We Are The World

There have been no comments, but having read yesterday’s item, I think it may have come off harsher than I meant it to be. Not so much in my opinion of why Michael Jackson’s life was tragic, but in failing to acknowledge that, to a generation now in their l20s and 30s, he was a godsend, a marvel, a source of immense enjoyment. I don’t mean to deprive them of that, or of whatever degree of mourning they may wish to indulge these few days.

I just hope they will humanize their hero.

For my generation, we had our moment when John Lennon was murdered. There was talk, at the time, that he was a secular saint. And before that, there was a widespread notion that the Beatles were somehow more enlightened than the rest of us, that ipso facto they could do no wrong and their music was intended to elevate humanity to some new level of understanding. Music does do that, of course; but the Beatles were thought to have brought us a new kind of elevation, apart from that of mere mortal musicians.

Nope. They were better at it than most, but that was all – it was better, not transcendent. We managed, finally, to understand that.

Sic Mr. Jackson.

My point:

John was called arrogant for musing that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus. What would we say if he had called himself The King of Pop? Arrogant? Yes, I think so.

Michael Jackson was placed in a bubble at a young age, and his talent made it unnecessary to evict him from the bubble, to break the bubble, to do anything but pander to his world view – and it was a view of a bubble, with one glorious occupant.

This was too bad for Michael Jackson. It was too bad for his alleged victims (if they were victimized).

So I’m not condemning him. Rather, I’m disappointed in the adults around him, if there were any, who could have taught him humility, kept him in the human race.

I think it is doing Michael Jackson a favor to appreciate his music for what it was, rather than attribute to it (and him) a level transcendence it did not achieve. He was a committed human being -- "we are the world" indeed -- NOT a savior. He revolutionized the music video, not the treatment of cancer.

Listen to the Beatles today. They do not have to be angels, or aliens, or super human beings. How great it is that they are us, that representatives of our modest schnooky race produced such magic.

Sic Mr. Jackson.