Was He The Most Famous Person On Earth?

[mj_frenzy]

What I meant by that is that most people have heard of their names but are not really familiar with their work. I doubt many people around the world are able to recite a Shakespeare play, explain Einstein's contributions to science or describe a Picasso painting. On the other hand, the people who have heard of Michael will almost certainly know about his music and his public image. Therefore, I consider Michael to be more famous but this is of course just one definition of fame.

Although there may be an answer in some fields (sports, music, etc&#8230 I think in general nobody can tell for sure.

 

[HIStoric]

What I meant by that is that most people have heard of their names but are not really familiar with their work. I doubt many people around the world are able to recite a Shakespeare play, explain Einstein's contributions to science or describe a Picasso painting. On the other hand, the people who have heard of Michael will almost certainly know about his music and his public image. Therefore, I consider Michael to be more famous but this is of course just one definition of fame.

I think it's more understandable that people of today are more familiar with Michael's work (which was only created recently) than they are of works that were created multiple decades, if not centuries ago. I think also it's understandable that people would be more familiar with works that are related to entertainment (i.e. plays, songs, films) than they are in regards to science (although the formula E=mc[SUP]2[/SUP] is as famous, if not iconic, as Einstein itself).

For Shakespeare specifically, he is still ridiculously famous thanks to his timeless work. I honestly can't think of anyone of reasonable age who doesn't know of at least one or two of his plays. Whether they would be able to recite them is a different manner, but how many people who aren't MJ fans recite the words to, say, Thriller or Bad outside of the chorus? No doubt a reasonable number give the recent and popular nature of the work (never mind the fact you couldn't escape MJ's work in June/July 2009) but what about in say 50 years time?

As you said though, this is just one aspect/definition of fame (and in fact a rather interesting aspect I've never really thought much of before!).

 

[Antwort]

What a great thread this turned out to be I'm all for debates and exchange of ideas and arguments. Same as movement is a definite mark of life, so are civilized debates signs of cerebral activity. Nice to see the community active and engaged in a discussion not involving trials and other issues of the like.

Initially I had planned a much longer intervention, but I don't think it will be necessary since it wouldn't contribute much to the talk. I will just say a couple of things about sports - football truly is a global phenomenon and beyond Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham, there were and are other figures who have captured the world's attention, everyone from Pele and Maradona in the past to Leo Messi in recent times. Also, Michael Jordan was THE man back in the day. The NBA may have been a mostly American (ad)venture, but Jordan was known and loved all over the world.

As far as the artistic MJ is concerned, I don't think it even matters if he was/is the most famous person or not. For me at least, far more important are the ways in which he tried to use his fame - to bring awareness and awakening and hope to people. How the world and especially the media responded to that is a whole different business. Hopefully, history will be kinder to him than many of his contemporaries have been, especially considering most of the treatment he received from 1993 until June 2009.


Don't mean to go o/t, but since the two MJs have been brought up, how about a musical intermission?

I think it's wonderful when icons from different spheres of life collaborate on worthwhile projects. When the result of their work is not just inspiring, but also cool, even better.

 

[mj_frenzy]

I think it's more understandable that people of today are more familiar with Michael's work (which was only created recently) than they are of works that were created multiple decades, if not centuries ago. I think also it's understandable that people would be more familiar with works that are related to entertainment (i.e. plays, songs, films) than they are in regards to science (although the formula E=mc[SUP]2[/SUP] is as famous, if not iconic, as Einstein itself).

For Shakespeare specifically, he is still ridiculously famous thanks to his timeless work. I honestly can't think of anyone of reasonable age who doesn't know of at least one or two of his plays. Whether they would be able to recite them is a different manner, but how many people who aren't MJ fans recite the words to, say, Thriller or Bad outside of the chorus? No doubt a reasonable number give the recent and popular nature of the work (never mind the fact you couldn't escape MJ's work in June/July 2009) but what about in say 50 years time?

