FOLIO LINE
A look back at the
legacy of Michael Jackson
By Gregory Clay/McClatchy-Tribune News Service
hey were the conspicuous signs of the times.
Suddenly, hats, posters and T-shirts seemingly
popped up everywhere. There were “King of
Pop” baseball caps. There were
T-shirts featuring the likeness of Michael
Jackson and Nelson Mandela; Michael
Jackson and Malcolm X; Michael Jackson
and President Barack Obama;
MJ vs. MJ, that is Michael
Jordan dribbling a bas-
ketball facing Michael
Jackson dancing on
his tippy-toes.
The memorabilia was a reflec-
tion of Michael Jackson’s shocking death on June
25, 2009. Has it been that long already? Yes, it
surely seems like yesterday.
The outpouring of emotion from
fans around the world captured the
moment. The international sense of
loss was palpable. The collective
mourning — which was part hyste-
ria and part disbelief — was unlike
anything we’ve seen since the unex-
pected deaths of Elvis Presley and
Princess Diana.
“There are a lot of people who have
been attached to Michael Jackson,’’
says Dr. Alvin Poussaint, professor of
psychiatry at Harvard Medical School,
during a telephone interview from
Boston. “They feel they have lost
access to Michael’s creativity.”
If the world’s population is an
estimated 6.8 billion, it seemed 6.5
billion of them offered a visceral
reaction to Michael’s death.
Academy Award-winning direc-
tor Martin Scorsese was quoted as
saying of Jackson: “Michael
Jackson was extraordinary. When
we worked together on ‘Bad’ (music
video), I was in awe of his absolute
mastery of
movement on the
one hand, and of
the music on the
other. Every step
he took was
absolutely pre-
cise and fluid at
the same time.”
“It was like
Scorsese watching quick-
silver in motion. He was wonderful
to work with, an absolute profession-
al at all times, and — it really goes
without saying — a true artist. It will
be a while before I can get used to
the idea that he’s no longer with us.”
The general public adamantly
displayed an insatiable appetite for
the ATM: All Things Mike.
As CNN president Jonathan
Klein said during a Michael Jackson
panel discussion in 2009 at the
annual National Association of
Black Journalists Convention in
Tampa, Fla.: “There was such an
enormous interest in this story. We
were overwhelmed, globally. And
we are a global network.”
And the incessant media cover-
age showed: For three weeks
straight, CNN’s “Larry King Live,”
for instance, featured at least one
segment on Jackson after his death.
Furthermore, according to Howard
Kurtz, Washington Post media critic
and host of CNN’s “Reliable
Sources,” on the day of Jackson’s
death, CNN’s ratings skyrocketed 937
percent at one point, MSNBC’s 330
percent and Fox’s 243 percent.
And newspapers such as the New
York Post and New York Daily
News produced special sections,
replete with double-page-sized pull-
out posters of Jackson.
Says Richard Prince, Internet
media columnist for the Maynard
FOLIO LINE
Institute for Journalism Education:
“In this media environment, when
there are websites and media outlets
for everyone’s particular interest, I
don’t think you can say there was
“
It was like
watching
quicksilver
”
in motion.
— Martin Scorsese
on working with Jackson
on the music video ‘Bad’
too much media coverage of
Michael Jackson. . . .
“But I didn’t see enough analysis
about why the choices Michael
Jackson made in his life led to his
demise, and what that should tell the
rest of us about the society that we
have created. If this is what you have
to do to become a megastar, is it worth
it? He felt that he had to wear wigs
and have plastic surgery to conform to
what he believed was people’s expec-
tations of what a superstar should look
like. Then suddenly, he didn’t look like
a black person anymore.”
Remember, in the early minutes
following the news of Jackson’s
death, AT&T reported that 65,000
text messages were transmitted per
second (normal traffic was 40,000).
Klein said CNN’s Internet traffic
increased fivefold from the time of
Jackson’s death to the memorial
service held at Los Angeles’ Staples
Center on July 7, 2009.
