Predator. Icon. All words I’ve heard describing Michael Jackson the past few days. Maybe he is all of those things. Seems weird that one person can be so many things which are so diametrically opposed. Just like his song, Black or White¸ that is truly the essence of Michael Jackson. He has literally transformed before our eyes from one being to another. His skin lightened from black to translucent white. His hair went from an afro to straight as a board. And what about that nose? Can you even call it a nose anymore? Weird or Phenomenal? Both. Whether you hate him for the allegations of child molestation or love him for his amazing music and videos, there is no question that he was an immense talent who at a minimum influenced and at its maximum changed music, dance, and fashion. Oh, the fashion. The single white glove, the high water pants, the red leather jacket, the loafers and his lavish costumes.
Beat It, Billie Jean, and Thriller were probably more popular but my favorite is Man in the Mirror: I’m Gonna Make a Change, Philosophical? Not really. Profound? Maybe. Hokey? Definitely. But a good message nonetheless. In a world where blame is the order of the day, Man in the Mirror is about taking responsibility. If you don’t like something, stop bitching about it and do something to fix it. If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. Not sure who coined that phrase but I remember MTV used to have public service announcements with environmental messages with that phrase. I’m trying to take that advice to heart. Admittedly, it’s not easy. People always told me be careful of what you do The lie becomes the truth. Wow. That one is a bit profound. I Said You Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' Despite the hokiness of some of his lyrics, Michael Jackson had a way of moving people. And boy could he move! The first moon-walk on the Motown 25 special had every Gen-Xer moving. I remember spending hours on my parents’ linoleum kitchen floor in my socks trying to perfect the moonwalk. By the way, I never could get it down. My moonwalk was more akin to a spastic seizure. Add to the moon walk the pelvic thrusts, the leg pops, the tip toe pose and the turns. You had never seen anything like it. Nor will you ever again. Michael Jackson seemed to influence even my carbonated beverage choice. Coke vs. Pepsi. I am a committed Coke fan, but even I gave Pepsi a try when Michael Jackson got the Pepsi endorsement. I was in 8th grade when his Jheri curl caught on fire while he was filming a Pepsi commercial. It was all we talked about for weeks – would he still be able to sing? Would he still make videos? Can he dance with the second degree burns on his head? Or was his Jheri curl the source of his magical powers? OK, maybe not that last part, but I was obsessed with his music and to this day wish I could dance like that. The Thriller video was truly a marvel. I heard one report that MTV played the 14 minute video twice an hour to satisfy viewer demand at the time it was released. Unbelievable! With attention spans shortening every day, can you imagine sitting and watching a 14 minute music video? A music video! Most of us did. And repeatedly. I certainly did. It’s close to midnight and something evil’s lurking in the dark I freaking loved that song and video. It, among other Michael Jackson hits, are on my iPod. The New York Times had a really good article which covers the ups and downs of his life and career. For anyone interested, here’s the link. I’m not naïve. I know the King of Pop had faults. Even though he was acquitted of the child molestation charges, I do think his behavior is suspect at the very least. Remember his pet monkey? Bizzaro but kinda cool at the same time. Who among us hasn’t wanted a pet monkey at one time? I certainly did. Satchmo is a bit like monkey. By the way, despite my immense fear of lizards, when the Sobe energy drink commercial came out with the lizards doing the Thriller dance, I taught Satchmo how to do that. He was pretty good. But I digress. . . I am going to remember Michael for his immeasurable talent and enjoy his music for many years to come. Michael Jackson actually made an impact on this world. I hope to do the same. In the meantime, I think I’ll practice my moonwalk. Heal the world 
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