Sell-out of a Soul
By Hinrich E. Bues
Translation from a German newspaper 11. July 2009, page 8.
The "King of Pop",Michael Jackson, is dead. The "Queen of POP", Madonna, sang a serenade
at his funeral. What a royal get-together. We have been plagued for days with news like these. At
Jackson's "Funeral-show" on Tuesday supposedly 1.6 million people wished to attend, but there were
only 17,500 tickets available. Those were immediately offered on the Internet for €20,000. What a
hype, what a bubble around this alleged idol, this putative icon.
Icons are actually religious pictures, which should help us with worshiping God. Icons are men,
who could be effective models. But what, with Jackson, would have been exemplary or God-like? His
music? This rejoicing and squeaking, which penetrated the stomping beat like a warning shot? Or his
dance interlude, this legendary "Moon walk" - forward, backward and at the same time stepping in
place?
Wherever one looks into Jackson's life, there actually is, for an objective observer, nothing but
misery to see.
Or what shall one think of a 30 year old man, who lived in on room for years with a
Chimpanzee wrapped in diapers? A great crowd of children kept him at the "Neverland-Ranch", a sort
of perpetual fair, happy company. During the past 15 years one did not hear much of Jackson's music,
instead that much more about processes of accusations of child molestations. The artist at last bought
his freedom with much money. Rightfully wrote a commentator one is always on "slippery ground"
with Jackson.
The crowning of the Jackson-hype was by a "Boulevard Newspaper", which for days did not
know any other subject, and now wishes to stylize him as a family-man. Two of his three children are
from the short marriage with a nurse, the third was carried by a surrogate mother. Jackson, who
obviously was unable to relate, a family man?
One should not throw stones at the dead, that is right. But before one compares Jackson's
funeral show with the funeral of Pope John Paul (2005) or Ronald Reagan (2004), it helps perhaps to
have some soberness. Michael Jackson has been perhaps a thoroughly sad, a pitiable person. Not for
the reason that he allegedly has been beaten by his father, which many would have survived without
damage, but mostly that he was ruthlessly marketed and exploited by the Pop-Industry. And exactly this
terrible sell-out of a soul one may study presently.
This may be beneficial for all, who are in danger of running after false idols.
By Hinrich E. Bues
Translation from a German newspaper 11. July 2009, page 8.
The "King of Pop",Michael Jackson, is dead. The "Queen of POP", Madonna, sang a serenade
at his funeral. What a royal get-together. We have been plagued for days with news like these. At
Jackson's "Funeral-show" on Tuesday supposedly 1.6 million people wished to attend, but there were
only 17,500 tickets available. Those were immediately offered on the Internet for €20,000. What a
hype, what a bubble around this alleged idol, this putative icon.
Icons are actually religious pictures, which should help us with worshiping God. Icons are men,
who could be effective models. But what, with Jackson, would have been exemplary or God-like? His
music? This rejoicing and squeaking, which penetrated the stomping beat like a warning shot? Or his
dance interlude, this legendary "Moon walk" - forward, backward and at the same time stepping in
place?
Wherever one looks into Jackson's life, there actually is, for an objective observer, nothing but
misery to see.
Or what shall one think of a 30 year old man, who lived in on room for years with a
Chimpanzee wrapped in diapers? A great crowd of children kept him at the "Neverland-Ranch", a sort
of perpetual fair, happy company. During the past 15 years one did not hear much of Jackson's music,
instead that much more about processes of accusations of child molestations. The artist at last bought
his freedom with much money. Rightfully wrote a commentator one is always on "slippery ground"
with Jackson.
The crowning of the Jackson-hype was by a "Boulevard Newspaper", which for days did not
know any other subject, and now wishes to stylize him as a family-man. Two of his three children are
from the short marriage with a nurse, the third was carried by a surrogate mother. Jackson, who
obviously was unable to relate, a family man?
One should not throw stones at the dead, that is right. But before one compares Jackson's
funeral show with the funeral of Pope John Paul (2005) or Ronald Reagan (2004), it helps perhaps to
have some soberness. Michael Jackson has been perhaps a thoroughly sad, a pitiable person. Not for
the reason that he allegedly has been beaten by his father, which many would have survived without
damage, but mostly that he was ruthlessly marketed and exploited by the Pop-Industry. And exactly this
terrible sell-out of a soul one may study presently.
This may be beneficial for all, who are in danger of running after false idols.
