Michael Jackson Paved the Way for Barack Obama

[AnnieBW]

Think about it. I'm in my early 40s. I watched the Jackson 5 cartoon when I was a kid - although I do admit to having a crush on Donny Osmond rather than MJ. Thriller came out when I was in college. It was the first time, really, that a black male musician really "crossed over" to reach all audiences. The first to do it were the Supremes back in the '60's. But Michael put a different face onto it. He wasn't the "scary, oversexed black man" that our parents warned us about. He was cool. It wasn't cool for a white girl to have a poster of a black singer on her wall - unless it was MJ. Then, along came another MJ for people to go gaga over - Michael Jordan. Although Michael Jackson slowly faded into a parody of himself, a lot of people still thought he was great. So, for people who are currently in their 40s, who don't really have a memory of the race riots of the late 1960s, the first public black person they identified with was Michael Jackson. We're really the first "post-racial" generation, and the beginning of the 18-45 group that overwhelmingly voted for Obama.

Does this make any sense? Because I'm getting tired.

[eleny]

1. I was in my early 30s when Thriller came out

Watching the tv and seeing it for the first time I was gob smacked and mezmerized. It was something new and huge. Little did I know just how big it would turn out.

[kestrel91316]

2. Absolutely it makes sense. He appealed to both black and white.

When I heard him sing, I didn't hear a color.

[goclark]

7. He was a world class entertainer ~ the MSNBC segments

on the impact of his career has been wonderful!

[babylonsister]

3. Not even. President Obama has paved his own way. Michael Jackson

was a lot of things, but he was never a role model, especially politically.

[BlooInBloo]

5. I agree with neither the OP nor you.

[babylonsister]

11. That's helpful. Who cares unless you have an opinion? nt

[donheld]

31. Michael never seemed to be political

[sarah553807]

49. he did do some type of fundraiser for democrats in 2002 though

[trueblue2007]

70. BULL SHIT. THIS IS POLITICAL, on a GLOBAL SCALE. This is so beautiful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ERgyqRQ88w

[trueblue2007]

75. More GLOBAL political messages. Michael Jackson had MESSAGES of IMPORTANTANCE

EARTH SONG

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8muMo0fw_M

[trueblue2007]

77. Michael Jacksons BEAT IT.

Michael Jacksons BEAT IT. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvOx4avw8WY

Iran Freedom ~don't steal our elections, don't steal our country. Send this video to the world

A montage of Iran's protest photos along with Michael Jackson's "Beat It".

[rvablue]

51. I think even President Obama would take issue with you stating that he "paved his own way." n/t

[CatWoman]

97. well

SOMEONE had to.

things just don't spontaneously happen all it once -- not in that area, anyway.

[Mike Daniels]

99. I'll go further...

For 15 years (at least) MJ has been a joke. Any influence he may have had at one point has been minimalized to the point that MJ endorsing Obama may have done more harm than good.

As much as I admired his talent MJ's passing away was the best possible career move at this point in his life.

[Laelth]

4. Almost certainly true. He did more to unite the races than MLK. n/t

:dem:

-Laelth

[BlooInBloo]

6. That's just batshit dumb.

[Laelth]

10. LOL. And you're an absolute genius.

Thanks for the reasonable and pleasant response.

:dem:

-Laelth

[pocoloco]

25. Double batshit dumb!!

[Marr]

69. Don't stick your hand into the fan frenzy.

The little buggers will chew it right off.

[Laelth]

76. Don't open your mind long enough to actually consider another person's argument.

You might actually learn something.

:)

:dem:

-Laelth

[Marr]

78. Open your mind enough and your brain will fall right out.

:)

[Laelth]

79. LOL. I've never tried that. You may be right.

:)

:dem:

-Laelth

[omega minimo]

85. LOL

:rofl:

[uppityperson]

12. MJ "did more to unite the races than MLK"? Are you serious?

[Laelth]

22. Yes. Note the verb "unite".

MLK tried, but was resisted, heavily. MLK created backlash and disunity (during his lifetime, in any event). MLK and Thurgood Marshall paved the way for MJ (and Cosby and Colin Powell and others), but MJ really did "unite" the races of the world in a very real sense.

Take a gander at this essay, if you're interested. It might help to explain where I am coming from.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2007/jul/12/popandrock

Thanks for the reply.

:dem:

-Laelth

[pipoman]

18. You have got to be kidding..

[Ex Lurker]

23. thank you for injecting a note of sanity

DU has gone absolutely stark raving nuts tonight.

