The Puzzelment of Why African Americans Loved Michael Jackson.

Originally posted by lel1111
Gee - maybe we spoke about it but maybe we didn't judge him for it and focused on the positive aspects. Maybe that's what we did.

I understand the "goodness" you speak of, but to ignore anything in MJs life would be disgraceful in my eyes.

To enjoy the fruit of a plant, you must realize the sacrifices that were made to produce that fruit, otherwise you are only a consumer, and do not appreciate the labor that was laid down to produce it.

We shut out ugliness too much nowadays. Why can't we see it all as beautiful instead of only what we want to see?

I'm a white musician a year younger than Jacko. Just laying it on the table.

Originally posted by Zaydie
It really confuses me as to how any African American could be a fan of
Michael Jackson.

It doesn't amaze me. Michael Jackson's art was steeped in black musical traditions. He wasn't black the way, say, George Clinton is black - all his lyrics are written from an unmistakably black perspective - but his music and dancing have clear antecedents.

not only did he not want to look like a black man, he did not want to look like a man at all.

Does not that statement suggest to you that in that case it wasn't racism that motivated him? There were rumours that he wanted to look like Liz Taylor and this speculation is certainly not at odds with what he did to himself.

As for the vitiligo thing, I never went for that. A (white) friend of mine has it and it's really patchy and blobby. I do go along with those who say he dyed his skin to make it white - but I don't know if he wanted to be a white guy or Liz Taylor. Ultimately I don't think it's important.

...it really becomes a puzzle to me as to why they embraced and idolized him.

I think by the time the molestation accusations came out, his eccentricity was already on display, the whole "wacko Jacko" thing was in full effect. By that time he'd already established himself as a phenomenal talent.

But, over the last few days I have watched countless interviews with black celebrities who gushed over him and told of how he "opened doors" for other black performers.

Which he did. MTV woudn't play black music, remember? He was the first (and probably the only one in a strong enough financial position to get it done) black performer to get his videos on MTV - and his record company had to threaten to pull all their product from the MTV schedule.

Did his talent and worldwide celebrity cancel out all the negatives in their eyes?

Michael Jackson's talent is a separate issue from the kiddie-fiddling for many people. I think people can enjoy the art without thinking about the other stuff, if they want to.

Or, was it that they are only going by the influence he had when he was younger before he embarked on a quest to change his heritage?

That doesn't seem implausible for someone of roughly my generation: the younger people must have seen his decline but still liked the music and performance enough.

But take a look at this video and you'll see how MJ fits into the dance tradition. Btw, people are saying that the moonwalk was invented by the guy out of Shalamar, or by Bill Bailey: my mother, who was a huge fan of tap, reckoned it might go back as far as the Mills Brothers. We also argued about MJ when I said he'd started to look too weird. My mum's answer was that he was a STAR and was entitled to make himself look as different as he wanted.

But the main point is his talent. Yes, he was a tragic figure, abused by his father and growing odder and odder with age: but even if he wasn't an innovator in terms of dance, he was still probably the finest dancer ever in that style. His sense of rhythm was absolutely impeccable and underpinned everything he did, even those vocal tics like "yeeee-heee!" and "mah!", which might have been annoying after a while, but expressed the groove brilliantly.

For myself, although it's difficult to forget that he was probably The World's Most Famous Pederast, I can still look at his art as a separate thing. And I do feel a sense of sadness looking over his life, particularly when I see footage of MJ, pre-teen, singing a James Brown song with unbelievable gusto and funkiness.

He had a mental disorder. White people don't like Van Gogh any less for cutting off his ear, or Michealangelo for being gay, or Mozart for being a drunk womanizer.
MJ is probably the best dancer this world has ever seen. He was a genius artist, and just a nice guy.

I've just been watching the memorial service and there were some amazing performances and tributes. Queen Latifah read a very moving poem written about MJ's death by Maya Angelou: and Stevie Wonder gave a wonderful solo recital, culminating in "They won't Go Till I Go".

Don't mind admitting I found it moving. Weird, isn't it? We "know" (or think we know) that he was a child abuser, yet...

It does mark the passing of a cultural icon and great talent.

Originally posted by Zaydie
I was not sure where to post this so mods please move it if need be

It really confuses me as to how any African American could be a fan of
Michael Jackson.

The reason I say that is because it was very apparent that Michael Jackson did
everything he could most of his adult life in order that he would NOT look
like a black man. Now, I can't propose to say I can understand or know how another
race thinks or why they accept the things they do etc. But, it just seems to me
that the only reason he had all of those plastic surgeries and changed his skin color
was that not only did he not want to look like a black man, he did not want to look
like a man at all.
(The fact that he continued with the surgeries until he looked "inhuman"
is another matter and can only speak to his mental demons).

I would think that most African Americans would have felt insulted that he seemingly
did not want to look like a member of their race and would have rejected him as
any kind of role model or the like. Factor that into his eccentric lifestyle and the problems he had
with the accusations of molestation and it really becomes a puzzle to me as to why
they embraced and idolized him.

But, over the last few days I have watched countless interviews with black celebrities
who gushed over him and told of how he "opened doors" for other black performers.

Did his talent and worldwide celebrity cancel out all the negatives in their eyes?
Or, was it that they are only going by the influence he had when he was younger
before he embarked on a quest to change his heritage?

wow I so agree with everything you said,it was like you read my mind. He was ashamed of his race. A sin to God. I think the reason most African Americans believed him is because he was a GOOD LIAR plain and simple. He did not open the door for other black performers, we the world were led to believe him and all his lies which became more apparent as time went on. Only God seen all and knows he has/had deceived the world but once again.

He did not have that skin disease, comeon its plain and simple, he just used cream on patches of his skin so the world would believe him, once again another deceit. IF he had it don't you think he would have colored what peeled off to the black side, like hello its quite obvious. Know one could figure him out and that is exactly what he wanted. He was then thought of a genius because he could fool the world , in reality he was none of the kind.

So he wrote some of his words, he could not read and write notes. However so do a lot of performers.

He wanted to be white because he thought he would become the most famous person in the world, however he did not see how famous he would become with his lies and deceit. He got carried away and got punished for it.

Well it comes back and hits you in the face twice as hard when you sin. God did just that , punished him for the deceit. The charges, the lies, the sad and lonely life. He got it all. More to come.

I had him figured out from the beginning. He wanted white kids to match him as so no one talks so he thought, but now he gets the controversy worse. You reap what you sow right. His daughter is/will be rebelling

As for his dance, yes he could dance at one time, however in his "this is it" he could dance no more, the dancers were much better of dancers than him, when they could dance. I have seen better. some of his picks (he actually didnt pick any of the dancers) were way off base. Other performers have way better dancers than he had.

So because he was good at lying, manipulating/deceiving the world, he was thought to be a genius and not so.

Eminen is a way better performer than he is, at least he keeps it real and he is honest.
He also thought of himself as God and why people believed that is beyond me.Never ever mock God as it will come back to all those that do soon. There is only one creator and actually that is where he received his gift from.

The pictures with him and children are god like, if you research you will find that God is with children in the same way he is in pictures. How sad to try to be God. MJ CANNOT change the world we need prayers and God.

So thank you for your opinion and that is mine