michael jackson: what’s the problem?

if 31 million people watched the michael jackson memorial on television i’m sure the numbers of individuals who streamed the content is astronomical.

in writing this i imagine some may cringe, tired of all the michael news coverage, commentary, talking heads, talking points, blogs, tweets, twitterers, columns on the pop star…the legendary michael jackson. apparently being a global legend does get you major, endless, fanatical, constant airtime. it’s who legends are. they’ve captured us…intrigued us enough with their lives, their arts and their gifts…what they gave is that hard to classify obsession that lives in our psyche, beneath our breath, tumbling in the back of our minds…we simply can’t get enough. and by the globe’s response to michael jackson…we who are still talking are indeed not alone.

i guess i’m a bit disappointed at speaker nancy pelosi’s refusal to allow the debate to go forth on resolution 600 brought forward by representative sheila jackson lee. the resolution would be a testament to michael jackson as a global humanitarian. i cringe when i hear pelosi, obama, colin powell, even though i respect them deeply, associate michael jackson’s life with ’sadness’ and as ‘tragic.’ these claims have nothing to do with michael jackson’s giving to the world.

what are their (and other naysayer’s) valid concerns? the child molestation accusations? well, he was acquitted. are they saying our judicial system is faulty? these are elected officials. his face? he was diagnosed with lupus and a skin condition called vitiligo. he speaks about using make-up to even out his skin tone. the oxygen chamber? the elephant man’s bones? false, michael said to oprah he wouldn’t want the elephant man’s bones and that the chamber was technology for burn victims. i believe it was something he purchased as a therapeutic device for burn victims and donated the hyperbaric equipment to a medical center in california. plastic surgery? in hollywood? are you kidding? i personally believe michael never needed it, but who am i. wearing colorful surgical masks, walking around in the sun underneath umbrellas? again, people who have vitiligo and lupus have great sensitivity to sunlight. his love for children as odd, strange, weird? he gave to the sickest of them. loved them dearly. check his list of charities. because he was so famous at such a young age, michael has said his affinity to help children is from his lack of being able to have a true childhood. i believe he felt that the purity and unconditional love of a child’s affection wasn’t tainted by greed and manipulation. why ever would he want to hurt them or victimize them? he has said that kind of behavior is not in his heart. veiled his children from society? perhaps because he didn’t want the press to overuse their images. an addiction to pain medications? lupus is very painful. he doesn’t like women? even if he didn’t…why would that be an issue? just listened from the mouth of stephanie mills that he was “a good kisser, looked cute in his underwear and was very much a manly man.” besides he’s linked to brooke shields, lisa marie presley, apparently the woman from ‘the way you make me feel’ video, tatiana thumbtzen, stephanie mills…not a bad line-up.

if you are a passionate michael jackson fan and feel he is being viewed unfair…it’s a free country, write about your feelings. write your government if you support the resolution.

all the allegations, criticisms, bad jokes, crazy names and rumors about the life of such an amazing person are unfounded. let it go. michael jackson was not the freak that people perceived him to be or wanted him to be. he was kind, caring, crazy talented, genius and will forever be ‘the greatest entertainer that ever lived.’ if you can’t enjoy him for what he is…i suppose i feel sorry for you…more than i do anyone else.