First, let me just say I never tire of hearing about how we all came to love/lust for Michael lol. It's like exchanging stories of falling in love, except it's all about the same person, and there is no jealousy haha. It's very fun to me. Anyway, I want to respond to what you said, because it's so interesting to me.
Luckily for me, I was not aware of all of that negative press, just remember hearing some news about plastic surgery when he died and ignored it as some tabloid nonsense. I had no idea of how insanely famous he was at peak of his career, I have to say he redefined the concept of 'famous' for me.
It actually gives me a lot of hope that you weren't aware of the negative press about him. It mean some places in the world that was not the leading, or only narrative about him. It also makes me think that the particular brand of negativity I grew up with is probably not going to carry into younger people, because it's not the main thing we hear about now. Anyway, I think maybe because I was a pre-teen/teen in the early 2000s in the US it was just completely impossible to avoid. He was so mistreated. But beyond how horrible it was for him, which is the most important thing, I also blame it entirely for the reason that I never got into his music until now. Even though I've never been into pop music at all, in the 2000s I will still more open to it (as opposed to my 20s when I was basically 100% disinterested in it). Had I not been manipulated into thinking he was weird, and that I would be weird by extension for liking him, I probably would have been curious about him. It just makes me sad that those feelings stayed with me for so long and certainly remain with a lot of people my age.
I won't go again into whole story, but stick to Manhood part - first thing I remember is seeing YANA video, that time it was between ok and weird.
Yeah, I have only watched it a couple times and have never really felt it. I haven't even tried to watch it since probably the first month of my obsession though, so maybe I'd feel differently about it now. I just remember feeling a little strange about it. Hard to explain.
Then I saw the HIStory trailer - and I was like - is he for real! How can someone be so beautiful, so perfect (not sexy yet)
I actually didn't like the HIStory trailer initially. Not because of his looks (he looks beautiful in it) but I didn't like the...posturing? Either way, I don't feel that way about it at all now. Keep in mind the first month or so I became obsessed with him, my mind was still extremely distorted by the media. I didn't even fully discredit the allegations in my mind until like 2 months into it, so I had a lot of mixed ideas when I watched his interviews and stuff in those earlier days. To put it simply, I was ultimately shocked by who I have learned he actually was.
! That led to Dangerous concert, not HIStory funny enough. Just see Michael dance on stage with such precision and technique, perfect moves, perfect perfect perfect! I was like this is insane! How did I not know all this! I was already in love with his perfection.
And then Michael in that outfit, showing all kinds of Abs, touching himself all over and dancing so perfectly (and provocatively, lets be real here!). Grabbing his crotch again and again so comfortably on stage. Usually overtly sexy stuff on screen turns me off, but I was hooked. He was already doing something to my brain, he was touching, humping, thrusting but my brain did not find it vulgar!
First I was almost like
am I even allowed to see it! Appreciate Manhood!
His dancing was absolutely my avenue into this lol. At first I just thought he was the coolest person in the world. So fucking smooth, so much swagger, so much charisma. It's so funny, I actually remember feeling somewhat scandalized by all the crotch grabbing (which is hilarious if you know me, because next to nothing scandalizes me). But I think that came from the fact that I was starting to see him sexually and that was what was scandalizing me, more than the actual moves. Now I'm not scandalized at all and it feels totally normal to watch (just like feeling a constant sexual response to him feels normal now lol).
I totally know what you mean too... I can't imagine literally any other man dancing like this and me actually liking it. I would never be into this kind of thing otherwise. I think the fact that he is SOOO good at what he does and does it so tastefully, while also so enticingly, that's the recipe. The talent and the taste (along with the incredible looks and style, of course).
Then HIStory tour, gold pants
, I think that's when I searched to know if my brain has just crossed over to a perv place or there is really a lot going on with Mike Jr on stage!
Very glad to know I was not the only one!
I genuinely remember when I didn't feel anything about the gold pants lol. IT's so funny now because I love them. I genuinely think the entire outfit is so sexy. Every stage of it. But initially I didn't think much about it either way. I'll always prefer his Bad tour clothing out of all, I think, (that's actually the first time I saw "Mike Jr" on stage...I still remember the physical reaction it gave me lol).
Something I would love to know from people in general is what your impression of Michael was prior to becoming a fan/going crazy about him. When he was just a famous name in the backdrop. Because now that I know how amazing he is, I find myself annoyed by people who don't hold him in that regard, even though I was literally one of those people this time last year lol.
Sorry, a lot of this isn't necessarily manhood oriented, but I do enjoy these conversations!