r.i.p. michael jackson

i'm the same age as michael jackson. i'll NEVER forget the first time i saw the j5 on the ed sullivan show, i think in 1969. i was mezmerized. a kid my age could sing and dance like that. there will never be another 10 year old with that talent, charisma and stage presence. even though i was a hard rock kid, i always loved michael. i bought off the wall, thriller and bad even though all the other music i listened to at that time was hard rock. i was sad he became such a ridiculous figure in later years and i've shed tears since i've heard of his death. but right now i have a smile as i listen to "i'm going back to indiana". his music will live forever worldwide. r.i.p michael.

I've always enjoyed his music. I've always been fixated by his scandalous weirdness. I'm on the fence as far as his "humanitarianism" image goes. I'm solid on my opinion of his musical talent.
It is weird that he died so young, but people die from heart attacks every day. I do feel a little sad when I think about the bad childhood he had and how he seemed lonely no matter how many people were around him or in his life. We all have our private places in our heads. His seemed sad to me.

matt, no doubt he was a sad, mixxed up man. but i'll always remember the little kid with an afro smiling, dancing, and singing his heart out.

Sorry but no rip's in my book.

He paid off families to abuse their children for his kink!

That's f'up!

Think about it.

What if it were your kids?

He was a gifted and talented musician. That said, here's a great joke:

Why did Michael Jackson ask to be re-incarnated as a shopping bag?
That way he would always remain plastic, white and a danger to small children.

Sorry. I couldn't resist.
"But he did have beautiful plumage!"

..and along those same lines.....

when farah fawcett died, god granted her one wish....she said she wanted to make the world safe for small children. God said okay, and then killed micheal jackson ....

R.I.P.....its easy as 1 2 3

http://www.deadmichaeljacksonjokes.com

I couldn't believe a site went up so fast...then again I guess I can.

EDIT just wanted to add this to my original post that I was not trying to show any disrespect to Kingstiedye when I posted that website. I was just amazed it went up so quickly.

[ Edited by: leleliz 2009-06-29 15:46 ]

What a website!

"Michael Jackson didnt die of a heartattach, he died of food poisoning. He ate a 7 year old weenie."

Comedian-magician Penn Jillette found himself in an awkward spot Thursday. He was a guest on a radio program promoting the return of his Showtime series when the news of Jackson broke. Jillette found himself thinking back to John Lennon's death.

"I was really upset by it — as upset as I could be by someone dying outside of my family and friends," said Jillette. "And I remember the people who were flippant and joked about it in any way really kind of broke my heart."

Added Jillette: "I have a lot of respect for what music does for people and the connection you get with an artist."

thanks for turning my sincere message in this thread into a forum for stupid jokes.

p.s. matt and ben, i appreciate your comments.

I have always been a fan of MJ, especially, during his Thriller and Bad days, and have been fortunate enough to have followed his entire career. As easy as it is to assume his attraction and need to relate to young children was sexual, it would appear from all accounts that this was not the case. It seems that all cases brought against him were merely get rich quick schemes of certain unscrupulous parents whose kids happened to have become acquainences of MJ. Evidently, he chose to settle the cases rather than drag anything out that would hurt the innocent child. He was a child himself that was never able to mature in sync with his age, but now at least he has been relieved of that malady. I will be appreciating the treasure of his legacy.

gnomon, i couldn't agree more with your post. i don't think he molested kids, but what he was doing was weird. the man believed he was peter pan. probably because of his lost childhood, he just never grew up. i know most people, like my friend bamboo ben, think he was a molester. i can understand that thinking. he definitely set himself up to be seen that way. thanks for your comments.

Personal issues: yes.
Legendary entertainer in his day: yes.

..i agree..you really have to separate him into two people..M.J the performer and entertainer whose influence on music and pop culture were extraordinary contributions....and M.J. the man behind the performer with his controversial,sad and troubled personal life....

gremmie and tipsy, you are right. many, many personal issues. my own memories of mj are just about the music and what it meant to me when i was 10 and when i was in my 20's. i remember mj as a incredible talent who helped pave the way for other talented african american performers to reach a greater audience. i also remember him as one of the greatest entertainers of my lifetime. i prefer not to remember him as the tabloid whipping boy, wacko jacko.

Thanks to his later issues it is VERY easy to forget what he was as an artist. After "Thriller" he became was too larger than life too quick and thus the downward spiral began. Much like Elvis could tell us, fame makes you a prisoner FAST and these sad self destruction's should surprise no one. Were the personal issues o.k.? HELL no but again, I'm old enough to remember the "normal" Michael Jackson from the late 70's and very early 80's. A different person altogether.

Thing is, you also have to separate out the man from the myth (or the hype). I just read a blog where someone candidly admitted they really did not like his music, and that he was not as influencial as people are saying. I tend to agree. As far as achievements, 13 number one hits is huge, there is no denying that! But I could point to some artists such as Prince who may have been influenced by him, but I think they carried the ball farther, and better.
To me, a greater comparison would be with David Bowie. That man is and was way more influencial, in my opinion. Each new record he set a trend.
Michael Jackson was an excellent singer and dancer, but, he was not a songwriter or arranger. That honor needs to go to the Quincy Jones and Ted Tempertons of the world!

....well i, for one would not mind doing alittle time in the prison of fame that jackson suffered through...for as much as fame ruins many, i'd like to get that chance and judge for myself how horrible it is..know what i mean?

On 2009-06-29 14:50, lucas vigor wrote:
I just read a blog where someone candidly admitted they really did not like his music, and that he was not as influencial as people are saying.
Michael Jackson was an excellent singer and dancer, but, he was not a songwriter or arranger.

who is someone??? i'm sure a lot of people didn't care for his music. hell, i'm an old deadhead and i know millions hated the dead's music, but it was special to me. to say he wasn't influencial is ridiculous! also, i called mj one of the greatest entertainers of my lifetime. elvis and frank sinatra were not great songwriters or arrangers but i don't think anyone can deny they were great entertainers. as for david bowie, yes, he is a great creative mind, but in my opinion, half of his albums weren't very good. anyways, i appreciate your comments lucas.

[ Edited by: kingstiedye 2009-06-29 15:26 ]

Opinions on Michael Jackson ..his life/death/scandal are as varied as the people who have them.

Just because he was influential to one person's life doesn't mean those feelings were universal. Many folks are going to forget the awe they felt when they watched the video for "Thriller" for the first time or heard the beginning notes to "Beat It" because its easy to jump on the bandwagon and remember him only as a freak.

I think on the music front he will be revered as an amazing entertainer and a person who revolutionized music videos but sadly his wackiness over the past years is going to overshadow that.

As much as I loved Thriller and Bad and Beat It and the rest of his Top 100 hits I think those hits were the best of MJ at his best. I can't remember any song he released besides "Black and White" that compared to his past work and that was because the video was so well done.

Its just a shame that someone who was such a talent at a young age never had the best people around him to keep him on the right path mentally/emotionally/financially.

Look at Elvis. Similiar lifestyles..while he holed up in Graceland MJ holed up in Neverland.

No matter what MJ did or didnt do , how wacky he was, how in debt he was I can remember my older brother and I moonwalking (or at least attempting to!) all over our living room while listening to Thriller. Great music lasts and I hope the scandal fades just so his kids at least can remember the best things about their Dad and not be ruined by the rest.

The entire album "off the wall" is one of the better R+B records. It still holds up. But everything that came after, I don't know....

You can even see a change in his image from that album to the next, "thriller". It's like he had already gone crazy after by then!

On 2009-06-29 15:37, leleliz wrote:
Just because he was influential to one person's life doesn't mean those feelings were universal.

by influencial, i don't mean influencing every person's life. i mean influencial to the music industry, on artists that came after him, and on race relations in this country and worldwide. thanks for your comments, liz.

On 2009-06-29 15:37, leleliz wrote:

Its just a shame that someone who was such a talent at a young age never had the best people around him to keep him on the right path mentally/emotionally/financially.

Yeah, that's the thing: These celebrities are so insulated, really. They don't hear the comments, the criticsm in real time, on the street, like all of us do.

Back in the 80's, I already knew he was crazy. Question is, did HE know he was crazy? Probably not. Surrounded by lackeys, yes men and outright thieves. I doubt any of them had his best interests at heart. Same goes for Brittany Spears with the Sam Lufti guy taking over her life completely, feeding her drugs, ect. A long time ago someone should have taken control of him. (Someone other then the vultures, or his own family, for that matter!) Someone should have said...."dude, it's COME ON, not SH-MON!!" (that would just be for starters, we can begin with that and continue on with "Dude, it's not cool to have ANY kids around you except your own! Cut it out, for Christ's sake!!!)

A long time ago, I wanted to write this guy and say, "drop the BS....just go to some club with a small band, unannounced, and just SING! Do a whole set!! Forget the glove, the dancing, just come out in front of an audience with a live band and sing PYT or something...go back to your roots!"

my wife and i watched martin bashir's interview with mj the other night. it's hard to watch when michael is talking about the abuse he and his brothers took from their father when they were kids. he also witnessed his older brothers with groupies. my wife is a teacher and says when someone has sexual experiences when they are very young, it stunts their emotional growth. i think the interview is being re-shown tonight on nbc.

[ Edited by: kingstiedye 2009-06-29 16:45 ]

On 2009-06-29 14:50, lucas vigor wrote:
To me, a greater comparison would be with David Bowie. That man is and was way more influencial, in my opinion. Each new record he set a trend.

Er...I'm gonna have to disagree.

As much as I ADORE David Bowie (and believe me people who know me well enough can tell ya that) he was not a LOT more influential than Jackson...

Michael Jackson did a lot more for the world than Bowie.
He broke down black and white walls.
He revolutionized music and his videos were works of art that completely changed how we see music now.
Michael mixed everything into one.
He was a visionary.

Everyone knows Michael Jackson, but not everyone knows who David Bowie is.

I love Bowie, but Michael had a farther reach on the whole world...

The proof is in the out pour of mourning fans...

Not to mention Bowie's last albums:
Hours (I swear a #$%^&n Mid-Life Crisis album!!! :lol: )
Heathen (I actually love this out of the last 3 albums he put out)
Reality (FEH...Bowie could do SO much better)

weren't that great...they didn't even make it top 10 here in the US...
While Jackson's albums always went #1...

I hate to knock Bowie, but just saying he is a lot more influential than Jackson is kinda ridiculous... :lol:
It's like comparing apples to oranges! ...yea just can't do it!

Albeit, your opinion, but I just wanna throw in my fity cents in here too.
(...that and you mentioned bowie :lol: )

On 2009-06-29 16:07, kingstiedye wrote:
i mean influencial to the music industry, on artists that came after him, and on race relations in this country and worldwide.

Yep. No denying that!

But back to the topic at hand, I grew up listening to Michael Jackson like many others out there, and can't help but respect and love the man for his talent. My niece, best friend, and I were real shocked when we'd heard his passing & we'll miss him!

RIP Michael Jackson.

well said ravenne. i'd like to thank everybody who has posted their feelings, whether i agree with them or not. and thanks to everybody for not posting more jokes here.

A great talent and a great "loss",
But am I gonna have to read crap like this for the next six months?

How Michael Jackson helped start the Patriots dynasty

scroll down.

Yep. And then some. There's the obligatory period when everyone will be fighting over his estate and kids. The media usually runs with stuff like that for six months without breaking a sweat.

Then there's the issue with Paul McCartney which might resurface soon. A while back the rights to all of the Beatles music went up for auction. Micheal outbid Paul and ended up owning it all. Paul was freaked out by that, and rightly so. That meant Paul could not perform songs he wrote himself without paying royalties to Michael. It's pretty freaky when you have to pay someone else in order to perform your own stuff. But that's the nasty side of the music business and the nature of personal property.

On 2009-06-29 16:47, ravenne wrote:

On 2009-06-29 14:50, lucas vigor wrote:
To me, a greater comparison would be with David Bowie. That man is and was way more influencial, in my opinion. Each new record he set a trend.

Er...I'm gonna have to disagree.

As much as I ADORE David Bowie (and believe me people who know me well enough can tell ya that) he was not a LOT more influential than Jackson...

Michael Jackson did a lot more for the world than Bowie.
He broke down black and white walls.
He revolutionized music and his videos were works of art that completely changed how we see music now.
Michael mixed everything into one.
He was a visionary.

Everyone knows Michael Jackson, but not everyone knows who David Bowie is.

I love Bowie, but Michael had a farther reach on the whole world...

The proof is in the out pour of mourning fans...

Not to mention Bowie's last albums:
Hours (I swear a #$%^&n Mid-Life Crisis album!!! :lol: )
Heathen (I actually love this out of the last 3 albums he put out)
Reality (FEH...Bowie could do SO much better)

weren't that great...they didn't even make it top 10 here in the US...
While Jackson's albums always went #1...

I hate to knock Bowie, but just saying he is a lot more influential than Jackson is kinda ridiculous... :lol:
It's like comparing apples to oranges! ...yea just can't do it!

Albeit, your opinion, but I just wanna throw in my fity cents in here too.
(...that and you mentioned bowie :lol: )

On 2009-06-29 16:07, kingstiedye wrote:
i mean influencial to the music industry, on artists that came after him, and on race relations in this country and worldwide.

Yep. No denying that!

But back to the topic at hand, I grew up listening to Michael Jackson like many others out there, and can't help but respect and love the man for his talent. My niece, best friend, and I were real shocked when we'd heard his passing & we'll miss him!

RIP Michael Jackson.

And I too, disagree. The two dominant forms of pop music in the last twenty years were hip hop and new wave (and with new wave I count basically everything from synth pop to grunge to alt rock). Hip hop had a lot of influences that were not really Michael Jackson. People tend to forget that there were great RB bands before him, and after. Barkays, slave, cameo, P-funk, Sly and the family stone, I could go on and on...where as New wave and all it's descendents were directly influenced by a handful of acts, many of which were influenced by Bowie (Lou Reed, velvet underground, MC5, etc..) When you hear the latest emo band, you can totally hear Bowie's influence.

When I hear current hip hop, I don't hear any of Michael Jackson's influence.

Anyway, am I touching a nerve with you tiki people? I had better drop it now.

who's richer. MJ or Bowie?

Bowie's richer!
Michael spent all his money on sequined gloves and SaturDay Night Fever style sidewalks
Bowie only had to afford eyepatches!

Hip Hop and New Wave?
what about METAL!?!?! GRUNGE!?!?!? PUNK!?!?!?

On 2009-06-30 08:41, little lost tiki wrote:
Bowie's richer!
Michael spent all his money on sequined gloves and SaturDay Night Fever style sidewalks
Bowie only had to afford eyepatches!

Michael is deader and he didn't take it with him. He can't be the richer of the two unless a similar misfortune has befallen Ziggy Stardust.

*On 2009-06-30 08:41, little lost tiki wrote:*Hip Hop and New Wave?
what about METAL!?!?! GRUNGE!?!?!? PUNK!?!?!?

Michael was just starting to get into Hip Hop (he had been brainstorming with the Black-Eyed Peas), but he never actually did any Rap or Hip Hop; nor New Wave, nor Metal (other than being joined by Slash from time to time), nor Grunge, nor Punk (although his street look would make one think otherwise).

R.I.P. Michael Jackson, Rock In Perpetuity.

On 2009-06-30 08:41, little lost tiki wrote:
Bowie's richer!
Michael spent all his money on sequined gloves and SaturDay Night Fever style sidewalks
Bowie only had to afford eyepatches!

Hip Hop and New Wave?
what about METAL!?!?! GRUNGE!?!?!? PUNK!?!?!?

Yeah, I forgot about metal. But grunge and Punk? Definately Bowie influenced, to some extent.

Metal? I would have to go with Blue Cheer and Iron Butterfly as the early progenitors. Oh, and Link Ray "Rumble" is probably the first heavy metal song.

I guess my point was that MJ was financially and statistically successful. But in my opinion, not that much of the trendsetter and almost god-like person these people are making him out to be.

So he had "morphing" in his "black or white" video. It's not like HE invented it. This man will go down in history, or should I say "HIStory" and the inventor of the moonwalk. Wow.

Ok, he was a great singer. So was Smoky and so was Marvin Gaye. Or Donny Hathaway, for that matter.

On 2009-06-30 09:24, lucas vigor wrote:
Ok, he was a great singer. So was Smoky and so was Marvin Gaye. Or Donny Hathaway, for that matter.

