Almost Too Painful

[poliphilo]

I expected LJ to be full of stuff about the Jackson trial and it isn't. At least this corner of the LJ universe isn't. I wonder why.

My reason for steering clear (until now) is the difficulty of writing about it with dispassion. Jackson has been getting me all stirred up for decades now. Love the music (some of it.) Hate the preening and self-deception.

I wish I didn't care, but I do. There was a moment- a very brief moment- when Jackson was not only the greatest singer and dancer in the world, but also the most beautiful human being. Bille Jean. That's a fabulous song. And Michael is a vision, a visitation, an otherworldly androgyne, a god.

And then....

And then the decline, sinking deeper and deeper into freakishness, into Messianic fantasy, into a candy-coloured porno-heaven. It's been like watching a self-exiled Caesar go to the dogs.

Tiberius on Capri- all alone with his flatterers and pimps.

Yesterday, he turned up at the courthouse an hour late in his pyjamas and nearly got his bail rescinded. He doesn't seem to realise how serious this is. It's as if there's no-one in his entourage with the balls to tell him, "Er, Michael, you're not actually writing the script any more."

Comments

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

This somehow goes along with your comments on celebrity worship yesterday. I think - although quite honestly, it's MY opinion - that he has no idea. I think he thinks that the public is all behind him, and the judge wouldn't dare revoke his bail because his 'followers' would do something to make the Judge change his mind. I think that Michael's mind is sick.

I have no idea - and certainly don't want to speculate- whether he is guilty or not although our justice system says he is indeed innocent until proven guilty. I would hate to think this is all one BIG publicity stunt.

IF people didn't worship celebrity - maybe Michael would still bear some semblance to normal. There is no doubt that he is - or was, anyway - a talented man. Now, it's just a very sad thing.

I don't follow the 'trial news' of Michael's any more than I followed the OJ Simpson trial. I think that all the fuss is totally disgusting. Just like the fuss about Prince Charles (as you said yesterday, a public embarassment) marrying whomever. Hey folks, Diana is dead. Let her go, leave Charles in peace.

And start worrying about the REAL world.

Sorry, Tony. I didn't mean to get up on my soapbox.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

SKY News has been televising reconstructions of each day's proceedings. I wish I could look away, but I can't.

I was better able to ignore O.J. Simpson because I didn't have any idea who he was until the murder, but Jackson has been part of the landscape of my life.

I don't know whether Jackson is guilty of these particular offences, but I've little doubt that he's one sick bunny.

P.S. The Bridges of Madison County just arrived. Thankyou so much! Unless you strongly object, I'm going to send you a box of kinder eggs in return.

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

I would love a box of Kinder eggs.
thank you very much.

When you finish the book let me know what you think.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'll get the eggs in the post.

And, yes, I'll let you know about the book.

[dadi.livejournal.com]

I agree with the fact that he might just not have any idea how things truly stand. I don't frequent his world, but I am acquainted with that of opera singers, and I assure you that most of them are so tightly surrounded by their producers/managers/whatever who continue to assure them of their absolute divinity and fantasticality, that they really lose contact with "Real Life". I imagine this to be the case for MJ too.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I guess any star performer runs this risk of being destroyed by praise.

P.S. Quite off topic, but I love your icon. Lorenzo il Magnifico- what a dude!

[dadi.livejournal.com]

It is not so much a question of being "destroyed" but of being isolated from the world. Ah well. Arent' we fortunate to be relatively humble human beings ;-)

thanks about the icon.. Lorenzo is one of my heroes. Ah, the world would be different if there had been more of his kind over the centuries!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

We have a picture of him- a sculpted bust attributed to Verrochio- in our bedroom.