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The smooth criminal lean might be inspired by chaplin.

Peter_Pan

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When it comes to Mike's inspirations there is always reference to James Brown, Jackie Wilson, Fred Astire...etc.
But we and/or the media seems to ignore Charles Chaplin. Mike absolutely adored Chaplin (who btw is another of my favourites).
Look as this video of Charles Chaplin to see where MJ probably got the idea for the Smooth Criminal Lean.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR_d...742A2BF5&index=31&playnext=3&playnext_from=PL

look at the video at abt 2:32 seconds..

Also, I thought there lives were very similar both in success & fall.

1. Both started out as child stars & both managed to go on and become the very best in show biz. (worldwide impact).
2. Both had a Love/Hate relation ship with America: They were both America's sweethearts in the begining but in the later years things soured.
3. Two controversies affected their careers: MJ: Skin colour & relationship with young children. Chaplin: Relationship with young women & alleged communist tag.

Quotes after their fall from grace with the American public:

"I have no further use for America. I wouldn't go back there if Jesus Christ was President". Chaplin
Chaplin spent his last years in self imposed exile in switzerland


"I don't care to stay in America anymore..no, I will always have Neverland...... I would like to go abroad.....probably switzerland."


Unfortunately, Mike did'nt go on to live as long as Chaplin...
 
Peter_Pan said:
When it comes to Mike's inspirations there is always reference to James Brown, Jackie Wilson, Fred Astire...etc.
But we and/or the media seems to ignore Charles Chaplin. Mike absolutely adored Chaplin (who btw is another of my favourites).
Look as this video of Charles Chaplin to see where MJ probably got the idea for the Smooth Criminal Lean.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR_d...742A2BF5&index=31&playnext=3&playnext_from=PL

look at the video at abt 2:32 seconds..

Also, I thought there lives were very similar both in success & fall.

1. Both started out as child stars & both managed to go on and become the very best in show biz. (worldwide impact).
2. Both had a Love/Hate relation ship with America: They were both America's sweethearts in the begining but in the later years things soured.
3. Two controversies affected their careers: MJ: Skin colour & relationship with young children. Chaplin: Relationship with young women & alleged communist tag.

Quotes after their fall from grace with the American public:

"I have no further use for America. I wouldn't go back there if Jesus Christ was President". Chaplin
Chaplin spent his last years in self imposed exile in switzerland


"I don't care to stay in America anymore..no, I will always have Neverland...... I would like to go abroad.....probably switzerland."


Unfortunately, Mike did'nt go on to live as long as Chaplin...
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Great I´m sure Chaplin was the inspiration for smooth criminal.
 
REALLY good find! Michael loved Charlie Chaplin so I can imagine this could be true!
 
I wouldn't be shocked if MJ got it from there, since he always said he was a fan of Chaplin. I used to think he got it from the tinman in "the wizard of oz".
 
Thought Id share this that I found:
smoothcriminal.jpg
 
nice find Dangerous Inc.!

What I wanna know is how did Chaplin do it? Its really cool how Mike just got inspired from everything.
 
I know that the lean is an old old french magician trick going back back over 100 years (I think, lol), but I always wanted to know who came up with it for Smooth Criminal, I've seen that Jeffrey Daniel's video before, but always wondered if the video clip he does the lean (Silly love songs, Paul Mccartney and the Wings 84) was the inspiration for the lean in Smooth Criminal. There was a documentary, I think it was Jackos Millions where Vincent Patterson said that he came up with the lean. Then obviously theres MJs influences of old, which we have seen in sooo much of his work, so it started to make more sense that he got it from there. I dunno, lol. Probably was Daniel though.
 
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Being that Daniels did the lean prior and then Daniels did the Smooth Criminal choreography is much the answer there.
 
