billyworld99
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Today would have been Michael Jackson's 54th birthday. Since his sudden death, public interest in the entertainer has soared. Jackson's Estate venture, Cirque du Soleil's IMMORTAL World Tour is the highest grossing tour in North America for the first half of 2012, outselling live acts like Kenny Chesney and Lady Antebellum. Jackson's video game, Michael Jackson: The Experience has sold over four million units to date. The upcoming release of the 25th anniversary of the Bad album, including a never-before-seen concert DVD from Jackson's personal collection, is highly anticipated. Forbes lists Jackson as the highest paid dead celebrity for both 2009 and 2010, raking in $445 million for sales of his music and his share of Sony/ATV publishing. Three years after death, Michael Jackson sits perched at the forefront of the music industry
The entertainer once copied down the words of Michelangelo, which stated "I know that the creator will go, but his work survives. That is why to escape death, I attempt to bind myself to my work." Clearly, Jackson's music has survived, and is in fact, thriving. And yet, one has to wonder if this is how the multi-faceted entertainer would have wanted to be remembered. Would Jackson want his "work" to be limited to his musical artistry, or would he want to be remembered as more than that? Are the personal social commentaries and humanitarian work that Jackson aligned with songs such as "Man in the Mirror", "Heal the World" and "Earth Song" lost in entertainment value for new generations of fans? Similarly, is Jackson's recurring theme of his rocky relationship with the press, through songs such as "Leave Me Alone", "Why You Wanna Trip On Me" and "Tabloid Junkie" to be overlooked in an attempt to underscore his musical genius?
To remember him solely for his music, without a spotlight on his message, would be a huge disservice to Jackson's legacy. Even worse, and perhaps what he feared most, would be to be remembered by the media's relentless vitriol in reverberating, tunnel vision infamy. In death as in life, Jackson's significance has typically been divided into two parts. The accolades or harsh criticisms solely devoted to music, permanently fixed against the backdrop of tabloid sensationalism, and thus, the importance of his lyrical content and humanitarian work continues to be largely ignored.
In 1987, Jackson released his album Bad, and with it, the song he is arguably most well known for; "Man in the Mirror". The lyrics, "I see the kids in the street/ With not enough to eat/ Who am I, to be blind/ Pretending not to see their needs" (although not written by Jackson) embodied the pervasive philosophy that he carried throughout his lifetime; that it was essential to give back to humanity, and in particular, to children in need. Between 1987-88, highlights of Jackson's charitable contributions included a Madison Square Garden benefit concert, in which he and his sponsor Pepsi donated the $600,000 proceeds to the United Negro College Fund. Other endowments include Jackson's $150,000 donation to Banbin Gesu hospital in Rome, his Bad concert in London, in which he donated approximately $400,000 to Prince Charles' charity, his 30th birthday concert, raising $100,000 for immunizing children, and his $125,000 donation to Motown for a museum
The reviews of the Bad album were generally positive. Yet, with the exception of his endowment to Prince Charles' favorite charitable trust, Jackson's benevolence was fundamentally unnoticed by the media. In its place, were questions regarding Jackson's plastic surgery, chemical altering of his voice, his religious preference and countless speculative reports. The Associated Press reported that Jackson had not only left the Jehovah's Witnesses, but that he was "shunned" from the sect. The Gainesville Sun wrote, "This is all a little strange and very sad for a young man who swept through North Florida three years ago when he was the hottest thing in entertainment. Now we're reduced to stories about him sleeping in a tube of pure oxygen…and his offer to buy the remains of John Merrick, the original Elephant Man."
Jackson's unprecedented scrutiny was not limited to the media. The National Association of Black Psychologists, in 1987, claimed that the singer was a bad role model for black children. The NABP cited that heavy makeup which made his skin look lighter, a surgically altered nose and straightened hair "created an appearance that is more Anglo than African." A Washington Post article, titled "From Bad to Worse", wrote "As far as I'm concerned, (Michael Jackson) engaged in a form of self mutilation that was a rejection of his cultural self', said Na'im Akbar, president of NABP. Akbar, a psychology professor at Florida State University, says Jackson has contributed to a 'sexual identity crisis' that is being fueled by a shortage of black role models and manifesting itself in rising criminal aggression and drug abuse."
