I'm working on finishing up the extended piece on marriage so I'm a little pre-occupied to say the least -- but obviously, it's just impossible to ignore the Michael Jackson Mournapalooza that's going on in Los Angeles right now and being broadcast around the world by, well, every fucking television network on the planet.
So, at the risk of stomping on the man's grave, which I certainly don't mean to do, I have to ask a question that's been bugging me for quite awhile.
The grotesque spectacle of this whole supposed grieving process is bad enough, as is the media's insistence on playing it literally to death with over-the-top, round-the-clock live genuflection. Also horrible are certain members of the Jackson family itself, who were at least partially if not fully responsible for making Michael Jackson into the potentially pederastic freakshow (talented or not) that he was and are now attempting to use this time back in the spotlight to carry on their proud tradition of shameless self-promotion.
But here's what I'm most curious about: Why are many black Americans, and I'm of course talking mostly about guys like Al "Where's the Camera?" Sharpton and Jesse "It's Right Here!" Jackson, so shockingly quick to come to the absolute, unwavering defense of a man who spent his entire adult life trying to alter himself so that he wasn't black anymore?
Just listen to Sharpton in particular over the past couple of days (and really, it's been impossible not to). The level of bullshit revisionist history coming out of his mouth is staggering.
Look, folks, I thought Thriller was a masterpiece too. Doesn't mean Michael Jackson wasn't completely insane -- and there damn sure was no way I'd have let him near my kids.
An amazing, amazing artist and performer; a truly screwed-up human being. That's his real legacy. Trumpeting one while denying the other is nothing more than dishonest.
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