Soviet Kitsch
kparedes@theguidon.com

With the death of Michael Jackson documented on every channel and every publication, there is no doubt that his mark has been made on the world and that his legacy will continue to live on.

At the moment I write this, a Larry King tribute at Jackson’s Neverland Ranch is background to my typing. Every aspect of his life is being celebrated and commemorated—Jermaine Jackson, Michael’s brother, is talking about how the Ranch was MJ’s source of joy.

Upon my knowledge of the former King of Pop’s passing, I was left with conflicted emotions. On one hand, I was saddened by the fact that he left at a time when his career was just about to pick up. On the other, there was an uncomfortable sense of knowing that he had it coming his way.

The passing of recent events have led some to forget what Michael Jackson was really famous for in recent years. His public scandals and his unsettling physical appearance have overshadowed his musical accomplishments and his real character in favor of massive media frenzies.

With the development of communication technologies such as social networking sites, the paparazzi became highly profitable with their coverage of the entertainer.

Many media outlets capitalized on celebrities like Michael Jackson for public entertainment, and with the ease by which information spread, the public saw the deterioration of public figures like him into objects of scrutiny and ridicule in real time.

I remember being asked to play an online game a while back. The objective was to help plants kill some zombies before they infiltrate one’s home. One of the game’s highlights was to feature an undead Michael Jackson in full “Thriller” garb. Of course, in order to win, one would have to defeat him and his zombie friends.

This game is just one of the many caricatures created in pop culture to poke fun at the entertainer’s unfortunate state, as seen at the latter part of his life. Who else remembers the poorly made Britney and Lindsay Lohan flash games on the internet?

It is regrettable to take note of how many talented stars fall victim to emotional roller coasters at the height of their success.  Michael Jackson is the perfect example of someone who lived fast and died young. At such an early age, he had the whole world at the palm of his hands. With the rest of his family, he built a musical empire by which he was able to amass an astounding collection of material possessions and international fame.

In one of his earlier interviews, MJ was quoted for saying that he’d prefer to go like Elvis rather than Marlon Brando.

And so he did.

His early death is an addition to the growing list of tragic deaths among famous personalities. What is depressing about his case, however, is that he was barely on his way to picking himself up before it all ended.

Unlike Marilyn Monroe and James Dean who were at their peak when they passed on, MJ was still struggling to get out of the utter mess he was in.

Like Elvis, the legendary father of his ex-wife, he was met with a plethora of sicknesses early in his life linked to probable drug misuse. In this aspect, he emulated the King. In other aspects he was just like the dying Marlon Brando—broke, depressed, and a mere shadow of his former self.