By the time that the NABP denounced the entertainer, Jackson had donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the United Negro College Fund, enabling 137 students to attend college. In general, his bequests nearly always included minority, disadvantaged and/or sick children and youth. The NABP, along with the media and the public engaged in a skin deep, depthless study of Jackson, while the cornerstone of the entertainer-slash-philanthropist's psyche was the polar opposite.
In 1991, Jackson released his Dangerous album. On it, the track "Heal the World" was released. The lyrics, "Heal the World/Make it a better place/For you and for me/And the entire human race" were a demonstration of Jackson's belief in global harmony. Yet, as in previous songs, the passionate content was drowned in a sea of superficiality by the media.
In a review by the LA Times, writer Chris Hillman states that with the track, "Jackson ventures into the realm of virtual self parody (with) a disingenuous chorus (in) classic ambiguous-altruistic fashion. Having a song this goofily embarrassing make the final cut (on the album) is as vivid an illustration as you could ask for, of the danger of being surrounded by too many yes-men."
Jackson later went on to perform "Heal the World" at the Superbowl in 1993. In a media conference before the game, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote, "(Jackson) is slender and graceful, almost dainty. His face has the waxy look of a corpse that has been recently and artfully embalmed." The writer then proceeded to mention a charitable donation, albeit obscurely
Jackson donated his fees for the Super Bowl performance, $100,000 from both the NFL and Frito Lay, to his own charity, Heal the World Foundation. Jackson's goal was a new project; Heal LA, targeted inner city youth of East Los Angeles, in attempt to help immunize, mentor and provide drug intervention and education to disadvantaged children. In total, the cost of this endeavor was $1.25 million. And yet, only weeks after the Super Bowl, the philanthropic undertaking was forgotten, as Jackson steadied himself for his first interview in a decade, with Oprah Winfrey.
In that interview, when Jackson mentions Heal the World Foundation and Heal LA, and his massive efforts in Sarajevo from the previous year, Oprah replies, "hmm, we're talking about the rumors, one of the strangest ones was that when you're moonwalking, you're faking it, that you have some mirrors in your socks, something like that, it's not really real." The fact that in 1992, Jackson's charity partnered with AmeriCares to send 47 tons of supplies to war-torn Sarajevo, including medical supplies, winter clothes and blankets, was disregarded. The cost, at $2.1 million, fell on deaf ears.
Winfrey's air of detachment from the man and philanthropist, extended itself when Jackson revealed he had a skin disorder that caused him to lose pigmentation, causing irregular patches of brown and pale skin. (It was confirmed at the time of his autopsy, that Jackson indeed, did suffer from vitiligo). When Winfrey asks if Jackson's skin is lighter because he "doesn't like being black", it is apparent that he takes offense to the insinuation. At that moment, Oprah Winfrey epitomized what Jackson despised the most; a media representative whose audacity was only outmatched by her self-aggrandizement.
With the release of every successive album, Jackson included a song that was directed at the media and the public, asking them to devote their interest in larger social issues, rather than his personal characteristics. Like "Leave Me Alone" from the Bad album, "Why You Wanna Trip On Me", from the Dangerous album exemplifies his frustration. "They say I'm different/They Don't Understand/But there's a bigger problem/That's much more in demand/You got world hunger/Not enough to eat/So there's really no time/To be trippin' on me". The Miami Herald wrote, "As if (Jackson) doesn't spend untold thousands of dollars to ensure that we don't leave him alone and we do trip on him."
And yet, nothing deterred Jackson; even if the media and the public saw the entertainer as "weird", Jackson persevered in his humanitarianism. In a partnership with former President Jimmy Carter, Jackson's Heal the World Foundation helped to provide 17,000 immunizations in Atlanta for children in a five day time span. In 1994, Jackson donated $500,000 to the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS foundation. Jackson donated over $85,000 to areas affected by the Los Angeles earthquake. Jackson went on to donate all the proceeds from his Dangerous tour to a variety of charities benefitting children, including Heal the World Foundation.
