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What will happen to Michael’s legacy as a person?

morinen

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All these recent events with tabloid lies and attempts of fans to disprove them – again – got me thinking… in 10, 20, 50 years, after the dust has cleared, what will become of Michael’s legacy as a person?

In my mind there is no doubt that his music, his short films, his dancing will live on for years and years. Art is immortal, and he will go down in history as a very talented musician. It is evident even now: most people who are skeptical about his so-called “life choices” admit that was a great artist; and as time goes on, events of his personal life will cease to matter completely. People will enjoy his music without caring much about the guy who had that music written. Like we listen to Mozart’s music without looking closely into his life.

I felt it first time very vividly in Las Vegas, on MJ ONE show. His music is celebrated there, but it is also marketed in a very smart way: you create this spectacular extravaganza, you hang posters everywhere, you open a gift shop – an voila, people start flocking in. There are hardcore fans there, yes, but I think the majority of this crowd doesn’t care much about MJ and about what he did or didn’t do. They just come in for a show, they want to be entertained for their 100 bucks. And that’s okay – I guess - that’s what art is for, and Michael wanted to be remembered as the greatest entertainer.

His estate executors encourage this by sticking strictly to the music and carefully walking around everything else. They position him as “Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, the greatest entertainer.” Their answer to allegations and attempts to stain his reputation is, "Go listen to his music, watch the show." And I can understand why – their job is to make his estate profitable, and that’s where the money is – in the music, in the show.

But to us he is so much more than that. And I’ve always wanted people to remember him for the person he was, too. His music will be appreciated by generations, but will those generations fall in love with him, like we did? In 50 years, will they be interested in personal stories from his friends who described him as this sweet and funny guy? Will they cherish bits of candid footage where he flashes that innocent smile of his? Will they cry thinking how he was hurting? He suffered so much in his life, that I feel he deserves to be remembered for that too. Will they want to know what he had done for the children? Will they be inspired by his confidence that nothing is impossible in this world? Will they learn from his mind maps, from his goal-setting techniques, from his determination and strength? He deserves to be remembered for the special, one of a kind person that he was, a humanitarian, an inspiration and a ray of light for millions of people. But will he be? Famous people are usually remembered for their lasting achievements, not for who they were as people, unfortunately. I’m trying to think of a historical example that proves the opposite... Like Gandhi, maybe? Like Lady Di? What do you think?
 
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I wish there was a definite answer to this question but clearly there isn't. I too hope theres a point in time when people don't feel its necessary to separate the man from his music. Its just that the publics perception of Mj is so distorted because of all the negative press and allegations that people don't want to believe that he was a genuinely good person. I mean I heard someone post about this in another thread but they talked about the recording Murray had of Michael when he was drugged up and it doesn't get better than that. Michael was drugged up but still thinking and talking about the wellbeing of others and children especially.

Its just the fact that people are so stubborn and don't do their research. I like to believe that the people who do legitimate research about Michael and don't just believe the rubbish articles will fall in love with him as a person. Once they truly see him and not the media circus that surrounded him but simply as Michael Jackson, it'll be hard not to love him or at least respect him.
 
I’d love to believe that in the end truth will win and people’s perception of Michael as a person will change. I don’t think the current generation of journalists will change their attitude towards Michael, because that would mean that they’d have to admit they were wrong about him and also take responsibility for their own part in causing Michael so much pain. That would require inner strength, compassion, honesty and integrity, and let’s be real, the sort of person who wants to make a living by writing tabloid garbage most likely lacks all of those qualities.

But I think younger journalists might be able to look at Michael’s story and the media’s part in it in a more objective way because they haven’t been part of the media crusade against Michael that hurt him so much. There could be someone who would actually be interested in the truth. The media always wants to tell stories, and Michael’s life the way it really was is a far more interesting story than the one the media is trying to tell right now.

But then, maybe that won’t happen. Maybe younger people’s views are so tainted by years of media slander that they can’t even imagine that what they’ve been told about Michael isn’t the truth. Maybe the lies and negativity will just continue until it’s all people hear about Michael. It’s a depressing thought, and I really hope it won’t be that way. Sometimes it just seems so hopeless when it feels like every day there’s some new nasty story about Michael in the press.
 
History will not be kind to him as far as his personal life goes.
But his professional career will always shine.
 
It's not even that I'm concerned people will believe bad things about him. The facts will always be there, and those who want to know will know the truth. It's just I'm not sure people will care at all - one way or the other. Or will they?

