He came, he saw, he conquered - JamaicaObserver.com

Saturday, November 07, 2009 1:56 PM

Columns

He came, he saw, he conquered

HEART TO HEART

With Betty Ann Blaine

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Dear Reader, The pictures of grieving fans all over the world tell the story. If Michael Jackson was big in life, he is even bigger in death and I, like millions of others across the globe, am mourning the untimely death of the King of Pop.

With Betty Ann Blaine

There are individuals who have graced Planet Earth whose lives and legacies transcend time and space and huge generational boundaries. I was taken aback to see my six-year-old grandson glued to the television screen as the video tapes of Jackson were played over and over just after his death. "I know him", my grandson shouted, "I like to watch him, grandma", he continued. "Why did he die?", he asked, as his head and body moved almost involuntarily to the songs that were being played.

The suddenness of Jackson's death can only be described as "shock and awe". Nobody expected to hear that kind of news. Tickets for the pop star's concert tour had been selling like hot bread and fans the world over were gearing up for the best of Michael, as usual. In fact, I suspect that expectations were higher than ever, since the mega star had not performed live for years. Within hours after the tickets for all 50 shows went on the market, they were sold off. The world was once again ready to embrace and to be entertained by the greatest of all.
My own reaction to the news of his death first was disbelief, followed by shock and then numbness. The tears rolled down my face as I listened to personal testimonies being given by fans here at home and abroad. His song, Gone Too Soon, kept playing in my head, and I felt as if a part of me had been taken away too.

But my heart had been broken long before Jackson's death last Thursday. The entertainer's demise, which I felt was largely concocted and orchestrated, had for years put me in a quiet state of grieving. I had difficulty reconciling the legend of the man on the one hand, and the legacy that his detractors seemed hell-bent on affixing to him. The picture of Jackson arriving in court dressed in his pajamas, stunned me, and the frail and gaunt appearance that plastered the television screens brought instant feelings of hurt and anger about what I considered to be outright persecution.

I had always had a soft spot in my heart for Michael Jackson, even after the accusations of child molestation. I never saw him as a paedophile, even when I recognised from Jackson's own words that some of his habits, like allowing children to sleep in his bed with him, were inappropriate. What I saw was a very kind and gentle man whose own childlike innocence caused him to gravitate to children whom he loved dearly, but not sexually, as he himself admitted. As it turned out, the court upheld my own assessment of the man, and he was acquitted by a jury of all of the 14 charges brought against him.

It seemed clear to me that there was a calculated and deliberate plot to bring Jackson down and to destroy him, aided and abetted by the American media whose propensity to distort and sensationalise is unmatched.
The photos of Jackson walking feebly in his pajamas, and those of him dangling his baby over a hotel balcony in Berlin, dominated the media to the point that it was clear that it wasn't just about the "news" but that there were people seeking to damage and destroy him.

Then there were the stories of Jackson's financial ineptness. The media's unrelenting coverage of the pop star's loss of his beloved "Neverland" property showed no mercy for the human tragedy of the situation and the profound impact it had on the man. And the collaborative locomotive of destruction kept gathering steam with story after story of Jackson's demise. If the intention was to portray Jackson as a washed-up, penniless child molester, the architects and purveyors succeeded in part, as Jackson began to look as if he was disintegrating by the minute.

What his persecutors didn't fully realise, however, is that you can't kill that which is intrinsically good, and the massive groundswell of love and adoration being captured all over the world is proof of that.
Despite the inordinate volume of negative press and efforts to redefine the man to look like a criminal and a failure, the outpouring of love and affection for him grew exponentially. The love the world has for Michael Jackson was incredible in life and now immeasurable in death, and clearly nothing will change that.

Like every other human being, Michael Jackson had his own personal demons and his own story, and like many people, the story had its genesis in early childhood.
As a child prodigy, those around him, including his parents, understood early the value of their biological "asset". At five years old, he was already performing on stage and the proliferation of childhood hit songs is proof that he didn't really have a childhood. Stories of physical abuse at the hands of his father would further paint a picture of a child who was not only a "cash cow", but one who was emotionally damaged as well. Jackson's numerous plastic surgeries and instances of "unusual" behaviour were clear signs of a troubled human being.

There are undoubtedly valuable lessons to be learned from the mistakes of Michael Jackson's life and death - from those of poor parenting to issues of personal excesses, and drug addiction. But despite all the failures and shortcomings, Michael Jackson has left an indelible mark on all of us, and his memory will live on in our hearts and souls forever.
With love,

bab2609@yahoo.com

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