By Luke Thomas
June 26, 2009
As a friend and I were having lunch yesterday, we heard the tragic news of Michael Jackson’s passing. A fellow patron stood to announce the legendary King of Pop is dead. At just 50 years of age, Jackson reportedly died from cardiac arrest following several years of Class-A pain medication abuse, medications his lawyer said were used to treat physical maladies sustained during various sold out performances.
But the sad truth is, Jackson died a broken man, emotionally and financially. He spent the last few years of his life alone, trying to mask the pain of humiliation after accusations of child molestation were lodged against him, allegations that were never proved true.
And though I wasn’t one of his millions of die-hard fans, I recognized Jackson for his sublime talents, his ability to transfix audiences across the world, and the volumes of music he created that will be played for decades to come, not to mention his signature Moonwalk that proved Jackson was more than a consummate artist and performer.
And though Jackson was eccentric, never comfortable with his identity and forever morphing from his boyish good looks into an unrecognizable reflection of his inner turmoil, he was largely misunderstood, a man-child trying to create in other children the childhood he never had.
As the shock of Jackson’s passing turned into disbelief, a patron in the restaurant stood boldly to proclaim: “Michael Jackson was bigger than Jesus. And though he may have died today, he will rise again.”
Rest in peace, Michael. The world is mourning the loss of a true and great legend.
Luke Thomas
Luke Thomas is a former software developer and computer consultant who proudly hails from London, England. In 2001, Thomas took a yearlong sabbatical to travel and develop a photographic portfolio. Upon his return to the US, Thomas studied photojournalism to pursue a career in journalism. In 2004, Thomas worked for several neighborhood newspapers in San Francisco before accepting a partnership agreement with the SanFranciscoSentinel.com, a news website formerly covering local, state and national politics. In September 2006, Thomas launched FogCityJournal.com. The BBC, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, New York Times, Der Spiegel, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Magazine, 7x7, San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco Bay Guardian and the San Francisco Weekly, among other publications and news outlets, have published his work. Thomas is a member of the Freelance Unit of the Pacific Media Workers Guild, TNG-CWA Local 39521 and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Follow Me:
The Hunger Site
June 24, 2012 at 1:43 pm
I believe he was like Jesus god sent him to this earth to make it a better place and once again we like the Romans killed him… with our jokes… our media… our not letting a celeb live there own life.. and at the end of it MJ will be sitting with god we will probs rot in hell…
May 31, 2012 at 10:50 pm
biggest superstar in history of this planet…………..the greatest entertainer…….
July 21, 2009 at 10:59 pm
For Ruth, since you’re looking everywhere but at who Michael really was: It is sad the whole world can see, what we took here at home, for granted,and allowed bigots to tear down and take away from us. Michael’s scars, if they have any meaning, is to remind us how a bunch of people who think they have the right to judge and think they know without even trying to find out, destroyed a monumental expression of humanity so simple, yet so powerful. Michael’s value is in having used his gift from God to give JOY to the world, to send the most beautiful messages out there, and to help millions. He sure had betraying Judas and then doubtful Thomases around him.
But even if he would have been disfigured and green in color, nothing can take his good deeds from him.He created a universal bond like no other!! He was a classy, stillish gentlemen and all those who worked with him closely or less so, adored him, always polite, in a good mood, always ready to see the best in other.That says a lot, since most of his stature have thei egos get in the way, no? If he made some poor choices(as trust all people and being blind to how beautiful he really was), haven’t we all at times? But what is this, compared to his legacy? And how much is the average human being giving back to society, compared to him? His assets far outweigh his debt, and he does not owe to anyone, he made his living since he was 5 working hard. Maybe you can take the time to learn who Michael really was from other people then Bashir, who we all know feels guily now about this twisted portrayal of Michael. From facts, from all his lyrics.
Look up M’s interviews(some in youtube) in Asia, in Europe, his speeches at this awards,etc Here are just a few articles for starters:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/5664968/My-trip-to-Neverland-and-the-call-from-Michael-Jackson-Ill-never-forget-by-Paul-Theroux.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-judith-rich/it-hurts-to-be-me-confess_b_222381.html
http://www.independent.com/news/2009/jul/09/michael-jackson-triumph-and-tragedy/
http://hodgepodger.blogspot.com/2009/07/evan-chandler-admits-lies-about-michael.html
You will see he was so humble he felt his creation was given to him so easily from God, that he would hesitate to call it his own and sign his songs, etc. He merely sees artists as liaisons between the material world and the spiritual one…
When you talk about his nose even for one sec, you miss the forest for the trees and though you think it’s so deep to pick on his mistakes, it really is very superficial. His songs are on everyone’s lips, even those who are not fans, and there is a reason for that…he wrote from the heart and for the hearts of all. He really was the King of Hearts, Dance, Pop, Video production, Fashion, Kindness, Peace, all with a pure, beautiful though later so sad, smile.There is a whole world of all races, ethnicities and ages honoring and respecting Michael Jackson. I’m not sure what he was,being so special, but he was definitely closer to God then most.
