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"Black or white" videoshoot - didn't Michael feel well?

Remington Steele

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Hopefully this thread won't get closed, let me state this isn't meant to talk badly about Michael in any way.

I know it's kind of a feel good song and Michael wants to express this in the video (along with other issues). Everytime I see the video though, this question arises. Michael's smile and general facial expression looks rather "harsh", it's not the heart-felt, relaxed expression he usually has. To me it seems like he might have had a bad day the day before or couldn't sleep half of the night, and the next day he woke up thinking "the BoW videoshoot, oh well... let's get this done".

Did anyone feel the same about this?
 
Remington Steele said:
Hopefully this thread won't get closed, let me state this isn't meant to talk badly about Michael in any way.

I know it's kind of a feel good song and Michael wants to express this in the video (along with other issues). Everytime I see the video though, this question arises. Michael's smile and general facial expression looks rather "harsh", it's not the heart-felt, relaxed expression he usually has. To me it seems like he might have had a bad day the day before or couldn't sleep half of the night, and the next day he woke up thinking "the BoW videoshoot, oh well... let's get this done".

Did anyone feel the same about this?
Click to expand...

Uhmmm... NO!
 
It wasn't a ballad...
It's a loud, screaming, in-your-face song.

Maybe you heard something different.
 
It´s a song about rascism not a feel good song.
 
Agree with the other posters .
To me , Black or White was filmed with the most rawest emotion. A subject which he wanted to address.
A wake up call to stop Rascism. Give them a video to break barriers .
Impact.
A song to make people think. Michael was expressing his opinion.

*
Interesting thread.
 
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Just like what the others had said it is about racism. I have the uncensored version of the Black Or White video. And if you saw that version of the video. You will clearly see all the racist words and stuff in the alley scene. I remember first seeing that video version back in 2001. And it took me several times of watching that video. To get over the shock that I was in from seeing that. I know as a life long MJ fan I shouldn't have been in such shock. But I was. Since up until 2001 I only ever saw the censored version of that video. 2001 was when I finally gotten the Dangerous Short Films video. And it had the uncensored version of that video. Where I finally saw what the people were talking about 10 years before.
 
The first part of BOW speaks about not being afraid and coming together "It doesn't matter if your Black or white"
The second half of the BOW (The Panther dance) shows Michael's intolerance and anger over racism and bigotry.

He shot the video as he planned it, not because he woke up on the wrong side of the bed .
 
MJsBollywoodGirl7 said:
Just like what the others had said it is about racism. I have the uncensored version of the Black Or White video. And if you saw that version of the video. You will clearly see all the racist words and stuff in the alley scene. I remember first seeing that video version back in 2001. And it took me several times of watching that video. To get over the shock that I was in from seeing that. I know as a life long MJ fan I shouldn't have been in such shock. But I was. Since up until 2001 I only ever saw the censored version of that video. 2001 was when I finally gotten the Dangerous Short Films video. And it had the uncensored version of that video. Where I finally saw what the people were talking about 10 years before.
Click to expand...
Actually The original version had NO graffiti .. It was added later when people complained it was to grafic and didn't understand the reason for his anger. many stations banned it so he re- released it with the racism and bigotry graffiti so they would understand.
 
You are right, the message is far more than delivering a "good mood".

But that's not exactly what I was referring to... no matter what the subject was, IMO Michael looked "cramped", unlike he usually does... not in every scene but some of them, e.g. when he's standing on the Statue of Liberty...
 
qbee said:
Actually The original version had NO graffiti .. It was added later when people complained it was to grafic and didn't understand the reason for his anger. many stations banned it so he re- released it with the racism and bigotry graffiti so they would understand.
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Really I had always thought the one with graffiti was the original. And they had always showed the censored version. I was 11 years old when that video first premier in the U.S. That video as well as the Who Is It video are the only 2 Dangerous Short Films videos I have no memory of. When it first premier. Though the Who Is It video was never shown on American tv. That is what I always knew about. Thanks for telling me that qbee. Cause I never knew that. And I have been an MJ fan for practically my entire life.
 
It wasn't a ballad...
It's a loud, screaming, in-your-face song.
Click to expand...

Not exactly. But it does have that rock sound and edge to it.

It´s a song about rascism not a feel good song.
Click to expand...

I think it's both. I understand how it can be called a feel good song... it makes you feel good when you listen to it! It's in Slash's guitar from beginning to end... it has a really joyful sound to it. I just find it so uplifting, such a great sound.

Just like Man in the Mirror, it has a positive message that is delivered very passionately. His face usually did distort when he sang songs with so much feeling, I think it was an uncontrollable thing. Like when we lift something heavy and make a face... or open our mouths when we put on mascara!

Lark
 
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Dri said:
I read at the time that Black or White was a MJ's response to the song "Word To The Bad" by Jermaine...
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Nah. I heard that about "Why You Wanna Trip On Me", which would make sense.
But then again, most of Michaels Songs can be interpreted from different points of perspective,
which is what makes good art.
 