As you said though, this is just one aspect/definition of fame (and in fact a rather interesting aspect I've never really thought much of before!).

I think the most important aspect is, if that fame, regarding all those renowned people, is associated with positive and/or negative things in people's minds.

 

[InvincibleMJ]

Wow, I think you are greatly underestimating how big of an impact Jordan had. Maybe basketball is not a popular sport in your country, but millions of people around the world are invested in it. And Michael Jordan was the biggest name in basketball in the 90s. People were very invested in his performance as an athlete because he led his team to 6 titles. He was more or less the perfect player, a symbol of success. Every kid throwing a basketball on a rundown court in the world dreamed of being Michael Jordan. He also had very successful endorsements (mainly with Nike) that, as I posted above, result in him being the biggest earning retired athlete to this day (and he starred in Space Jam, as analogue said :beee::lol. With regards to the bolded part, I don't quite understand why you say that, because you said yourself that a big part of Beckham's fame had to do with him being known for things outside of his performance on the pitch. So if anything, people were not as invested in his athletic performance, right?

You're absolutely right that football is huge and that you'll see kids in the most remote villages in Africa wear football jerseys. But I think these kids relate more to the player's performances, rather than the celebrity gossip that dominates the tabloid press here. I don't doubt that many of them know Beckham, but that would be for his performances as a player, not because he married 'Posh Spice'. And there are many players who had more success on the pitch than Beckham. Beckham is obviously a massive star, but we are talking about worldwide fame here, and I have serious doubts about his cultural impact in the non-western world. I also think that, because he was not the most successful football player there is and because his fame has to do with a lot of external factors, his longevity now that he has retired will be a lot shorter than Michael Jordan's, who remains relevant because he is still seen as the greatest basketball player of all time.

Well anyway, at least we agree on one thing: that neither of these guys are more famous than MJ. Sorry for straying offtopic.

As for the most famous American athlete, Jordan is a good candidate. Muhammad Ali would be another.

I totally agree with the entire post Jordan will remain relevant as long as he's the most succesful basketball player. I don't think he's as relevant as he was back in the 90's but his "legacy" will probably be more long lasting than other athlets for now. Great point about the villages, I didn't think about it this way.

Anyway, I'm not saying DB was more famous than Michael but he sure is a better candidate than some of the options that were mentioned here.

I still don't agree about the power of soccer vs the power of music matter but I wanted to reassure you I never once got the feeling that you're saying DB was more famous than Michael (Jackson, that is) and I do agree he's better than some of the options that were mentioned here. :flowers:

 

[HIStory]

I think when someone rises to truly iconic fame that is rarely only about the profession that person does. For example Einstein was mentioned. I think his fame and popularity has at least as much to do with his charisma than with what he discovered. Like said earlier, there aren't that many people who could really tell what the theory of relativity is all about - or even what E=mc2 means, even though they may know the famous formula. But a lot of people will have these kind of images in their minds about Einstein:

So Einstein became the epitome of the clever AND charismatic AND funny scientist with the eccentric hair style. An image that became so much a part of popular culture (ie. see the scientist figure in Back to the Future and other movies).

The same way people like Beckham or C.Ronaldo aren't so popular for just what they do on the football field. It's about the look, the charisma, the marketability at least as much.

And of course, music icons such as MJ, Lennon, Elvis, Bob Marley, Kurt Cobain etc. etc - are also more than their music. I'd say that's true to even some classical composers - see Mozart. That does not take away from the musical genius of these people, of course not, my point is just that they grew beyond it in terms of what they represent to their audience.

On another note: fame in itself does not necessarily equal popular. For example, I'd say Adolf Hitler is pretty famous as well. But for all the wrong reasons.

 

[mj_frenzy]

The saddest thing is that sometimes the positive (or creative) aspect of a famous person may be overshadowed by the negative one...

 

[Snow White luvs Peter Pan]

@respect, what you said about Albert Einstein reminded me of a conversation apparently occurred between him and Charlie Chaplin when he was driving him to Hollywood and people in the sudeways recognized them both.

