Although I was raised to like Rock & Roll I no longer really listen to it as much, making the turn to R&B I believe the music comes from ones self...

Living in the United States I have come across many people who believe that Michael Jackson is white.
Being confused by this assumption I looked over all my old album covers and magazines and all I can see is he was black. Every time I mention to somebody I think MJ is black I get lambasted and they say "How can a black guy like llamas!!?"

How do you feel? Is Michael Jackson a white guy?

Sleeper


This is all in fun.. I got the idea reading my "Jesus. A white guy' thread, and thought we could all use a little fun.

PS Billy Jean said it was ok.... oh and she's not my lover, she just a girl who claims that I am the one...

I think the more appropriate question is, "Michael Jackson, a white gal?"

I personally find it funny that some in the black community are so adamatly disgusted by what Michael's done to him self, and forget all the positive things, all the break throughs and innovations Michael has done.

1st black man on MTV, innovator of the music video, all the charities he's contributed to, the ungodly amount of records he's sold and broken. He's the ONLY black man to be inducted TWICE into the rock and roll hall of fame. These are just a few of the accolades.

Now, do I agree with what Mikes done to himself? I can't say. It's HIS body. Just like women want control over their body without condemnation, shouldn't people who want to change their appearance have that same respect granted?...... If he does have the skin disease he's claiming to have, where it makes your skin blotchy, then I understand why he tries to blend it in. And if it has gotten worse over the years, he'd have to take more drastic measures. He's one if not the most famous man in the world, I'd be insecure about looking splotchy too!

As far as the plastic surgury, "If everyone in Hollywood left town who had plastic surgury, there'd be nobody left." Michael Jackson himself.

I love Wacko Jacko!
The line Dustin Haufman gave from the movie Hook sums Mike up perfectly...

"What would the world be like with out good ol' Captin Hook?" I think the last twenty years would have been pretty boring with out the king of pop!

Remember the video MJ made with then-wife Lisa Marie Presley? The best comment I heard about the bleached white body of Michael came from a friend who commented, "Wow, look at those two white girls."

As an entertainer, Michael Jackson is one of the most talented individuals to step before a microphone. As a human being he's a total freak.

Michael Jackson went from a very handsome young black man to a bizzare, wig-wearing, bleached out loony tune who goes on million dollar shopping sprees and spends his time getting plastic surgery and trying to hold on to what little bit is left of his nose. The final indignity was the video for "You Rock My World" when Michael barely HAD any face left to show and made Marlon Brando look normal.

Brando may be pushing 400 lbs, but he can always lose weight. Where's Michael going to get another nose?

Not to speak for the black community, Billy Jean, but I find Michael's attempts to first obliterate any trace of his outward black appearance worthy more of pity than scorn. Then for him to claim that he was a victim of racism courtesy of former Sony Music president Tommy Mottola---now THAT was funny.

As a musical talent I have nothing but respect for Michael Jackson. As to how he conducts his private life, he has truly earned the nickname, "Wacko Jacko."

I agree to an extent Nighttimer. Michael has pretty much eradicated any trace of his African American heritage and I think there are some deep phycological issues he has because of that. Could being raised in an industry and a culture where whites have the advantage and the pressure for perfection since the age of 6 have anything to do with it? An abusive father, ridicule? I think they play into what's happened to him.

BUT, I think he's regretting some of the decisions he's made now. You're right, if he wouldn't have morphed his image he would have been bigger than Elvis in so many more ways than could have been imaginable. He's comparable, but he could have surpassed. The age of the music video changed musicians careers and the way they approach their music now. Michael had a big hand in that. He could have been a sex symbol for years and years. If he would have followed suit and done like Madonna and changed his image (clothes and style) he would be just as relevant now. But for some reason he insists on this "futuristic space uniform" image. He had so much more potential.... If he just would have QUIT changing himself during Bad, specifically "The way you make me feel" video, he would have done great! (I thought he was dead sexy in that video! )

Looking at the pictures from Off the wall up to Invincible, it's sad. He's so undeniably talented. Perhaps truly with genius' come a touch of insanity....

I love you Michael.

Michael grew up with a star-struck abusive father in Joe Jackson. Many have speculated MJ so drastically altered his appearance in order to destroy any physical resemblance to Joe. I'd say he succeeded. Until he writes his own autobiography and tells the real truth, we're just going to speculate.
There are some real demons chasing Michael, but I think he's too self-absorbed and too sheltered from reality to "make that change."

