What Will Be Michael Jackson’s Legacy?
by As the world media continues to spin story upon story about the way the King of Pop died, the way he lived and what he leaves behind is the most important aspect of his legacy.
Much like the death of John F. Kennedy, 9/11 and the Challenger spacezzi disaster, the death of Michael Jackson will become a moment in time upon which people will use as a mark of reference. For the current younger generation, the impact of Michael Jackson’s music is less felt than the tabloid sensationalism of his eccentric life. But even if the King of Pop’s death holds greater significance to the older generation, the youth of today have still been changed by Michael’s influence on the way music is created, performed and promoted, even if they have yet to realize it or even understand it.
As much as Jackson’s gloved hand has held sway over the current evolution of music and music videos, his impact on the very nature of Pop Culture and the media that covers it, may feel his presence long after his death.
Michael Jackson was one of the few black entertainers that crossed color, culture and economic boundaries and although there were many others that had come before him, blazing the trail well before the emergence of the famous Jackson 5 and the super-stardom of a young Michael. But unlike black performer like Nat King Cole or Sammy Davis Jr from the 1950’s who broke many color barriers, Jackson was able to reach a world wide audience and through his infusion of soul, gospel, rock, blues and funk, he broke ground upon different continents where no other American artist – black or white, had done before.
He created more than just great music. With the advent of music videos, MJ again broke new ground by making mini-movies using new techniques and technologies before anyone else even thought about it. His videos were world-wide events, many of which have never been duplicated by other artist on the same scale and scope. A Michael Jackson video was more than just new music, it was the introduction to whole new imagery and established a brand new standard for others to try and meet.
For all the bad press and negative issues that hounded him later in his life, Michael Jackson’s true legacy will be felt more through his music and art than from the idiosyncrasies of his Pop star’s life where the line between reality is blurred more through the lens of a paparazzi than through the eyes of the beholder.
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