Michael Jackson's Death

I am deeply moved by the death of Michael Jackson.

True, Michael Jackson probably wasn’t the best person in the world and allegedly did some terrible things. His death is also no more inherently sad than the death of any other human being. I wouldn’t say that MJ’s death is any more or less sad than Ed McMahon’s, Farrah Fawcett’s, or the death of any other person who I didn’t personally know. Yet, with that said, I find myself more moved by the death of Michael Jackson than I thought I would be.

I grew up in the 80s and Michael Jackson was the King of Pop; there was no one bigger than him and I doubt there will ever be a star of his magnitude again. He was an anomaly, both in his musical career and his personal life. His music provided the soundtrack to my childhood and I remember the excitement over the debut of his newest video. Back when music videos still meant something and MTV played them instead of the vapid exchanges between vacant people on shows like The Hills or The Real World. Michael Jackson was huge and his music has informed and influenced the entirety of my life.

And I suppose that is why I am most moved by Michael Jackson’s death, not because I personally knew him or because humanity has lost one of its best members, but because his music has been with me over the course of my 27 years. I remember that sinking feeling when I was younger, really wanting to watch the video for Thriller but not wanting to risk the nightmares that might come from filling my mind with dancing zombies. I remember seeing the video for Remember the Time when I was in junior high, thinking how amazing it was that Magic Johnson could play basketball, have HIV and be in a Michael Jackson video. I remember all the road trips I’ve taken with our youth group and the first album to get played on the journey was always Thriller. Thriller, man, Thriller.

So I don’t think that we should be any sadder over Michael Jackson’s death than anyone else’s. By all accounts he wasn’t a great person and he may have been a downright bad person. But that being said, my life wasn’t influenced by the man and his sins, it was influenced by the music. And while we may not be able to completely separate the man from the music, I also cannot separate the music from my life. Sometimes my life beats in time with Billie Jean, Rock With You, and Black or White and, in spite of Michael Jackson’s death and his suspect life, my life will continue to hear those rhythms and feel those beats.