Jackson released his HIStory album in 1995, spending the time he had available on the accompanying tour, visiting hospitals and donating the proceeds of the concerts to charity. As always, the singer implanted a socially conscious song into the album. This time, the track "Earth Song" regarding the responsibility of environmental awareness, was released. Jackson's lyrics "Did you ever stop to notice/All the children dead from war/Did you ever stop to notice/The crying Earth the weeping shores?" were not considered; Jackson himself was attacked by the underlying bias that the media held for him once again. The Worcester Telegram & Gazette wrote, "To show his global concerns are as big as his inflated ego, Jackson shoots in the token consciousness-raiser, Earth Song. It's as sappy as it gets with cliché-ridden, heavy-handed lyrics, and turn on/turn off teary eyed singing on man's betrayal of nature, wildlife and humanity." The Sarasota Herald wrote, "Earth Song, a fatuous, heal-the-world paean written by Jackson, is unlistenable."
The single from the same album, "Tabloid Junkie", is Jackson's anthem to convey his disgust with the negative bias that the media, both mainstream and tabloid, had used against him. "It's slander/You say it's not a sword/But with your pen you torture men/You'd crucify the Lord" Jackson had long ago realized that his philanthropic work was relegated to the back pages, while headlines screamed of his "eccentricities". The incessant sophistry by the media prevented Jackson, during his entire adult lifetime, of the ability to have his ethic of philanthropy heard.
Although discouraged, Jackson continued his humanitarian work. In 1996, while on tour, he visited hospitals in Bucharest, Prague, Taiwan, Amsterdam, Auckland, Bangkok, Brisbane, Melbourne and Manila, giving gifts to children. The entertainer donated the tickets sales for his Bombay concert, estimated at $4-5 million, to a charity benefitting unemployed youth.
The charitable contributions mentioned are merely a small fraction of the examples of Jackson's philanthropic work. The entertainer visited countless hospitals, donated to individual children in need, gave away thousands of free concert tickets and donated millions of dollars to charity. All contributions were a testament to Jackson's core belief in giving back to the world, and that an investment in children was an investment in the world's future. Jackson talked the talk, and (moon)walked the walk. And while Jackson's Estate executors have done a more than commendable job remembering the singer's artistry, it is only when his humanitarian work is remembered in the same way, that Michael Jackson will be accurately immortalized in history
http://mjandjustice4some.blogspot.com/2012/08/michael-jackson-humanitarian-unheard.html
The entertainer once copied down the words of Michelangelo, which stated "I know that the creator will go, but his work survives. That is why to escape death, I attempt to bind myself to my work." Clearly, Jackson's music has survived, and is in fact, thriving. And yet, one has to wonder if this is how the multi-faceted entertainer would have wanted to be remembered. Would Jackson want his "work" to be limited to his musical artistry, or would he want to be remembered as more than that? Are the personal social commentaries and humanitarian work that Jackson aligned with songs such as "Man in the Mirror", "Heal the World" and "Earth Song" lost in entertainment value for new generations of fans? Similarly, is Jackson's recurring theme of his rocky relationship with the press, through songs such as "Leave Me Alone", "Why You Wanna Trip On Me" and "Tabloid Junkie" to be overlooked in an attempt to underscore his musical genius?
To remember him solely for his music, without a spotlight on his message, would be a huge disservice to Jackson's legacy. Even worse, and perhaps what he feared most, would be to be remembered by the media's relentless vitriol in reverberating, tunnel vision infamy. In death as in life, Jackson's significance has typically been divided into two parts. The accolades or harsh criticisms solely devoted to music, permanently fixed against the backdrop of tabloid sensationalism, and thus, the importance of his lyrical content and humanitarian work continues to be largely ignored.
