The Rise and Fall of Michael Jackson

He was romantically linked to Brooke Shields, another American youth icon and counted some of Hollywood’s most elite among his circle of friends including Elizabeth Taylor, Quincy Jones, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola and Elton John. When he visited foreign countries he was received not just by fans but by presidents and royals and also counted the late Princess Diane among his friends.

He danced and sang across stages in sold-out arenas in every country he toured in front of tens of thousands of screaming fans, many of whom screamed until they fainted and had to be wheeled out on stretchers. He had an amazing affect on those who caught even a slight glimpse of him in real life. He was frequently imitated by young men who wanted to be like him. Most people swore they’d never wash their hands again if given the opportunity to shake hands with him.

His hair-style and his attire was the fashion. The Jheri Curl was popular and the Thriller jacket was a hot commodity. White gloves sold like the Big Mac. Children on sidewalks held contests to see who could do the best moonwalk. Ask people what was their favorite song and the most common answers were “Beat It” and “Billie Jean”.

Now he lies in a degenerated state. Two failed marriages, one to Lisa-Marie Presley, two well-publicized accusations of child molestation, constant facial surgery, rumors of ailing health and financial ruin, continuous other lawsuits from former associates and employees and he is the constant butt of jokes. A search of “Michael Jackson jokes” in Yahoo! would yield thousands of links, some with as many as 500 jokes, puns and one-liners about him. He has been the frequent target of jokes by almost every major comedian.

How did this all happen? How did it come to this? There is only one person Michael Jackson can blame: “The Man in The Mirror”. (No pun intended, of course!)