The attendees paid tribute to
Michael for his innovation, and, yes
he was a pioneer, too.
Bryan Monroe, former vice presi-
dent and editorial director for Ebony
Michael Jackson’s fans attend a celebration of Jackson’s life at
Steelyard Stadium in Gary, Ind., July 10, 2009.
MICHAEL JACKSON
MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE
M c C l a t c h y - Tr i b u n e
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MCT
magazine, is widely credited with con- Yves St. Laurent ($350 million) and
ducting the last one-on-one, domestic musical composers Richard Rodgers
interview with Jackson, which and Oscar Hammerstein ($235 mil-
appeared in the publication December lion). Behind Jackson was Elvis
2007. When speaking of shattering a Presley, at $55 million.
glass ceiling at MTV, Jackson told Could Jackson’s death, just as
Ebony: “They came right out and said Elvis’, also become sort of a mys-
it — they wouldn’t play my music. It tery theater? Famous celebrity plus
broke my heart. I refuse to be ignored. mysterious death often equals a ripe
So I came up with ‘Thriller’ and I was cocktail for conspiracy theorists.
always trying to outdo myself . . . But For Michael, the equation was
when they played ‘Billie Jean,’ it set much more serious, though. He was
the all-time record. Then they were found not guilty on June 13, 2005 of
asking me for everything we had. all 10 charges in a highly publicized
“They were knocking our door child-molestation case.
down. Then Prince came; it opened Rumors dogged Michael during
the door for Prince and all the other much of his adult life, from suspicions
black artists . . .” about alleged improper relationships
The week of with children to his own sexuality.
Jackson’s death Many people viewed him as asex-
seemed surreal. ual, androgynous or even bisexual.
That Tuesday “He was a very fragile person,”
(June 23), Ed says Poussaint, who has worked as a
McMahon, script consultant for actor-comedian
Johnny Carson’s Bill Cosby’s television shows. “His
longtime sidekick looks; he was incredibly shy; he had
on “The Tonight severe insomnia. Then he dies in
Show,” died at 86 Prince this unfortunate accident under the
of multiple health problems; then, care of a physician.”
early afternoon on that Thursday (June That physician was Dr. Conrad
25), actress Farrah Fawcett died of Murray. He has been charged with
cancer at 62; later that afternoon, we involuntary manslaughter in connec-
were shocked by the news flash of tion with administering a jumbo-
Jackson’s death at 50. strength sedative in an effort to
Says Poussaint, who has make Jackson sleep better.
appeared on such television shows Those revela-
as “Nightline”: “Michael Jackson tions provided
had a lot of signs of a troubled life another shocker
— his anxiety, his vitiligo (skin- regarding the cir-
whitening condition). People could cumstances sur-
see he was a delicate human being.” rounding
Delicate, but still profitable after Jackson’s death.
death. Interestingly,
According to Forbes.com, Murray in May
Jackson was the third-highest earning 2010 was lauded
dead celebrity in 2009. In the four for assisting a Murray
months after his death, Jackson’s distressed female passenger who
estate earned approximately $90 mil- became unconscious on a flight that
lion, behind only fashion designer left Houston heading to Phoenix.
Meanwhile, Jackson’s family
members have continued in the spot-
light. Father Joseph, brother Jermaine
and sister Janet have talked publicly
about Michael’s legacy. The surviving
brothers also have appeared in a reali-
ty show on the A&E network called
“The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty.”
What can we expect next?
“Michael Jackson has hardcore
fans all over the world, but I think
with time (the intense attention he
attracted) will slowly fade,”
Poussaint says.
“You will soon have a whole
generation of people who didn’t
know him. It’s similar to Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. In time, people
won’t know the details of his death.
Ten or 20 years from now, you may
not see all these people in the
streets, celebrating his life.”
Still, at least for now, many fans,
WA R R E N S K A L S K I / C H I C AG O T R I B U N E / M C T
as the Jackson Five used to sing,
“Never Can Say Goodbye.”