Inner Michael » Who’s the "Bad" Avatar?

Who’s the "Bad" Avatar?

The audience is then engulfed in war-making and destruction while a giant land-mover clear cuts a path to the Unobtanium while locking in coordinates for the tree of souls which is the spiritual epicenter of the telepathic connection center of the Indigenous people’s existence. The military aggressor using giant and multiple typically over-the-top ordinance, brings down the foundation of the alien culture virtually destroying any opposition to their takeover and military-style “acquisition” of scarce resources.

There are so many parallels with Michael’s musical and visual message in “Earth Song” that I half expected to see him walk on screen during the movie. The “Who’s Bad” reference was far too stunning and deliberate to be coincidence. So were the footfalls lighting up in the forest reminiscent of Billy Jean as the romantic leads walked through. And that backhanded swipe of the mouth by the character whose nose was broken? It was the typical pensive bad-boy gesture Michael debuted in Bad short film and Come Together. I sat frozen in my seat long into the credits expecting to see Michael’s name, a dedication or mention of the homage. It wasn’t there. If you didn’t know Michael’s work, you wouldn’t notice. But I think Michael knows. Who’s the “Bad” Avatar?

The antagonist is a seasoned and hardened warrior from the Military Industrial Complex who sees force as the only means to accomplish the ends. Ever the Machiavellian mercenary, even after the mission is lost, he continues the hunt-to-kill of the protagonist because being a product of indoctrinated violence, he knows nothing else.

The inhabitants of this new and unusual world have discovered a way to bond with the creatures of the planet in cooperative endeavors beneficial to both. The world and its many species are bioluminescent, glowing with their own inner light in the darkness. Initially the part human visitor does not understand that there is a deeper live connection that underlies and weaves its branches like the brain’s dendrite neurons throughout all life on the planet. He sees himself as separate from the world’s biology—a grave mistake. Because he does not know or understand there is another way to navigate the interconnected web of life and because he feels no kinship or link with them, he becomes their victim. His survival then, is dependent on making war with them and killing them.

This human Avatar is eventually educated and converted to someone in reverence to the inhabitants, the biology, telepathy and the bioluminescent and interconnected web of life. He later learns that if he uses an available bio link that allows for a sympathetic and telepathic connection, he is able to “feel” into the body and fields of the life and creatures around him.

This archetypal hero’s journey is not a new theme. The Hindu deity Vishnu is a blue

Planetary Avatar who rides on the back of a giant bird. He is one of the triumvirate of deities that include also Brahma and Shiva. Brahma is the Hindu creator god, Shiva is the destroyer and Vishnu is the preserver. It’s another of the holy triunes. His vehicle for flight is Garuda the sun bird, enemy of serpents. Vishnu is said to come to Earth as an Avatar when great evil threatens to destroy the world. He can appear also as Rama and as Krishna. The next incarnation of Vishnu at the Kali-Yuga, thought to be around the year 2012, will be Kalki on a white horse.

The good news is that this movie has grossed more than any other movie in history. That means it is popular and the theme is popular. The contemporary message is encoded in modern mythology and it is timely; the audience is ready to get it. The bad news is that a bioluminescent little Moonwalker was spreading this message fifteen years ago while many couldn’t hear it or ridiculed the messenger.

Does any of this theme sound familiar? Avatar delivered the message in superstar fashion. Michael would have been delighted; he would have been proud. It is the kind of movie he himself would have made because he planned to make filmmaking his next creative genre. I know Michael would have loved the movie; would have squealed with excitement. In fact, I swear I felt him in the seat next to me.

This entry was written by B. Kaufmann, posted on February 7, 2010. subscribe to comments.

4 Comments

  1. Anonymous said . . .

    "The next incarnation of Vishnu at the Kali-Yuga, thought to be around the year 2012, will be Kalki, the white horse."

    I have been dreaming of the white horse since the new year…

    thank you!

    beth in portland, OR

    Posted February 8, 2010 at 2:26 am | Permalink
  2. Anonymous said . . .

    Dear Barbara! I've had excactly the same thoughts and feelings about Michael while I was watching Avatar…I've seen it twice, and I thought about him all the time..I FELT him…like you said, as if he was sitting in the seat next to me..It was SO moving… I just felt very emotional…Like laughing and crying at the same time…
    What you say about the references and Michael having brought us this message for ages is SO true!!I've said that to everyone within earshot since I watched the movie 🙂 I love Avatar and I just KNOW Michael loves it too…I've decided to watch it one more time in the cinema….I hope Michael will be there :)Thank you Barbara!
    Thank you for everything.. I feel the sparkle..I feel the light and the love…I read your every word with great excitement….You really nail it!
    Lots of LOVE and GRATITUDE from Anne Mette, Denmark

    Posted February 10, 2010 at 11:45 am | Permalink
  3. Anonymous said . . .

    Dear Barbara.
    Your articles are always so beautiful.
    AVATAR
    See Avatar is to see Michael,his "EARTH SONG" his passion for trees,for our Planet.
    Michael was already there, when we get there
    Long ago.
    Thank you for all the beautiful words.
    MISSING YOU MICHAEL ,LIKE THE DESERT MISS THE RAIN
    Lia from PORTUGAL

    Posted February 10, 2010 at 11:00 pm | Permalink
  4. ladypurr said . . .

    When I saw the coming attractions of Avatar, right before the showing of THIS IS IT, I thought precisely that Michael would have adored the movie, that the message would have been one he deeply resonated with. In fact, I wonder if he wasn't collaborating with James Cameron on a spiritual level during the production of the movie. His Earth Song is one of my favorite songs and videos. It is so powerful.

    Posted March 4, 2010 at 8:07 pm | Permalink

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