[Laelth]

24. Or not.

:)

cutting and pasting from above

MLK tried, but was resisted, heavily. MLK created backlash and disunity (during his lifetime, in any event). MLK and Thurgood Marshall paved the way for MJ (and Cosby and Colin Powell and others), but MJ really did "unite" the races of the world in a very real sense.

Take a gander at this essay, if you're interested. It might help to explain where I am coming from.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2007/jul/12/popandrock

Thanks for the reply.

:dem:

-Laelth

[Bjorn Against]

41. Well the backlash against MLK turned into a very uniting backlash

It is very true that MLK was a very controversial figure during his lifetime, he was even accused of being a communist and was spied on by the FBI. He was much more outspoken against the powerful interests than most people even realize especially during the final years of his life. It was that willingness to speak out to power however that made him such an amazing person. He infuriated the people in power and they lashed out at him, but he took their blows and kept pushing on. As the racists lashed out at him however the public at large became much more accepting of his message, and there were serious strides made towards equality. MLK may have created a backlash to begin with, but that backlash led to unity. Michael Jackson just doesn't compare.

[Laelth]

62. MLK was an awesome person, but unite the races he did not.

MLK wanted justice, not unity. Jackson, on the other hand, got all people of all races dancing to his music and watching his videos. That's my point. Jackson created unity. MLK did not.

:dem:

-Laelth

[BoneDaddy]

19. Absolute rubbish

and he was a pedophile

[Laelth]

Absolute rubbish, laddie!

How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?

:rofl:

:)

cutting and pasting from above

Please note the word "unity" in my post.

MLK tried, but was resisted, heavily. MLK created backlash and disunity (during his lifetime, in any event). MLK and Thurgood Marshall paved the way for MJ (and Cosby and Colin Powell and others), but MJ really did "unite" the races of the world in a very real sense.

Take a gander at this essay, if you're interested. It might help to explain where I am coming from.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2007/jul/12/popandrock

Thanks for the reply.

:dem:

-Laelth

[BoneDaddy]

28. Ok you can hold onto your fantasy and at one point, I may have aggreed with you

"laddie" but he was a fucking pedophile. Get over your hero worship and come down to planet earth.

[Laelth]

32. He was a flawed person, Mr. Perfection. (casting stones, you must have no sin)

This isn't hero worship. It's giving credit where it is due. I see Michael Jackson's flaws, but I also know he influenced the entire world--got a lot of people dancing. He made the world a more rich and beautiful place, despite his flaws.

Let us hope history doesn't judge you only by your flaws, 'cuz you're an ... :)

:dem:

-Laelth

[SammyWinstonJack]

33. You really believe that?

:shrug:

[Laelth]

47. Yup. Note the verb "unite".

Then take a look at my responses above. You don't have to agree, obviously--just hear the argument I'm making. Thanks.

:dem:

-Laelth

[snake in the grass]

46. Nonsense!

Everybody knows it was Flavor Flav!



Battle cry of a generation: "Yeah boy!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCp371qSddI

Too cool!

[Laelth]

48. My bad. It may very well have been Flavor Flav.

Thanks for the smile. :hi:

:dem:

-Laelth

[snake in the grass]

53. You're welcome.

Flav may have an extremely screwed up private life, but I appreciate his work with Public Enemy.

[proteus_lives]

81. That's untrue and just plain silly.

[msongs]

8. umm if you think he was the first you weren't paying attention except to the mtv hype nt

[jobycom]

9. All during the era when Reagan was trying to role back Civil Rights, too.

While racist Reagan was trying to destroy what MLK had accomplished, Michael Jackson and Michael Jordan and Prince and Bill Cosby and Doug Williams and a lot of others were desegregating our popular culture. Michael Jackson was the early leader in that group.

I like to think we'd have gotten here, anyway, that Michael Jackson was just lucky enough to lead an inevitable charge. But he certainly played a critical role in the way it happened.

[madamesilverspurs]

45. Flip Wilson

did tanning lotion commercials. . .

[G_j]

13. helped pave the way

along with countless others,

[nini]

14. No.. it doesn't make any sense

but I think your heart is in the right place.

[havocmom]

15. Yeah, because there were no other beloved black entertainers

Get a grip.

[theboss]

58. Stevie Wonder didn't sell 25 million records and endorse soda pop

Michael was post-racial.