He spews all kinds of junk about Michael these days for money, he has lost my respect.

I believe that he would show up late though, and I believe that he would go to Toys R Us and do that without realizing he was insulting people. But to say that he was "pretty crazy" just shows that John Landis didn't understand him at all, and never did. I also believe that once he understood that it was insulting people, he wouldn't do it again.

Actually I believe almost everything he says but his attitude shows a total lack of understanding. There is probably a lot more to Michael not showing up for other directors. He isn't someone who would just ignore his work, and clearly he wanted John Landis if they called him. Perhaps Michael found them hard to work with for some reason?

Lark
 
Electro said:
Nah. I heard that about "Why You Wanna Trip On Me", which would make sense.
But then again, most of Michaels Songs can be interpreted from different points of perspective,
which is what makes good art.
Click to expand...

Why You Wanna Trip On Me was not written by Michael. Anyway, Black or White is not an answer to Jermaine's song. Jermaine's album You Said, which contained Word To The Badd, was released in October 1991. The Dangerous album and Black or White were already finished by that time. The Word To The Badd single was released in November 1991 - I think to concide with the release of Dangerous/Black or White. Black or White is about racial prejudice, it has nothing to do with Jermaine's song anyway. The only thing it has to do with it is that Jermaine released his song to concide with BoW.
 
Lark0016 said:
I think it's both. I understand how it can be called a feel good song... it makes you feel good when you listen to it! It's in Slash's guitar from beginning to end... it has a really joyful sound to it. I just find it so uplifting, such a great sound.

His face usually did distort when he sang songs with so much feeling, I think it was an uncontrollable thing. Like when we lift something heavy and make a face... or open our mouths when we put on mascara!

Lark
Click to expand...

Finally! Thank you :smilerolleyes:
 
Lark0016 said:
He spews all kinds of junk about Michael these days for money, he has lost my respect.

I believe that he would show up late though
Click to expand...

I think Landis (calling Michael crazy) didn't mean this in a mean, but rather a light-hearted way...
 
Remington Steele said:
I think Landis (calling Michael crazy) didn't mean this in a mean, but rather a light-hearted way...
Click to expand...

I don't think so.

In this short footage he is talking a certain amount of times about money, money and money. He sees the MJ projects as a business pinnacle in his career, because the pay was good.

Nothing more.
 
I think Landis (calling Michael crazy) didn't mean this in a mean, but rather a light-hearted way...
Click to expand...

My opinion is coloured by a recent negative interview he gave about Michael owing him money from thriller, and claiming he bleached his skin.

Lark
 
Well ok... but wouldn't you feel betrayed when someone is owing you money and doesn't pay you? Maybe it actually was that way.
 
Electro said:
Nah. I heard that about "Why You Wanna Trip On Me", which would make sense.
But then again, most of Michaels Songs can be interpreted from different points of perspective,
which is what makes good art.
Click to expand...

I think "WYWTOM" is bout michael saying why is everyone making such a fuss on me when there are more important issues goin on in their world
 
Michael was shopping toys för 60000$ to give to children in hospitals and orphanages when he was touring.He brought a toy shopping expert with him, a child.
What a crazy man:scratch:

Although I think he should have thought of that people were waiting for him
 
Remington Steele said:
Well ok... but wouldn't you feel betrayed when someone is owing you money and doesn't pay you? Maybe it actually was that way.
Click to expand...

I agree, and he is right to want proper payment, but now he is making personal attacks including lies (Not in this interview but another one) because of business. Now this is total speculation so take it with a grain of salt, but I think that now he realizes he will never get the Thriller money he is getting paid by tabloids/ interviewers to tell negative stories about Michael. Maybe he thinks this is a good way to get what he is owed.

Lark
 
@Lark: What kind of lies did he tell?

I think it's human... if I am deeply disappointed by friends, it's really difficult to stay neutral and not talk negatively about them.
 
Remington Steele said:
Hopefully this thread won't get closed, let me state this isn't meant to talk badly about Michael in any way.

I know it's kind of a feel good song and Michael wants to express this in the video (along with other issues). Everytime I see the video though, this question arises. Michael's smile and general facial expression looks rather "harsh", it's not the heart-felt, relaxed expression he usually has. To me it seems like he might have had a bad day the day before or couldn't sleep half of the night, and the next day he woke up thinking "the BoW videoshoot, oh well... let's get this done".

Did anyone feel the same about this?
Click to expand...


To not be a giggity person I have to say I somewhat agree with your statement regarding his state of mind. I am sure most people were confused with that video back in the old days cause I remember when it first came out MTV was very unsure to even air the original video in the first place because of what people thought of MJ back then, you have to remember this was around the first years of speculations about his weird essence (I'm thinking about the elephant bones, hanging around with Mac etc)

This was also the time when he was severely addicted to pain medication to ease his pain from falling down the stairs in his house (enough of that)... but Michael was not himself when he decided to shoot "Black or white"... he thought more and did more to an overlimit extend so that's why most people were and still are very confused of the total meaning of "Black or white"....
 
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