Farewell to an Angel and the King of Pop

Thursday 25th 2009 marks an incredibly sad day in entertainment and for the world. As we mourn the deaths of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson we are given the opportunity to reflect on the delicacy of life, especially in light of celebrity.

While so far removed from this admired actress and musical genius, we all felt as though we knew them, something in their craft resonated with us somehow. And while their legacies will live on, we cannot ignore the certain emptiness which presents itself in their passing.

As fan tributes flow and media coverage overwhelms for the ‘King of Pop’ especially, I cannot help but wonder whether or not we as a society play a part in such tragedies and how we should really take more responsibility for the way we treat others.

Michael Jackson, like Elvis, was idolized by people all over the world for his incredible talent when in fact was a deeply tortured soul. The media, paparazzi were so quick to bring him down as they were to lift him up. His music inspired but he was often ridiculed and condemned for his strange ways as if the critics themselves weren’t flawed.

Michael’s exclusive interview with Oprah Winfrey in 1993 allowed the pop icon to respond to those rumours that began to taint his reputation and frequently drew attention away from his amazing music career. “If you hear a lie often enough, you believe it,” he told Oprah as he defended himself against media speculations about that oxygen case and controversies surrounding the colour of his skin.

Then of course came those child molestation charges, the dangling of baby ‘blanket’ over a balcony and other bizarre acts that created the ‘Wacko Jacko’ character. Surely, such behaviour had to be provoked by something that to us is unexplainable. The line between sanity and madness is very faint and we are all players in the game. To be Jekyll and Hyde-esque for a moment, we must try to understand what leads us to do things, good or bad, and how we should steer each other in the good direction. In the case of the ‘famous,’ tabloid media are largely to blame, and in turn, so are we who succumb to those filthy pages (and screens) of gossip and scandal, perhaps to feel better about our own lives, knowing that those who we sometimes envy are actually worse off than we are. For the paparazzi, it’s a monetary gain, thriving on our curiosity and intrigue in celebrity by ruthlessly divulging private details about normal people who are simply in the spotlight because of their extraordinary talents. (Okay, so not all are, but I won’t bother wasting my time writing about those with nothing to offer but their apparent good looks and superficiality).

“I used to always cry from loneliness. Since I was eight or nine,” Jackson told Oprah, the Talk Show Queen discovering the Pop King’s loss of childhood, teenage troubles and other personal battles off-stage. Knowing this about him, or anybody, breeds empathy.

The thing is, we will never know the real truth about this man whose on-stage persona was miles away from the eccentric individual who lived as a recluse. It is just too easy to judge and slander and unfortunately it is in death that we realize and regret the negative things we’ve said or thought about the person. I fear the same fate for Britney Spears.

By now, we should all be intelligent enough to recognize that fame is not all it’s made out to be in its glamorous sense, and that the ‘famous’ are constantly subject to scrutiny. We are the ones who put them there, often to knock them down. ‘We,’ inclusive of all- fans, record producers, executives, media, family, friends, admirers, haters etc, etc. are contributors to the pressure placed on those in the public eye. In our fascination, we cross ethical borderlines, shunning a person’s right to privacy and respect for our own gratification. No doubt, promoters are now stressed over retracting plans for Jackson’s comeback tour and refunding the 85 million dollars to ticketholders.

But for fans, the reality of this loss is what needs to be dealt with first and foremost. The shock and disbelief at the passing of someone who seemed immortal will surely be expressed through media coverage for many weeks to come.

It is a sad irony that a man who brought and continues to bring joy to so many, was himself a lonely human being who missed out on a normal life and was laden in controversy. But perhaps we shouldn’t wallow in mourning and rather celebrate his life. Perhaps it was his time, his destiny that he be relieved from the chaos of this crazy world.

For Farrah and Michael, “the final curtain” has closed on their physical presence but will always and forever be open for us to reminisce upon, as we watch, listen, sing and dance along. Their contributions to art, music, film, television and the entertainment industry will never be forgotten as will their infamous faces and fashions live on throughout the history of trend-setting in certain eras.

We’ll ‘remember the time’ they ‘thrilled’ us with golden fly-away hair and ‘angelic’ smiles; ‘bad’-ass music videos and moonwalks. Life is not without death and in death there is life, the present- the gift. May we never take it for granted.

Filter through Jason Mraz’ Conversation Station and you will be encouraged to practice kindness, forgiveness and gratitude. We need healing. And then we can heal the world.