Was the image of michael jackson overtaken by his behaviour?
Michael Jackson was one of the most controversial and misunderstood people to moonwalk on this planet. Over time Jackson’s behaviour began to overshadow his achievements and his humanitarian work, leaving fans with unsettled and confused feelings about the ‘King of Pop.’ However, his strange antics in his later life must not overshadow the rest of his life.
Throughout Michael’s life, tabloids and media focused more on his changing appearance rather than his talent. Jackson’s face was splashed across the front pages of tabloids constantly with new updates on his plastic surgeries. Key headings like “Michael Jackson A 'Nasal Cripple” - abc News, were only just a small proportion of the many offensive titles and stories of sensationalism to draw people into buying their magazine. "I don’t understand why press is so interested in speculating about my appearance anyway. What does my face have to do with my music and my dancing?”-Michael Jackson. He adopted a new name by the tabloids and media, ‘Wacko Jacko’ which he admitted in several interviews that this name deeply offended him. Stories regarding his changing appearance stopped him from being able to move forward into the future as he began to be buried in untruthful stories that were ruining his reputation and hard work.
"Remember,the press is a business: Newspapers and magazines are in business to make money - sometimes at the expense of accuracy, fairness and even the truth." - Michael Jackson
Since the accusations of child molestation in 1993, people had a different view of Jackson. Michael spent millions of dollars supporting and donating to organisations and charities based on helping children, and even won several awards for his monumental efforts. He was seen in hospitals quite often, visiting children who were extremely ill, giving gifts to them and nurturing them. Michael founded his own Heal The World Foundation to provide comfort and loving to the disabled and less fortunate. He invited sick and under-privileged children to his Neverland ranch to experience a day were all pain and troubles were to be forgotten.
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All his hard work was to go to waste when the first charges of child molestation were reported by Evan Chandler, Jordan Chandlers Father. Michael became distraught and made a financial settlement with the family in the hope he wouldn’t be sent to jail and that this event would become something of the past. In the following years of 2003, 2005 and 2014 more allegations were filed against him. Every new charge, tabloid or new story began to destroy him, he wanted to escape from the hurtful criticism weighing down on him. People thought differently of him, his fame turned ugly and his legacy was rapidly beginning to be forgotten. |
Fun At Neverland
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"Children show me in their playful smiles the divine in everyone. This simple goodness shines straight from their hearts and only asks to be loved." - Michael Jackson
2002 Berlin Balcony
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In 2002, Michael was accommodating the Adlon Hotel, Berlin, Germany to receive an award for his charity work on behalf of children and a Bambi award. Overwhelmed by the response of the crowd surrounding his hotel window, he dangled his 9-month-old son Blanket, over the balcony. This caused great controversy all over the globe and sent tabloids and media into meltdown, accusing him of “being irresponsible" with his children. In an Interview with Martin Bashir, Jackson claimed he “would never hurt a child.” It was simply an innocent attempt to share his love for Blanket with his fans. Michael was in doubt that he had done anything wrong, as he had seen many parents throw their children in the air and catch them. In a statement issued later by his lawyer, he admitted he made a “terrible mistake”, “I offer no excuses for what happened,” the statement then continued with, “I got caught up in the excitement of the moment. I would never intentionally endanger the lives of my children.” The event of his peculiar behaviour while on the his trip to Germany, overtook any publicity about the reason Jackson was there to accept the award for his good deeds.
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In conclusion, Michaels strange behaviour misled the original image he had created for himself. The sad fact is that Michaels legacy will be remembered for his talents, dedications to music, dance and his humanitarian work, but will unfortunately also be remembered for the many years of controversy that he faced.
An UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE
In 1997, on the 6th of July, I was impatiently waiting outside the Olympic Stadium in Munich Germany, to attend one of Michael Jacksons HIStory Tour shows. 150,000 crazed fans flooded through the stadium gates racing to get to their seats, I was lucky enough to be in the mosh pit for a close up view of the concert.
