Thursday, February 9, 2012

The Misunderstood Power of Michael Jackson's Music

His influence today proves him to be one of the greatest creators of all time, but Jackson's art—like that of many black artists—still doesn't get the full respect it deserves.
michael jackson ap images 615.jpg
AP Images
More than two and a half years after his untimely death, Michael Jackson continues to entertain. Cirque du Soleil's crowd-pleasing Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour is currently crisscrossing North America, while a recent Jackson-themed episode of Glee earned the show a 16 percent jump in ratings and its highest music sales of the season. Even Madonna's halftime Super Bowl spectacle harkened back to a trend first initiated by Jackson.But there is another crucial part of Jackson's legacy that deserves attention: his pioneering role as an African-American artist working in an industry still plagued by segregation, stereotypical representations, or little representation at all.

Jackson never made any qualms about his aspirations. He wanted to be the best. When his highly successful Off the Wall album (in 1981, the best-selling album ever by a black artist) was slighted at the Grammy Awards, it only fueled Jackson's resolve to create something better. His next album,Thriller, became the best-selling album by any artist of any race in the history of the music industry. It also won a record-setting seven Grammy awards, broke down color barriers on radio and TV, and redefined the possibilities of popular music on a global scale.

Yet among critics (predominantly white), skepticism and suspicion only grew. "He will not swiftly be forgiven for having turned so many tables," predicted James Baldwin in 1985, "for he damn sure grabbed the brass ring, and the man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo has nothing on Michael."

Baldwin proved prophetic. In addition to a flood of ridicule regarding his intelligence, race, sexuality, appearance, and behavior, even his success and ambition were used by critics as evidence that he lacked artistic seriousness. Reviews frequently described his work as "calculating," "slick," and "shallow." Establishment rock critics such as Dave Marsh and Greil Marcus notoriously dismissed Jackson as the first major popular music phenomenon whose impact was more commercial than cultural. Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and Bruce Springsteen, they claimed, challenged and re-shaped society. Jackson simply sold records and entertained.



The point of his ambition wasn't money and fame; it was respect.
It shouldn't be much of a strain to hear the racial undertones in such an assertion. Historically, this dismissal of black artists (and black styles) as somehow lacking substance, depth and import is as old as America. It was the lie that constituted minstrelsy. It was a common criticism of spirituals (in relation to traditional hymns), of jazz in the '20s and '30s, of R&B in the '50s and '60s, of funk and disco in the '70s, and of hip-hop in the '80s and '90s (and still today). The cultural gatekeepers not only failed to initially recognize the legitimacy of these new musical styles and forms, they also tended to overlook or reduce the achievements of the African-American men and women who pioneered them. The King of Jazz, for white critics, wasn't Louis Armstrong, it was Paul Whiteman; the King of Swing wasn't Duke Ellington, it was Benny Goodman; the King of Rock wasn't Chuck Berry or Little Richard, it was Elvis Presley.
Given this history of white coronation, it is worth considering why the media took such issue with referring to Michael Jackson as the King of Pop. Certainly his achievements merited such a title. Yet up until his death in 2009, many journalists insisted on referring to him as the "self-proclaimed King of Pop." Indeed, in 2003, Rolling Stone went so far as to ridiculously re-assign the title to Justin Timberlake. (To keep with the historical pattern, just last year the magazine devised a formula that coronated Eminem—over Run DMC, Public Enemy, Tupac, Jay-Z, or Kanye West—as the King of Hip Hop).

Jackson was well-aware of this history and consistently pushed against it. In 1979, Rolling Stonepassed on a cover story about the singer, saying that it didn't feel Jackson merited front cover status. "I've been told over and over again that black people on the covers of magazines don't sell copies," an exasperated Jackson told confidantes. "Just wait. Some day those magazines will comebegging for an interview."

