Attitudes toward abortion differ quite a bit throughout the world, I doubt that most of Europe (English yellow press excluded) and Asia would raise any 'controversy' issues around a song that explore abortion the way he did. It would have been noted, discussed, a couple of TV blab magazine 'reports', end of story, since Europeans tend to be stunned more by the violence that surrounds particularly the US on that topic.
Sure, abortion will never be a topic of casual conversation, but a good song about the topic would rarely elicit confused reactions like those toward domestic terrorism in the US- such as the gunning down of a Doctor in a church!
The sentiments around the globe can be very similar, but they are currently not the same.
I am not debating abortion, merely that Michael has always had a huge international audience that isn't necessarily shying away from the same things US audiences MIGHT shy away from.
Michael is more than an eccentric Peter Pan and not the naive and clueless man child (and worse) that so many prefer to cling to in their projection.
And that's why I say, bring it on, brining it all, he's all and everything, and I hope that one day as collective humanity we can stop castigating and typecasting him and stop projecting our own stuff onto him.
Michael thought and read about so many things and I will forever mourn the books he could have written later on, lending a very unique perspective, given his unique viewpoint.
He is just as much allowed to have an opinion, as all of us. One of the things that I also found interesting in the US, is the apparent surprise (or even dismay and outrage) whenever an actor or singer engages in whatever form of political activism, for example. Charity and social activism is okay- anything deemed 'political', it even 'controversial' is surprising.
Whereas in Europe actors are pretty much expected to smoke like a chimney, down several bottles of wine per interview and be raging proponents of Brecht and so on.
A proper interview with some long haired genius is considered memorable when someone got offended- and plenty an interview went quite unexpected. Klaus Kinski, Nureyev, think punk.
When did we ever become so boring???
Sure, it's a bit cliche, my depiction- but so is the cliche of the robotic smile of the lead actors at some press conference. People do think, have emotions, perhaps we'd all get along better if we would start talking to each first.
I welcome it all, even if I don't have to agree.
Just as Michael is more than his glove and fedora, so of course differs his worldwide audience.
I very much appreciate all insights from all his stations in life, and sometimes it's also good to remember that not everything an author writes about, or a singer sings about is of autobiographical nature and/or personal opinion.
Some is, lots has to be, but not all of it is.
