Michael Jackson – the King is dead
By Sim Kwang Yang (Hornbill Unleashed)
I got up early this morning, switched on the TV, and the news was all about the sudden death of Michael Jackson from heart failure at the age of 50.
Millions of his fans will mourn the passing of this pop icon dubbed the King of Pop, though not being much of a consumer of pop culture, I was never a fan of any pop star in my whole life.
But the entertainment industry means mega bucks and worldwide sale, and no corner of the world can really be exempt from its influence. Growing up in Kuching in the 60s, I was familiar with the music of the Jackson Five, and numerous pop groups like them.
When Michael Jackson grew up and went solo and became the biggest star around in the 80s, you heard his music everywhere you went in Kuching. Young people were trying to copy his moon walk. I may not be a fan of his, but I had to admit this chap did have peculiar talents.
His passing at a relatively early age must seal his enigmatic status of a folk hero, whose life ended tragically, just when he was working on a come-back trail.
His life’s tragedy began early, as a star exposed to the world’s limelight at a very tender age. Public attention and the global limelight almost always tarnish and twist a person’s soul, especially at that young age. You get confused about who the real you is, as compared to the larger-than-life image projected by the media.
All his life, perhaps MJ never grew up in his heart, and that is why he named his mansion Neverland Ranch, reminiscent of the tale of Peter Pan who never aged, Looking back, how many child stars in Hollywood grew up to be happy adults?
Read more at: http://hornbillunleashed.wordpress.com/2009/06/26/2093/