[BoneDaddy]

16. Great performer, pedophile, insane

give me a break

[Bodhi BloodWave]

84. found not guilty of the charges so thats your opinion, not stated fact n/t

[tinkerbell41]

17. Spot on!!

I'm 42, and I swang both ways Donny and MJ. I know my Grandfather had a fit when I bought my first MJ poster when visiting him in Fla. He was born and raised in Sharon TN and damned if his only grandaughter raised in Chicago, didn't hope for the election of Mayor Washington, worship Michael Jackson, and eventually support Obama from the beginning. Sorry Grandpa but the racist crap ended with me!!!
In fact, (crying with this memory) I think the only black people ever to cross my parents threshold
I worked with and invited for a sleepover to watch the "Premiere" of the Thriller video. I get your post, you are correct about "The scary black man" sad to say many people still have that view.

[BoneDaddy]

20. Scary black man

if you were 5 and invited over for a pajama party, well then, it might be true, although whether or not he was black could be an issue

[tinkerbell41]

26. What???

Read the original post. She talks about the "scary black man" image. And growing up in a white family and watching the white news and reading the white papers that IS the image that was drawn for you!!!

[BoneDaddy]

30. OMG

I was NEVER so scared in my life when I saw a young michael jackson singin ABC. Are you out of your fucking gourd?

I was talking about him as a fucking pedophile who used his money and chump fans like you to defend his perversion. Ah the stupidity of people

[tinkerbell41]

36. UH!!!!

I was talking about MJ when I was 16 and he was 24 not 5 duh!!! And i dunno how much of a friggin chump I could have been at 16, a young innocent teenager with puppy love. My memories of him stop at about that point, the rest of the story is too painful. As I'm sure those girls wild about Elvis don't really want to remember him fat, drugged out and dead while taking a dump!!!

[AnnieBW]

95. Umm... sorry, but where I grew up, you would walk across the street

if you encountered an African-American teenager. And this was in suburban Pittsburgh.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

34. I have a poster story, too.

A relative of mine disapprovingly asked whether the Jackson 5 were my "kissing cousins" when he saw their poster in my bedroom. (Background, I was a 10- or 11-year-old lily white girl living in the suburbs.) I remember being upset and confused by his comment, knowing something about it was wrong. Bobby Sherman on the wall didn't seem to be a problem...

I'm listening to a Jackson 5 Greatest Hits CD right now -- just for you, Uncle Dutch!

[tinkerbell41]

37. Totally relate!!!!!

[EFerrari]

21. Yes, he did.

[shadowknows69]

27. I'll be back in ten minutes when I'm done laughing.

[jobycom]

35. When you're back, I'd like to hear an actual point.

Are you laughing because her post is so self-evident you can't believe someone had to say it, or do you really not understand the history of race relations in this country?

[tinkerbell41]

38. Love it!!!!

Go get em!!!

[shadowknows69]

42. Bwah ha ha ha ha!

[shadowknows69]

40. I'm back, and still laughing.

Because I knew my post would elicit a stupid question like that. If I had to answer I'd lean toward the first choice.

MJ was one mile in a road thousands long. Paved the way? No. Part of the highway? Sure. If he was a pedophile though, it kind of negates his contributions a bit, in my opinion. I doubt President Obama would thank him for furthering the irrational fear of having a black man around your children.

[jobycom]

44. Well, you can keep waiting on the stupid question, I'll keep waiting on an informed response.

Alleged pedophile. There are worse rumors about people you probably like. Even IF true, those came much after his role in breaking down barriers during the 70s and 80s.

Second, Jackson wasn't a single mile, he was a whole stretch of highway, and you wouldn't find many cultural historians to disagree with that.

Third, I'll bet Obama would, and will, thank him, or at least publicly acknowledge, the tremendous role Michael Jackson played in breaking down racial barriers in our culture.

If you lived in the 80s, and not just sort of existed during the 80s, you've heard hundreds of commentaries about his role in America's desegregation already, so I don't even have to tell you. If you missed, spend an hour at your local library doing research. You'll be glad you did. And you might even get to laugh at yourself when you're done.

[Obamanaut]

29. I vote Ali. Beloved the world over on his climb to fame, then

vilified and persecuted in the US, finally vindicated.

Gave up everything for his beliefs, got a lot of it back through strength of character.

[eShirl]

39. Please tell me you forgot the "satire" smilie.

[omega minimo]

86. LOL

:rofl: :cry:

[JBoy]

43. If you had to pick one recent African American, particularly an entertainer, I'd say Bill Cosby.

The Cosby Show was the first show with a black cast that wasn't firstly a show about black people. It made a whole whack of white people comfortable with African Americans for the first time.

[comrade snarky]

72. Cosby was a huge influence on how white America saw black people.

I heard Cosby interviewed years ago and he said it worked too well, after the Cosby show he kept hearing about how racial problems must be over!

When Jackson was young his music did a lot to bring people together and I wont take that away from him. The later years however tarnished that for me. Maybe the skin disease was why he started bleaching himself but that doesn't explain the nose and other facial surgeries.

It may not be entirely his fault but the spiral into lunacy cast a long shadow over his life.

[tinrobot]

50. The black man who altered himself to look white?

If you want to look at pop culture, I think Oprah had more to do with it.

[TeamJordan23]

52. He transcended race. MTV did not even show black music artists until Michael Jackson. nm

[scheming daemons]

55. MTV came into being in 1981.... Thriller came out in 1982

To say that "MTV did not even show black music artists until Michael Jackson" is silly....

....MTV DIDN'T SHOW *ANY* ARTISTS, because they didn't exist yet.

[Freddie Stubbs]

68. And then he tried to change his race

[Cherchez la Femme]

100. Michael Jackson's singing predated MTV by a decade

This thread is getting funnier & funnier

in a creepy kind of way...



And to think gays are analogous to pedophiles, saith the Obama DOJ,
and that's bad. Civil rights unworthy bad.

Yet MJ = Good (um, is one of the 'Good' pedophiles?)
even though he sang Bad

My head is spinning.

[scheming daemons]

54. This OP is an insult to Barack Obama.....

...and to Martin Luther King....

....and Thurgood Marshall....


......and to Muhammad Ali...


....... and Bill Cosby....


.........and to Oprah Winfrey....


.............and yes, to Colin Powell....



All of which had as much to do with it as Jacko.... and none of them molested young children.

[snooper2]

56. DING DING DING

winning post award

[Cherchez la Femme]

101. Chopped liver: Jimi Hendricks

& Tina Turner,

Paul Robeson,

Sly & the Family Stone,

Vernon Reid,

Lenny Kravitz,

Aretha Franklin,

Bob Marley,

George Clinton,

Diana Ross,

& etc. (I'll skip the actors and especially disco)


But Milli Vanilli? Not so much.

[Spoonman]

57. So Barack Obama

is going to start molesting little boys?

[lies and propaganda]

59. Just though I would have my morning sickness right here

:puke:

Cant believe we will put someone on a pedestal so high that we overlook the highest of sins.

[SmileyRose]

60. Snort - First black male to "cross over" ??????? Hello?? Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong

what that has to do with Barack Obama is beyond me.

I appreciate the fact that you idolize Michael Jackson but to credit him with opening doors is, IMHO a bit much.

And IMHO we are far from "post racial", we've just moved on to hating Mexicans and A-Rabs.

[EFerrari]

90. He did open doors for black performers in the mass media.

That happened. Maybe dear wonderful Nat King Cole or Louis (who is MY personal fav of ALL TIME) would have done the same had there been MTV when they were working. Like so many things, this may be about the timing.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Y6EMMhDCGo

[SmileyRose]

91. I totally agree on the timing thing. On opening doors though

I have no doubt there's a door or two Michael Jackson opened, but IMHO even Jackson would never had the doorhandles in his hands if not for Quincy Jones - and a whole host of other people who toiled for decades.

[EFerrari]

92. I agree with you. We all come up because of people who went before us.

[WeDidIt]

61. There is absolutely nothing nice I can say about the OP. n/t

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

63. So did Redd Foxx, Sydney Poitier, Jackie Robinson, and Nina Simone.

Not to mention some lesser lights like Frederick Douglass, Stokely Carmichael, and Rosa Parks.

[Karmadillo]

64. Sly Stone.

nt

[Solomon]

73. The biggest musical influence in my life.

He don't get the credit, but almost all music today is a tired re-hash of what he did, and when he did it, it was original.

In fact, even the Jackson Five took their singing style of weaving voices in and out from Sly Stone.

[RadicalTexan]

65. I was three when Thriller came out

And I agree.

I'd throw the Cosby Show in there, too.

[undeterred]

66. Nice post, Annie

John Nichols said something to this effect on a radio show last night. He was warning that the coverage would be huge and that it deserved to be. Its not that Michael Jackson was something other than an entertainer- he was a spectacular entertainer who attracted fans of every age race and color, and on every continent. Despite his personal problems in recent years, there were 50 concerts already sold out starting next month. People all over the world.

And celebrity that transcends race does break down doors. As foolish as it sounds, when a person who is white finds themself deeply admiring someone who is black, the hidden racism is brought into question. It starts with entertainers and sports figures and one day it finally spills over into "Why not vote for a black man for president?" Its not an easy connection to establish, but its there.

[Marr]

67. I think this episode of celebrity worship is passing over the shark at this very moment.

Michael Jackson also defeated Hitler and had a fresh lemon scent.

[Hekate]

71. God give me strength. Let me put this as gently as I can: Dr. Huxtable....

If you HAVE to reach into the world of entertainment look at Bill Cosby coming into our living rooms as Dr. Huxtable with his lawyer-wife and adorable children: a family of bright, articulate, well-educated, black people. The nation embraced them and laughed with them and saw them as embodying the best in ALL of us regardless of race. The Huxtables were not cartoonish in any way.

Michael Jackson was in a world of his own -- increasingly, one wondered which planet, exactly -- but it assuredly was not the world of politics and leadership, or anything that people could relate to that.

Now, it being early on my planet, I need my coffee.

Hekate

[Stevenmarc]

74. I'll have what the OP's smoking

[omega minimo]

87. LOL

It's a fine blend of Reaganism and InfoEntertainment Tonight!!

[JackRiddler]

80. Jackie Robinson, Jesse Jackson and Oprah Winfrey might disagree with that.

MLK Jr. as well, though it's also true that were he living today, he'd be planning a million-man march against Obama's war policy and for single-payer health care.

[Darth_Kitten]

82. I loved Charlie's Angels........why no overwhelming acceptance for a female president?

;)

[KG]

83. !

:hi:

[omega minimo]

88. DUH == Only one person at a time can be president

:think:

[omega minimo]

89. It's a big country. Some of us grew up in more diverse situations. With more diverse music.

[zagging]

93. Can you distill it further?

Ridiculous and depressing.

[AnnieBW]

94. Apologies if anyone was offended.

I was kind of blathering and hitting the wall. I didn't mean to sound like a racist. However, I grew up in 99% white suburb in the '70's and early '80's. That's how it was. We had one black family, and one Vietnamese family in our neighborhood. I never really had contact with people other than Caucasians until I went to college, other than my Vietnamese friend who was the valedictorian of our high school class.

Sure, there were many other African-Americans that had crossover appeal. "The Cosby Show" was on our TV every Thursday night. I idolized Uhura on "Star Trek", and listened to Diana Ross and Donna Summer songs. But Michael Jackson was an innovator, both in his dance style and his use of videos. He made MTV, and MTV made him. He did a lot of good, before it all went south and he became a walking freak show. What a shame.

[tabasco]

96. Hahahahaha hahahahahaha ahahhahahaha ahahahahahaha!

hahahahahahahahahah hahahahahahaha h hahaahahahaha ahhhhhhh...
hahahahah hahahahahah hahahaha hahahahahahahahahah hahahahahahaha h hahaahahahaha ahhhhhhh...
hahahahah hahahahahah hahahahahahahahahahahahahah hahahahahahaha h hahaahahahaha ahhhhhhh...
hahahahah hahahahahah hahahahahahahahahahahahahah hahahahahahaha h hahaahahahaha ahhhhhhh...
hahahahah hahahahahah hahahahahahahahahahahahahah hahahahahahaha h hahaahahahaha ahhhhhhh...
hahahahah hahahahahah hahahahahahahahahahahahahah hahahahahahaha h hahaahahahaha ahhhhhhh...
hahahahah hahahahahah hahahahahahahahahahahahahah hahahahahahaha h hahaahahahaha ahhhhhhh...
hahahahah hahahahahah hahahahahahahahahahahahahah hahahahahahaha h hahaahahahaha ahhhhhhh...
hahahahah hahahahahah hahahahahahahahahahahahahah hahahahahahaha h hahaahahahaha ahhhhhhh...
hahahahah hahahahahah hahahahahahahahahahahahahah hahahahahahaha h hahaahahahaha ahhhhhhh...
hahahahah hahahahahah hahahahahahahahahahahahahah hahahahahahaha h hahaahahahaha ahhhhhhh...
hahahahah hahahahahah hahahahahahahahahahahahahah hahahahahahaha h hahaahahahaha ahhhhhhh...
hahahahah hahahahahah hahahahahahahahahahahahahah hahahahahahaha h hahaahahahaha ahhhhhhh...
hahahahah hahahahahah hahahahahahahahahahahahahah hahahahahahaha h hahaahahahaha ahhhhhhh...
hahahahah hahahahahah hahahahahahahahahahhhahahahahahahh hahahahahahahahah
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

[kwassa]

98. well, since post-racial has never happened ....

I can't see Michael paving any roads.

Michael was very un-threatening, which is why white people liked him, until his interest in children suddenly made him threatening. Then, not so much.