In 1987, Jackson released his album Bad, and with it, the song he is arguably most well known for; "Man in the Mirror". The lyrics, "I see the kids in the street/ With not enough to eat/ Who am I, to be blind/ Pretending not to see their needs" (although not written by Jackson) embodied the pervasive philosophy that he carried throughout his lifetime; that it was essential to give back to humanity, and in particular, to children in need. Between 1987-88, highlights of Jackson's charitable contributions included a Madison Square Garden benefit concert, in which he and his sponsor Pepsi donated the $600,000 proceeds to the United Negro College Fund. Other endowments include Jackson's $150,000 donation to Banbin Gesu hospital in Rome, his Bad concert in London, in which he donated approximately $400,000 to Prince Charles' charity, his 30th birthday concert, raising $100,000 for immunizing children, and his $125,000 donation to Motown for a museum
The reviews of the Bad album were generally positive. Yet, with the exception of his endowment to Prince Charles' favorite charitable trust, Jackson's benevolence was fundamentally unnoticed by the media. In its place, were questions regarding Jackson's plastic surgery, chemical altering of his voice, his religious preference and countless speculative reports. The Associated Press reported that Jackson had not only left the Jehovah's Witnesses, but that he was "shunned" from the sect. The Gainesville Sun wrote, "This is all a little strange and very sad for a young man who swept through North Florida three years ago when he was the hottest thing in entertainment. Now we're reduced to stories about him sleeping in a tube of pure oxygen…and his offer to buy the remains of John Merrick, the original Elephant Man."
Jackson's unprecedented scrutiny was not limited to the media. The National Association of Black Psychologists, in 1987, claimed that the singer was a bad role model for black children. The NABP cited that heavy makeup which made his skin look lighter, a surgically altered nose and straightened hair "created an appearance that is more Anglo than African." A Washington Post article, titled "From Bad to Worse", wrote "As far as I'm concerned, (Michael Jackson) engaged in a form of self mutilation that was a rejection of his cultural self', said Na'im Akbar, president of NABP. Akbar, a psychology professor at Florida State University, says Jackson has contributed to a 'sexual identity crisis' that is being fueled by a shortage of black role models and manifesting itself in rising criminal aggression and drug abuse."
By the time that the NABP denounced the entertainer, Jackson had donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the United Negro College Fund, enabling 137 students to attend college. In general, his bequests nearly always included minority, disadvantaged and/or sick children and youth. The NABP, along with the media and the public engaged in a skin deep, depthless study of Jackson, while the cornerstone of the entertainer-slash-philanthropist's psyche was the polar opposite.
In 1991, Jackson released his Dangerous album. On it, the track "Heal the World" was released. The lyrics, "Heal the World/Make it a better place/For you and for me/And the entire human race" were a demonstration of Jackson's belief in global harmony. Yet, as in previous songs, the passionate content was drowned in a sea of superficiality by the media.
In a review by the LA Times, writer Chris Hillman states that with the track, "Jackson ventures into the realm of virtual self parody (with) a disingenuous chorus (in) classic ambiguous-altruistic fashion. Having a song this goofily embarrassing make the final cut (on the album) is as vivid an illustration as you could ask for, of the danger of being surrounded by too many yes-men."
Jackson later went on to perform "Heal the World" at the Superbowl in 1993. In a media conference before the game, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote, "(Jackson) is slender and graceful, almost dainty. His face has the waxy look of a corpse that has been recently and artfully embalmed." The writer then proceeded to mention a charitable donation, albeit obscurely
Jackson donated his fees for the Super Bowl performance, $100,000 from both the NFL and Frito Lay, to his own charity, Heal the World Foundation. Jackson's goal was a new project; Heal LA, targeted inner city youth of East Los Angeles, in attempt to help immunize, mentor and provide drug intervention and education to disadvantaged children. In total, the cost of this endeavor was $1.25 million. And yet, only weeks after the Super Bowl, the philanthropic undertaking was forgotten, as Jackson steadied himself for his first interview in a decade, with Oprah Winfrey.
In that interview, when Jackson mentions Heal the World Foundation and Heal LA, and his massive efforts in Sarajevo from the previous year, Oprah replies, "hmm, we're talking about the rumors, one of the strangest ones was that when you're moonwalking, you're faking it, that you have some mirrors in your socks, something like that, it's not really real." The fact that in 1992, Jackson's charity partnered with AmeriCares to send 47 tons of supplies to war-torn Sarajevo, including medical supplies, winter clothes and blankets, was disregarded. The cost, at $2.1 million, fell on deaf ears.
