Michael Jackson's Success - Case Study Example

Introduction Michael Jackson’s scripted success with his unique genre of pop accompanied by extraordinary dance performances, while continually providing grist for the gossip mills with his penchant for courting success and controversies in equal measure. Michael Jackson ever since he shot through the roof with his “Thriller” has remained in news for his musical genius, or his extraordinary ways. He has taken in his stride bouquets and brickbats, fame and infamy, repute and ignominy. The life of Michael Jackson, as he still individually tall, proud and famous, can be summed up as “He came, He sang and He conquered.” However, one of Michael Jackson’s traits has been to continually remain in the centre of controversy. In fact it has regularly displayed a propensity for courting controversies as his record breaking feats. The Hero and his ‘ism’ Michael Jackson is the quintessential American hero—bold, flamboyant, iconoclastic, and idiosyncratic, controversial yet remarkably inspired. Michael Jackson lent the young free thinking generation of America, a cultural paradigm of being footloose, free flowing and unpredictable. Two broken marriages, torrid love stories with facts stranger than fiction eclipsing his life could have roots, deeper than his casual behaviour, and a carefree life. There was spate of charges against him, as varied as from child molestation, usurpation of felony. The courts, however, acquitted him in separate cases. Michael Jackson’s personal and professional lives have been rocked by controversies of no mean to an extent. Lawsuits and a string of losses made bankruptcy to knock at doors of the star known for his remarkable contributions to charity. The very names of some of his most popular albums “Thriller”, “Bad” and “Dangerous”, titled “Blood on the Dance Floor”, “Invincible”, “Dirty Diana” say part of the story. Names like “You Are Not Alone", “Black or White", and “"I Just Cant Stop Loving You" may well, could be saying the other, that of a tender hearted depressed person seeking identity, love and recognition in the mad, bad material world. What public denounced as eccentrities in his life could be spectres of a depressed personality trying to break through the mantle of unprecedented celebrity hood donned by him. Belonging to middle class black family of six children and their parents, living in low class suburb, caught in economic throes, and fighting the last vestiges of discrimination in the civilised world can oppress the boldest of minds. Michael Jackson’s personality, however, is much tenderer hearted to have take childhood woes in stride as is reflected by his love for children. Some people deciphered his setting up of the personal amusement park “Neverland” as an attempt to relive his childhood. This rationalisation of his fondness for childish activities are certainly is not very much off the mark. But equally true could be the accusations the legal trampling and dismantling of “Neverland” by the authorities of the “white supremacy” going wild against a black, who had perhaps attained too much. Like the rich Americas he bought a ranch in California and unlike them made it place to fulfil his eccentrities thus naming it rightly enough as “Neverland”. The activities at “Neverland” were never above board. But the unproven charges of child molestation should be studied in juxtaposition to his well known habit of being a supporter of causes of children. Then there are accusations of black group of his fiddle with pigmentation of the skin giving it an off-white complexion. Michael Jackson has attributed the growing paleness of his skin to a disease called Vitiligo. His restless and innovative mind couldn’t spare his own countenance. He has gone on record on getting record cosmetic surgeries done, changing the contours of lips, the angle of cheek bones and nose and brows ending cosmetic surgeries. Black groups often accused him of deliberating lightening if not whitening of his skin. Standing 5 10" by American standards, Michael Jackson, a performer extraordinaire, grew to a height that not only dwarfed all contemporary singers but even all those preceded him. Though it could be contested but Michael Jackson may have far outstripped greats like “Beatles” and “Elvis Presley” in popular rankings. Michael Jackson hit the highest decibels of the pop charts in the 80s, the last decade of the millennium; the 90s will be known for his controversies, his downward spiral, and infamous acts and accusations that have partly eclipsed his glory. Records tumbled as Michael Jackson as the ever rising spiral of Michael Jackson’s graph shot through the roof. “Thriller” produced by Quincy Jones and released in 1983, with 50 million copies sold world wide announced the gigantic arrival of Michael Jackson. And it happened with the “Thriller”. Thriller was on top of charts for 37 months. Its overwhelming success proved that Michael Jackson was no ordinary singer but a phenomenon. Michael Jackson tried to give the public an encore with “Bad” in 1987 after a gap of three years. Bad was moderately successful by creating its fair share of records. Five of its singles topped the charts. The rest they say is history. Perhaps we may well lose count of his awards and rewards as his biography is but a list of achievements. He was conferred the award of the Artist of the Decade (1980-90) by the White House. Overview of Family and Career Michael Jackson was born to a black family of Gary Indiana, in 1958 to Joe and Katherine Jackson, a Jehovah witness. The family was not-so-well-to-do big family with low income. Michael was the second son and music came naturally to him. He was included as his elder siblings got together to form a band under the guidance of their father.. But the genius of Michael soon burst forth to flow free from family entangles. Barely in his teens, was he part of the family musical group! In fact, some of his initial successes came as part of his family. Yet, he was determined to make it big and the family could stop his genius to flower no longer. The success of album “Off the Wall” released in 1979 set the precedent for things to come. Little wonder, recently “Off the Wall” was inducted into Grammy Hall of Fame. Fame, fame, and unending fame—that’s how we can describe the life of Michael Jackson there afterwards. The Thriller launched in 1980. Some of his non-conformance with the American mainstream can be read into his upbringing. His mother was Jehovah’s Witness and fathers a strict task master, who for his fondness for meticulousness often took the little Jackson to task. In the later life