Jackson, of course, was right (Rolling Stone editor Jann Wenner actually sent a self-deprecatory letter acknowledging the oversight in 1984). And during the 1980s, at least, Jackson's image seemed ubiquitous. Yet over the long haul, Jackson's initial concern seems legitimate. As shown in the breakdown below, his appearances on the front cover of Rolling Stone, the United States' most visible music publication, are far fewer than those of white artists:

John Lennon: 30
Mick Jagger: 29
Paul McCartney: 26
Bob Dylan: 22
Bono: 22
Bruce Springsteen: 22
Madonna: 20
Britney Spears: 13
Michael Jackson: 8 (two came after he died; one featured Paul McCartney as well)

Is it really possible that Michael Jackson, arguably the most influential artist of the 20th century, merited less than half the coverage of Bono, Bruce Springsteen, and Madonna?

Of course, this disregard wasn't limited to magazine covers. It extended into all realms of print media. In a 2002 speech in Harlem, Jackson not only protested his own slights, but also articulated how he fit into a lineage of African-American artists struggling for respect:


All the forms of popular music from jazz to hip-hop, to bebop, to soul [come from black innovation]. You talk about different dances from the catwalk, to the jitterbug, to the charleston, to break dancing -- all these are forms of black dancing...What would [life] be without a song, without a dance, and joy and laughter, and music. These things are very important but if you go to the bookstore down the corner, you will not see one black person on the cover. You'll see Elvis Presley, you'll see the Rolling Stones...But we're the real pioneers who started these [forms]."

While there was certainly some rhetorical flourish to his "not one black person on the cover" claim, his broader point of severely disproportionate representation in print was unquestionably accurate. Books on Elvis Presley alone outnumber titles on Chuck Berry, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Michael Jackson combined.

When I began my bookMan in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson, in 2005, there wasn't one serious book focused on Jackson's creative output. Indeed, at my local Barnes & Noble, I could find only two books about him, period. Both dealt with the scandals and controversies of his personal life.

It seemed the only way Michael Jackson could get covered was if he was presented as a freak, a curiosity, a spectacle. Even reviews of his albums, post-Thriller, focused on the sensational and were overwhelmingly condescending, when not outright hostile.
Of course, this poor coverage wasn't only about race. Biases were often more subtle, veiled and coded. They were wrapped together with his overall otherness and conflated with the "Wacko Jacko" media construct. In addition, as Baldwin astutely noted, there were not entirely unrelated apprehensions about his wealth and fame, anxieties about his eccentricities and sexuality, confusion about his changing appearance, contempt for his childlike behavior, and fears about his power.


But the bottom line is this: Somehow, in the midst of the circus that surrounded him, Jackson managed to leave behind one of the most impressive catalogs in the history of musi. Rarely has an artist been so adept at communicating the vitality and vulnerability of the human condition: the cexhilaration, yearning, despair, and transcendence. Indeed, in Jackson's case he literally embodied the music. It charged through him like an electric current. He mediated it through every means at his disposal—his voice, his body, his dances, films, words, technology and performances. His work was multi-media in a way never before experienced.
This is why the tendency of many critics to judge his work against circumscribed, often white, Euro-American musical standards is such a mistake. Jackson never fit neatly into categories and defied many of the expectations of rock/alternative enthusiasts. He was rooted deeply in the African-American tradition, which is crucial to understanding his work. But the hallmark of his art is fusion, the ability to stitch together disparate styles, genres and mediums to create something entirely new.

If critics simply hold Jackson's lyrics on a sheet of paper next to those of Bob Dylan, then, they will likely find Jackson on the short end. It's not that Jackson's lyrics aren't substantive (on the HIStoryalbum alone, he tackles racism, materialism, fame, corruption, media distortion, ecological destruction, abuse, and alienation). But his greatness is in his ability to augment his words vocally, visually, physically, and sonically, so that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Listen, for example, to his non-verbal vocalizations—the cries, exclamations, grunts, gasps, and improvisatory vernacular—in which Jackson communicates beyond the strictures of language. Listen to his beat boxing and scatting; how he stretches or accents words; his James Brown-like staccato facility; the way his voice moves from gravelly to smooth to sublime; the passionate calls and responses; the way he soars just as naturally with gospel choirs and electric guitars.

