The Savage Animal 06.23.10: Michael Jackson: One Year After

Posted by Mikey MiGo on 06.23.2010

June 25th, 2010 marks one year since the passing of the “King of Pop” Michael Jackson. In this edition of The Savage Animal, 411’s Mikey MiGo takes a look at the year since Michael’s passing and the fallout that came.

This past week was an interesting one. I spent the better part of the week working nonstop on editing the first episode of Digital Lizard Production's first web series, revamping the website, and other random projects. It's been a hellacious work week, but come Friday it would all be halted.

Friday night a close friend and I attended the TBS "Just for Laughs" special "Cedric's Urban Circus" at the Chicago Theatre. It was a cool experience. Cedric The Entertainer hosted the show and did a great job getting everyone laughing and into the other comics and crazy "urban circus" festivities. Russell Peters headlined the show and did an awesome set as expected from his Comedy Central specials. Sommore, of BET fame, was not someone I looked forward to, but ended up making me laugh my ass off for a good portion of her time. There was even a short sketch/special appearance by JERRY SEINFELD. It's true I didn't see him do stand up persae, but I can now get away with saying "Yeah, I saw Seinfeld in concert once" as iffy as it is. The highlight for me was seeing JB Smoove, Leon of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" fame, kick off the show with a great performance. I have to bring up the warm up comic, Lil Rel. Lil Rel, outside of JB Smoove, was funnier than the televised acts. He's a Chicago boy so I must give props. If you're in Chicago or on one of his many stops across the country go see and support the dude. I assure you laughter will be had and you'll be getting on his soon to be large bandwagon early. I'm a big fan of standup comedy and it was a good time, not super hilarious like Katt Williams was a few years ago, but a good time none the less. In fact, you can actually watch the show I was at on TBS tonight! (Wed 6/23 on TBS @ 10/9c)

The same time I'm at this show, the Chicagoland area got hit hard by a storm. It not only knocked a reported 3000 trees down but thousands of people were without electricity for upwards to three days. My home was fine except for a few smaller branches in the yard but went without power for over 50 hours. Like I said in the first paragraph, I've been keeping very busy so the timing sucked ass. Mama Nature needs to take a break.

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MICHAEL JACKSON: One Year After
The "King of Pop" RememberedIt's hard to believe that it's been a full year since the death of Michael Jackson. He was "The King of Pop" and sold most records than just about anyone, was celebrated in his time more than just about anyone, and entertained the entire world more than just about anyone. You can argue all day that he wasn't the absolute best of all time, but you simply cannot deny that Jackson left his mark in the world. One year after, the man's legacy still shines bright over the entertainment world and it's not looking to dim any time soon.

There have been numerous more news reports, unanswered questions, and overall interest in the happenings of Jackson's world after his death. We as a collective mass try, but apparently we're not letting go just yet.

Like Elvis and other music icons, Jackson's death is surrounded by controversy, conspiracy theories, and much uncertainty. Did he overdose? Was he prescribed an overdose? Was he dead before this day? Or was it cardiac arrest from years of past prescription drug use? We still don't know and it's doubtful we'll ever know for sure.

Upon word of his passing, the world went bonkers. Major news sites were overloaded and went down, music stations programmed marathons of his body of work, and the outpouring of love and grief overtook the masses. Of course there are always those who will be negative about it. He was accused of horrible things, but in the end was never proven guilty of any of it. That didn't matter to most, looking for a reason to douse us in their "hater-aid." How many molestation-related jokes made it out there? How many faceless internet users downplayed or attempted to disrespect the death right afterwards?

The memorial was huge. Tons of celebrities, many who were inspired by Jackson, filled The Staples Center to celebrate the life of Jackson. The part of it that stood out the most was his children speaking publically for the first time. The children spoke of their father, holding back tears as much as humanly possible, in a way that many of us never considered. Jackson was actually a real person and not the mythical figure that's been presented over the years. A real person who left behind real pain for his family. Luckily, the children were given to Katherine Jackson, Michael's mother. So far, she's kept Michael's wishes and has kept them away from the spotlight to live as normal of lives as they can. I'm sure we can all agree that it's all for the best. In time, these children will have to face the media and all that comes with being the heir to his successes. But let them grow up first and have the childhood that Michael himself never seemed to of had.