June 30, 2009 at 4:48 am
Only in America, A poor black boy becomes a superstar, nearly marries a chimp and dies looking like a white middle aged woman. Loved the jackson 5 when I was a kid then after MJ went off the rails circa 1988, lost track of the paranoia, excess and lunacy.
You need a break, so rest in peace Michael.
AJ
June 28, 2009 at 8:25 pm
The autopsy on Michael Jackson has revealed that he was a drug addict who was horribly damaged by years of addiction.
His body was covered with scars from years of shooting up. Most of his hair had fallen out (he wore a wig in public). He had lost considerable weight from consuming very little food, but lots of pills.
His face was badly scarred from numerous plastic surgeries. Part of his nose had fallen off.
There is nothing to romanticize here. This a horrific example of the ravages of addiction.
His condition did not arise from poverty. He was one of the richest people in show biz.
However, his bizarre behavior, resulting from drugs, led him to squander his great wealth.
When he died, he was $300 million dollars in debt.
Greater than Jesus?
You decide.
June 27, 2009 at 10:18 pm
I was a huge fan of Michael Jackson growing up in the late 80s, early 90s. I grew up listening to his inspirational music. While it is very tragic that this happened to him – I would never go as far as comparing him to Jesus. Jesus is ultimately the one we are an answerable to – even Michael Jackson.
June 27, 2009 at 8:12 pm
As reported by The Times of London and picked up by other newspapers:
“Michael Jackson had his stomach pumped ‘many times’ having taken a mixture of prescription drugs, his children’s nanny has said.”
As reported by The Times of India:
“Drugs killed Michael Jackson, says longtime friend Deepak Chopra. And they were prescribed by one of the many celebrity doctors in Hollywood who are actually ‘legalized pushers’.”
As reported by The Daily Mail of London:
“Michael Jackson collapsed from a morphine overdose nearly six years ago after working himself into a ‘frenzy of anxiety’ over a TV interview. A doctor found the star unconscious after being secretly summoned to his rented Beverly Hills home in the middle of the night.”
Again from The Daily Mail:
“The cocktail of drugs being taken by Michael Jackson at the time of his death was highly unusual and potentially dangerous, according to a leading pharmacist. … David Pruce, of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said: ‘The mix is highly unusual and not something I would ever expect to see and would not recommend.”
According to TMZ.com, as picked up by many other media:
“TMZ.com, the celebrity website which broke the news of the singer’s death, quoted a family member as saying he was given an injection of the painkiller Demerol before going into full cardiac arrest at his rental home on Thursday afternoon.”
June 27, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Arthur, you never cease to amaze.
Taking as truth and as your starting point “initial reports” that Jackson overdosed on drugs, you manage to hijack the discussion from one of Jackson’s popularity to your perceptions of an over drugged society, the dangers of all drugs, and then ride the last few paragraphs on your own local hobby horse of medicinal cannabis.
-marc
June 27, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Demerol is a libido depressant.
June 27, 2009 at 5:45 am
I was not a Michael Jackson fan. Yes, he was a cute member of the Jackson Five, but I never quite understood his later popularity. It is probably a generational thing. To me he was a just a tragic white wannabe with an unnatural interest in children. Hopefully, he will find some peace wherever he is now.
June 26, 2009 at 4:23 pm
If initial reports are true, Michael Jackson died from an overdose of a prescription drug, following a long a history of dependence on prescription drugs.
He’s not the first, and he won’t be the last, to suffer from drug dependency. We live in a drug-sick society, one that is saturated with dependency on drugs, both legal and illegal.
The situation is acute in SF, which has one of the highest rates of drug addiction and alcoholism in the U.S.
I have lost many friends to the ravages of addiction and alcoholism. Almost everyone I know, has an acquaintance who is an addict or an alcoholic.
I assume, as a matter of course, that anyone I meet in SF has a drug or alcohol problem, until the person proves otherwise. This expectation applies to people in every sphere of life, from those who live on the streets to those who pull the levers of power at City Hall.
The nation and the city are in denial about the seriousness of the problem and inept in dealing with it.
The so-called “war on drugs†was misguided and failed, only making things worse.
On the other side of the spectrum of absurdity is the preposterous claim that local drug dealers are “medical cannabis dispensaries.†Neither prohibition nor laissez-faire indulgence has helped.
It’s time to cut through all the denial and preposterous rhetoric. We need to face up to the fact that we have a huge epidemic of addiction and alcoholism, and nobody has yet come up with a viable remedy.
June 26, 2009 at 3:53 pm
And, hey, gloved one, wherever you are, please arrange to return to that other music writing legend, the cute Beatle, the rights to his own brilliant songs……