Published by GLFranklyn on 29 Jun 2009
Heroes & Villains
June 28, 2009 – by Gregory Franklyn
I wanted my little statement about Michael Jackson to settle for a few days before starting in on him. I mean to show at least a modicum of respect for the man’s contributions to music, dance and culture. He was an exciting creative force and arguably the very best all-around entertainer in the history of the world.
I have my own little story about Michael Jackson. The Jackson 5 first hit the airwaves while I was a junior in High School. The very first record album I ever purchased for myself was “Dianna Ross Presents The Jackson 5”. I recall being endlessly teased by my contemporaries for being so in love with those guys. Everyone else was listening to Steppenwolf, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and the Beatles.
Michael Jackson was 10 years old when he sang “Who’s Loving You” and I’m listening to that recording 40 years later and asking myself how it’s possible that a mere 10 year old could sing that song like that! It was clear that we were seeing and hearing a genuine phenomenon. For me, the very best work that the brothers did together was “Dancing Machine”. That title song is still one of my favorites and even these many years later it still holds up as a uniquely complicated musical achievement and it still takes conscious effort, on my part, to stop my body from moving when I hear it.
I’m telling you all of this to make the point that I was a huge fan of Michael Jackson at the very beginning, even to the point that I suffered personal humiliation for it. But as time passed it became clear to me that Michael was in trouble and there was no one available to rein him in. He was the primary breadwinner for the entire Jackson family at 24 years old, for crying out loud. His own parents were dependent on him for everything and I believe that it was their approach to parenting, under these unique circumstances, that is at the root of the ensuing tragic nature of Michael’s life. There was no one in his life to put their foot down and say “Enough” while the poor guy walked out on shaky limbs over and over again.
Michael Jackson grew up to develop a highly refined self hatred, both individual and racial. He went on to spend this adult life trying to cut-and-paste himself into another person entirely. In the scandalous documentary where he advocated sleeping with young boys he also said he had had only two surgeries. There is no doubt in my mind that he lied and he knew he was lying when he said it. An argument could be made that he was delusional about himself, but I’m just not buying it. We’re talking plastic surgery here, it’s not like he didn’t remember it!
My separation from Michael Jackson as a cultural icon and as a fan was based on his intentionally skillful deception. His image was as a vulnerable child with positive visions of peace, justice and innocence. He made no secret of his Christianity and mentioned his devotion in public environments often. But he was also witnessed by the documentarist giving alcohol to little boys, telling them it was “Jesus Juice”. Everyone who knew him agrees that he was, behind the scenes, a shrewd businessman and a skilled manipulator of his own public image. He carefully fashioned himself into a fictional product. A comic book hero, if you will, likely intended to cover up what he actually was.
What is the difference between that and Governors John Ensign, Mark Sanford, Reverend Ted Haggard, Senator Larry Craig or any number of political and spiritual leaders, all of whom created an image of Good Christian Values and ranted against immorality and homosexuality while being involved in varying degrees of kinky extra-marital affairs. The images are creations that are not connected to reality. They are intentionally deceptive devices to accomplish a desired end; a calculated manipulation of your thoughts and feelings, as it were.
I believe that Michael Jackson was a brilliant entertainer but I don’t have amnesia about the fact that he was also a drug addicted pedophile with seriously destructive self esteem issues. I believe that because of my knowledge of his intellectual brilliance, his skill at manipulation, his lack of supervision and his access to vast resources. If he didn’t have those resources at his disposal, there is no question he would be in prison right now.
My second point is that the more things change, the more they stay the same. The cultural heroes of my generation were equally disturbing dysfunctional drug addicts. For my generation they were the likes of Janis Joplin, Jimmi Hendrix and Jim Morrison. Even then it struck me as odd that people who actually were real and modeled their public images to mirror the people who they actually were, like Carlos Santana, Kenny Loggins, The Beatles, Bill Withers and even Jackson Browne are never thought of as superheroes even though, in reality, they certainly are.
I remember being in the BoysTown Canteen with my allowance in my hand. If I remember correctly, I was a senior in high school at the time. I wanted to buy a record album. There on the shelf, side by side, were the two biggest selling albums on the charts that week. They were “The Beatles White Album” and the Rolling Stones’ “Their Satanic Majesties Request”. I’ll never forget it because it was such a blatant “Good vs Evil” image.
I bought “The Beatles White Album” and began a lifetime of making music purchase decisions based on where I wanted my money to go. That is why my cultural icons are different than most. To this day I don’t own a Rolling Stones album because I’m just not interested in them, or the image they created. I see that they’ve done just fine without me; good for them!
It is as if we, as a culture, would rather give our allegiance to a fake image of something unattainable, rather than recognize very real angels who walk among us, some living as close as right next door. So here’s to Scott Brummit, Partick Miles, Terry Snowdon and Cliff Jones. These are a few of the people in my life that I strive to be more like, because I think I will be a better person for doing so.
You will probably never know who these people are, because they are the angels who walk within my view, around the corner from where I live. You have some within your line of sight too. Look for them and hold them in the high regard they truly deserve. Don’t worry about Michael Jackson, just take a moment to enjoy the fantasy carnival ride he left for you to enjoy and then turn your attention back to the REAL heroes in your life!
Much Love,
Gregory





