to reach out to those in need. There must be a reason why he was gone too soon, and it is because his work on earth has been completed. Perhaps, if his stay had been prolonged, more people would have allowed the darker memories to overshadow his accomplishments. The memorial would have been different and his sufferings gone in vain.
To me, Michael Jackson had control on his life, as reflected in his intelligent, firm and strong messages from his interviews. If you seek the missing pieces of his media interviews as well as the lyrics of the many songs he wrote to touch lives, you will agree that the words can only come from someone whose heart was purest of gold. Whose heart was the closest an adult could ever be to the songs of innocence.
He never swayed, he never denied, he never found excuses for his actions. If he was guilty, he wouldn't have stood by what he believed in. He showed the world just how much he loved children and how much he wanted to protect and not hurt them.
The media seems to be in a dire situation the fact that they actually drove this Man who accomplished awesomeness with his very special gift, to the extreme stage of suffering he had to deal with. The impact of sensational headlines and false contents must be having double the impact on other public figures who are nowhere close to being global icons.
I think the saturation of the media industry may be the very cause of this. Before tabloids came along, people knew only to read true or objective articles, good or bad. L pointed out that it is not true we are only interested in sensational news. They have forgotten that we cheer to the end of wars, the celebration of love at weddings and holidays. The paparazzi disregard feelings, privacy and have proven with MJ's case, the amazing people in our lives.
On hindsight, I was sucked into it too. In recent years, I was exposed to consecutive stories that ridiculed Michael Jackson. I never bothered to find the truth or the other side of the story until now. I regret having allowed the media to control my mind. I was never told of how he revolutionised MTV, his charity work and how he broke down racial, cultural and religious barriers with his songs.
But like Smokey Robinson, I'm glad I was part of the MJ era when he was alive. What we lost, we can make up for by looking into the mirror and taking a baby step at a time towards change. The MJ language was Love and Indiscrimination. There is no need to regret not having learnt to treasure what we had until it's lost, because maybe, we're not meant to. This is the lesson that can only be learnt from death.
To those who do not understand the outpouring of grief or have lingering suspicions, I believe either the truth will prevail or that Michael Jackson's life was meant to be a mystery that will never be solved. Chances are, the media and those driven by greed will not stop as yet.
That heartbreaking testimonial from Paris Jackson that she had the "best father you can ever imagine" erased all remaining questions and doubts that I had.
RIP MJ.
