Digvijay and Ridhima's blog

Michael Jackson

July 13th, 2009 | by Ridhima Suri |

An ode to Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson was the greatest entertainer of his time.  I feel awkward to write ‘was’ and hope all this was not true at all. I have spent the last couple of days watching music videos of Michael Jackson on youtube.com.  The more I see these videos the more I am convinced that Michael Jackson was an immensely talented entertainer and that is how we should remember him.

I am motivated to write this post for the following reasons.

First, I have been following news reports ever since Michael Jackson passed away. His troubled life and tragic demise has earned him a lot of public respect.  While the media continues to create prime time viewership by speculation and continuing the public humiliation, I think it is time to put an end to it.  I feel terrible to see the media crawling all over his grave and making bad accusations…“C’mon guys! He is dead.  He was a legend.  Leave him alone.  There is no reason why you should resort to mudslinging and unnecessary speculation.” The positive part of his legacy should be remembered.  Michael had health issues and did not want to discuss these publicly.  Fair enough.  There is nothing wrong in wanting to maintain privacy. In his later years, he did not trust the media as he was never sure of how he would be portrayed.  When I saw the interview by Martin Bashir, I was appalled.  His commentary was critical and unsettling whereas I did not feel anything wrong with Michael Jackson’s replies.  I think he was honest and Martin Bashir was a spoiler.

Second, I am concerned about the speculation created about Michael Jackson’s children.  The media has no right, really, to talk about paternity issues.  They should leave them alone.  If they have nothing positive to say, it is best for them to be quiet.

Last, I think there is a lesson to learn from all of this. People should see the goodness of others and not weak points. Learn to love your family and friends.  Be kind to strangers and neighbors.  I see no point in patronizing someone after he has left this world while constantly bullying him when he lived.  That is what happened to Michael Jackson.  He was hounded by the media while he lived and immortalized when he became ‘a picture’.

Early memories of Michael Jackson

As a young adult, we grew up listening to his songs and watching his unique dance videos.  To us, Michael Jackson was always a ‘play’ button away and these are the memories that I want to cherish.  I remember getting the album ‘Dangerous’ as a birthday gift from my parents.  The album was wrapped in golden satin.  He meant ‘music’ to us.  He meant ‘entertainment’ to us.  At that time we did not care about his personal life or the drama that media created around him.  However, it is difficult to remember the later years of Michael Jackson without the mention of a scandal.   I wish journalists would’ve asked him how he created his music, or how he learnt to dance, and unraveled more about his talent and art rather than pound on his personal life. Even now there is no stopping and TV reports are full of speculations.

This is not how I want to remember the legendary singer.  I want to remember him for his talent.  I want to remember him for the music he created and shared with us.

• No Related Post

Tags: Death of Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson