Thursday 25 June 2009

Michael Jackson. Honestly.

Okay, it's easy to be cynical about the press coverage around Michael Jackson's death, but all I know is I'm still trying to get my head around those 3 words: 'Michael Jackson's death'. And it's not like I'm crying or sad or that I was a particular fan of his later work. But he was the first pop idol that I remember loving, he practically single-handedly legitimised the music video medium - and by extension, MTV - and he's always just 'been there'. I mean, 50 years old??? At a time when people tout 50 as the new 35? What???

It's funny - I think the reason people go mental when icons like Jackson die suddenly is because they act like background beacons - constantly giving out a signal which we miss when gone. So much so that all the platitudes I'm hearing simply don't convey how much emotion is there just swelling up like grief. I remember feeling that when living in London at the time of Princess Diana's death. The connection (because I see reporters asking people, 'why are you connected to him?') is simple - he was one of those beacons, a signal, always present, just a global pulse beat that people continually checked in on because of who and what he was.

I tell you what: I feel like I've been given a piece of information that my internal programming doesn't quite know how to process. I don't have the words, but felt the need to blog...

Does this make sense?


3 comments:

  1. Makes perfect sense. It actually took me 24 hours to process the loss. MJ was one of those beacons you thought would always be there (picture: golden cane in hand or wheelchair ala Larry Flynt).

    He was so young (yes, I agree 50 is young!) and so talented. He was an icon in our culture, not just in the music industry.

    It's been un-be-liev-able watching this unfold in Social Media.

    We all gathered around on Twitter watching the details unfold, collectively holding one another's hand–albeit virtually.

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

    m.

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  3. Behind all of the achievements and controversies, he was like any other man, trying to reach past beyond his personal horizon. Although he was 50, he walked on a highway that seemed longer than anyone at his age. At least, from a certain point of view.

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