Bad

If you go back in time to the video posts I made, you'll remember my excitement at how quickly the videos uploaded to the web. Tonight I tried to upload a video and after three full hours, I gave up. I'll have to come up with a shorter video and post my regularly scheduled post at a later date. All of which leaves me scrambling this evening. I'm tired and ready for sleep. But, I owe you all something. Something of value. Yesterday was a little weak and I feel bad with two sub par posts in a row. Surely this is not the first time this has happened... but I guess it's the first time I feel bad about it.

Speaking of Bad, I got that album for Christmas back when it came out. One of those guilty musical pleasures. It probably wasn't cool of me to like it or want it, but I both liked it and wanted it. I just came across a tribute on VH1 Classic with a bunch of MJ videos. The music video for Bad came on. Directed by Martin Scorsese, it has the story of Michael (in character) coming back to the 'hood from boarding school. It had all the 80's cheese you could want... overacting, terrible dialogue, bad fashion, forced moral message, and so on. Way too much story build up. It turned into a modern West Side Story dance-fight-bravado-posture-fest. I couldn't see it through. It was too... bad.

I have nothing poetic to say about his life or his death. We were never very close. I think he genuinely moved people with his music and performance. From our distance, I think we all saw a tortured personal life that could never reconcile itself with his mega-famous public life. At some point, maybe you get so twisted in it all that you can't break free. I tend to think we all get to feeling that way, but we have the benefit of millions of people not watching and questioning and judging our every move, thank god. Multiply your highs and lows by a million, and I think that's what it was like to be Michael Jackson. Many of us would like a shot at the talent, fame and fortune. But the scrutiny... no one seems to be into that.

In an interview I heard with Ricky Gervais (The Office(the original)) he cited a poll where the question was asked of young people what they wanted to be when they grew up. Fire man? Police Officer? Doctor? Lawyer? Indian Chief? Something like 85% said "famous." Simply famous. Not famous for some achievement or good deed or talent or contribution to humanity, simply "famous."

If I was more awake I might be able to tie all of this together in some clever fashion, but perhaps there is no brilliant connection. Two disparate points with no great commonality? Perhaps. But things to think about none the less.

Good night.