Lots of people were hurting last week because it was the first anniversary of the passing of Michael Jackson. Yes, there were certainly more apparent tragic things going on in the world such as the oil that continues to gush into the Gulf of Mexico while nature begins to stir up hurricanes in the vicinity—a deadly combination.
And yes, children died somewhere in the world. And more women became the victims of domestic violence somewhere. Yet one more inner city kid became the senseless target of gang violence. Again an earthquake shook the earth and floods someplace washed free dangerous landmines in addition to sweeping away people’s homes.
Some people were insulted by the attention accorded to Michael Jackson when there is so much wrong with the world.
Precisely.
Michael Jackson was the loudest and most prolific revisionist cheerleader for human nature and Planet Earth. Michael was promoting his “Heal the World” messages about the welfare of children before that message was fashionable; he highlighted the evils of war in his concerts and constantly attempted to revise the collective human mood that permeates much of the planet—apathy.
He also was one of the first famous voices to crescendo about environmental issues and planetary stewardship with his epic “Earth Song” recording and short film. Michael was one of the first musicians to champion social issues by arranging charitable concerts for causes that addressed tragedy around the world. He was a prolific humanitarian.
Michael Jackson fans and admirers know all this. They have followed the man for decades and they admire him as a modern-day Robin Hood charitably extracting money from those who can afford it and bestowing it upon those less fortunate. They consider him a modern prophet and healer. They consider him that because they know the man.
It was interesting to watch in the last week how commentaries in the form of articles, features and films differed. Those who never knew the man and who had no idea about the man behind the music, parroted much of what has already been written in medialoid outlets.
Contrast that with the articles, interviews and films by and about people who actually knew Michael personally and worked with him. Their words about Michael Jackson and Michael’s words about himself paint a much different portrait of the man and what he stood for and what he accomplished on a global scale.
There is something “Hmmm” about that. Those who actually knew Michael found him to be “an angel walking the planet;” “a sensitive human being;” “the world’s greatest performer;” “a great humanitarian.” And they said: “Almost 99% of what has been written about Michael is rubbish.” But a large part of the populace believed it. And a large part still does.
Some tabloid “journalists” found, yet again, nothing redeemable about Michael; Joan Rivers called him the P-word on national TV on Larry King Live—and that tabloid lie went uncorrected. Yes, the same Joan Rivers. Yes, the one with that face. People who will not be mentioned blamed Michael Jackson for his own death and a couple were so vile as to cozy up to evil and can’t even be repeated in civil company. Ian Halpern, who was out to find Michael’s trial a travesty and injustice because he just “knew” Michael was truly guilty admitted that during his investigation into Michael’s relationships with children, he was wrong in his theory. While other parts of his documentary raised an eyebrow or a million, he made it clear that Michael did not commit crimes against children. Corey Feldman, who ignored Michael Jackson’s calls and attempts to reach him publicly “forgave” Michael, danced a Billie Jean tribute to him, and asked for his own forgiveness because he held a grudge for 8 years and Michael died trying to mend their friendship. Deepak Chopra now claims he co-wrote Michael’s poetry in Dancing the Dream and other writers admonish us to “learn a lesson from a tragic ending to a failed human being.”
Ironic how some of the press is still crucifying and dismembering this man and they do it with apparently no insight into their own contribution to the destruction of his life. Some blame Michael himself for his troubles. But the real tragedy behind the tragedy here is that the real story of who Michael Jackson was and what happened to him may never be told. The media that built over time, a caricature of the person who was Michael Jackson. ..
Michael Jackson: The Caricature- a Case Study: Voices Education Project
And just how is it that we qualify to judge someone we don’t know and are only acquainted with at a distance?
Yet isn’t that what all the celebrity magazines are asking us to do? And they present a side of the individuals they feature that they feel is going to attract the most audience. And the tabloids do that with truckloads of sensation heaped into the landscape of their pages.
My question: Where is the heart here?
Are we really such a heartless culture? Do we want to continue this way?
We need more heart in everything we do. We need to come from the heart in all our affairs even when we find ourselves in a position to judge others. We need to become a culture of compassion.
It’s human nature to thrill to someone entertaining us and delight in their talent and gifts but then when they get too popular and too wealthy and too famous and too extravagant and too sexy and too talented…
It is human nature to bring them down?
You’re human. Is that YOUR nature?
It would seem we really do need to make that change.
Be the change.
11 Comments
Barbara, I can’t believe – this is EXACTLY where my mind, and my soul, have been going over these last days… and I’ve been feeling outraged. I’ve been overwhelmed with anger and disgust at the Neverending lynching of Michael at the hands of these. There are so many of them, it’s scary. We are indeed losing our hearts. The lies are out there, they are NOT corrected, they are allowed to float into the light for all the eyes of the world to see and to perpetuate the killing of our spirit. All in the name of money. I feel like my heart is torn to pieces with every single lie. They continue to dismember and crucify him. Will they never stop, never have enough? All this is made with no respect for the truth. How can this be tolerated? I can not stand the lies, I must repeat myself: I cannot stand it. Can not.
