I was shocked when a friend texted me that Michael Jackson had died. I grew up listening to his songs and watching his videos on television, and despite his out-of-control weirdness, I do think he was a decent person. With his passing, however, I began recalling some “defining moments” of Jacko’s life and for some reason the unsavory ones stood out most.
Perhaps it’s because of America’s fascination with Jackson’s eccentric lifestyle but, whatever it is, the guy definitely had some quirks. This is not a comprehensive list of Jackson’s eccentricities, but rather, some of my favorite “Jacksonisms.”
One of my favorite “episodes” was his borderline creepy love of children. Jackson’s unapologetic nature about having young kids over to play at his Neverland Ranch was fascinating, as well as his admission to having kids sleep in his bed and “watch television.”
Gavin Arvizo claimed that Jackson touched him inappropriately when he was 14 years old and in 2003 Jackson was charged with “seven counts of child sexual abuse and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent.”
Jackson was acquitted of all charges and then went where every accused molester goes after being acquitted — the island of Bahrain in the Persian Gulf to hang with Sheikh Abdullah Bin Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa. I dare you to say his name three times fast!
This wasn’t the first time Jackson had been accused of molestation. In 1993, he settled out of court with Evan Chandler, who claimed his son had been touched by the King of Pop. The thing Jackson never seemed to understand is the weirdness caused when grown men invite children over to their homes to “hang out.”
But according to Dr. Stan J. Katz, a clinical psychologist who examined Jackson during his Arvizo trial, “Jackson had become a regressed 10 year old and did not fit the profile of a pedophile.” So he was just doing what came naturally to a pre-pubescent child. Go figure.
Another of my favorite Jackson events was when he dangled his son, young Prince Michael “Blanket” Jackson II over a balcony at a Berlin hotel while anxious fans cheered from the street below. Jackson later apologized profusely due to all the media criticism, but it was yet another example of Jackson perhaps not soundly thinking things through before doing them.
And who can forget Jacko’s 1996 charge by the Anti-Defamation League of anti-Semitism? Jackson had just released a song titled “They Don’t Care About Us,” a single from his album “HIStory” that contained the lyrics, “Jew me/sue me/everybody do me/kick me, kike me/don’t you black or white me.”
The man never shied away from controversy, did he? Jackson later rerecorded the song and changed the unsavory lyrics, but the damage was done and longtime friend Steven Spielberg was upset. If there’s one thing you don’t do, it’s piss off one of the richest directors in Hollywood. Gosh, Michael, everyone knows that.
Amazingly, reports have surfaced that several of Jackson’s fans committed suicide over the pop star’s passing, and who better to comment on that than the Reverend Jesse Jackson? “In Michael’s name let’s live together as brothers and sisters and not die apart as fools.” It only took the death of Michael Jackson for Jesse Jackson to finally say something heartfelt to the world.
Let it be known that I don’t hate Michael Jackson in any way, shape, or form. I’m actually a fan of his music and I think he was one of the most legendary performers in the history of music. It’s just that whenever anyone famous dies, people always seem to brush the low moments under the carpet and forget about some of the less-than-savory things they did. Be that as it may, Jackson will no doubt be missed and his music will live on forever.
For the life of me, however, I will never understand how a man who had earned over $1 billion could die over $300 million in debt, according to U.S. News and World Report. That is just mind boggling. At least he doesn’t have to worry about those debt collectors calling him at all hours anymore.
What a strange existence, indeed. This one’s for you, Michael; rest in peace, and keep on moonwalking.
Gerry Wachovsky is a graduate student and a columnist for the Summer Forty-Niner.
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