The picture is real, Charlie invited Albert to a private screening of his movie City Lights in 1931. The anecdote come from a second hand account of Einstein's physician and friend, Jànos Plesch. Although it's noted in many Einstein's biographies Charlie was the one who made that comparison and humorous remark, "they're cheering us both, you because nobody understands you and me because everyone understands me." If Charlie made that comment, it's epic indeed. Anyway, if any of you are interested in the possible origins of the quote, I'll leave you this link. http://quoteinvestigator.com/2013/11/05/chaplin-einstein/

Einstein became the face of science/physics even if very few understand him, Sir Charles, the face of classic Hollywood (to me and many others a true genius and one, if not the most talented filmmaker of the 20th century.) It occurred something similar to Michael, many things of what he did became so iconic and groundbreaking that he's the face of entertainment.

 

[SmoothCriminal1995]

Outside of religious figures, he definitely was ! I don't think there has been anyone that have been talked about and recognised across the globe as much as Michael

 

[MAQ]

I might be a month late for this thread but...
I'm from Pakistan, and even illiterate people know of Michael here. That's why I get edgy when someone says that Elvis or The Beatles have much more global influence than MJ. My dad was a huge fan of music, and he doesn't even know who The Beatles were. He only knew of Elvis or Michael. When I was in 8th grade almost nobody in my class knew anything about Elvis, but all of them had heard at least one MJ song. And this song was at least 2 decades old lol.
Even people who haven't heard MJ's songs have heard of Michael at least. And his image has almost always been positive in this side of the world. So yeah, you can say he's the most famous person on the planet.

 

[HIStoric]

My dad was a huge fan of music, and he doesn't even know who The Beatles were.

That is such a weird sentence to read. It's like saying you're a huge fan of movies but you've never heard of Star Wars.

 

[MAQ]

That is such a weird sentence to read. It's like saying you're a huge fan of movies but you've never heard of Star Wars.

The Beatles aren't as famous here. We have our own Music Industry which was pretty strong for sometime. Foreign artists were rarely acknowledged. The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Prince, many music fans didn't know much about them in the past. Now though, due to the Internet and all, the situation has changed drastically (but not too much for either Prince or Pink Floyd).
Anyway, the point is that MJ was famous as hell even during those decades, whereas many of the people he was compared to were not. My father used to tell me how much of a revolutionary artist he was. Many tv serials and talk shows here made occasional MJ references. Can't say that for either The Beatles or Elvis.

 

[HIStory]

^ Interesting to hear some other perspective than the Western one.

 

[reibish]

What I think is most interesting about Michael's fame, at present, is because we experienced it as a global population. Right now, in this moment, he is still absolutely the most famous person on earth.

The thing is that Elvis, the Beatles, etc - they were all just as famous for their period or generation. But Michael's fame has sustained for decades. Truly! Young people these stays still love and are inspired by the Beatles, but few revere them as the Boomers did when they were at their peak and introduction into culture. Michael is still inspiring young people today, just as he inspired people 30, 40 years ago.

Michael's type of fame is definitely unique, and I think it is a first for culture and society, so that is why it is hard to pin down specifics. Just think of all the advancements we've made in his lifetime: the rise of mobile and telecommunication technology, the shift in journalism, social media, etc. I think he was just in the right place at the right time and cultural icon just grew with it. He truly is a phenomenon in that sense. Everything about him is recognizable. Everything! It's not just the name. It's the face, the art, the moves, the cultural shifts and barriers.

So, to compare him with longtime greats such as Shakespeare, Jesus of Nazareth, Einstein, etc - we aren't going to be around to see what his legend will be like 100 years from now. But something tells me it will be a bit different than the other HUGE names that are still famous centuries later. Michael dominated and influenced so much in his life that while his music will be what he's most well-known for, it will be a long time before we can finally tally up all the ways in which he changed culture and the world. He's the most famous now and I don't think that's going to change in any time we will see ourselves.