Agent M said:
Is it true Michael had a patent on the Smooth Criminal shoes but let it expire?
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Despite his fame and fortune, Jackson claimed "small entity status" in his patent application, which as a small-business employer entitled him to pay one-half the regular fees.
But imitators can dance in copies of the shoes without fear. The patent ended early, on Oct. 26, 2005, after failure to pay a final maintenance fee to the federal government.
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http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2009-06-30-jackson-patent_N.htm
 
It's obvious Michael was influenced by many people, Marcel Marceau, Charlie Chaplin, Jeffery Daniels among others but the moment any other artist shows their Michael Jackson influences, Michael Jackson fans act like they have just committed some great atrocity.
 
SIDEWALK said:
It's obvious Michael was influenced by many people, Marcel Marceau, Charlie Chaplin, Jeffery Daniels among others but the moment any other artist shows their Michael Jackson influences, Michael Jackson fans act like they have just committed some great atrocity.
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well, if u are referring to the timberlakes and ushers etc.. then yea a big atrocity, because, HECK it became no influence, it ended being up a straight rip off of the style. like a donkey would see the similarities .LOL. so yes it is a great great atrocity. cant they get their own style. if they cant, then they should'nt be singing imo. you cant call it influence sorry.. i call the things mj used for SC influence but not THIS!
 
^^ Thats exactly what SIDEWALK is talking about.
 
Also, watch the scene in The Wizard of Oz where the Tinman sings 'If I Only Had A Heart'. He does the lean too. ;)
 
I just love the way Michael would take bits from different things and add his own spin on them and put them altogether and make them look so new and exciting.
He truely was a genius :)
 
sim7 said:
well, if u are referring to the timberlakes and ushers etc.. then yea a big atrocity, because, HECK it became no influence, it ended being up a straight rip off of the style. like a donkey would see the similarities .LOL. so yes it is a great great atrocity. cant they get their own style. if they cant, then they should'nt be singing imo. you cant call it influence sorry.. i call the things mj used for SC influence but not THIS!
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Thank you for proving my point.
 
^ yes but there's a difference between influence and straight up impersonation... I think that was more their point...
 
StarSecret said:
^ yes but there's a difference between influence and straight up impersonation... I think that was more their point...
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''straight up impersonation''

Who has done this? other than when paying tribute to him (before his death aswell)

Anyway, this video below is a perfect example of what I want to get across, Usher is obviously influenced by Michael Jackson, James Brown, Prince & Marvin Gaye, so he's taken all of those influences, added them to his performance, made it his own and also added classic Usher moves.

Sound familiar?

it's called being inspired, influenced and making it your own, which is what Michael was all about.

 
CarinaT said:
Also, watch the scene in The Wizard of Oz where the Tinman sings 'If I Only Had A Heart'. He does the lean too. ;)
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Yeah I forgot about that one which was done in 1939. Thanx:clapping:
 
SIDEWALK said:
''straight up impersonation''

Who has done this? other than when paying tribute to him (before his death aswell)

Anyway, this video below is a perfect example of what I want to get across, Usher is obviously influenced by Michael Jackson, James Brown, Prince & Marvin Gaye, so he's taken all of those influences, added them to his performance, made it his own and also added classic Usher moves.

Sound familiar?

it's called being inspired, influenced and making it your own, which is what Michael was all about.
Click to expand...

Please don't talk down to me. You do not need to tell me what "it's" called. I am aware of the meaning of "inspired". I was simply stating my reading of the poster's comment. I do not like it when people make posts that include "some fans who..." singling out people for their opinions and making fans contrary for the point of argument when it was not the intention of the thread.
 
StarSecret said:
Please don't talk down to me. You do not need to tell me what "it's" called. I am aware of the meaning of "inspired". I was simply stating my reading of the poster's comment. I do not like it when people make posts that include "some fans who..." singling out people for their opinions and making fans contrary for the point of argument when it was not the intention of the thread.
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Don't be so defensive, I wasn't talking down to you at all.

I was just elaborating on my opinion to make a better point.
 
SIDEWALK said:
Don't be so defensive, I wasn't talking down to you at all.

I was just elaborating on my opinion to make a better point.
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I'm not being defensive :)
Your language said otherwise but we'll have to agree to disagree though - much is lost via internet based convo.

In case, smooth criminal lean eh? Awesome! :p
 
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