| Jun. 26th, 2009 @ 12:10 am from my wordpress blog... |
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"Love Survives, and we can rock forever"
http://numinousjewelry.wordpress.com/2009/06/25/love-survives-and-we-can-rock-forever/
Today the legend died. Michael Jackson, King of Pop, arguably the most influential american musical artist of all time, passed away after apparently suffering cardiac arrest at his rent house here in Los Angeles, not far from the UCLA Medical Center. His death was proclaimed by TMZ before other news sources were able to confirm it as fact, and so there was much confusion and perhaps false hope that he would live in the moments after the first reports started circulating.
Once again, Twitter was instrumental in getting the word out about the news before traditional media. I first heard the news via Twitter myself, and lay unbelieving in my bed where I had been reading, hoping and praying that he would recover, that the reports of his death were wrong, that everything would be ok. Tweets were not coming to my phone fast enough (sometimes my tweet-to-cell service is slow for some reason), so I got up to check the internet version of things. The news was still up in the air, but quickly it became apparent that, in fact, Jackson had died.
My reaction was strange. I got angry at hearing people say it. I didn’t want to believe it. I stepped away from media for a while and went to take a shower. Intermittant tears welled up and I had to fight them off. I hugged my cat to try to comfort myself.
I had somewhere to be tonight, so I quickly searched for my Number Ones CD by Jackson to take with me in the car. I listened to the CD the whole way, crying a bit as I drove, and at my destination they were playing a music mix that was heavy on the Michael Jackson hits in tribute.
I can’t help feeling upset at Michael’s death. That he died so young. That he died, probably, thinking that the world hated him despite his major contributions to our culture. That I never got to see him live, that I never got to tell him how much I enjoyed his music, his videos, his vitality. That I never spoke up for him and publicly declared my support for him after the allegations of child molestation. I never stopped believing in him, never stopped loving him. We have due process in the US, we have a belief that someone is innocent until proven guilty. MJ was acquitted, meaning no one ever proved anything. Alot of people forget that this is a vital part of our legal system and our way of life. I’ve always given MJ the benefit of that doubt.
Perhaps that wont win me any friends. Perhaps those who read (or come across) this blog will be offended at me. Alright, if that’s how it has to be. I’m sorry it has to be that way, if it does. But I’m not going to be “guilty” for liking Michael Jackson anymore. If I want to listen to his music, I’ll do so without fearing what other people think of me.
The groove has died, but love survives, and I will love Michael Jackson and his rock forever. |
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