1-Jul-09…
A headline in today’s Metro…
“A bit strapped: £143m Jackson had just £400,000 in cash”
…to which I can’t help but comment…
For most non-global superstars, £400,000 could set you up for life!
The Diminished Wealth of the Late MJ
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Wealth is so relative isn’t it? It may be easier for third parties to measure your wealth in coin, but the real riches in life are far more complex and difficult to count. MJ was rich in talent and skill, but poor in so many other ways.
People go on about Jackson’s genius and sure, he was immensely talented. But, Off The Wall, Thriller and possibly 30%-40% of Bad aside, he hadn’t written a half-decent song in about 15 years.
I know he was slightly busy, what with the odd court case here and there and a trip or two to the surgeon to put his face back together, but maybe if he hadn’t spent the rest of his time prancing around with llamas and monkeys or dangling his kids over balconies he might have had the time to sit down and think up a catchy tune.
And yes, it’s always a little sad when someone dies (apart from Thatcher which I’m really looking forward to celebrating) but there really is no need for all this mass grieving that the public seems to feel is necessary these days. Grown men on their knees weeping in public and people who weren’t even born when Thriller was released exclaiming that ‘music has died’…I mean…come on! Music hasn’t died. Everyone has a copy of Thriller anyway and even if Jackson had lived another 50 years, that’d still be the only one people played!
One thing that really annoyed me was Mica Paris on the BBC declaring that this was bigger than the death of Elvis. Well, duh! It was 1977. There were 3 TV channels. There was no internet. And the media was not nearly as self-serving and sensationalist as it is today. And anyway, she must have been about 7 or 8 years old, same as I was, and I don’t really remember it so how is she in a position to make any kind of judgment on that?
One good thing about the media and everything…you get to hear all the jokes a lot sooner now!!
Flan… as always, so simple (your comments, that is!
), so wise, so Zen! 
M…
1. MJ was doubtless highly influential and succesful and things, but… talented? Somewhat, perhaps, but not *that* talented (as I’m sure you’ll agree, if you think about it!
)
2. yes, he didn’t really live in the “real” world… but then, what is “real”? (Ooh, watch out! Classic Matrix-inspired pop-existentialist commentary pending (or something)!)
3. ‘music has died’ … pah! Only when all musicians & musical media have died will this be true… & then we’ll still have birds! And the “Music of the Spheres”! And things!
4. Hmm, yes, the jokes… I read somewhere that it’s a central principle of Zen to laugh at everything… do we therefore now live in a very Zen world…?
I don’t think you can deny his talent – much as I would like to – as a groundbreaking musician, dancer, choreographer, producer…fairground owner.
Wait a minute…fairground owner? With a strangely disfigured face and funny voice? Always scaring children?
He’s a Scooby-Doo villain!
So are you saying that under the “mask,” MJ was actually a janitor?
(PS. I deny his talent! (just to prove that I can))
Yeah…and what’s more …he would have gotten away with it if it hadn’t been for those pesky kids!
Oh, the irony!
Is it irony?
I don’t think it is, is it?
It’s just bad…bad…you know it…it’s bad.
You know…the song…”Bad” ? No? Never mind.
Yes, I do. Hence…
You see…emoticons..far too ambiguous. I’ve never liked them.