Opening Act
MJ - 2040
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When the houselights dimmed and the stage lights darkened, the crowd roared and chanted the ‘King Of Pops’ name, as we all stood there staring at the stage for his first appearance. Instead, two large screens joined together with a video of a silver shuttle on tracks. All of the sudden I heard a soft voice saying “mission control it’s me, Michael… open the large doors, let’s make history.” His shuttle traveled on tracks, transporting him through time with visuals of famous landmarks, art and his career. A ten second countdown began and we all enthusiastically yelled along with it, for his arrival. As we get to zero the shuttle called MJ-2040 from the video pops out of the stage with him in it, a few moments later a tall, thin man in a gold suit with a gold helmet and protective gear busted through the black shuttle door. The opening song ‘Scream’ started to play and Michael energetically began to dance and sing, making his sea of fans and myself go wild.
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Smooth Criminal
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The crowd watched him in absolute awe, as he danced around the stage whilst singing in perfect pitch. The music from the previous song died down and the band began playing softer music to ‘the way you make me feel,’ Michael walked off stage into the wings which made me cheer his name. The back up singers harmonised ‘Annie are you ok’ in an ostinati, which introduces the next song ‘smooth criminal.’ Loud shooting noises matched Michael’s figure wearing a white suit and fedora with a gun and gold pyrotechnics fill the stadium.
The Lean
A white sheet covered the whole stage showing an enlarged Michael shadow with him doing impromptu moves to a drums beat. Once the sheet was carried away by cables, he moved around the stage with his 4 supporting dancers copying the iconic steps from his short film. Leading up to the lean they blacked out the stage and drew attention to a person in a suit holding TNT, which when exploded would reveal Michael and his crew. Words could not describe how impressed I was with this performance, as not once did he get out of breath or off note while dancing.
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During “You Are Not Alone” a fan was pulled from the front row and ran up on stage throwing herself into Michaels arms. He wasn't prepared for the impact but kept singing while he hugged her. Not letting go of Michael a body guard had to try to drag her off into the wings of the stage but instead of cooperating she threw a tantrum, which I found very amusing. For the first time Michael addressed the crowd, saying how much he appreciated his tour crew and his fans. In response we cheer “we love you Michael” in German together and he is chuffed. I could see he became focused on something on the ground in front of him, a giggling Michael over the microphone says “theres a little bug, security!…Don't kill it.” Moving on he began to do a Jackson 5 medley including the songs “I Want You Back”, “Stop The Love You Save” and “I’ll be there.”
'You Are Not Alone' - The Fan
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A crazed fanDuring 'You Are Not Alone'
Jackson 5 Medly - The Bug
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Zombie magic
A midnight wolf appeared on the screens either side of the stage, with Michael putting on his new and improved classic “Thriller” jacket. Zombies re-enact the scene where they infected him and start doing the dance causing me to join in. Michael disappeared into the stage and reappeared but this time with the wolf mask on, the zombies dragged him to a metal cage shaped like a coffin with paper hiding the inside. Michael got in the cage and we waited for what was going to happen, next thing we knew he Is being stabbed by large nails and then set on fire, but had vanished. Watch Magic Trick Here
On The Cherry Picker
Straight after, there was a large boom sound and a cherry picker rose high into the air, with Michael in it wearing a silk robe. The picker hovered over the manic crowd and I stretched my arms as far as they could go, to see if I could touch him. When back on stage he stripped down to his “Beat It” jacket from the music video and pranced around getting really close and personal with the cameras.
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'Beat It' Jacket
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A powerful momentA sweet melody was played on the piano and I automatically recognised the song. Michael comes out of the stage again and began to passionately sing “What about sunrise, What about rain.” It was an anthem the whole stadium knew, we lit our synthetic sparklers and lighters and raised them to the sky waving them in a side to side motion throughout the whole song. A giant rumble shook the ground and we saw a massive army tank drive on stage. A man opened the top with a gun and the audience went silent for a few seconds. He walked over to the peasants and frightened them with his gun and lastly pointed his rifle at Michael. We as a crowd became very emotional, some of us even crying, still pointing the gun Michael pushed the barrel of the gun face down to the stage and the army man knelt down in respect. A little girl then presented him with a sunflower and the audience roared and applauded her.