Ah,yes! So much wrong and so little focus by the very people who are bemoaning the attention given to Michael. Perhaps they need to carefully listen to the lyrics of his song, “Why You Wanna Trip on Me?” To these people I ask the question…”And just what are you doing to make the world a better place?” You won’t get a response because they aren’t contributing at all. Instead they spend time commenting on forums or to news articles, criticising others for caring not only about Michael Jackson, but about all the things that Michael Jackson cared about and gave his life trying to remedy–a broken, bleeding world!
Great article, Rev. Barbara. And Jan’s case study–Oh! how I hope this finds its way into mainstream media. It’s just unimaginable what he had to endure. It makes me ashamed of humanity at times. When I listened to Karen Faye Friday night talk about how she and Michael would prepare for each day of his trial, how he would lay his head on her shoulder and the two of them would cry and pray, I lost it. Who didn’t cry? Who doesn’t continue to ache inside missing him, knowing that all he endured was unconscionable and senseless and no human being deserved to suffer like he did?
Michael Jackson not only personified compassion, but he dared to go further through his deep empathy– to identify with and “feel” what another person is feeling. God blessed Michael richly monetarily but he would have gladly given it all away if it would have eliminated disease, poverty and suffering. He certainly tried. Sadly, humanity has not embraced his message to reach out and do something–even if it’s just a small thing. We won’t stop caring. We won’t stop trying to reach out to the needy. We won’t stop challening ourselves and others to “live simply, so others may simply live.” Michael isn’t with us physically anymore, but each one of us can be a glowing, warm candle and together we’ll create such a brilliant light all over the Earth that darkness will have to move farther into space.
what is it going to take? what is it going to take for rabid, vicious lying and malicious destruction of the best among us to stop being BOUGHT wholesale? Didn’t we used to be more civilized and fair than THIS not so long ago, or am I imagining that? what IS sacred now? Anything? Anyone can say anything, no matter how hideously untrue about anyone with absolute impunity. Where is this leading? Ive never known a time in my life when there was such a general relish for the malicious and where truth was less relevant. What does it mean?
I would like to say one more thing about how I personally feel about the lies, the slander, the dark shadows who never tire of trying to bring him down even now. If Michael loses, we all lose. The world loses with him. The world already lost, actually – but for every lie uttered, for every false judgement, we lose some more. Michael was a herald for truth, understanding, caring, compassion,peace – a herald for love. Each lie said about him is a self-inflicted wound to ourselves, to the world at large. Because a world with no truth, with no understanding, with no caring and compassion, with no peace and no love – is a dying world, a world of darkness. Michael was light. I pray we won’t let this darkness win….
All the evils of this world, are the product of human ambition. Oil spills, massacres, pollution, destruction of people, all coming from greed as Michael says in his song: “Money.” In the news recently in Peru there are murderers who kill whichever person collecting a salary of six dollars. In my third world country, violence continues to increase at an alarming rate, the lives of women and children used to be respected here; yesterday was a shooting of a 6 year old girl and her mother. I’ve cried thinking ¿how far as humanity will we get? I have a family and two young children. It hurts me that people have lost all respect. I talk with my children about values and respect for life in general and human dignity, respect for nature, but sometimes making my contribution as a civilized human being hurts a lot. Superheroes do not exist; Michael was my superhero but he is gone. I have to raise my children in this world!
Since Michael died, I found myself becoming a monitor of what’s printed or said about him. That was not my intent, but over time I’ve seen, heard and read mountains of material. What is very apparent is the skewing of information, false information, common practice of cut and paste reporting, and multitudes of errors and differences throughout. Words are twisted for attention, snide and insultiing remarks are subtle or blatant. Michael is connected to people and news and happenings that have nothing to do with him or his life. And this is after he passed.
His children are used in similar ways and there is a bit of gloating because they are not protected by Michael any longer.
Familiar names from years ago pop up with slightly more guarded pronouncements of their “knowledge” of Michael and his life. Meanwhile, words and testament from people who knew the man are often buried or printed under inflammatory headlines. It is disheartening and sad and I hate it. There seems to be an underbelly of society that takes glee and pleasure in doing this. It is very diffcult to counter; it’s tiring and soul wrenching to continually refute, rebut and speak the truth as I know it. But I keep on going at it–I just do it because Michael deserves a clear and honest legacy. My small part. There are a few more public voices who are speaking out–a few more minds have been changed, altered, enlightened–there is hope–
I see there are again stages of grief. Now we are angry and outraged. Feeling regret as if we could’ve done something about this. Can we I wonder? What can we do now that will prevent this ever happening again/ I think we have allready begun by the WorldCry where we give back and the Major Love Prayer where we gather in prayer. So don’t loose hope for humanity. Michael said that we must RETURN MORE LOVE BACK TO THIS PLANET. People are afraid and feeling a punch in the stomach with things that are happening like the never ending oil spill, the economy, the right vs left war, the greed. Do not feel helpless or powerless. If you heard the calling you would have already been in action: Write to your congressman, call the local newspaper. DO Something; Michael did . Do something as if it doesnt matter what they say. “They Dont Care About Us ” was Michael’s rant. He was human, got angry and bravo, as sweet as he was, this showed us he was also human. WorldCry was reviving so I suggest we do more of this because it helps with the pain and anger. I want more reasons to smile. So if I don’t find them, I will create them.
