Michael and the split selves

These few chapters of Michael Jackson: Grasping the Spectacle aim at uncovering the mystery of the selves of Michael. The authors of these chapters find that there are implications of his ability to easily portray various meanings-- on his psyche, his art, and his actions. As Michael’s body went through noticeable transformation because of the multiple plastic surgeries, the whitening of his skin, his aging, his ever-increasing androgyny, the tabloids succeeded in making the public believe that his outward appearance was a result of the inward corruption of his life. This, of course, followed the (false or not) accusations of child molestation and abuse and the raid on his creation, the Neverland Ranch. It was a product of his dreams of remaining eternally a “neverchild”, one that would forever bask in the joy and happiness, free of worry or pain. This dream slowly turned into his greatest nightmare as he begun to realize this was one wish that could never become part of his reality. The growing ambiguity in his race did not help matters of self-identification much. For many black americans, the decision to either perform whiteness or resist it in order to maintain empowerment is difficult. For a Michael who was “neither black nor white”, this conflict posed even greater threats to his already fragmented sense of self. It created a maze of narratives for him that ran in every which way, though all manifesting themselves in one individual. Deeply rooted in Michael was also the desire to be fully “loved” by his fans and spectators, to fill the lack in his life. This ensured his persistent split natures, which he tried to remedy by creating even more versions of himself and his story, as seen through many of his songs towards the end of his career. We observe that the subject of his songs are becoming more and more similar to his actual life story and reputation. In a way, he condemns himself to disappointment every time, as well as misrecognition on the part of his viewers. Jackson had to realize that his sense of lack could not be fulfilled by his fans everytime, and to overcome his belief about the similarities of celebrity to love.

Michael Jackson: Grasping The Spectacle - edited by Chris Smit 

Chapters 3, 4 & 5

Read On:

Interview with Michael on charges

What do you want to know?

• We did this to Britney, to Jackson, to countless other artists. Perhaps we've pushed them too far to the brink and they start merging their life with their art. Maybe it's a marketing scheme, maybe it's a true expression of the self. Either way, the public buys into it heavily. What is the appeal in this? (Like what the appeal is for getting Mickey Mouse at Disneyland out of character?) Or what is the appeal in a constantly morphing character?
• Could Michael’s downfall partially be attributed to the fact that he couldn’t find a way to merge the queer, which was his art, and reality? The very essence of “queer” entails that it is apart from the world and of the norm. The moment it becomes understood or accepted, does it not lose its “queerness”? Was his goal doomed to fail from the start?
• I thought it was interesting that in respect to the race ambiguity of Michael's identity, that in his performance of Billie Jean (and maybe others) that he had a white sequinned glove, similar shimmery and sparkling white socks, and a heavily sequinned/silver top were covered by a full black suit. What is the significance in this?