Then there's Joe Jackson. He seems to be doing the same thing he did when Michael was a child and exploiting him as much as humanly possible. Michael Jackson wasn't Joe's son, but more of a business venture. Right now in Gary, Indiana we keep hearing about a new "Jackson Memorial". It's supposed to have a theatre, community center, museum, and word on the street now is that they're going to include a casino. I'm sure like everyone else, when I think of Michael Jackson I think of legal gambling.

He's not the only one capitalizing on the death of Michael Jackson. Tabloid news jumped all over the alleged "gay lover" story started by people looking for a quick buck or fifteen. Randy Jackson's wife, Alejandra is throwing a fit over being forced out of Michael's mansion and into a smaller condo. Fake "memorial shows" keep popping up and getting shot down. Katherine Jackson is releasing a coffee table book dedicated to her son. A Michael Jackson karaoke dance game is being made and should be available just in time for Christmas sales.

Right after his death, album sales went up. There was a point where the top 10 selling alums on Soundscan were all his. It just proved that either people wanted to get the music they've loved for years or wanted to share in the magic that was Jackson's hits like "Thriller", "Beat It", "Bad", and the dozens of other number one hits. The concert rehearsal/documentary "This Is It" hit the theaters and did very well as a view of Michael's last days. In one of the worst economic declines in recent US history, people still felt the need to spend their money on the art of Michael Jackson.

What still stands out to me the most after his passing was the outpouring across the world. In the US, we saw thousands people outside of The Apollo in New York hold it down, thousands outside The Staples Center in LA, and thousands outside his childhood home in Gary, Indiana. That's just three Jackson landmarks. When it came down to it the entire world and a reportedly a figure in the BILLION range watched his funeral and shared the moment. You see a great artist as Michael Jackson definitely was, creates art that people can share. The last days that Michael Jackson was here, even in death, ended up being a beautiful thing. After years of him spreading the word of unity and peace, he brought the world together for one last time. There are moments in history, tragic or celebratory, that the world unites. Ten, twenty, thirty years from now we'll all be able to answer the question, "Where were you when Michael Jackson died?"

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RANDOM VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Poor Me.
"Blue Blood Blues" by The Dead Weather
The 411: I'm coming to term with the fact that I'll probably never make it down to Bonnaro. It always has a great line up, but it's just never in the cards for me. As I pout not-so-silently to myself, let's share in the enjoyment of a recent performance by The Dead Weather. Jack White is on the fast track to icon status and makes it a pleasure to be part of this listening era. The man is a musical magician and I have a feeling we've not even come close to seeing what's all behind this genius's curtain.

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RANDOM MOVIE REVIEW IN 411 WORDS OR LESS
"BLACK SHEEP"
The 411: A lot of people are quick to sarcastically call this "Tommy Boy 2". To be fair, we have a loveable do-good goofball in Chris Farley and an uptight snarky David Space forced together so Farley's family can succeed. It's LOOSELY the same basic plot, but there is a distinct level of difference between the two's premise. If you don't love "Tommy Boy" then I hope you have a nice life ahead of you as a lame fuck. People tend to sleep on "Black Sheep" on it's own. For one, we get Gary Busey in a great role and anytime Tim Matheson is doing comedy on my screen, straight man or not, I'm good with it. The movie contains some of the best comedy scenes of the 90s in the "ro-ads" car scene, the tilting cabin with the "we didn't have pudding" scene, and numerous others. Chris Farley's legacy will always be there, but I almost feel that a lot of us forget how much the man made us laugh during his life. If you're a fan, give this one a fresh viewing and his others works too while you're at it. We need to arrange an official "Chris Farley Day" so we don't forget like this in the future.

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READER RESPONSE
"6.16.10: 9 Killer Jams"As always, thanks to all who emailed comments and replied at the bottom. Your feedback and interests make this gig worth the time. This time around "guest666" added his own pick for songs about killers with "Dead Skin Mask" by Slayer. I already had Ed Gein with Mudvayne so went with "213" instead. Both are good picks, in my opinion. And I do agree, the chick calling out for "Mr. Gein" IS pretty freakin' creepy!

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That's all for this week. I wish I could of written more about Michael, but time just wasn't on our side this week due to the weather and power issues. On the bright side, in my down time I came up with four solid column topics that'll take us into the Four Year Anniversary edition of The Savage Animal. Good conversations to come! Until then… Have a Great Week!