Just because I recognize MJ as one of the best entertainers of all time, doesn't mean at all that he was my favorite. I'm just giving his his props. No question ablout his talent. It was all exploited by the enterprises that ran him and molded him into the luminary we all came to know.

I very much prefer Marvin Gaye and many other artists over MJ and his music. Elizabeth Taylor gave him the "King of Pop" moniker. Considering the nature of that business, I wouldn't be surprised if Jackson spin doctors didn't give her that suggestion so they wouldn't make him "self-proclaimed" by doing it themselves. But who cares. Nothing like a good spectacle, right?

On 2009-06-30 07:55, lucas vigor wrote:
And I too, disagree. The two dominant forms of pop music in the last twenty years were hip hop and new wave (and with new wave I count basically everything from synth pop to grunge to alt rock). Hip hop had a lot of influences that were not really Michael Jackson. People tend to forget that there were great RB bands before him, and after. Barkays, slave, cameo, P-funk, Sly and the family stone, I could go on and on...where as New wave and all it's descendents were directly influenced by a handful of acts, many of which were influenced by Bowie (Lou Reed, velvet underground, MC5, etc..) When you hear the latest emo band, you can totally hear Bowie's influence.

When I hear current hip hop, I don't hear any of Michael Jackson's influence.

Anyway, am I touching a nerve with you tiki people? I had better drop it now.

lucas, you're not touching a nerve with me. i enjoy a spirited discussion with intelligent peopo, whether i agree or not. all those r&b and hiphop acts owe a debt to james brown. of course every artist is influenced by someone before them. that's why they become musicians, because they love music. mj was the first african american on mtv, when mtv actually meant something. he helped break down barriers for all african american artists.

On 2009-06-30 08:21, RevBambooBen wrote:
who's richer. MJ or Bowie?

you funny my friend! kanye west is probably richer than thom yorke, but his influence is minimal.

On 2009-06-30 07:55, lucas vigor wrote:

Yeah, I forgot about metal. But grunge and Punk? Definately Bowie influenced, to some extent.

i just don't hear bowie's influence there. the stooges, mc5, even led zeppelin, yes. but not bowie.

On 2009-06-30 09:24, lucas vigor wrote:
This man will go down in history, or should I say "HIStory" and the inventor of the moonwalk. Wow.

now you're just trying to touch a nerve! :) this quote makes me wonder how old you are.

On 2009-06-30 11:56, The Gnomon wrote:
Just because I recognize MJ as one of the best entertainers of all time, doesn't mean at all that he was my favorite. I'm just giving his his props. No question ablout his talent. It was all exploited by the enterprises that ran him and molded him into the luminary we all came to know.

amen to dat! as much as i loved mj, i prefer the stones, the who, led zeppelin, u2 or radiohead.

Oh shit! How could I have forgotten James Brown??

A MAJOR influence on hip hop!

I will never forget being a kid and growing up listening to the Jackson 5.
Micheal was explosive!

Loved watching my fav cartoon on Saturday morning- The Jackson 5ive. Did anyone else watch this?

Still have my of vinyl Diana Ross presents the Jackson Five, Wanna be starting somethin,
I want you back, The love you save, Dancin machine.
Damn! that was the best shiz to dance to!!!

Did any one ever go to Circus disco in West Hollywood? They played the Thriller video in a loop 24/7 from 1982 on. It was the only video on the tv screens-not sure why, for over 20 years.
Good times and very good memories,,,

On 2009-06-30 16:19, lucas vigor wrote:
Oh shit! How could I have forgotten James Brown??

A MAJOR influence on hip hop!

haha those hip hop f*kers can't even write a song without even sampling
JB!! He was a genius!

Child molesters die every day.....

His biggest legacy to me (other than being world's most famous, rich CHoMO).....Most artificially altered person, if Ripley's did a show on altered people... He tops that reptile guy and the leopard guy, he's had more surgery and altered his appearance way more than both of them. Self mutilating freak!

To drown sorrow, where should one jump first and best? "Certainly not water. Water rusts you." -Frank Sinatra

[ Edited by: Sneakytiki 2009-07-20 02:34 ]

ENUFFFFFFF!!!!!!

despite all of this...
i still cry when i hear him sing "Ben"

and it's a song about a friggin Rat!
Not everyone can make somebody cry over a rat....

i guess that's what makes him so awesome to some...