Wondering what happened to the bright and happy kid in the video. Almost brings me to tears. I think about it because I have two kids who are so full of life and promise, like the one in the video, and I’m scared that the weight of life might in one way or another take a toll on that basic joy, energy and soul; as it clearly did to Jackson despite his climb to the top of the world in terms of success at what he clearly loved.
Anyway, it’s Friday and my kids are happy as clams in the moment. Life is a series of moments. Enjoying them while they last.
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June 26, 2009 at 10:15 am
suzy blah blah
Life is a series of moments.
LOL!
June 26, 2009 at 10:18 am
Anonymous
Love is never having to say you’re sorry.
June 26, 2009 at 10:18 am
Eric Kirk
Yeah, yeah, I know. I think it was Alan Moore reflecting on some absurdist positive life philosophy from Camus or somebody about the “eternity of each moment.” I’m probably messing it up.
June 26, 2009 at 10:20 am
Eric Kirk
I thought that was art.
Edit – I think my memory is influenced by Mandy Potemkin’s (playing Alfred de Musset) line in Impromptu where he yells in response to criticism of his play as rude, “Art doesn’t apologize!!”
June 26, 2009 at 10:35 am
suzy blah blah
does it ask permission?
June 26, 2009 at 10:42 am
Anonymous
Your kids are not Michael Jacksons Eric. Stop worrying.
June 26, 2009 at 10:46 am
Anonymous
They may be Roberta Flacks however!
June 26, 2009 at 10:48 am
Eric Kirk
I could live with that.
June 26, 2009 at 11:53 am
brian
The guy was a nut-job, enough already.
June 26, 2009 at 11:56 am
Cristina
What a tragedy, in so many ways. For me and a lot of other people my age, it’s a piece of childhood and adolescence that’s gone. Everybody I knew in junior high had the “Thriller” poster on their bedroom wall or in their locker. He was an immensely talented human being, a groundbreaker who’d been a superstar since the age of 5. No wonder he wound up so f****d up.
Quite a few commentators last night were comparing his death to Anna Nicole Smith’s, since apparently there was some serious prescription-drug abuse. But I think all similarities end there. I pitied Anna Nicole: she was someone who wasn’t particularly bright, but was able to use her looks to marry a billionaire, become the Playmate of the Year, and get her 15 minutes of fame – but she certainly didn’t have much talent. I think the more apt comparison in Michael Jackson’s case would be Howard Hughes: a genius in his field whose immense wealth and ability to isolate himself afforded him to live a life surrounded by supporters and acolytes, most of whom enabled his descent into madness.
RIP to BOTH of the icons who died yesterday.
June 26, 2009 at 7:49 pm
anonymous
I think he’s the Baby Boomer’s Judy Garland. Extraordinarily talented, pushed brutally hard at a young age into overwhelming success, a brief period of brilliant artistic success as a young adult, then a long decline, never quite maintaining caree ,or personal life though keeping a devoted, almost cult following, and an early death from abuse
It’s horribly sad.
I’ve been startled at feeling sad for him. Partly I think it’s because he is the first icon of my childhood to pass. He was eleven, I was nine years old when he and his brothers were on tv singing ABC. Looking at the videos now, he was a pint-sized Ray Charles chaming my little girl self. (That would be the same year I talked myself into believing my birthday would forever be a national holiday, because the guys going to moon launched on that day.
I think it’s that little Ray Charles that has me remembering and sad. I watched a video of him made in 1969, (it’so n Youtube, 1969 on Dick Clark’s show) perhaps the same one I saw then, and this time saw something I couldn’t recognize as a child: an incredible and joyful sexual charge coming from this pre-pubescent boy.
And then my thoughts got very bleak. It’s not hard to believe the charges of pedophilia against him when I see that powerful energy compared to the grotesque narcissist he became. Unprocessed trauma stops emotional development, and it’s the abused who become the abusers… And I think, what, aside from brutal bullying to succeed, did that poor kid’s father do to him? Or anybody else who surrounded him when he was so small, so vibrant, and such valuable merchandise?
June 26, 2009 at 9:45 pm
Sarha Fontaine
We feel that Michael Jackson has left us so early, with just his music and our memories. Our prayers go out to his family. I love you so much, and never got the chance to go to a concert. I honestly think you
June 27, 2009 at 7:46 am
Carol
When I was a teenybopper I had a Michael Jackson poster on my bedroom wall, along with the Jackson Five, David Cassidy (The Partridge Family), Jack Wyld (HR Puff’nStuff and the Artful Dodger in Oliver), And Davey Jones of The Monkees.
What an incredible talent but an odd person. So sad that he had to use such strong pain killers. Condolences to the family, friends and fans of Michael Jackson
June 27, 2009 at 8:05 am
ecumenik
His “Billy Jean” performance at the Grammy’s,(1982?) left everyone stunned by his energy. Child-Molester? Who knows, the guy was definitely a target for blackmailers. So it may or may not, be true. Once he joined the elite ranks of the American Rich, he could do no wrong, just like the rest of them rob, cheat, kill, and lie with impunity.
June 27, 2009 at 9:11 am
Big Fan
I regret the loss of the King of Pop Michael Jackson! Jacko is a legend. I hope he gets where he is now, finally in peace.
Leave also your last greeting at Michael Jackson on our site, thanks.
a big and now sad fan
June 27, 2009 at 10:42 am
Eric Kirk
Do you remember the floppy 45 rpm on the back of the cereal box? I think it was Alpha Bits with the ABC song.
June 27, 2009 at 1:10 pm
x
“Unprocessed trauma stops emotional development, and it’s the abused who become the abusers…”
Parents take note.
June 27, 2009 at 10:50 pm
Moviedad
Man, I gotta cheer up.
June 28, 2009 at 6:33 am
Carol
Wow, now that you mention it, I do remember it! Those floppy little 45′s were big back then. Wasn’t there a Saturday morning cartoon show, too, along with the Harlem Globe Trotters?
June 28, 2009 at 6:36 am
Carol
I don’t believe children lie about being molested. They are brave for speaking up. But why did the parents allow their sons to spend the night and sleep in the same bed?
June 28, 2009 at 6:37 am
humboldturtle
Hey Moviedad, it’s okay. Donny Osmond is still alive.
June 28, 2009 at 7:10 am
Carol
This video may cheer you up!
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2009/06/steve-martin-michael-jackson.html
June 28, 2009 at 2:04 pm
suzy blah blah
“… it’s okay. Donny Osmond is still alive.”
LOL!! gets a Suzy sundae for comment of the week
June 28, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Carol
Woo-hoo! A Suzy sundae for humboldturtle!
June 28, 2009 at 2:49 pm
Carol
Okay, I admit that there was a Donny Osmond poster on my teenybopper wall. LOL!
June 28, 2009 at 8:09 pm
Eric Kirk
Cause he was a little bit country.
June 29, 2009 at 6:07 am
humboldturtle
No, no Eric. Marie was a little bit country.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AfXznngjGw
Donny was a little bit rock’ n roll.
June 29, 2009 at 6:09 am
humboldturtle
Oops. Sorry. Here:
June 29, 2009 at 7:25 am
Eric Kirk
Oops!
I do remember the purple socks.
June 29, 2009 at 9:54 pm
Moviedad
Oh Marie…Marie, how I have forgotten……
June 29, 2009 at 10:04 pm
Eric Kirk
God! That had been buried within the deep recesses of my mind. Now it’s out again, freaking me out.
June 30, 2009 at 6:49 am
Carol
Isn’t she Dancing with the Stars or is she losing weight with Nutrisystem?