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KING OF POP COULD BE LOSING HIS CROWN
By Erin Day
Twenty years ago, Michael Jackson was a musical sensation who had it all; a record-breaking album, worldwide fame, and more importantly, respect.
For more than a week the American public has been bombarded with television specials that depict the eccentric life that Michael Jackson leads. He has revealed information about himself that we did not know before, and maybe, wish we did not know at all.
On Thursday, Feb. 6, 27 million people tuned into to watch Living With Michael Jackson, a controversial documentary portrayed by British journalist, Martin Bashir. As an effort to fight back against the manipulative filmmaking, Fox aired a special entitled, The Michael Jackson Interview: The Footage You Were Never Meant to See. But the public may have had enough.
Jackson has spent a lifetime under the scrutiny of the public eye. He has turned to the media for positive reasons, but lately the media has become his worst enemy. Due to the excessive amount of exposure this pop star is receiving, images of plastic surgery, lightened skin and pedophilia come to mind when you hear the name, Michael Jackson.
Some critics argue that the media is using Jackson’s outlandish behavior as a lucrative tool, sensationalizing his already poor image. While others say the only person to blame is himself. Jackson is the one who brought about all of this controversy, feeding the press stories of his “bizarre” behavior in order to gain attention.
The debate over how Bashir documented Jackson’s lifestyle continues to raise eyebrows. For eight months, Bashir and his cameras followed Jackson’s every move, but apparently the two had a misunderstanding about the content of the piece, which to Michael Jackson, was a “gross distortion of the truth and a tawdry attempt to misrepresent his life and his abilities as a father.”
Hillary Johnson, former celebrity journalist, and a Professor of Journalism here at Marist College, felt an increasing horror while watching the special.
“Bashir bridged the trust of Jackson, and then encouraged him to behave in ways that could be misconstrued by the public. As an interviewer, it is important to engage the trust of your subject or you are not going to get what you need as a journalist. However, in this case, Bashir clearly took advantage of Michael Jackson.”
Whether Bashir’s intentions were positive or negative, he and other major television networks were able to cash in on Jackson’s pain.
Out of all the scandal surrounding ‘The King of Pop’ his physical transformation continues to draw the most attention. There are several theories as to why Jackson altered his appearance so significantly. One theory is strictly driven by vanity. As an adolescent he suffered from a severe case of acne, his face and body were going through changes and he was no longer a cute little boy.
It was bad enough that Jackson had to fight off these physical changes in the eyes of the public, but he also suffered pressure from his very own family. His father would constantly tease him about the size of his nose, clearly establishing a lifetime affect on the young star. This also leaves the theory that Jackson wanted to completely erase the image of his father from his appearance.
Deborah Reeves-Duncan, Professor of Psychology at Marist College, believes that it is essential for parents to talk their children.
“Parents do not spend enough time talking to their children about what worries and troubles them. Jackson’s parents did not know how do deal with pressures of the entertainment business and the long-term effect it could have on their family. However, they did make a lot of sacrifices for their children. “
Where Michael Jackson’s future is headed, who knows? Yet, it is clear that the majority of the public cannot get over the fact that their favorite star is falling, and it is almost unbearable to watch.