Michael has been such a sunshine in my life, and I know he literally saved many others. I want him to shine forever. It's in his music in part, but not all of it. For many fans I know music is secondary to the man. Will anybody feel like that in 50 years?
 
I think so and, in a way, I'm an example of someone who fell in love with who Michael was after his death. Sadly, I was a bit too young during his life to truly appreciate Michael for who he was (but I still remember loving his music when I heard it, e.g. when I heard Beat It on an advert).
Who he was, for me, is actually secondary to his music (although I do love it) and I watched many of his interviews, home videos, etc. because I was in awe of what kind of person he was. It's very rare to find someone even close to having as much compassion, love, etc. as he did - how many people do we know now who would readily invite charity organisations into their home? Michael did it on a weekly basis in Neverland and all for free!

The fact that he was so misunderstood because of the horrible tabloids and rumours saddens me, it's as if the world would prefer to believe someone as loving as him can't exist, as if humanity can only be filled with selfishness and greed. Michael suffered so much pain during his lifetime, yet he never gave up... He continued giving to charity and, before his death, there was a recording of him speaking about his dream to build children's hospitals all over the world.

The love for Michael as a person will carry on. I don't and can't believe that someone who gave so much love, compassion and kindness to the world would ever be forgotten. I know the organisations he helped, those who knew him personally and the people who ignore the tabloids and actually look into what really happened will remember him for who he was. His message of love will continue for generations to come.
 
I think that there will always be those who love him for who he was first and then as an entertainer, those who love him as an entertainer and those who hate. The world doesn't change, it's always the same. You will find people who love or don't love Mozart for who he was as well. Not the general public, true, but there are those who do. But I think in the end, it doesn't matter. I think that as long as there is one person who loves him and cherishes him for the man he was, it won't matter that no one else does. But there isn't one, there are millions. As long as we keep loving him and respecting him, as long as we remain loyal, I think he will continue to live as an entertainer as well as a great man.
 
I agree with Sunwalker7 that until this generation of journalists dictates the discourse about Michael we cannot expect much positive change. This media is just way too invested in portraying Michael in a certain way as they actively participated in creating that picture about him.

What will happen in the next generations? I hope there will be at least scholars, intellectuals interested in finding out the truth and looking back they will see it for what it was - a witch hunt 20th-21th century style. That's why I think we should leave behind as many resource material for them as we can. It would be so injust, such a tragedy if Michael would be remembered with that horrible stigma attached to him. But then this world is often injust and the masses are often not too smart and are easily manipulated, so any outcome is possible. The way Michael was treated did a lot for me to get disillusioned with the human race.
 
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It enrages me to know that most people won't take the time to truly know or research what Michael was about, not just musically but as a person and human being. As many have said the general image people have of him is so distorted they can't believe he could be other than what the filthy press made him to be : a bizarre, scary child abuser... they're so damn lazy and careless to even bother, they don't realize he was indeed a (very unique, beautiful) human being, as he said "I'm a fighter. But it's very painful. At the end of the day, I'm human, you know, I'm still a human being. So it does hurt very, very, very much" and it does hurt me, too.

Just recently I saw someone claim that he was a hypocrite because he hated child molesters but still listened to Billie Jean... seriously? people have remained this ignorant despite the clear, overwhelming evidences of his INNOCENCE. I could never separate who he was from his music, because his music is the core of his being and it reflected who he truly was and what he went through, his view on every aspect of life, so in my opinion you cannot separate that from the man and his personal life and what he had to endure. So it's very hypocritical of those who claim to enjoy his music to think of him as this media monster that tabloids and his enemies created. I often read "Oh let's remember his musical legacy, Michael was a musical genius" well NO, he was but we've got to remember the amazingly GOOD, kind, unique person, too. I haven't known anybody with that level of love and kindness and the world cannot allow his personal legacy to be thrown in the garbage anymore, it's simply NOT FAIR and we owe it to him.
 
That would be up to future generations I suppose. To me, his personal life story is within his music, especially the HIStory album for example. I think there will always be hardcore fans in the far future who will look into his personal life just out of curiosity. I too would love for him to remembered for his humanitarianism. I think it's almost more important than the art itself. I think if more documentaries and books were published about that side of Michael, he will be remembered for that as well.
 
Didn´t Michael say his fans were his biggest legacy?
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/IGMW6YWjMxw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
I think of us as his hummingbirds
Perhaps journalists are not interested to write about Everland, Heal the World for Children, One rose for Michael J Jackson and many other charities for Michael that I don´t know about, but people who get help will learn about him, maybe local papers write something.
We are many fans and there are many local papers to spread the word about Michael the humanitarian.

