I'm a bigger fan of Michael Jackson now than I was when he was alive. His music doesn't even sound like it was produced more than a decade ago, which is another formidable record with the creation of timeless music. It's a pity because I wish I had gotten to know his "art" better back then. As I watch his performances, MTVs and interviews each night, I begin to realise he was not only a musical genius with extreme talents, he was also larger than life.
Honestly, when I used to watch his interviews separately and some of them out of their full context, it was easy to think there's no smoke without fire. The thoughts were all negative, especially with the child molestation allegations. The only redemption rooted from the remarkable milestones of his music.
But if you would take the time to watch the interviews consecutively now, you will see that he's not a rash and crazy man who had lost all self control in his actions. He was never keen to intentionally place himself in a precarious position that would also put his reputation at risk and for success to go down the drain. He wanted to continue to influence the world from his capacity as King of Pop and a phenomenal celebrity positively.
His beliefs and messages were very consistent and from a PR perspective, I personally think it was no mean feat if he had been acting. One of the only ways to accomplish this had to be that it came sincerely from what he believed in. It was no wonder he started to decline interviews as more journalists approached or ended interviews with their preconceived agendas/themes that were controversial.
I think it is fair to say I come from an objective standpoint, considering I was never an obsessed fan of his. Another case in point - I remember how I made many reminders to watch the British documentary "Living with Michael Jackson" when I was only a teenager. Like many others, I was intrigued with the elusive yet influential superstar. Back then, like the interviewer, I was left disturbed by the part on children, the craziness of having dangled his baby over a balcony of a Berlin hotel and how he found it perfectly normal to be in bed with children.
Yet if you open your heart and your mind to just watch, listen and not judge MJ's interviews, you actually see beyond the tinted glasses you once had, to realise he could possibly have been a man who was indeed larger than Life. He could differentiate between being childish and child-like; he didn't want to be Jesus, he wanted to simply follow through on the teachings of Jesus; we thought sexual whenever "in bed" was mentioned when he didn't. He was able to see and accomplish things with an unassuming heart in a way that the rest of us can't. So we made him a scapegoat when we couldn't face our flaws and imperfections.
One good example was how we turned our backs on the laws we made. When he was pronounced innocent on all charges, he was called meaner names, the media pressed on even more aggressively in their pursuits, his reputation spiralled downwards from then on. We never forgave and we never forgot, we could never bring ourselves to believe wholeheartedly that he was truly innocent.
The truth is what we choose to believe in. I just think MJ should have been given more space for being different and "one of a kind". And even if he's gone down in HIStory, it is worth giving him and yourself one more opportunity to hear his side of the story.
It's undoubtedly his death that has created soft spots in many, to fall blind to the later years of his life and concentrate on his legendary music career. But instead of falling blind, I urge you to re-watch, re-listen and rethink the process of MJ's desperate attempts to persuade the rest of the world to step out of its comfort zone and believe in the truth. He never stopped trying even if the world stopped listening. The questions are lingering now only because you are afraid to think there might actually be some, if not all truth in the story he told.
Even my choice of words tonight is not affirmative because it never can be, now that I have allowed myself to be receptive to both sides of the story.
Whatever it is, MJ should not be faulted for the courage and persistence to align his actions with his beliefs.
Unless evidence shows otherwise, don't judge.
With that, I leave you a quote from his "Living with Michael Jackson" interview. If he did die of a drug overdosage, I find it hard to believe it could have been intentional. It would have been an escape to find a cure for some form of suffering.
And also, my favourite interview clip of him.
"I want to live forever."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBE0igKrnI4
