Comments on: Michael Jackson :: Morning’s End

By: Rona

Rona — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:25:28 +0000

Thanks Jeff, beautifully written piece. Michael was as much a product of our twisted celebrity-obsessed culture as of his childhood (or lack thereof). My sentiments were similar in a post i wrote on my blog. RIP MJ, we’ll always love you.

By: The Jester

The Jester — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:39:36 +0000

@Annie

MJ was by no means autistic. But, he was diagnosed as schizophrenic as a young child, which would explain the behavior you pointed out.

Also, its worth pointing out that the very first case of child molestation against MJ led him to take large amounts of pain killers and “anti anxiety medicine”, which he became slightly addicted to. The same medicines he was taking and was weened off from were the same medicines taken after his 2005 trial.

A number of things I think is what let MJ go: the constant media slander, his rising debt, the shady people who surrounded him, the fact he signed for 50 tours while only meaning to sign for 10, addiction to pain medicine, the list could go on even longer; all these things led to the destruction of Michael. Now, he’s just a regular person, not some sort of god; but, I believe we all (and the ruthless media) forgot he was just a regular person, and proceeded to destroy him as if he wasn’t real (as they do everyone now).

It’s sad; most of his fans and the black community turned their backs on him for his face disfigurement, or his skin color changes, or the molestation allegations. And now the very same media that hated Michael Jackson, told us to hate him, and tore him down is now the same media that has idolized him and has “recognizing his legacy” for the past week.

I’m glad the internet is starting to take the place of the news stations as our source of information, as we all were so quick to be misled, misguided, and controlled by a media that only seeks to torture celebrities to make us feel better through some guilty schadenfraude technique, and is slowly denigrating our society. With the internet, ideas and opinions are having free reign without the need of major media giants.

And its people like Jeff that make me excited to see a rise in this new media. Thank You.

By: Word On The Street: One Week Later |

Word On The Street: One Week Later | — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:51:04 +0000

[...] Jeff Chang talks about his music [...]

By: Annie

Annie — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:36:34 +0000

One more comment, besides the poem I sent. Has anyone ever wondered why Michael Jackson wasn’t considered mildly autistic? He showed so many of the signs of autism. Was it to just add more hype to the false stories about the guy – who, by all rights, should have been richer than even Sir Paul McCartney – and I do love his singing, too, no doubt! Michael was taken advantage of and why couldn’t there be people to prevent this? Had they just identified that he was autistic, things would have run much smoother, I would surmise. Maybe I am wrong, but he meant no harm to anyone and in fact, wanted everyone to be nice to eachother. I regret not trying to send him letters, but was so sure they would never end up hitting his eyes, that is why. My pain is felt for the Jackson family and my prayers are with them. – annie

By: Annie

Annie — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:20:10 +0000

Michael Jackson
He passed too soon
Those who took his mortality
have lost their own
Their hearts are Brick
This is more than sick!
This is another trick
to teach society that he
can be used and abused
(called to slave rather than serve)
They have no nerve!
But-yes, he can!
He can have a place for us all
Who make This Place-This Planet better
For he stood for wholeness
He stood for innocence
He stood for Choice.
They have no voice!
Michael’s silence is louder
than life – by
resting in us
Telling us we are all okay
We are all loved by God-Allah-Our Creator
Who is greater
Who brings strength
Even when our last length
Seems to unfold.
Michael’s Silence
Is Truth -
A fountain of Youth
Requesting for us to be kind -
Be Respectful, don’t be forgetful
of the real purpose in Life.
Their ship is skinking!
As our active thinking
Learns as he – the info sponge
who sought to apply
all the why’s answered
who sought to apply
Peace as the Answer
Despite confronting conflicts.
They would sell him out
They would sniff out his possessions
And told Michael his: only concessions
that are of worth, are what our Earth -
Our World – our Universe gains;
‘Christianity’ remains
and therefore he gains for his his soul.”
Because they coveted his soul
to mold imbalance
and hence, constantly causing turmoil
But his was a soul of Promise
The soul that colored
The soul that keeps what is his
The soul that enjoys
girls and boys
playing in Innocence.
They took! They are crooks!
They don’t care – they don’t add
They take
They are Social Parasites
Whose might grows
As they know Michael
And penetrate his life -
in ways that emplored him to build Walls
Just to take -
to take his dignity
To take his mind
To take his simplicity
And create unkind
Walls
Michael lived in Truth
Which was why his love for Youth
Took priority
He lived beyond Greed
He freed the world to express
with his own Best
Yet they continued testing
Messing with his mind
Messing with his life
Wanting what he has
For they were nothing without “it”
They were not gaining without “it”
Now, we see they are nothing
They never will be anything
They, who have no dreams
But create nightmares
Create fear for those talents
They are senseless
They are not America’s Promise
They are and always will be
Nothing.
Let’s sing for Michael
Let’s make Michael’s life
a Victory
Doing what he
Began
What he
fostered
which is
to Harmonize.
He was always wise beyond his years
He always faced Fear
Our tears can either tear our souls
or we can do what he would want
and that is – to believe
In our Being
And that our Journey
holds Meaning
to both God
and Man.
-annie
6/27/09

By: Body Detox Diets

Body Detox Diets — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:44:13 +0000

I will surely miss Michael Jackson, he is really worthy of the name King of Pop and he is certainly one of the greatest musicians of all time.

By: Ann-Marie N.

Ann-Marie N. — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:33:06 +0000

this was a great post Jeff. Thanks for sharing. He gave up his childhood for all of us.

By: Jano

Jano — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:50:35 +0000

Jeff, I love your writing. As I stayed on youtube watching one MJ video after the other, (until the sun came up), I was shaken by looking at how much he changed physically.
“What would have happened, what impact could he have had on brown kids with wide noses if…”, I thought.

Then I came to my senses. If he had kept his features, his kinky hair and didn’t have the skin disease,not only would the world have rejected his genius, he probably would have been shot coming out of a 7-11 opening a pack of gum.

I would have not paid the rent, stood in line in frigid Chicago temperatures to see Michael Jackson.

By: FOBBDeep: Fear of a Brown Blogger » Blog Archive » Michael’s Music & Me

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 06:43:41 +0000

[...] Jeff Chang – “Michael Jackson::Morning’s End” [...]

By: wayneandwax.com » Pop Goes the World

wayneandwax.com » Pop Goes the World — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:38:33 +0000

[...] many others I feel compelled to say something. Inspired even. I found Andrew Sullivan’s and Jeff Chang’s posts pretty resonant, Jason King’s too, among others, and I’ve been particularly [...]