American poet Robert Bly wrote "We have a remarkable ability for forgetfulness, ingenious methods for not being present, a delicious capacity for oblivion. Forgetting the shocks of childhood, our nature, our destiny, our desire, and all those tasks which our soul actually come in this world." Thankfully, for us, the King of Pop never forgot the shocks of his childhood, or of others. His greatest trait was his innocence, he always remained playful and in touch with the wonder of the world. Many people associate his sensitive and childish outlook on life with sexual wrong doing with minors. I have no words for them.
Because of a malicious press the King will always be tainted, no matter the lack of factual proof of the charges peppered against him. During Michael's reign as King of pop culture, the press invited the most vile type of skepticism about the intentions of the true artist that he was, and completely blacked out the type of skepticism that is required of a healthy republic. It was a scandal-ridden age, but the real scandals were happening in the powerful lobbies in Washington and in Goldman's offices on Wall Street, not in Michael Jackson's bedroom in Neverland.
The press is the guilty party, it never covers power and questions authority, rather, it's sole role is to subdue and distract the public. Tarnishing careers, and bringing down stars is also part of the business. Regardless if he is a king with a poet's heart, the press does not not know respect, or the sacredness of genius. Only fear and money motivates them, not love, grief or any form of human sympathy. The press does not know any boundaries, except for it's owners and journalists. Everybody else be damned, including the King of Pop.
That Michael Jackson continued to shine despite all the hate is a testament to him as a human being. More than just active legs, he possessed an active heart and remained humble in the face of adoring fans. A true gift to humanity. Yet, there are still doubts, largely in America, about his sincerity as a human being. Sadly, these doubts are more of a reflection of American society and the mindless press than the life of Michael Jackson. He was a troubled human being, but all artists are, especially the great ones, and Michael was the greatest.
"Untroubled, innocent, and somnambulistic creation," Goethe said, "is the only way to make great things flourish, and that is no longer possible at all. Our talents today lie on the salver of the public notice. Nothing sound can thrive because of the critical press which appear daily in fifty different places and because of the public gossip which they engender. Today the man is lost who does not completely avoid all that by forcibly isolating himself." He was referring to poets and literary artists, but his observation holds true for all artists and all ages hence. They say Michael Jackson was a recluse, as if Michael Jackson lived an ordinary life. Describing famous individuals as recluse when they choose to retreat from the spotlight is simply a dumb conclusion. The King went into exile not on his own terms but because of a ferocious press who rained down poison that eventually became a tsunami. Can any human being withstand this onslaught, let alone a sensitive and tender spirit like Michael Jackson? Put his idiosyncrasies aside and don't be a critic for a minute.
Way before his sudden death, the press and the public killed him softly. As a result, his name will forever be tainted, and it is truly sad. His art, however, will live through the generations and will be assessed favorably by the fairest of all judges, time.
Some say he was taken at a young age, but he was also given the immensities of life at a young age. The most remarkable thing about Michael Jackson is that he remained a child to the end, a true child of God. Not an immature child that America has enough of, but a child who endured tremendous distress throughout his life and still produced the most trailblazing art in pop history.
Bly, describing the identity and archetype of the King, says it is not about heroism but failure and repair, not as much ascending but descending. Michael Jackson lived in the age when the divinity of the King was doubted, and unfortunately for him, the crown was put on his shoulders - and he couldn't bear it. HIS embodiment of an unusual King in the popular psyche for three decades is a reminder to all of us that happiness is not guaranteed, not even in America. His death, tragic and deeply moving, is a cause for grief, but hopefully it is the type of grief that will bring a greater maturity to the public opinion about Michael Jackson and to the culture itself.
Eternally grieving, however, is not healthy. By celebrating his life, and most of all his work, we can assure that this King, unlike those of the past, will live on forever. Nietzsche famously said that he would only believe in a God that knows how to dance, and Michael Jackson, embodying the holy shrine of the King who represents God on Earth, answered his doubts by dancing better than all men.
Men of genius often have short lives because they live more in 50 years than most can live in a century. The Death and Life of Michael Jackson, both so shocking, needs to be accepted. Denial of both his divinity and genius by the suspecting public, and of his graceless departure by obsessed fans, reflects the same roots of unbelief.
Bly made note of two aspects of what he called 'The Immense Mother' - the Virgin Mary, who embodies life, and the Baby Yaga, the devouring mother head. And he says that the rejection of both of these mother figures reveals a childlike madness. The fact that Michael Jackson was taken from the world when he was preparing for his comeback is a reaffirmation of nature's most basic principle: life is sacred, and can be taken away at any moment.
We can never know the reality of Michael Jackson's psyche, or his painful alertness of himself in a hostile world. We can only get an impression of the man from those he held dear, his friends and family. Anything else is mere speculation for the chattering heads. But one thing is for sure. The pop of the ultimate bubble boy who died in the biggest bubble of all represents the end of an era in music and culture. An end of Pop.
For now, the throne is empty. To celebrate his passing, play Billie Jean, put on your dancing shoes and give the man peace, at last, in death. After all, a true child of God belongs in God's very own Neverland.
My two favorite Michael Jackson songs:
