Farrah Fawcett passed away. A " '70's Icon," according to the news networks. I remember her on Charlie's Angels when I was little. And the poster of her in the red one-piece swimsuit with her head tilted back and the wavy hair is said to be one of the most popular photographs of all time. For those of you too young to know, she really was a superstar back then, comparable to Britney or Beyonce now, I guess. But now she is dead.
And Michael Jackson, dead at 50. Every channel on television has this running on their little ticker at the bottom. They are touting his accomplishments, mourning the great loss of talent, and praising this greatest of entertainers, the so-called "King of Pop." He won 13 Grammys, sold over 750 million albums, including "Thriller," the best selling album of all-time. I still have a copy that I bought the week it was released in 1982. But now he is dead.
The media, the same media who dubbed him, "Wacko Jacko," dragged him through the mud over child-molestation allegations, and always picked apart his eccentricities and facial re-constructions, are now exalting him through watery eyes and downcast expressions.
Now let me get to the part that really gripes me. I am reminded of a song from maybe twenty years ago that is not really much of a song, but it has a great message. It was sung by some famous country singer, I think.
He was born in Massachusetts, in 1917
The second son of an Irishman, we all loved Kennedy.
He was brave and strong and handsome, a helluva president
But when he died, millions cried like he was heaven-sent.
Who did they think he was?
A child was born in Tupelo, in 1935
I'm grateful for his music, it forever changed my life.
We all love "Love Me Tender," and how that boy could sing
But when he died, I wondered why millions called him king.
Tell me, who did they think he was?
There was a child of heaven, born in Bethlehem
just a simple carpenter with worn and calloused hands.
He healed the hearts of many, so they nailed him to a tree
With no one there to mourn his death but the women at his feet, crying
"Who did they think He was, tell me, who did they think He was?"
There was no one there to grieve but the women at his feet, crying, "Who did they think He was?"
I was five years old when Elvis died. The reaction was similar to this only much, much bigger. He died at the top, and very suddenly. I guess I've just never understood the glorifying of a celebrity. To me they are just people whose name we all know. MJ did some cool stuff, especially the "Thriller" video, but I almost puked when I heard Celine Dion say, "When we are talking about the death of a great talent like this, it is much more tragic and harder to accept."
No it isn't.
I'm definitely not trying to downplay the death of anyone. I am very sorry for Papa Joe, Janet, LaToya, Jermaine, Tito, Marlon, Randy, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and whoever else is affected by this. But MJ was just a man. Those Grammys aren't doing him any good now.
I think Michael Jackson is a good representation of what we call "the world." Follow me, here. He started out young and quickly grew to be successful. In his older years, he achieved a whole new level of success and stardom, but look what it did to him. The weirdness, the criminal allegations, the constant changing to try and become something else. He may have found notoriety and wealth, which he squandered, but he lost himself and everything he gave to achieve his place.
Success is a mirage. It demands that you give everything to attain it, and the closer you come to where it is, the farther away it gets, finally vanishing and leaving nothing, but taking everything.
Maybe I'm just old and grizzled, but I get sick and tired of a world that edifies a complete whack-job who sings pretty, but persecutes and slanders the Savior of all mankind. It's not difficult to see why the morality of our nation is non-existent. Mourners will cry their eyes out and faint and swoon from grief over the next few weeks, grief for someone they never knew, and who never did anything worthwhile, except organize "We Are the World."
They cared about his latest releases, his concerts and tours, clearing his name after the trials, and pretty much any public thing he said or did. They cared about worshipping him.
But do any of them care that he's probably in Hell right now?
This is the first thing I thought of when I heard Geraldo proclaim the king dead. And it's a good teaser for tonight.
Dang. Best segue ever.
