Michael Jackson Approaches 50
I've certainly done my share of Michael Jackson-bashing posts, all of which I still stand behind. But on the eve of his 50th birthday (yes, 50 years old...gah, when did this happen?), I can't help but look at the above photo and feel a twinge of pity for the man.
After all, perhaps Michael would have led a life of relative obscurity had his father not pushed he and his brothers into the spotlight at such early and tender ages. Who knows how much of MJ's personality is a result of nature versus nurture; how much would have come out had he not turned into one of the biggest superstars of the modern era. Would he still have struggled with the inner demons that have plagued him for so long? Or were the demons planted there when he took his first spinning dance steps on a stage?
Of course, I also remember that a lot of his current problems have been of his own doing, because had he not been behaving inappropriately with young boys much of this would not have happened and he would have still been regarded as a great yet eccentric genius, probably still making new music and putting on concerts. After all, for all I've railed on Madonna (and rightfully so), she is also 50, and is energetically embarking on a new tour to promote a new album of fresh music. MJ has simply been re-releasing new versions of old stuff, such as his remake of his classic album Thriller, and by all accounts isn't even interested in doing concerts any longer...not that he could, with his current problems with his back and ankles, the legacy of all those acrobatic dance moves. Was his behavior because of his fame, or in spite of it?
It's said that his most recent trial is what has finally broken his spirit:
Those who knew Jackson before the 2005 child-molestation trial - in which he was acquitted - place the blame firmly at its door.Emotionally devastated, he has been unable to bounce back, suffering almost as much as if the verdict had been a guilty one.
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