Musical Snobbery at it’s finest

There are so many venues out there to find out the “scoop” about the latest scandal concerning our Hollywood actor/actress/musician/b lister. None of that drew my attention. Sure there are the occasional things that transcend gossip, such as the OJ affair and such. For the most part I find gossip mongers distasteful at best, and bottom feeders at worse.

Which leads to Michael Jackson. Can you argue that he is a walking freak show? Yep. Can you argue that much of what has happened to him he has brought upon himself? Yes. At the same time, I feel sadness, that no matter how high he climbed and how low he is now, that this is a man who has always been a prisoner. A prisoner of his freaked out family, a prisoner of his popularity, a prisoner of the press.

From a musical standpoint, one could argue that the trio of albums Off the wall/Thriller/Bad transformed popular music in a way that very few have ever done.  He had two peers during that time period, Prince and Madonna. Both has aged gracefully, and if not defining the zeitgeist anymore, are still producing exciting music. MJ has stopped becoming relevant years ago, which is sad to see.

Well….happy 50th birthday Michael and here’s to hoping that you find that peace that you are obviously looking for.