Winfrey's air of detachment from the man and philanthropist, extended itself when Jackson revealed he had a skin disorder that caused him to lose pigmentation, causing irregular patches of brown and pale skin. (It was confirmed at the time of his autopsy, that Jackson indeed, did suffer from vitiligo). When Winfrey asks if Jackson's skin is lighter because he "doesn't like being black", it is apparent that he takes offense to the insinuation. At that moment, Oprah Winfrey epitomized what Jackson despised the most; a media representative whose audacity was only outmatched by her self-aggrandizement.
With the release of every successive album, Jackson included a song that was directed at the media and the public, asking them to devote their interest in larger social issues, rather than his personal characteristics. Like "Leave Me Alone" from the Bad album, "Why You Wanna Trip On Me", from the Dangerous album exemplifies his frustration. "They say I'm different/They Don't Understand/But there's a bigger problem/That's much more in demand/You got world hunger/Not enough to eat/So there's really no time/To be trippin' on me". The Miami Herald wrote, "As if (Jackson) doesn't spend untold thousands of dollars to ensure that we don't leave him alone and we do trip on him."
And yet, nothing deterred Jackson; even if the media and the public saw the entertainer as "weird", Jackson persevered in his humanitarianism. In a partnership with former President Jimmy Carter, Jackson's Heal the World Foundation helped to provide 17,000 immunizations in Atlanta for children in a five day time span. In 1994, Jackson donated $500,000 to the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS foundation. Jackson donated over $85,000 to areas affected by the Los Angeles earthquake. Jackson went on to donate all the proceeds from his Dangerous tour to a variety of charities benefitting children, including Heal the World Foundation.
Jackson released his HIStory album in 1995, spending the time he had available on the accompanying tour, visiting hospitals and donating the proceeds of the concerts to charity. As always, the singer implanted a socially conscious song into the album. This time, the track "Earth Song" regarding the responsibility of environmental awareness, was released. Jackson's lyrics "Did you ever stop to notice/All the children dead from war/Did you ever stop to notice/The crying Earth the weeping shores?" were not considered; Jackson himself was attacked by the underlying bias that the media held for him once again. The Worcester Telegram & Gazette wrote, "To show his global concerns are as big as his inflated ego, Jackson shoots in the token consciousness-raiser, Earth Song. It's as sappy as it gets with cliché-ridden, heavy-handed lyrics, and turn on/turn off teary eyed singing on man's betrayal of nature, wildlife and humanity." The Sarasota Herald wrote, "Earth Song, a fatuous, heal-the-world paean written by Jackson, is unlistenable."
The single from the same album, "Tabloid Junkie", is Jackson's anthem to convey his disgust with the negative bias that the media, both mainstream and tabloid, had used against him. "It's slander/You say it's not a sword/But with your pen you torture men/You'd crucify the Lord" Jackson had long ago realized that his philanthropic work was relegated to the back pages, while headlines screamed of his "eccentricities". The incessant sophistry by the media prevented Jackson, during his entire adult lifetime, of the ability to have his ethic of philanthropy heard.
Although discouraged, Jackson continued his humanitarian work. In 1996, while on tour, he visited hospitals in Bucharest, Prague, Taiwan, Amsterdam, Auckland, Bangkok, Brisbane, Melbourne and Manila, giving gifts to children. The entertainer donated the tickets sales for his Bombay concert, estimated at $4-5 million, to a charity benefitting unemployed youth.
The charitable contributions mentioned are merely a small fraction of the examples of Jackson's philanthropic work. The entertainer visited countless hospitals, donated to individual children in need, gave away thousands of free concert tickets and donated millions of dollars to charity. All contributions were a testament to Jackson's core belief in giving back to the world, and that an investment in children was an investment in the world's future. Jackson talked the talk, and (moon)walked the walk. And while Jackson's Estate executors have done a more than commendable job remembering the singer's artistry, it is only when his humanitarian work is remembered in the same way, that Michael Jackson will be accurately immortalized in history
http://mjandjustice4some.blogspot.com/2012/08/michael-jackson-humanitarian-unheard.html