Michael Jackson died June 25 after reportedly being found unconscious in his Bel Air, Calif., home. Paramedics rushed the 50-year-old icon to UCLA Medical Centre, where he was declared dead. Jackson was in Los Angeles rehearsing for a 50-date run of concerts at London's O2 Arena that was to begin July 13.
He was the king of pop. He influenced the music industry in so many ways. But did people appreciate his accomplishments? Or did they only see the mistakes he made and the stories made up by the media. The truth is that people jumped to these judgments way too fast. Without learning the whole story. By believing the way he was portrayed by the media.
But what the media didn’t know was that Michael Jackson was forced to grow up too fast. He never had the chance to enjoy being a kid, or feel comfortable in his own skin.
When Jackson was performing in the “Jackson 5” his dad would beat him as well as his brothers if they made any mistakes, if they took a wrong step or sung the wrong note. I believe this affected MJ so much that he wanted to make a difference. All he wanted to do was be a kid, and hang out with people that aren’t pushing him into being more, pushing him in the wrong direction. He simply wanted kids to experience childhood, as he never had the chance.
When people think of Michael Jackson, one of the first things that they think about is the way he looks. As a teen MJ didn’t have good skin, so his abusive father teased him as much as possible, saying that he got it from his mothers side, saying he was ugly, teasing him abut his nose and his skin. What makes the situation worse was that he then had to face judgmental crowds, the media and fans with high expectations. I watched one interview of him, where he said that one lady had said to him, “what happened to his face?”
Can you imagine how bad this was for a self-conscious teen?
So offcourse Jackson Re-made his face, and to be honest I don’t blame him because would you be happy about the way you looked if you were constantly teased about it? And if the opportunity came would you want to change yourself?
When a lot of people look at pictures of the Deceased pop king. They simply see a man of mistakes, they see a man that loves kids, and immediately jump to the wrong conclusion.
However, I don’t. I see a boy who was pushed into being someone he’s not. I see a boy who never had the chance to be a kid, or the chance to grow up. I see a boy who’s self-conscious and shy and most importantly I see a boy that’s been misjudged.
In many ways was very similar to the children’s book character, Peter Pan. Michael Jackson was always just a kid at heart, never wanting to grow up.
I’m not saying that I’m all for little kids sharing beds with grown men, I’m saying that the media need to learn the full story before they pass judgments, telling people lies and making this pop sensations hard life, even harder. How fair is that? Doesn’t he deserve a break from the expectations, stereotypes and judgements he has had to live with for his whole life?
But why do people think Michael Jackson is so bad, when he isn’t nearly as bad as some of today’s celebrities? He didn’t promote drugs, like some, or party to the extremes like many other teen “role models”. He has made mistakes, but in today’s society, who are we to judge?
In MJ’s mind, he only saw what he’s done as if he was a kid, just kids sharing a bed, reading stories and sleeping. Nothing more. Nothing less.
After being constantly abused and missing out on a childhood, he just wanted to make life happier for children, to give them a chance at what he was never able to have. Shouldn’t we be pointing fingers at his father? Who cared more for success then the happiness of his children, instead of blaming the victim? But then again, we don’t know the full story.
Michael Jackson has influenced the music industry in amazing ways. His dancing was incredible; making people all over the world wish they could be as talented. We shouldn’t overlook this. We should focus on what he has accomplished, on the lives he’s changed, the lives he’s influenced. Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion. This was simply mine. Take it or leave it.
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