Friday, June 26, 2009

Weekend Video




It’s been fascinating to hear and read so much about Michael Jackson in the wake of the sad news of his death – the balance of commentary between his strange acts v.s. his contribution to music and culture at large, the questions about his attitude to race and his own color.

Dying prematurely is like reading an obituary of someone who passed at a ripe old age but is pictured in their prime. It's a time disconnect and revision warp. His "moonwalk" will clearly be a large part of his legacy, hence the video above. But the most poignant aspect of his work for me was that for the last two decades, in a hip-hop environment of what were, shall we say, not the nicest lyrics - Michael Jackson's refusal to get nasty and to steadfastly focus on love and justice and harmony was a surprisingly courageous and hopeful stand.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

i think u are the only one so far to have made this point, and thank you for doing so. i was surprised at my own sadness of the news, and i cant tell you how sickening it is to watch all the media covering his death as only a headline and with such lack of human compassion. so thank you for pointing out that he was truly remarkable in this aspect. -naiyana

j'taimee said...

Well said, Sir.