Michael Jackson Shocks the World

As human beings, our reactions shock us. It's rare that a celebrity death elicits a response we didn't know was inside us. But after hearing confirmed reports of Michael Jackson's death at age fifty tonight, I'm stuck in a state of melancholy. Few events cause me to stop everything and write. Of course I know all about the criminal allegations, the mysterious Neverland Ranch, the psychological issues, that odd high-pitched laugh and his constantly evolving skin color. But I'm honestly not thinking about any of that. Jokes I would've expected to come easily and in rapid succession are absent. Michael Jackson is dead!

It almost seems too unbelievable to be true. You know you're a big deal when your death relegates Farrah Fawcett's to footnote status (and between the two of them I didn't think T would ever be able to stop the water works). But Jackson transcended stardom. In many ways he was a larger-than-life figure to the point that upon hearing early reports of his cardiac arrest, I thought it to be hoax. Would anyone be all that surprised if we found out two weeks from now that the King of Pop was in fact perfectly fine, and used his clout to create a media tidal-wave to promote his big summer comeback tour? It's a ridiculous theory, but doesn't MJ seem like the one celebrity who could've conceivably pulled that off? Michael had after all been a star since 1966, when he was lead singer for the Jackson 5 at age eight! And despite his latter years being marked by tabloid rumors and punch lines, just four hours after tickets for his latest tour went on sale, he'd sold an astonishing 75,000 of them. You simply can't fake that kind of talent.

I'm not even a Michael Jackson fan. During most of the 90s I thought he was a freak based on stories I'd heard and pictures I'd seen. I was too young to experience the "Thriller" craze in the early 80s, as well as his patented moonwalk, and white glove. I was never all that crazy about pop music anyway. But if you asked me to name a dozen Michael Jackson songs, I could do it in thirty seconds easy. Hell, I could probably give you a complete verse or two from "Billy Jean," "I Want You Back," or "Black or White." Is there anyone alive between the ages of ten and sixty who doesn't know "Bad," "Rock With You," "ABC," "Beat It," or "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough?" He had one of the most distinctive singing voices of all time and greatly influenced fashion and pop culture in America. His music crossed over to every ethnic and racial group, which is why he stood alone as a pop artist. In truth, I can't think of a single athlete, comic, or movie star as well-known around the world as Jackson. And within his profession, perhaps only Elvis Presley and The Beatles made longer-lasting impacts.

I'm amazed and saddened by this tragic story. While I would never invite Jackson to come over and baby-sit (Dammit! I was so close), I nonetheless felt compelled to briefly acknowledge a man who for all his shortcomings, had a gift we may never see again in our lifetimes. Within minutes of the story breaking, thousands seemed to be posting messages on YouTube while watching Jackson's music videos, another hugely significant piece of his legacy (MJ was as responsible as anyone for the success of MTV and all videos that followed). And as I listened to "Heal the World," all outside thoughts seemed to disappear. As an artist, Michael Jackson really was one of a kind.