Remember the Time

For most people my age he was known as Wacko-Jacko, that crazy guy who couldn't stop touching his crouch or little boys. But for me and a selected few, he was someone to admire. Granted the past 10-15 years of his life has been shadowed by controversy, uncertainty and in one way or another, shame. True fans of his music were able to separate the controversy from his music.

But when you actually start asking deeper questions surrounding Michael, you find yourself stunned on what the King of Pop has gone through. An abusive father, lack of childhood, constant demeaning remarks regarding his noise (why it was altered more than Mark Sanford's travel arrangements... Hi-YO!) demanding tour schedule and saturated media coverage, Michael went through more than anyone could ever imagine. All of this caused major emotional, physical and psychological problems which *in my view* never allowed him to mature to adulthood, a true Peter Pan syndrome. If you are uncertain on what i am talking about, read the ORIGINAL Peter Pan and research J.M. Barrie (see Bob, i do listen to you... sometimes). Again, I'm not defending his antics, I'm just showing empathy... something which most people forgot how to do.

There is nobody who has been larger in pop culture than MJ, and nobody has had more influence on current artists than the King of Pop (damn you Fall Out Boy, i still hate you for what you did to Beat It). Michael has not only transcended cultures, but race and age. I don't know if you ever seen fans across the world, but wow, talk about a cluster fuck of cultures. My mother went to his concert when she was 12, my sister couldn't settle down unless we played Off the Wall, and i was always looked as in an odd manor when i blasted the Thriller album instead of the random, always similar, popular cock rock band of the time.

Many of you reading this right now are shaking your head, unable to phantom why someone would be so invested in a singer. That is the thing, Michael was an artist (the amount of artists which have either mimicked or out right stolen his style *I'm looking at you Usher and Ne-Yo* is ridiculous), something which the majority of popular music lacks for the past 20 years. *you damn kids with your MTV, hip hop and mp3 players*

From watching my sister dance to "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" to watching the Thriller video every Halloween to laughing hysterically at my friend Thomas while he performed Beat It on stage at freshman orientation to annoying all my friends by over playing Somebody is Watching Me during sophomore year, Michael Jackson has been apart of my life and am truly grateful.

I dare you to watch THIS or THAT and not either smile or just feel better about life in general.

Michael, you will be missed *drops mic*