What Killed Michael Jackson?

The King of Pop has had more than a riches to rags experience in the last decade. Once a prince of showmanship and talent, he became a pauper of tabloid victimization and public scorn. We still remember the glowing, outstretched figure of a stylish Michael on the cover of "Thriller" that broke the barriers of pop music and immediately made Michael Jackson the poster boy of the entertainment industry. Until then (even in 1979's "Off the Wall") we still thought of Michael as a kid; a talented one, but still bound to the Jackson 5. Jackson took hold of the 1980's and captured everything that they stood for. In his dancing, in his singing, and in his unforgettable music videos, he manipulated and precipitated the decade's characteristics to become a living myth. Ironically, his sudden death may do much to resuscitate that allure.

But recently, we saw the Michael of yesteryear as almost a different person as the modern Michael. Indeed, the pigment evolution and the nasal transformation had made him almost unrecognizable. The outfits that were so fly in the 80's had turned into a preposterous joke. He became a facsimile of himself, but the subtle allure had worn off. The sad part is that his fall from grace was not entirely his doing. He is not quite the tragic hero, suffering from hubris, that he seems. Michael Jackson was a victim or cardiac arrest, or so the early reports are claiming, but perhaps that amazing weapon of paparazzi was the murder weapon and we, the public, were the culprits.

The pedophile charges against Jackson (false ones, in the opinion of this writer) were perpetuated and enunciated by the greed of few, and the insensitivity of many. The scorching articles and photographs were only a segment of Jacko's victimization. It was us, the once loyal fans, who turned on our own king (of pop) and crucified him. Men like Michael Jackson will always be at the risk of the public. He had too many sharp angles, too many eccentricities to survive for long. We targeted him and used any excuse to smash the idolatry which he once represented. Jackson had no choice but to retreat into solitude. It wasn't a failing talent that drew him into seclusion, it was our hatred. For someone who knew nothing outside of show-business, this may have been too much. Now, the inevitable montages and tributes to Michael will air on T.V and sentimentalism will try to cover up the damage that we know we have caused. But the fact remains. His heart was his music, his showmanship. When we shunned that, we broke his heart. We killed Michael Jackson.