Michael Jackson: Why His Life and Death Deserves Your Respect

While many people already respect Michael Jackson's recent death without cracking a single joke, there are some that think he just does not deserve any respect at all, and these people are wrong.

Lets go back in time to when Michael was young, way before he became the most successful entertainer of all time, way before he sold over 750 million records, and way before he moonwalked his way into his title as the "King of Pop".

Michael's father, Joseph Jackson, mentally and physically abused him as a child.

One night, Joseph wore a fright mask while he climbed into Michael's window, screaming and shouting, to supposedly teach his children not to leave the window open while they were asleep. This caused Michael to suffer from nightmares about being kidnapped from his bedroom.
In between whippings, name-calling, and tripping and pushing his children into walls, Joseph would force young Michael and his brothers to rehearse non-stop, so the family could get out of the slums in Gary, Indiana. If the brothers did not do it to his satisfaction, he would beat them with a belt.

Does this mean you should feel sorry for Michael? Absolutely not, but it does offer clues as to why he found so much trouble later in his grown-up life.

Which leads me to my next point--what in the world happened to him?

As a teenager, I offer a different perspective than everyone else writing an article about Michael's life. I was not alive when he was at the peak of his career. What I heard about Michael was mostly about his child molestation trials, along with plenty of jokes. So what caused him to be a supposed pedophile?

It's a known fact that child molesters were usually victims of sexual abuse as a child. Now I'm not saying that Michael was sexually abused as a child, I am just throwing it out there. He did, however, receive a lot of emotional and physical abuse. See a connection?

Lets break down the not-so-glamorous era of Michael's life.

In the 1980's, Michael Jackson's face began to grow paler. This is when the rumors about him started, and to this day some people think he bleached his skin. However, it is simply not true. Michael was diagnosed with vitiligo and lupus; the treatments he used for the conditions caused his skin to gradually get lighter. This, along with make-up used to cover up his blotchy skin, caused him to look very pale.

By the late 1980's, Michael's facial structure had dramatically changed, which was attributed to several plastic surgeries and weight loss.
His change in appearance was coupled with his purchase of the Neverland Ranch, which allowed him to hide away from the "real world".

Financial debt, the child molestation trials, tabloids, and divorce began to eat away at him, and it took it's toll on him physically and mentally.

Michael's life was never ordinary. It was not easy, and it was full of emotionally trying times. Living the life of a superstar took its toll on a person that otherwise gave back to the world more than the world gave to him. The proof of his kind heart is in the 39 charities that he supported and donated/raised millions of dollars for.

There are a lot of people that seem to think that Michael was not a genuine person. Try to think of one person today that has not only became an internationally known name, but has been criticized, made fun of, and basically tortured by press, but still has had the heart to give millions of dollars to the people that make jokes about him behind his back.

In this way, Michael's deserves your respect in terms of remembering his life, as extraordinary and difficult as it was, and in mourning his death, even in the smallest way that you can.

Rest in Peace,
Michael Joseph Jackson.
"The King of Pop"
1958 - 2009