Listen to his virtuosic rhythms and rich harmonies; the nuanced syncopation and signature bass lines; the layers of detail and archive of unusual sounds. Go beyond the usual classics, and play songs like "Stranger in Moscow," "I Can't Help It ," "Liberian Girl ," "Who Is It," and "In the Back." Note the range of subject matter, the spectrum of moods and textures, the astounding variety (and synthesis) of styles. On the Dangerous album alone, Jackson moves from New Jack Swing to classical, hip hop to gospel, R&B to industrial, funk to rock. It was music without borders or barriers, and it resonated across the globe.

However, it wasn't until Jackson's death in 2009 that he finally began to engender more respect and appreciation from the intelligentsia. It is one of humanity's strange habits to only truly appreciate genius once it's gone. Still, in spite of the renewed interest, the easy dismissals and disparity in serious print coverage remains.

As a competitor on par with the legendary Muhammad Ali, Michael Jackson wouldn't be satisfied. His goal was to prove that a black artist could do everything a white artist could (and more). He wanted to move beyond every boundary, earn every recognition, break every record, and achieve artistic immortality ("That is why to escape death," he said, "I bind my soul to my work"). The point of his ambition wasn't money and fame; it was respect.

As he boldly proclaimed in his 1991 hit, "Black or White," "I had to tell them I ain't second to none."

aoleu, ce-i la comentarii:((


http://www..com/entertainment/archive/2012/02/the-misunderstood-power-of-michael-jacksons-music/252751/theatlantic

19 comments:

Al said...

stiu atat: ca Michael mi-a placut de mic copil, ca nu m.-am intrebat niciodata de ce i s-a schimbat culoarea pielii, ca nu m-a interesat niciodata in ce scandaluri a fost bagat :(, ca nu m-am indoit deloc de faptul ca acest om este pe gustul meu pt ca, mai apoi, sa-mi dau seama ca e mult mai mult de atat
nu conteaza si nici nu ma preocupa , nici cat negru sub unghie, cine nu-l are la inima, cine il uraste, care le sunt argumentele etc, etc, sau de cate ori a aparut pe nu stiu ce revista; pt mine ramane Michael si atat

miky said...

interesant daca haterii au citit asa ceva, atunci nu e de mirare ca nu mai pot fi convinsi de altceva..e o boala si asta...


http://www.scritube.com/sociologie/psihologie/O-PERSPECTIVA-ASUPRA-AGRESORIL1152041813.php

pacta ca si la noi e plin, nu doar in America..ce e mai rau e ca unii chiar nu cred ca fac o greseala...

http://www.adevarul.ro/locale/oradea/Profilul-pedofil_0_562743796.html


aici sunt copii molestati care vorbesc

http://www.reinviesperanta.com/corespondenta/supravietuitoarele-scriu/supravietuitoarele-scriu.html

miky said...

acolo unde scrie profilul unui pedofil apare exact ce au postat haterii pe topix, sustinand ca mj se incadreaza perfect acolo

http://www.la-psiholog.ro/info/cum-sa-recunoasteti-abuzul-sexual-la-copii

bine, dar cati dintre ei au recunoscut, public, ca dorm in pat cu copiii?

mj a crezut ca nu are de ce sa nu poata spune asta...dar poate era m bine sa nu spuna..Bashir a stiut cum sa ii atinga coarda sensibila

miky said...

si cati dintre pedofili spun ca ei sunt peter pan si ca nu au avut copilarie?

miky said...

hahaha:)))Alinuta..fii ATENTA CE MI-AU DAT ASTIA...avand impresia ca MESSEREAU ISI PIERDE DIN CREDIBILITATE...HAAA:)))

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/6Okorx

POZA asta a fost raspuns la intrebarea mea ,,de ce Ray Chandler nu a vrut sa depuna marturie la proces, cand Tom Messereau l_a chemat?

aici e documentul adica el, in presa, a sustinut ca are aceste documente, nu a vrut sa le arate decat pe camera si fara sa participe la proces, direct

http://jacksonaktak.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/102504verobjsnonpty.pdf

Al said...

fratee, ce cauta Messereau in poza aia? sper ca nu e reala, OMG :(

Al said...

