MJ

[asterroc]

Been watching Michael Jackson videos on YouTube since I heard the news. Looking beyond issues of the music, dancing, and the birth of the music video, there is much to consider. On the one hand, I'm intrigued by how many of his songs had messages of peace and brotherhood, presumably influenced by the Cold War era. On the other hand, the video for "The Way You Make Me Feel" makes me want to punch the patriarchy in the nuts. I also find myself wanting to do an in-depth analysis of how MJ influenced race relations in the US, but I don't know enough about the subject, so if anyone finds a good discussion of it elsewhere, or knows enough themselves to discuss it, please let me know.

Comments

[l0stmyrel1g10n.livejournal.com]

There was a bit in the movie "Three Kings" that really struck me. The film is set in Kuwait just after the first Gulf War, and focuses around three American soldiers. One of them is captured by some Iraqis and is being tortured, and the Iraqi says something like "You fucking racist Americans, you wouldn't let Michael Jackson be the King of Pop unless he bleached his skin, you made him be white."