There are videos and lyrics for example Earth Song, Man in the mirror, We´ve had enough, This is it-the film, the book Dancing the dream.
Are they selling Dancing The Dream in MJONE giftshop?
It would be nice if they made a dvd from Immortal

I think it´s important if we make comments to articles in tabloids, for youtube etc that we don´t use bad language and start to argue with haters.
We should write facts.
It probably will not change haters but there can be other people who read it.
 
No they are not selling Dancing the Dream in MJ ONE shop, and it hasn't even been reissued in USA since the 90s. It's such a shame. I think if the publishers are not up to it, the estate should sponsor this project: this book is Michael through and through, and how can it be just forgotten?
 
You know, I appreciate this thread so much because I think about this all the time.

This is how much I knew about Michael exactly one year ago.

I knew some of the music, not all. Some Off The Wall songs plus Wanna be Startin Something I knew, but I never knew he sang them.

I knew the hits-- Billie Jean, Thriller, Beat It, Bad, Black or White, Will You Be There, Heal The World, Scream, You Rock My World. That's about it really. I had never even heard of Man in the Mirror.

I didn't think at all that he had done those things people accused him of, but I thought he was weird and I didn't know why.

My thinking never went further then that. I didn't follow tabloids, and he just wasn't someone that I thought of much. But I liked the music.

I am telling you this because this was only one year ago... look at how much has changed in my life. People say the Estate is focusing on shows and spectacles that don't matter. They DO matter. They matter because they communicate everything that Michael was about. One year ago I went to see Immortal and left a different person. I left wondering "How did I ever miss the messages in all those songs? How is it that I don't remember those songs? That quote was beautiful... when did he say that?"
But to us he is so much more than that. And I&#8217;ve always wanted people to remember him for the person he was, too. His music will be appreciated by generations, but will those generations fall in love with him, like we did? In 50 years, will they be interested in personal stories from his friends who described him as this sweet and funny guy? Will they cherish bits of candid footage where he flashes that innocent smile of his? Will they cry thinking how he was hurting? He suffered so much in his life, that I feel he deserves to be remembered for that too. Will they want to know what he had done for the children? Will they be inspired by his confidence that nothing is impossible in this world? Will they learn from his mind maps, from his goal-setting techniques, from his determination and strength? He deserves to be remembered for the special, one of a kind person that he was, a humanitarian, an inspiration and a ray of light for millions of people.
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It is up to us. I can see that everything the estate is doing now is all about showing the world his true legacy, the person that he was. I see now, because after I saw Immortal I thought "There must be a lot I don't know about him". And now? I am joining the Legacy Project right here on this site because it is up to US to be representatives of all the things he believed in. As fans, our behavior reflects on Michael in a way. When he come together for example, we should make an effort to do something good that benefits people. When people see a group of MJ fans on the news, they might say "Look at all those people standing around crying about Michael Jackson... that is so weird." or they might say "Look at all them helping people, they are all Michael Jackson fans. I wonder what that has to do with Michael Jackson?"

They key thing these shows are doing is using the music to bridge the gap. They are trying to show people what was there all along, through entertainment-- the thing Michael did best.

The question of what his legacy will be I think really depends on the fans, I really do. What will we have it be? Because the time to make it what it should be is now.

Lark
 
Lark0016 said:
I am telling you this because this was only one year ago... look at how much has changed in my life. People say the Estate is focusing on shows and spectacles that don't matter. They DO matter. They matter because they communicate everything that Michael was about. One year ago I went to see Immortal and left a different person. I left wondering "How did I ever miss the messages in all those songs? How is it that I don't remember those songs? That quote was beautiful... when did he say that?"
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That's a good point. If we talk about the allegations as the factor that is most threatening to MJ's legacy I think the sad thing about them is that people are so misinformed about them thanks to decades of media manipulation, brainwash and lies. The difficulty we face is that these cases are very complex, complicated and it takes time and effort to explain all the ins and outs of it - and that's usually something people don't have patience for because they are just not that interested in Michael. Sadly they are interested enough though to judge and bash and convict him without knowing much about these cases. I think the only way you can make people interested in the truth about him is if you make them interested in his art first. That's something that reaches people a lot, lot easier than if you bombard them with information about someone they are not really interested in. Once they get interested in the art chances are that many of those people (although not all) will also get interested in the man behind the art and eventually will arrive to the point when they will be interested in the truth behind the allegations.

