HUNTER SCOTT
Opinions Writer
It was June 25 when I received a shocking text message from my sister while at work: “They’re saying Michael Jackson is dead.”
I was shocked. Everyone was shocked.
Michael Jackson represented the pinnacle of pop music. I am hard pressed to find any pop star who has had a greater influence on pop music.
At the time of his death, he was preparing for a series of concerts in London and his first tour since the HIStory World Tour in 1996-97. The shows were to be Jackson’s comeback.
I got home from work and my family sat watching the news coverage. I switched to MuchMusic as they held a Michael Jackson tribute. I sat and watched his music videos — music videos that show Michael Jackson back when he was in his prime and that I have loved for much of my adult life.
However, I could not get the controversies out of my mind. Most notably, the two serious allegations of sexual abuse against Jackson in 1993 and 2005 stood out prominently in my memory since I watched each verdict live when it happened. While he settled in 1993 for approximately 22 million and was found not guilty in 2005, the combination of two different allegations greatly tarnished Jackson’s reputation and legacy.
Then there was an infamous series of interviews conducted by Martin Bashir in 2002-03 where he misrepresented Jackson on several occasions. I remember the aftermath of the interviews and how it re-affirmed what many already thought of Jackson: that he was guilty of sex crimes. Giving him the nickname “Jacko” seemed second nature. I was never completely convinced that Jackson was guilty, although a part of me could understand why people thought he was.
After the allegations in 2005, Jackson sort of disappeared. Then in March this year, hype began for his London tour, This Is It. Then, just weeks before his first show, he was dead.
Since his death, the world has held tribute after tribute for the King of Pop. It’s nice that when you go to a club, they are playing Jackson’s music again. These are songs DJs should have never stopped playing. It was nice to see fans unite and perform so many tributes in the weeks after Jackson’s death.
But something happened as weeks turned into months. Oct 25 was the four month anniversary of Jackson’s death and one week prior to Halloween, there was an international effort to set a world record while performing “Thriller.”
I think enough is enough. Enough with the giant organized “Thriller” dances. Enough with any over-the-top tributes to Michael Jackson. I love Jackson’s music as much as any fan. However, Jackson’s legacy has been honoured and it’s time to let go. He was in the public eye from the age of eight until the day he died. Let’s continue to listen and appreciate the genius of Michael Jackson.
A major motion picture with rehearsal footage from his tour opens this week, aptly titled This Is It. I encourage any big fan of Michael Jackson to check it out. I expect it will be a fitting final tribute to Jackson and a special opportunity to see a world-class artist in his final days preparing for what would likely have been his final tour. Watch it, enjoy it and then let’s give the man some privacy and some much deserved rest.