MJ isn't a celebrity, he is a legend

[MykelTheSuperfan]

This is my opinion but I think that there is a line between being a celebrity and being a legend
Celebrities:
.they only have fame for a limited amount of time
.they didn't have what I call "a first moment of legendhood"
.if one thing goes wrong in their personal life they lose a lot of their fandom
Legends:
.work, art and acts is immortalized
.will have fame no matter what goes wrong
.is appreciated by multiple generations and generations to come
.have a first moment of legendhood

I think that MJ fits into this category definitely
You may disagree but I really think that his first moment of legendhood is the second he started doing the moonwalk on Motown 25 because it was his moment of glory which was for everyone to see

 

[staywild23]

This past semester, I taught a unit in my class on the concept of "influence" and "inspiration" and we spent a day or two on pop culture. Part of the discussion was differentiating between fads, trends, and icons. It was a full class discussion that went on for a long time, identifying examples of things that fit into each category. We included anything ranging from fashion, to food, to tv shows, to people.

When we got to icon, the ONLY person that came up in every single class was Michael Jackson. No one else. The conclusion was that he is the ultimate icon. Your post differentiating between celebrities and legends reminds me of that discussion.

There is definitely a massive difference between someone like Michael Jackson and your every day celebrity. I think about this a lot because of how much hell Michael and now his legacy continue to go through, and yet, his fan base continues to grow around the world, among all demographics of people. He is still extremely relevant and still garners a ton of respect and admiration.

 

[filmandmusic]

When we got to icon, the ONLY person that came up in every single class was Michael Jackson. No one else.

Question: did you wear a Michael Jackson t shirt and white glove? If the answer is yes then all of this was rigged!

 

[staywild23]

Question: did you wear a Michael Jackson t shirt and white glove? If the answer is yes then all of this was rigged!

Absolutely not! In fact, I didn't even mention being a fan. I just nodded and said "very true" and moved on like it meant nothing to me when, in fact, it meant everything! Lol

However, final couple weeks of class I asked them to pick a random protest song to analyze and several chose "They Don't Care About Us" and only during that discussion did I say I'm a massive fan. But even that is putting it lightly. I could have said I'm psychotically in love, but I held back to seem more professional n' shit.