BTW, I don't think people say the Estate's focus on shows and spectacles don't matter. I think all of as are very happy and excited to hear about both the critical and commercial success of ONE and just about anything that makes the masses appreciate Michael and his art. I personally only say that the way they handled this FBI files crap wasn't very good PR-wise and they need to up their game regarding this. Whether they ignore it or not, they will have to realize that these allegations are the single most dangerous thing to Michael's legacy so they cannot pretend they don't matter because they do. It's not easy to fight them in such a hostile media environment, but they have to join the fight and not pretend the whole thing doesn't exist. Tom Mesereau and fans cannot fight this alone without some official support at least from Michael's Estate.
 
I think the only way you can make people interested in the truth about him is if you make them interested in his art first.
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This hits the nail right on the head of what I was trying to say. Because that is exactly what I went through... I didn't follow Michael all my life, and I didn't discover him because of his death. It was the art and the way it was totally geared toward everything Michael believed in. And in it, I saw everything I believed in too.

morinen;3865432 said:
His estate executors encourage this by sticking strictly to the music and carefully walking around everything else. They position him as &#8220;Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, the greatest entertainer.&#8221; Their answer to allegations and attempts to stain his reputation is, "Go listen to his music, watch the show." And I can understand why &#8211; their job is to make his estate profitable, and that&#8217;s where the money is &#8211; in the music, in the show.
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BTW, I don't think people say the Estate's focus on shows and spectacles don't matter. I think all of as are very happy and excited to hear about both the critical and commercial success of ONE and just about anything that makes the masses appreciate Michael and his art.
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I do agree with you. On the whole and to generalize, I love the support I have seen from many fans. My comment was partially in response to the quote above, but mostly in response to some groups of fans who I hear have chosen to boycott Estate projects, the backlash against the Michael album, and comments I have seen on this site about how the projects "water down" his work and that it's all too gimmicky. These projects, I really believe are hummingbirds. And I am a small drop of water, but I am something. My life has changed because of them, and I am a better person because of them. This is what I know.


Lark
 
I don't want to speak for Morinen, she can speak for herself, but I did not have the impression she implied the Estate's focus on shows and spectacles don't matter. But that's not the only and single focus they should have and you cannot handle serious and damaging allegations by just saying "go watch MJ ONE". That was the point IMO.
 
I agree with you, it's just that what she said made me think of... well, everything I have already explained. My comment was MAINLY in response to that...

Maybe I am not very good at explaining myself, but what I am trying to do is give a positive response to what Morinen said. But part of what she said made me think of the response from SOME groups of fans, which led to my comment.

I really hope I have explained myself...

Lark
 
Lark0016 said:
You know, I appreciate this thread so much because I think about this all the time.

This is how much I knew about Michael exactly one year ago.

It is up to us. I can see that everything the estate is doing now is all about showing the world his true legacy, the person that he was. I see now, because after I saw Immortal I thought "There must be a lot I don't know about him". And now? I am joining the Legacy Project right here on this site because it is up to US to be representatives of all the things he believed in.
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Oh thank you sooo much for this comment! You just restored my faith in the future a little bit! I didn't think much of Immortal, to be honest, in my opinion it wasn't nearly as powerful as "This Is It", for example, in conveying Michael's spirit. But if at least ONE person came out of the show feeling like that, it was totally worth it! I'm glad people are still discovering Michael, even after the initial posthumous wave of praise has been gone from the news. This means in upcoming years it will be possible too.

Lark0016 said:
The question of what his legacy will be I think really depends on the fans, I really do. What will we have it be? Because the time to make it what it should be is now.
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Totally agree.
 
I didn't think much of Immortal, to be honest, in my opinion it wasn't nearly as powerful as "This Is It", for example, in conveying Michael's spirit. But if at least ONE person came out of the show feeling like that, it was totally worth it! I'm glad people are still discovering Michael, even after the initial posthumous wave of praise has been gone from the news. This means in upcoming years it will be possible too.
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A lot of people didn't love Immortal as much as they expected to, and I do understand why, but the great thing is that it was so accessible. When we were waiting to get out of the parking lot, somebody else in the parking lot was on the phone with the local radio station (it was opening night) telling them about the show. They gave it a great review and said "You don't have to be a Michael Jackson fan to have a good time, it's really for everybody". I think that was intentional. It's all a part of bridging the gap between fans, and those who just like the music. And now there is MJONE! Something that, after Immortal, everyone can enjoy that is even closer to Michael's spirit.


I also want to say that I was pretty tired last night and I wasn't really choosing my words well... I hope the above post explains that I wasn't trying to say that you don't agree with the projects the Estate focuses on.

