Did anyone imagine that this could end differently?

(Note: the part of the initial entry dealing with the culture’s responsibility for Jackson’s deterioration and death is overstated, as commenter Markus points out below and as also I discuss in a later entry.)

Ian Halperin has a stunning article in the Mail about Michael Jackson’s decline and death. Jackson fans will see it as the sad story of a sensitive and talented man done in by his handlers and hangers-on. But what I get from the harrowing tale is that the things that went wrong with Jackson were the very things that made up his stardom and success—namely his transformation of himself, via horrifying plastic surgery and skin treatments, from a black male into a white Peter Pan, with a nose that looked like a fragile chicken bone about to break off from his face. The artificially created freakiness that left Jackson disintegrating physically and emotionally during his last 15 years had been intrinsic to his persona and to his phenomenal popularity in his heyday. Meaning that the decline that led inevitably to his death is not just a judgment on him and his conduct of his life. It is a judgment on his fans. It is a judgment on the culture that saw this freak—which was what he was, no matter how sweet his personality or inspired his dancing—as something wonderful and admirable. Such a culture is indeed a culture of death.

- end of initial entry -

June 29

Markus writes:

You wrote:

“…the things that went wrong with Jackson were the very things that made up his stardom and success…. The artificially created freakiness that left Jackson disintegrating physically and emotionally during his last 15 years had been intrinsic to his persona and to his phenomenal popularity in his heyday.”

I wouldn’t agree that the plastic surgery was what made him popular in his heyday, which was roughly 1983-85 (give or take). [LA replies: His heyday was just three years long?] From what I can tell, he was already a superstar, well on the way to mega-stardom, before all the plastic surgery started. “Off the Wall” was a mega seller in the late ’70s, and if he’d had any plastic surgery at that point it’s hardly evident.

Also, the nose in the youthful photo you posted wasn’t what I’d call “huge.” It was a typical West African nose, and suited the rest of his face. Check out pictures of him from 1979-80 here. Not only was he not bad looking, he had very attractive features. Enviable cheekbones, nice smile. Seemed reasonably happy, too.

By the time “Thriller” came out in 1982, he did look a little different, but not THAT different, from the picture of the boy you posted. He was still noticeably black, the hair was a standard afro-gel, not as freakish-looking as what Rick James would sport. Clearly he’d had a nose job and I’m guessing a lip tuck, both of which were totally unnecessary—so much plastic surgery is unnecessary. Silly, trivial, vain—but nothing that would have killed him. I wish he’d have stopped then and there.

It was only in the period between 1983 and 1987 that the more radical plastic surgery started to be done, possibly prompted by an accident filming a Pepsi commercial in 1984/5, in which he burned his hair and scalp. It just snowballed from there. On “Bad” (released in ‘87), he already looks ridiculous verging on hideous (way too androgynous); by the early ’90s he was a certifiable freak.

Like you, I hadn’t given MJ any more than a passing thought for years. But I find myself strangely interested in the whole thing, and I don’t fully know why. He was clearly out of control, and caused himself so much damage. Can you imagine winding up nearly broke, after selling over 100 million records and grossing sell-out concerts for years, AND owning the Beatles discography??? There is something tragic about him, I don’t care what anyone says.

I recently listened to a few of his songs on YouTube. Most are not my scene, never were. I do like “Billie Jean,” and I also recently listened to a duet he did with Paul McCartney, “The Girl is Mine.” That’s a real pretty, fun song, and reflects a guy who still, on the precipice of mega-stardom, sounds like he was having a good time. He had phenomenal talent, was innovative and a perfectionist. When mixed with his chronic insecurity, these things turned out to be lethal. The plastic surgery was symptomatic of all that.

The child molestation allegations, according to the Daily Mail article you cited, were dubious, though he behaved stupidly. In this, surely he didn’t benefit from never having anyone, family member or friend or otherwise, tell him to smarten up and just be a little more normal. Hanging with fatso serial divorcees like Elizabeth Taylor didn’t help him a whole lot. Honestly, compared to Liz, Oprah seems normal!

LA replies:

This is a useful and informative comment, thanks. However, my memory is that in the ’80s when Jackson was a huge star he had already radically changed his appearance. Narrowing his nose and lips etc is already a big change. But I may be wrong about that. I’ll have to look at photos in chronological sequence.

Markus replies:

My pleasure, and please feel free to publish. This whole story is a natural for VFR, combining such things as race, culture and your particular interest in physiognomy. Interesting to hear others’ comments.

LA writes:

Markus is indeed correct about the chronology of Jackson’s physical transformation, as I discuss in a new entry .

Posted by Lawrence Auster at June 28, 2009 04:22 PM | Send