Schema Magazine

Remembering Michael Jackson | Ethnic cool-maker like no other!

To be honest, the media coverage of Michael Jackson's death has been a little overwhelming—to the point that the noise has made it hard to quietly reflect on his life and creative genius. For that reason, I thought I would wait a few days before writing something myself. After all, in the world of twitter (which is how most of us first heard about Michael's surprise passing) it isn't really a race anymore.

There are two distinct stories being told: either a focus on the almost unbelievable, yet undeniable, scandals that mired his career (see Jacques Peretti's incredible documentary MICHAEL JACKSON: WHAT HAPPENED) or his irrefutable status as the awe-inspiring "King of Pop." When interviewed on the day of Michael Jackson's death, Gian Gomeshi made a point to say that the weirdness would eventually become the story, and would rather that Michael Jackson be remembered for how he changed the music industry forever. He later reiterated this in his plea in the Globe and Mail:

Let not the freakshow that became Michael Jackson and his profile over the last decade or two serve to obscure the more significant truth: This was one of the most important and influential musical figures of the 20th century. His passing is the sad end of a remarkable creative force.

Read the complete article here.

I agree. Michael Jackson, at his creative peak, defined ethnic cool. Can you imagine an MTV, Much Music, Channel V or any other music video station without black pop stars? Of course not. But there was a time, when MTV, as the only music video channel, only played predominantly white rock musicians. Criticized by black artists as a racist broadcaster, MTV defended itself by saying that it's audience was made up of a cult following of mostly white suburban teenagers. The videos for Billy Jean, and later Beat It, overcame this barrier (by overwhelming it) and at the same time created the music video culture of today. Michael Jackson was not the first black artist to appear on MTV, "but Michael Jackson's Billy Jean is credited with opening door and paving way for black artists to get played more." (WikiAnswers.com) Without this milestone, there would not even be a BET.

After "Billie Jean" and "Beat It," everything changed. Everything. With MTV spreading like never before and Michael demonstrating how mesmerizing those promo clips could be, music video was suddenly everywhere. It was as though, after eighteen months of methodically infecting a select audience in American cities, the video virus just said, to hell with it, and began infecting everyone. The entire culture had been exposed. Tom McGrath's "Michael and MTV" from MTV: The Making of a Revolution (Philadelphia: Running Press, 1996)

As with any other race-barrier-breaking moment, it wasn't a simple nor easy thing (read the whole story here), which is why this cannot ever be forgotten. We've heard fans around the world defend Michael's reputation with an almost religious disregard for the evidence that supported the allegations against him. For that reason, there will always be a duality to how we remember Michael Jackson. Gian Gomeshi summed it up best:

The enormity of his success makes it almost easier to gloss over the talent at the heart of the art. It is a cliché to claim Jackson was an icon and a superstar. But the reality is that his music resonated. It continues to do so in the dance clubs around that world that bust out songs from "Off the Wall," 30 years hence. It continues to in the unmistakable groove and syncopated vocals of "Billie Jean." And it continues to in the de facto progeny of his musicality: Mariah Carey, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears or Usher.

Add to this the cross-racial and cross-generational appeal of the King and he is hard to overvalue. Jackson broke race barriers on an international level and strangely - given his controversial skin tone transformation - gave essential colour-agnostic music to the world.

Jackson's career and story in recent years is nothing short of tragic. Depending on who you ask he was a criminal child molester or a misunderstood hero. But he was certainly no longer a celebrated musician. The notions that Jackson was poised for a comeback are naïve and misplaced. He was well beyond his years as a musical innovator and a cultural leader. But he was still an artist that changed the world's popular culture. And had the talent to walk on the moon.

More: Of course, there's more! See BET's Remembering Michael Jackson, including a timeline of his life.