I'm not without sympathy for Michael. I think he's only one hit away from revitalizing his career, but it's like when he made a cameo appearance in Men In Black II and you can't hear him say his lines because everyone is laughing so loudly. He knows his appearance disturbs people. He's in on the joke. But after a point, his antics like dangling the baby off the balcony aren't funny---they're disturbing.

Everyone knows the accusations and the incidents of Michael's life. The problem is the sideshow has overwhelmed the music and without the music, what's Michael got to fall back on?

After the release of History I wrote a scathing review which brought the wrath of many Michael Jackson fans (including my brother) down on my head. By the time Invincible was released, beating up on Michael Jackson seemed an act of supreme cruelty.

But Michael Jackson is a very smart man especially when it comes to his career. If anyone can make a comeback it's him.

But PLEASE---no more plastic surgeries!

Yeah, no more surgeries...

You're right, Mike is a scrupulous business man. He aught to be, his mentor was Barry Gordy. Look at the mega deal he did by buying the Beatles collection!

I hope he makes a comeback! But I hope he leaves the high water pants in the closet.
I'd love to see him come out with something that would really knock the socks off the baby pop icons! ie Justin Timberlake, though he's the first to admit, Mike was his biggest influence.

BTW, Mike WAS soooo hilarious in MIb2!! I'd love to see him do something else!

Sorry, folks, but I have always thought Michael was over-rated big time. If he wasn't a big name with big money, he would have been institutionalized many years ago. I sincerely think it is obvious that he is a danger to himself and to his "children". He has not only removed all appearances of being black, but also of being male. He is truly a sick person. Yes, he has a deep psychological need for attention, so he will probably do whatever it takes to get that media attention. Won't we love to talk about the next horrible thing he does?

So, would you say a transsexual is a sick person?

So, are you saying Michael is a trans-sexual?

No, but you're making a vague comparison, that a man that devoids any signs of his manhood is sick and I think that you need to be careful of statements like that, because you don't know who you may be offending.

OK, let me preface this by saying that I don't like 'pop' music. I never have, I never will. I know this is slightly off-topic, but it is in casual conversation (where the topic is more flexible), and I am not opening another Michael Jackson topic.

Could someone (Billy Jean) please inform me of what makes Michael Jackson such a great musician?

Selling records certainly doesn't make someone a great musician. There's plenty of proof of that.

Winning awards doesn't make someone a good musician. AuthorMusician, Quark-- how many awards have you won?

Dancing can't make someone a good musician, seeing as it has nothing to do with the creation of music.

He doesn't play an instrument, does he?

So the basically, he's a singer/songwriter who enjoyed extreme popularity for a while, and has since faded.

The only thing that has made him legendary, in my opinion, is his personal life.

Where am I wrong? (or, more accurately, where do you think I'm wrong? )

Mike

First of all, IMO, there are two types of music critics; those that like pop and those that don't. If you are the latter, then inherently I think you slight the artists for the talents they have.

There are very few true performers that can sing AND dance and do them both well simultaneously. It is one of those talents that many strive for, but few achieve. Some of the greats which influenced Michael were James Brown, Fred Estaire and Jackie Robinson. In the last twenty five years, the only one that matches Michaels ability is Prince.

Michaels innate dance ability has amazed and bewildered MANY professional dancers who have dedicated their entire lives to the art. Many choreographers have noted how the routines in Mikes videos and concerts have to be rehearsed over and over again by the dancers and Mike will just walk in and pick it up in a matter of an hour. As a trained dancer myself, that is extremely hard to do. His ability to uniquely use his body as an instrument in it's self is an art.

Michael is an accomplished pianist and composer. 80% of the lyrics and music on his albums are right out of his head. Billie Jean is considered one of the greatest pop and R&B songs of all time and was soley written and composed by Mike.

Have you ever been to a club when they threw on a Michael Jackson record lately? People STILL get out there and dance and have a blast!

There are LOTS of people that LOVE his music. They may not like what he's done to himself but that doesn't take away from their admiration of his music! Isn't that what it's about anyway... the music?

The only other band/musicians to compare to the record sells of Thriller is the Eagles Greatest Hits Album. And that is as compilation CD.

If record breaking album sales and the second highest collection of awards (next to Elvis) isn't an acknowledgement of his unique gift of music, I don't know what is.

