There are many things one can say about Michael Jackson; many things people have said about Michael Jackson. And most of them, if not "true," are certainly valid. (Hell, even I wondered at the decision to put him on the cover of Ebony magazine for Thriller‘s 25th anniversary. However, given that there’s no Used-to-be-Ebony-and-is-now-Pretty-Much-Ivory magazine, I’m sure there wasn’t much deliberation.)
But it’s Michael Jackson’s 50th birthday today, so rather than focus on the sad circus that has become his life, I wanna remember the time when he was perhaps the single greatest stage performer pop culture had ever seen. Just watch.
I was 12 when this Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever special aired, in 1983 (yes, I’m an old man), and it’s hard to convey just how brain-pan-exploding the moonwalk was back then. Within minutes of seeing Jackson glide across the stage, an entire generation of kids—black and white, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics—were bedazzling their winter gloves and scuffing up their kitchen floors trying to figure it out. (Never mind that a tap dancer named Bill Bailey had figured it out decades prior.) So, Happy Birthday, Mike. Thanks for, you know, everything before you skidded off the runway.
I told you my favorite Michael Jackson memory…what’s yours?
Marc – careful saying you’re old – I was, let’s just say, an upperclassman in high school when that aired, which makes you a young pup. The first thing this clip brought to mind is what all the cool kids would have said about Jackson’s outfit – “Hi, Waters!” But suddenly I was transported back to dances in the high school gym, strobe lights in full force, watching my boyfriend break dance, and everyone else trying to dance to Jackson’s songs. One guy even bought the jacket from Thriller, and his girlfriend wore a matching red one; each with a glove. Good times.
And that is why it was so strange when I walked into a HS dance a couple years ago (my daughter had knee surgery and couldn’t drive herself home) and saw Thriller being projected onto a screen beside the dance floor while kids were writhing around. It was all I could do not to go out there and show them how they were supposed to be dancing!
I was 16 years-old in 1983 and I don’t consider myself old (yet). Thank goodness I still have all my hair!
Even though I love (and did love) classic rock back then, I remember enjoying the video for “Beat It”. Back when MTV actually still aired music videos and they actually had plots, the “West Side Story” homage behind the video, coupled with Eddie Van Halen’s guitar solo, made it a pretty awesome video!
Here’s another cool MJ memory (sort of): Eddie Murphy’s Comedian special on HBO, August 1983 – “Michael Jackson, who can sing, but ain’t the most masculine fella in the world”.
Watching the premiere of the “Black & White” video with my whole family. It was on primetime tv – ABC, possibly? It was such an event!
Eddie’s solo, at that time, was the most dynamic piece of guitar playing I had ever heard. It still gives me chills to this day.
Anyone who says the hair on the back of their neck didn’t stand up during any part of “Beat It” is a COMPLETE liar.
I am a nerdy, white, thirty-something hesher, and I loved “Thriller”. No matter what happened to Michael, no one can deny the power of that album.
Eric, remember the whole Eddie take on “She’s Out of My Life”? Tito, get me a tissue. Stop teasing, stop teasing…
I was pretty little when MTV debuted, but since I had a fairly young and hip mom (whom I suspect wanted to watch it herself!), we watched a lot of it–which included MJ’s amazing videos.
I was also pretty little when I started dance classes, and Mom would always point out the phenomenal choreography and dancing in the videos, particularly “Thriller” and “Beat It.” We once watched a behind-the-scenes special for “Thriller” where all these trained professional dancers were learning the choreography–then here comes MJ, who blew them all out of the water.
Is he a perfect human being? Oh no. Is he a legend? HELL YEAH.
I’m not old and I was born in 1967.
Protestants are Christians. I think you meant “Catholics”.
i’ve been obsessed with Thriller since I was a child.
I remember that the new mickey mouse club did a cover of it for their halloween special and i just thought it was awesome (this was before britney and the gang). i think i recorded it by holding up my tape deck to the TV. you can even hear my mom yelling at me to come to dinner in the background.
morally, he’s not the best man in the world, but he is and always will be, a huge influence on the music industry and anyone who was around before he went “crazy”.
Fletch, yes, I remember. How about Eddie’s take on a pissed-off Michael Jackson in RAW: “Can I talk to you for a minute?? Yeah, uh, what’s yo motha-f*ckin’ problem?? Well, why you keep f*ckin with me then???”
“I’m not like other guys”
- Michael Jackson (“Thriller” video, 1984)
I know I’ll get flamed for this, but I just find it funny that the supposed “single greatest stage performer pop culture had ever seen” is lip synching in this clip. If he’s a great singer, shouldn’t he be singing?
I was a kid when Thriller came out…Grade 3 or 4, I think, and I did love it, so I get that Jackson is important and all that, I just find it difficult to separate the man from the music these days.
Nose – I, for one, wouldn’t flame you for that. I pick up on alot of nostalgia for Michael these days, and that’s fine. Like I said, I would never downplay the importance of “Thriller”.
But he hasn’t been very relevant in a decade, and he has done himself no favors in his personal life. His life has had the peaks and valleys that has had, and he has been in control of all of it.
I appreciate what he has given us, but I don’t feel sorry for him – nor would I make excuses for him.
Eric, the best part Eddie’s p*ssed off Michael is when his “posse” starts trying to calm him down with the, “Come on man, it ain’t worth it” and Michael starts flailing his arms and telling them, “Get the f*ck off me, man.”
Dude, that was side-splitting. I miss Eddie more than I do Michael.
“You think your a big man, Eddie? You’re lifting weights? Pressing weights? I’ll bust your a*s! It’s MY HOUSE!!!”
I remember the first time I saw Michael on TV.I was wowed with him then and still to this day he has something special that No other performer will have.I’ve Loved ya since I was 10 yrs. old.You & Donny graced the walls of my bedroom for many years and ALL of your albums are my favorites!!!!Michael, Happy Birthday! Please come back and show this world that you are THE BEST