el nu se ferea cu nimic, se stia ca raman copii la Neverland, a spus si in public, ori dupa cum am vazut eu la profilul pedofilului de la Bihor, nu era nimic care sa iti dea de banuit ca ar avea ceva cu copiii
increderea in el nu o sa-mi fie ciobita nici macar cu un milimetru, orice s-ar zice

Unknown said...

ba da, el el...pare fake...dar popat ca nu..oricum, e legatura are cu mj?? haa:)) omul se distreaza

Unknown said...

poate ca nu

Unknown said...

profesorul de pian a cam socat..iti dai seama, am si eu fata care face pian..dar bine ca are profa;,,MJ NU SE INCADREAZA...DAR NU MULTI ISI DAU SEAMA CA EXACT FIXETUL ASTA PENTRU COPIII, IN LOC SA IL INCADREZE ACOLO, IL DIFERENTIAZA CLAR .

HATERII NU SE TERMINA...DAR NICI FANII;)

Al said...

si mie mi se pare fake, un avocat de talia lui nu s-ar lasa pozat intr-o asemenea pozitie, poate sa se distreze cu cine si cum vrea omul, dar sigur nu sa pozeze asa :)

Al said...

de ce nu poate un adult sa iubeasca toti copiii? li se pare ciudat, nu e numai copilaria lui, multi au avut copilarii grele, este mai ales firea lui, compasiunea, dorinta de a darui fericire, la el este o realitate, daruirea zambetelor, nu e doar asa, ceva spus, dar nu facut
asta nu vor sa inteleaga

Al said...

ce faceti, oameni buni? cum razbiti? :(((( ma ingrozesc de ce este in Rom, si judetul unde stau eu este rau, cu cod portocaliu, nu spun la Buzau, nu stiu nimic de fanut, mi-e groaza :(((, e si comuna ei printre cele rau afectate, am vazut azi la stiri :((, n-am cum sa iau legatura cu ea :((
tu esti bine??

ai auzit de Whitney :(((((((((, teribil, tanara, oare ce se intampla in lumea asta....

miky said...

daaa...slava Domnului...noi suntem feriti e zapada, ca suntem intre munti..dar e prapad in tara....eu am f tare racita, plus sesiune, drumuri la Cluj, frig.....am luat o pauza, ca nu am m putut...am avut doua zile concediu...si fix atunci au racut si fetele...deci suntem aranjate...pe aici toata lumea e racita

da, Withney...saraca...asa sunt uii oameni...sensibili, care au nevoie de aJUTOR..STRIGATUL LOR E ATAT DE DISPERAT si nimeni nu ii vede sau cel putin nu e destul de puternic sa lupte cu dependenta lor si cu ei

miky said...

aoleuuu, fanutu nostru....am uitat, mai ca si ea si Nicusor sunt pe acolo..eu sper sa treaca naibii zapada asta...stai linistita, ca deja au inceput astia sa se miste cu deszapezirea,,,ca pana acum au dormit...sper sa nu mai ninga...oricum, gandeste-te ca zapada aia se transforma in apa, asa ca bine nu va fi

miky said...

acum e important sa fie toata lumea in siguranta, scosi din zapezi...pacat...si criza, si frig, si vreme rea...prea multe pentru amarata asta de tara

Anonymous said...

" A lot of people missunderstand me just because they don't know me!" Cu asta am spus tot! Nu exista dragoste cu sila, iar daca oamenii sunt invidiosi le urez multa bafta in continuare:)) Nu seamana decat neghina in jurul lor.
True music never dies,it's immortal , so does Mike:D
L.O.V.E :*
Miss you!:*

Al said...

au inceput dezapezirea, dar sunt mii de case la care nu s-a ajuns inca, ce mai ciz de zapada ca e asa multa ca li se prapadesc casele, se destrama, la inundatii nu vreau sa ma gandesc
s-a mobilizat lumea, merg 10 km prin zapada si le duc de mancare oamenilor, Domnul sa-i ajute :(

Al said...

´´zic´´


da Bianca, asa-i, vocea ei o sa ramana mereu, atat de frumos canta, este speciala si ea, oooof

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