I read that Deepak Chopra claimed he co-wrote the poem, “Planet Earth.” He says this on the anniversary of Michael’s death. Will these hanger-ons ever go away? It seems poor Michael will not get peace even in his death.
I continue to be astonished and amused at all of the people who have suddenly “attached” their fantasy of input to the work Michael has done in writing his poetry. Surely, Michael did not need help from anyone to write down his ideas. His work stands on its own quite nicely. What also fascinates me is the larger than life ABSCENCE of all of these people when Michael could have used a REAL FRIEND in troubled times. Who did we see, other than family, lawyers, and fans in the courtroom days? If you are having difficulty “Remembering the Time” perhaps it is because you should have been there.
Joan, “Can we talk?” If you are associating the “P” word with Michael, obviously you don’t know Michael.
To the paparazzi, I suppose you haven’t done enough damage to Lady Diana Spencer, so you felt the need to move on to Michael. If what you enjoy is to remove people from the planet, you could at least have the decency to aim at the people who bring nothing good to the table.
Michael said, “Lies run sprints, but the truth runs marathons.” When all of the illusions are removed, the truth is what will remain. That will undoubtedly be a very sad day for humanity, because when they realize the priceless treasure they have lost in Michael, they will understand that they have lost– one of the greatest sources of hope this world ever had. Michael: “You have not been abandoned. Your fans are in it for the long run!”
Dear Barbara,
You say that we need more heart in everything we do, and that’s precisely what Michael says in this beautiful song that I just discovered. Barbara, I think you really speak Michael’s words…
“On The Line”
No sense pretending its over
Hard times just don’t go away
You gotta take that chip off your shoulder
It’s time you open up
Have some faith
Nothing good ever comes easy
All good things come in due time
Yes it does
You gotta have something to believe in
I’m telling you to open mind
Gotta put your heart on the line
If you wanna make it right
You’ve got to reach out and try
Gotta put your heart on the line
If you wanna make it right
Gotta put it all on the line
You see yourself in the mirror
And you don’t like what you see
And things aren’t getting much clearer
Don’t you think it’s time you go for a change
Don’t waste your time on the past, no, no
It’s time you look to the future
It’s all right there if you ask
This time if you try much harder
You’ll be the best that could can be
Gotta put your heart on the line
If you wanna make it right
You’ve got to reach out and try
Gotta put your heart on the line
If you wanna make it right
If you wanna do it now
You gotta learn to try
You can make it right somehow
Let love come free
And that’s just so easy now
You gotta go for what you want
You gotta do what you got to do
Gotta put your heart on the line
If you wanna make it right
You’ve got to reach out and try
Gotta put your heart on the line
If you wanna make it right
Michael knew his purpose in his life from a very young age. How can a man of his exceptional talent and genius, lived in the middle of the entertainment industry, since the age of 5, be so humble, compassionate, kind, and WORLDLY, meaning his preception was not limited to his subculture of the entertainment industry or that of a man who grew up in America. He saw the PLANET as his home. His LOVE was LIMITLESS. He never became jadded nor followed the ways of the entertainment industry : groupies, parties, and illegal drugs.
He loved history and would often discuss with keen accuracy that would challenge any scholar. He was an innocent heart, child-like, genius in every way possible, funny, humble, compassionate, adaptable, sensual but never dirty, respectful of mankind and the human rights. He had love and adulation for women, would become a warrior when necassary, let things flow when necassary, and had the biggest heart on this planet. Michael traveled the world to give healing to the WORLD and on many occassions while he was in pain himself, physically and emotionally, he forged ahead knowing GOD’s purpose for him. There will always be non-believers; for their own personal reasons..and for what I have observed myself, from the stupid comments from Joan Rivers to the malicious slander of the greedy families and the vampire-like spirit of the mass media. What is it in their heart? They cannot SEE one of the greatest human beings that has ever lived or stood among them. how we preceive someone of something says a lot about our own humanity, our own spirit, our own soul. I hope that people like Joan Rivers and Tom Sneddon, and Diane Dimond, let go of their own bias, and seek truth, and learn to understand what the word LOVE is all about. Michael Jackson will LIVE ON as long as LOVE exists HE will NEVER DIE.