what became the ostensible eccentrities of Michael Jackson could have been the repressed feelings, of being brought up under tight financial conditions and rule of the rod at home. Art Form The art of high-decibel voice, instantly identifiable high-pitched voice with a feminine undertone, aggressive and curious body movements. The high energy dances, in glittery jackets and high decibel disco-pop with characteristic shrill like voice, evoking surrealistic imagery, the art form evolved by the King of Pop can only be called “Jacksonian” for he has had no peers, no role-models. He is single and simply Michael Jackson. However, Michael Jackson, can only be called a born-gifted; though brought to the stage for the first time in a group made around his siblings. Michael Jackson emerged from the family aura, and decided to go solo “Off the Wall.” It was experimentation in soul stirring disco-pop culture that was to become a Michael Jackson trade mark style in years to come. A master of body moves master, adapt at self-glorification, wearing glittery jackets making a new style statement by the day and all stood him in great stead. Bizzare King In fact, the more Michael Jackson captured public imagination, the more his private life came under the scanner. Tabloids were agog with news of his private life. His ranch amusement, joy rides were termed as ‘allurements’ set out by the ‘monster for the victims.’ However, a California court acquitted him of all counts. His activities like dangling his son Michael off the edge of the building, a court appearance with the face mask, his fascination for getting cosmetic surgeries done on his face. What he wanted to achieve with these “surgical operations” perhaps, only Michael Jackson knows best? People tried to make sense out of it by giving it a “racist colour”. Some guessed he was trying to make himself ‘felt’. But that is rather a depraved way of doing it. Dalliance with Paul McCartney He teamed with Paul McCartaney, who was fighting hard to keep the twilight years away from his Beatles success. Teaming with Sir Paul McCartney a popular rock icon may have played its part in giving Michael Jackson an acceptance in conformist society. It is different matter that both legends broke off after a legal hassle over the rights of ATV Music Company; the company owning the rights of the Beatles song. The Persona Michael Jackson’s persona is mired in controversy and fames both in equal measures. He is a stuff legends are made off. However, some times his behaviour was certainly ghastly as he tried to dangle one of his son from a building held from one arm in full public view. Though Jackson went on record to apologize but nevertheless the crime inflicted on the baby had “sadistic” undertones. A mature adult cannot be exonerated of all his acts of omission of commission by attributing them to a malformed personality due to tough childhood. Still some others tried to rationalised the bizarre behaviour to an over successful life of Michael Jackson. Celebrities often not able to contain the glamour, fame, and wealth that comes with heroism often go overboard in their behaviour. Yet he is known to be one of the most charitable singers ever having donated $ 300 million to charities world wide. His pairing with Lionel Richie to pen the historic song “We are the World” sung by a dozen artists together in aid of Africa Famine Relief reveal the magnanimous aspects of his personality. After all Michael Jackson is not truly “Mad” or “Bad” but whimsical, and eccentric. A Social and Psychological Perspective However, the world wide applause he received for his new genre pop can drive even a well balanced individual to fits of “megalomaniac insanity.” Perhaps him mind and soul were too tender to accept the pressures that come with stardom. Further to this came the problems got aggravated due to the financial mess he landed himself in due to a couple of bad decisions. The tumultuous years of the current decade put Michael Jackson in financial doldrums much like the economic crisis suffered by his country in the 1920s and 1930s—a problem of plenty compounded by some hasty decisions. Running into debts and bankruptcy, the debt servicing burden alone of Michael Jackson was said to be $ 2.5 million per month. A lawsuit allowed by Prescient Acquisition Group accusing Michael Jackson of breach of contract made him cough of $48 millions. The campaign by Santa Barbara authorities against Jackson has reactionary political and social overtones. Taking cognisance of lack of evidence against Jackson, the California court acquitted him. But the press out to churn out saucy stories to feed a population with “a great deal of pent-up rage and frustration, encouraged by right-wing forces”, is being directed his way”. The prosecution version was described as political vendetta and a “modern day lynching” by his older brother Jermaine Jackson. Political writer Walsh may have some valid arguments in stating thus: “County district attorney Tom Sneddon is a conservative Republican with an axe to grind. In 1993 he was hoping to prosecute Jackson on similar charges when the singer settled out of court with a family that had launched a civil suit.” (Walsh). Conclusion The real and conclusive analysis of Michael Jackson’s personality can be done after he has faded away from the lights of media and celebrity hood; perhaps long after he leaves the mortal world. For a dispassionate historical analysis one’s life can only be entered into, after he is no longer there, to sway the pen. Till the time, he’s around; the media has to be more forgiving of his eccentrities and applausive of humanitarian deeds. He is a lover of children, a benefactor of the poor and the destitute, and above all a human being fighting the currents of life, very much like us. True to what the greatest of American poets, “Walt Whitman” said of himself, “I am large; I contain multitudes” is true of every American, every mortal, including Michael Jackson. References: Leaves of Grass (1880), Walt Whitman, Prentice-Hall International Inc. Walsh, David (2003), World Socialists Website, Michael jackson’s tragedy, Accessed February 10 2008, http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/dec2003/trag-d01.shtml Michael Jackson - The Rise and Fall of The King of Pop , Accessed February 10 2008, http://www.icmrindia.org/casestudies/catalogue/Leadership%20and%20Entrepreneurship/LDEN041.htm Michael Jackson Website, Michaeljackson.com Accessed February 10 2008, MTV Website, Accessed Accessed February 10 2008, http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/jackson_michael/artist.jhtml#bio Read More