Lark
 
morinen said:
No they are not selling Dancing the Dream in MJ ONE shop, and it hasn't even been reissued in USA since the 90s. It's such a shame. I think if the publishers are not up to it, the estate should sponsor this project: this book is Michael through and through, and how can it be just forgotten?
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I think Michael said Dancing the Dream was more about him than Moonwalk

I searched for the book in 5 online music,books shops and they had the book in 3 of them.
You never know these days but I think they are swedish shops, or Nordic
 
Lark0016 said:
A lot of people didn't love Immortal as much as they expected to, and I do understand why, but the great thing is that it was so accessible.
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It's true, I saw it in my home country, and it was the greatest event there related to Michael since he died. Even This Is It didn't get as much attention. It had an enormous reach, and I don't know if we'll ever get another global project like that. It's a little sad really, because I think projects like Bad 25 deserve at least as much publicity.

Don't feel bad about your words, I'm not picky, and I understood what you wanted to say
 
MIST said:
I think Michael said Dancing the Dream was more about him than Moonwalk

I searched for the book in 5 online music,books shops and they had the book in 3 of them.
You never know these days but I think they are swedish shops, or Nordic
Click to expand...


I agree, Dancing the Dream tells more about him than Moonwalk. It's almost like a snapshot of his soul.

It was reissued in the UK in 2009, so you can buy it from the British Amazon or other European online stores, but it wasn't reissued in the US which means it's not in the offline shops here, and I think many fans don't even realize that they can buy it from Britain. Not a good situation, imo.
 
Hopefully his legacy will be mostly about his music, or more accurately his large body of work as an artist (vocals, production, composition, videos, choreography, overall artistic voice/vision). In terms of how he's remembered as a person, I think his charity work is probably the most significant. People that donate to charities in his name on his birthday (and in some cases on June 25th) are trying to keep that aspect of Michael Jackson alive . . . there's been surprisingly little fan support for that kind of thing though. Another thing might be how he crossed over all ethnic/racial differences. There's really no other public figure that has accomplished that. Really people could care less about Elvis or the Beatles or whatever in most parts of the world outside the US and some parts of Europe. There's some sort of global unity angle there that hasn't been given enough attention. It's especially impressive since he's only about four generations removed from slavery (2009 GQ article by John Sullivan makes reference to this).
 
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That's a good question.. The thing is, when people are interested in him, they will find a TON of info to prove how good of a person he was. But you have to wonder if the general image of him has become so tainted, that people won't be interested to find out..

I hope that, when he has become a 'person of the past', most of the negatives will have worn off. Because the way he was portrayed in the media is a short-term thing, it's only about the money. It's being continued now even after his passing because there is still money to be made, but in future generations that will not be the case. So they will go 'back to basics'. And in the basics, when you truly look at the man and what he did with his life, and there are no more crazy stories to distract from it, you can only come to the conclusion that he was a genuinely good, caring and giving person. He did SO much to help and give, there is just no way that will all be forgotten.
 
I believe it can get better because his children are his living legacy. They are his voice more than anyone else. Too many people know how good Michael was as a person. Liza Minelli said once that a lot of people have no idea all the good Michael did. Even though lately it feels like it never gets better there have been small signs that is possible for people to see Michael differently as a person. Many new fans are younger people too and I think more people can be more open minded and try to see the truth. It will never be perfect but it can get better.
 
morinen;3868382 said:
I agree, Dancing the Dream tells more about him than Moonwalk. It's almost like a snapshot of his soul.

It was reissued in the UK in 2009, so you can buy it from the British Amazon or other European online stores, but it wasn't reissued in the US which means it's not in the offline shops here, and I think many fans don't even realize that they can buy it from Britain. Not a good situation, imo.
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I didn´t know about the book until 2009 when I joined MJJC and I think there are many new fans and also many like me who always liked Michael but was busy with other things and never heard of the book.
They can´t ask for it when they don´t know it exists.
There are many guests here, some of them can be new fans

I´ve posted the poems here I need to bump them up.
Maybe a few guests would be interested.
 
I don't think that this is something that any of us can really foresee. Children are definitely vital though. For those of us that already have/plan to have kids, you have to "pass" Michael on to them so to speak. Introduce them to the music, talk about the kind of person he was and all of the wonderful things he did for the world, etc. The things you're introduced to during your first 10 years seem to make a very deep impression and stay with most people for the rest of their lives. If you pass Michael's message on to them, they will be the ones to carry it into the future.
 
We have to save his music legacy 🙏 We have to show Eastet that we need Invincible 35 and Dangerous 25. Because these albums are very important ☝️
 
People will be interested and will still continue to support. As the thread has proven so far.
 
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