what was it about MJ?

[DancingMjsdream]

Hey guys,

I've posted here a few times before so maybe a few of you know that i'm completely new to the MJ Universe


I wanted to ask the long-time fans: how was it growing up with Michael in the eighties and nineties? (i was born in 1998 so i wouldn't know)
I know that MJ was veeeery huge,especially in the eighties.His thriller was a game changer, his music videos something completely new and innovative, and i think we don't even need to talk about the influence he had on others...

But what kept Michael at the top of his game? Stars like Madonna,Janet and Prince also started to have great music videos,choreography and they weren't bad entertainers at all.What made Michael so unique? I mean we fans love him to death but why was he always considered 'the best' by people that weren't even into Michael.Was it more following a trend and ignoring all the other artists because he started everything or did people really feel that way? Because now it seems like everyone loves Michael artistically but before his death there were enough people that thought there were better entertainers and that people make a huge deal out of him.At least that's my impression.

 

[Moviefan2k4]

I think a large part of it was his previous following from the 1970s with his brothers, at least in the beginning. Working with legends like Quincy Jones and Berry Gordy certainly didn't hurt, either. On top of that though, he had an absolutely insane amount of creativity and dedication. His mind was always several steps ahead, of whatever he happened to be doing right then. His mother said he suffered from chronic insomnia for a very long time, which I can somewhat relate to as someone with a constantly-racing mind. After Michael's passing, I started reading books about him, being very careful to avoid the trash pieces...and I've started to think he may have had some kind of undiagnosed mental difference. Not an all-out disorder like cerebral palsy, but rather something milder like Asperger's. This would explain his general distrust of most adults, his preference to be around children, the partial naivete, and his nearly obsessive mindset regarding music. I could be grasping at straws, but its just an idea...partly based on similarities from my own life (was diagnosed with Asperger's in 2013).

 

[Tony R]

I think a large part of it was his previous following from the 1970s with his brothers, at least in the beginning. Working with legends like Quincy Jones and Berry Gordy certainly didn't hurt, either. On top of that though, he had an absolutely insane amount of creativity and dedication. His mind was always several steps ahead, of whatever he happened to be doing right then. His mother said he suffered from chronic insomnia for a very long time, which I can somewhat relate to as someone with a constantly-racing mind. After Michael's passing, I started reading books about him, being very careful to avoid the trash pieces...and I've started to think he may have had some kind of undiagnosed mental difference. Not an all-out disorder like cerebral palsy, but rather something milder like Asperger's. This would explain his general distrust of most adults, his preference to be around children, the partial naivete, and his nearly obsessive mindset regarding music. I could be grasping at straws, but its just an idea...partly based on similarities from my own life (was diagnosed with Asperger's in 2013).

Incredibly thought provoking.

 

[mj_frenzy]

I wanted to ask the long-time fans: how was it growing up with Michael in the eighties and nineties? (i was born in 1998 so i wouldn't know)
I know that MJ was veeeery huge,especially in the eighties.His thriller was a game changer, his music videos something completely new and innovative, and i think we don't even need to talk about the influence he had on others...

Personally, I am really curious how fans reacted when the ‘Thriller’ album came out for the first time in 1982.

After Michael's passing, I started reading books about him, being very careful to avoid the trash pieces...and I've started to think he may have had some kind of undiagnosed mental difference. Not an all-out disorder like cerebral palsy, but rather something milder like Asperger's. This would explain his general distrust of most adults, his preference to be around children, the partial naivete, and his nearly obsessive mindset regarding music. I could be grasping at straws, but its just an idea...partly based on similarities from my own life (was diagnosed with Asperger's in 2013).

Celebrities who live constantly in the limelight (especially from a very young age) can behave differently. I think this does not mean that they suffer from undiagnosed mental differences/disorders.

Also, I believe that it is a good thing when people are obsessed with their work/profession because this means that they derive great pleasure from it, which can lead to better results.

 

[Ms. BlueGangsta]

Personally, I am really curious how fans reacted when the ‘Thriller’ album came out for the first time in 1982.

Same

Celebrities who live constantly in the limelight (especially from a very young age) can behave differently. I think this does not mean that they suffer from undiagnosed mental differences/disorders.

Also, I believe that it is a good thing when people are obsessed with their work/profession because this means that they derive great pleasure from it, which can lead to better results.

Agreed.

 

[mjprince1976]

Good question, and sensitive. It's good to know Michael's legacy has passed to a new generation.
.
For me I will initially attracted to him through his videos on TV, back in 1982/83 they only had one 30 minute chart show here a week and the song I remmeber on it always was Billie Jean and then Beat It. I liked their sound and thought the guy in videos was cool and could really dance. i was 6/7 and transformed by his power. Then Thriller (Song) came a long and knew he was a unique talent.
.
After that with Bad I got the album and just loved, his music, his sound, his dancing and the fact he was such a nice and polite guy in real life. In 1987 when I was 11, my parents had no problem with me liking Michael Jackson as he was clean and wholesome. But to me it was his sound, it attracted me everytime and later on just his presence and the quality of voice. I had a difficult childhood (Caused by Aspergers, only got diagnosed in 2009, but kind of knew in 1995), Michael Jackson and his music was the one constant, getting home and putting Michael on.
.
As I hit my teens, I listened to more artists and never strayed from Michael, defended him through the trials and charges (Where my parents preferred I listened to Prince as they thought MJ was guilty). I discovered Prince in 1991 andhe became my favourite, but I never forgot Michael as he wa sthe first artist I really got into and you could feel his love.

 

[DancingMjsdream]

As I hit my teens, I listened to more artists and never strayed from Michael, defended him through the trials and charges (Where my parents preferred I listened to Prince as they thought MJ was guilty). I discovered Prince in 1991 andhe became my favourite, but I never forgot Michael as he wa sthe first artist I really got into and you could feel his love.

I like Prince very much, and Janet. But at the moment,Michael is my absolute favourite,that could change someday but i doubt it
I've just started to get interested in Music,i was more of a TV series Junkie. But there are soo many artists,i don't think i will listen to everyone.
My friends like Michael,but they don't get why i'm so much into eighties and nineties music,but i don't get how they can listen to Justin Bieber or Nicki Minaj

 

[KOPV]

The primary thing that would cancel out a thought of Michael having something like Asperger syndrome (though an interesting take) is the fact he was not always the way we learned of him.. his social queues were a lot more "normal" (normal as in a relative term).. It was really it was really around puberty that his shyness and introvert type behavior started to develop.. his could be caused by several factors. We all know he did not live a normal life and that really is (self admittedly) he stared to have real issue with his appearance due to him growing and people seeing/hearing him change...

timeline you can see in interviews that is when he started to pull away, he spoke softer, eye contact gradually became more and more of an issue... When you have those issues and you have the capabilities of building walls around yourself - it creates a cycle of becoming more closed off.. "hermit like"

Stay away because you don't feel comfortable, and the more you stay away the harder it is to know how to relate which is most of common communication.. Without relativeness there is no bases of substance of conversation.. without that you "panic" in an awkward type feeling and you pull further away..

I've seen this happen to a few people, Michael just on the grandest scale