Earth Song Live
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An extraordinary ending
Michael finished his concert with the song HIStory, as a message to create your own history for everyday you live. All kinds of different flags were on poles waving in the slight breeze including Australia. I was disappointed when it ended as I knew for sure now that he really was the greatest entertainer of all time and didn't want it to end. I hope to see him in concert again sometime.
In The Closet Photoshoot
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Leave mE alone: MICHAEL JACKSON
Growing up as a child star and reaching unimaginable success in the music industry, Michael Jackson speaks the truth for his fans as the focus of his personal life eclipses his career.
We are sitting overlooking the Sydney Opera house and Harbour Bridge at Cafe Sydney. Michael is wearing his iconic penny loafers with black slacks and shirt with his red arm band on his right arm, symbolising children's suffering and his curly dark hair tied back in a loose ponytail. I am overwhelmed by his presence almost having trouble to come out with the first question. |
What is your creative process for writing songs?
“It’s just a series of collecting and writing songs in my mind, over a period of years or whatever, and it’s hard to say how one creates music, because its hard for me to take credit. I feel it’s more spiritual and heavenly…I can’t take credit for it really” What properties help you to be so successful? “Faith and determination, and practice.” In 2002 many people accused you of being irresponsible with your infant son blanket when you held him over the railing, do you have any regrets?
“Terrible mistake…I offer no excuses for what happened…I got caught up in the excitement of the moment. I would never intentionally endanger the lives of my children.” Much of your life has been scrutinised by the press. What is your opinion of all of this?
Michael’s bubbly attitude then turns serious as he pauses before answering my questions, “The tabloid press are bastards, and you've got to have rhinoceros skin to deal with that kind of ignorance mentality. They do it simply to sell papers, because bad news sells, not good news. They simply make it up. If they don't have anything, they just make it up. I'm nothing like the way the tabloids have painted me out to be, nothing. Nothing like that. They're the ones who are crazy. They're ignorant. I always say to my fans 'Let's have a tabloid burning. Let's make a big mountain out of tabloids and just burn them.’ The real fans who love me know that garbage isn't true. They know. They're smart. I’m willing to forgive the press, or forgive anybody, I was taught to love and forgive, which I do have in my heart, but please don’t believe these crazy, horrifying things.” he says passionately. |
What motivates you to keep going?
“I love children and animals…thats whats so wonderful about travelling. I get to see all the cultures and people and the children, its wonderful, its my greatest inspiration I would say.” Bad Tour
What are your honest thoughts on touring?
“You go from one continent to another, you’re sleepy, the time zones are different, you can’t sleep after the show, the adrenaline is up here. I go through hell touring… There is a good part of touring, it’s the fans, I love my fans. You go to any city anywhere in the world, they know all the songs, all the dance moves, everything. They even come with the tape on their fingers, the hats and the glove and everything, it’s just a wonderful experience, I love it. The fans are the reason why I do the tours and um, its very important to give the best show that we can possibly give them.” How do you feel when they call you ‘Wacko Jacko’?
Almost about to breakdown Jackson starts to speak, “I’m not a Jacko, I’m Jackson…Yeah ‘Wacko Jacko' were did that come from? Some english tabloid. I have a heart and I have feelings, I feel that when you do that to me, it’s not nice, don’t do it, I’m not a wacko.” I think its fair to say that your skin and appearance isn’t the same as it was when you were a child, have you altered it in any way?
“This is the situation, I have a disorder, that destroys the pigmentation of the skin its something I can not help okay, but when people make up stories that I don’t want to be who I am, it hurts me. It’s a problem for me, I can’t control it. We’re trying to control it and using makeup evens it out ‘cause it make blotches in the skin, I have to even out my skin. I have had no plastic surgery on my face, just my noes. It help me breathe better, so I can hit higher notes.” He states in a hurt voice. |