Michaels extreme popularity hasn't been over just awhile. The Jackson 5's first major record label hit was in 1969, when he was 11 years old. Even if you stoped his successful career with the unfortunate alligations in 1993, that would still be 24 years of being on top of the world. I hardly call that a short amount of time. Elvis' first hit was in 1954 and his career lasted until 1977 with his untimely death; that's 23 years.

Unfortunately Michaels personal life HAS set back his career. BUT other musicians who have succumbed to drug abuse and equally questionable personal lives have either committed suicide, burned out or have overdosed. Some of those same musicians are still revered. Michael on the other hand, who has continued to live and push forward, trying to keep a positive attitude and give back to the world through his kindness is villanized because of some of the very same things others are guilty of.

But there are many new comers in the industry who name Michael as a major influence on their carreer: Justin Timberlake, Will Smith, Brittney Spears, J-Lo and Usher. These are the faces of Pop music now and it's evident in their music and videos that they were raised on the King of Pop.

Now, I know that Michael Jackson is considered a joke in many circles. And in all honesty, so was Elvis in the latter years of his life (white jumpsuits anyone? ). If your not turned on to Pop music, then you obviously aren't going to get what Michael's about. And that's ok.

But the facts of his career cannot be denied and neither can the impact he's made on the world of Pop music.

Hehe, what does this have to do with him being white or not?

Anyway, I liked his music back when he was in the Jackson 5. I don't know about his new music, partially because the only newer song of his I've ever heard is "Smooth Criminal."

Note I'm not quoting your whole post. Please follow this example, as we can read the previous post by scrolling up! (It's a waste of space)


Not necessarily the talents they have, but the way they use those talents. It's just not my bag of tricks, that's all.


Agreed. That's what makes him a good performer. But being able to dance and sing simultaneously does not necessarily add any weight to his musical talents.



Huh?



That I did not know (and probably would have sufficed as answer enough for me )



Nope! I don't go to clubs. Seriously.


Yep, that is why I was asking.



Just to correct add a bit to this one...

Pink Floyd holds the record for the most actual records sold with The Wall. As of 1991 (ish), they had sold 17Million copies of a double-album, thereby making the total of 34Million actual records sold.

Also, Dark Side of the Moon, which stayed in Billboard's top list for 700 consecutive weeks (13+ years!), had sold over 25Million copies, also as of 1991 (ish). Since then, there has been the CD release, and two remasters released, which has surely put DSOTM back up there with Thriller and the Eagles.


Come on, now! Record sales don't determine the level of musical talent. And, musical talent doesn't determine the amount of record sales.


Agreed. I'm not saying that he isn't a good musician. I am just wondering what makes people think he's a good musician.



Ugh. I know! The news feeds us pop music as though it is actual news.

Just keep in mind that the "pop" in "pop music" stands for popular, and what is popular isn't always good.

I didn't know that he wrote most of his music, which I consider to be well-written, and well sung (for music that I don't particularly enjoy). That is what impresses me.

Mike

I'm much more a fan of Michael Jackson the artist than I am of Michael Jackson the person, but I think if I apply your standards broadly Mike, then if Michael Jackson isn't a legendary musician then neither is Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, or The Beatles.

Elvis was a great singer and performer and he played guitar, but nobody claims he was a vituoso. The same applies to Dylan (who isn't a great singer or guitarist by any standard)

If M.J. had done nothing more than Thriller he still be a stone cold lock as a historically important artist. Here is an excerpt from All Music Guide about the gloved one:

Jackson was an unstoppable juggernaut, possessed of all the tools to dominate the charts seemingly at will: an instantly identifiable voice, eye-popping dance moves, stunning musical versatility, and loads of sheer star power. His 1982 blockbuster Thriller became the biggest-selling album of all time (probably his best-known accomplishment), and he was the first black artist to find stardom on MTV, breaking down innumerable boundaries both for his race and for music video as an art form.

Released in 1982, the Quincy Jones-produced Thriller refined the strengths of Off the Wall; the dance and rock tracks were more driving, the pop tunes and ballads softer and more soulful, and all of it was recognizably Michael. Jackson brought in Paul McCartney for a duet, guitarist Eddie Van Halen for a jaw-dropping solo, and Vincent Price for a creepy recitation. It was no surprise that Thriller was a hit; what was a surprise was its staying power. Jackson's duet with McCartney, "The Girl Is Mine," was a natural single choice, and it peaked at number two; then "Billie Jean" and the Van Halen track "Beat It" both hit number one, for seven and three weeks respectively. Those latter two songs, as well as the future Top Five title track, had one important feature in common: Jackson supported them with elaborately conceived video clips that revolutionized the way music videos were made. Jackson treated them as song-length movies with structured narratives: "Billie Jean" set the song's tale of a paternity suit in a nightmarish dream world where Jackson was a solitary, sometimes invisible presence; the anti-gang-violence "Beat It" became an homage to West Side Story; and the ten-minute-plus clip for "Thriller" (routinely selected as the best video of all time) featured Jackson leading a dance troupe of rotting zombies, with loads of horror-film makeup and effects. Having never really accepted black artists in the past, MTV played the clips to death, garnering massive publicity for Jackson and droves of viewers for the fledgling cable network. Jackson sealed his own phenomenon by debuting his signature "moonwalk" dance step at the end of 1983 on Motown's televised 25th anniversary special; though he didn't invent the moonwalk (as he himself was quick to point out), it became as much of a Jackson signature as his vocal hiccups or single white-sequined glove.

Showing no signs of slowing down, Thriller just kept spinning off singles, including "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," the airy ballad "Human Nature," and "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)"; in all, seven of its nine tracks wound up in the Top Ten, obliterating conventional ideas of how many singles could be released from an album before it ran its course. Thriller stayed on the charts for over two years, spent 37 non-consecutive weeks at number one, and became the best-selling album of all time; it went on to sell 25-million copies in the U.S. alone, and around another 20 million overseas. Naturally, Jackson won a slew of awards, including a record eight Grammys in one night, and snagged the largest endorsement deal ever when he became a spokesman for Pepsi (he would later be burned in an accident while filming a commercial). At the end of 1983, Jackson was again on top of the singles charts, this time as part of a second duet with McCartney, "Say Say Say." In 1984, Jackson re-joined his brothers one last time for the album Victory, whose supporting tour was one of the biggest (and priciest) of the year. The following year, he and Lionel Richie co-wrote the anthemic "We Are the World" for the all-star famine-relief effort USA for Africa; it became one of the fastest-selling singles ever.

I don't care how trivial and disposable pop music is. Anybody that think writing a hit song is easy probably has never done it. Selling 40 million albums is a heckuva accomplishment and I can't "pooh-pooh" it.

The surreal excesses of Michael's private life have grown to overshadown his music. That's a shame, but I don't think it should diminish or minimize his importance as a musical talent of legendary proportions.

Don't be so quick to pin me as a Michael Jackson hater.

I was merely wondering if he played any instruments.

This is probably because anytime his name is mentioned, his fans instantly start defending his personal life.

I was looking for clarity, not debate.

Thanks, though.

Mike

Is DSOM's 25 million domestic or international?



Songs written exclusively by him

Off the Wall:
Don't Stop Til You Get Enough (written by Michael Jackson)
Working Day And Night (written by Michael Jackson)

Thriller:
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' (written by Michael Jackson)
Beat It (written by Michael Jackson)
The Girl Is Mine (duet with Paul McCartney) (written by Michael Jackson)
Billie Jean (written by Michael Jackson)

Bad:
Bad (written by Michael Jackson)
The Way You Make Me Feel (written by Michael Jackson)
Speed Demon (written by Michael Jackson)
Liberian Girl (written by Michael Jackson)
Another Part Of Me (written by Michael Jackson)
I Just Can't Stop Loving You (written by Michael Jackson)
Dirty Diana (written by Michael Jackson)
Smooth Criminal (written by Michael Jackson)
Leave Me Alone (written by Michael Jackson)
Human Nature (written by Michael Jackson)

Dangerous:
Jam (written by Michael Jackson)
Who Is It (written by Michael Jackson)
Will You Be There (written by Michael Jackson)

History:
They Don't Care About Us (written by Michael Jackson)
Stranger In Moscow (written by Michael Jackson)
This Time Around (written by Michael Jackson)
Earth Song (written by Michael Jackson)
Childhood (Theme from Free Willy 2) (written by Michael Jackson)

http://www.exclusivelymj.com


I personally think he's messed up his carreer, and I'm one of his biggest fans! I think he had so much more potential... BUT, he's just a man.