 

[HIStoric]

^ Interesting to hear some other perspective than the Western one.

Oh yes definitely!! I was just pointing out from a western perspective, it's such a weird thing to hear. I can't think of anyone (above a reasonable age ofc) that doesn't know who Michael or The Beatles are.

In the western world, I think Michael Jackson and the name 'The Beatles' would be very close in terms of fame. Both their name and their music is well known by the public. Elvis, while very famous by name, is not really as famous for his music anymore as he is for being an American cultural icon. Up until a few months ago when I made an effort to look into his music, I couldn't name more than 4 songs by him - tops (hell, I probably can't name more than 10 songs by him right now). Neither could a couple of friends my age who I was talking about that with. That's not the situation with Michael or The Beatles, I've literally caught people I know younger than me (13/14) singing Scream and I Saw Her Standing There.

I don't doubt that Michael is the most famous worldwide out of those three but I do wish to point out that we shouldn't downplay how famous The Beatles are still in non-Western countries. Even if most of their impact was Western-orientated, to this day they are still rather famous around the world too in European and Latin-American countries. I can't speak for the 70s-90s, but I base this off the social media posts I see by fans from those regions and the sales of their album 1, released in 2000 which did extremely well all over the world, going Gold/Platinum/Diamond in many non-Western countries.

With all of the above said, I think if you were to take in the perspective of the whole entire world as a collective whole, Michael Jackson would win by name alone.

In addition to his third world popularity, I actually feel a lot of his fame is due to the controversies that plagued him throughout the last two decades of his life (especially as this was the time when the rise of the internet took place). For many people my age (19), the main reason we knew him when because of his name being blasted all over the tabloids as well as the child molestation trial. I had heard of Billie Jean/Black or White but I didn't know they were made by Michael Jackson until I was 12. One of my friends told me the first time he heard of MJ was when he dangled Blanket off the balcony. Now that Michael isn't appearing in tabloids anywhere near as much as he used to be, which was a big way his name was kept in the spotlight, I think it'll be interesting to see how his name at least carries on. Of course, I'm not saying his music is incapable of keeping him famous because it obviously still is.

 

[MAQ]

In addition to his third world popularity, I actually feel a lot of his fame is due to the controversies that plagued him throughout the last two decades of his life (especially as this was the time when the rise of the internet took place). For many people my age (19), the main reason we knew him when because of his name being blasted all over the tabloids as well as the child molestation trial. I had heard of Billie Jean/Black or White but I didn't know they were made by Michael Jackson until I was 12. One of my friends told me the first time he heard of MJ was when he dangled Blanket off the balcony. Now that Michael isn't appearing in tabloids anywhere near as much as he used to be, which was a big way his name was kept in the spotlight, I think it'll be interesting to see how his name at least carries on. Of course, I'm not saying his music is incapable of keeping him famous because it obviously still is.

Believe me when I say this, I was somewhat a fan of his music around 2005 - 2008 (I only became a genuine fan after the This Is It conference) and I didn't know absolutely ANYTHING about the the child abuse allegations. Frankly, most people didn't. I'm saying this because I never heard anything negative about him at all. Well, other than about his androgynous looks/behavior: http://www.androgynylist.com/categories/Spectacle of Confusion/pictures/michael229.jpg and his vitiligo treatment, but they weren't the main reasons for his fame.

I read about this in an article, they quoted a celebrity (don't remember the name of either the celeb or the article tho ) and he was saying something like: "The media doesn't understand this but the public loves MJ whereas the media hate him..." and that is the truth. If Michael had been as musically active as he had been during the 90s (releasing major albums, going on huge tours, putting out music videos, releasing singles etc etc.) he would've been the most celebrated personality of the 2000s too. He shut down Time's Square in 2001 - and the media were saying stuff like he's not famous anymore. He practically owned the tabloids/media before the Martin Bashir interview. Only then I think, the public was truly affected (in the West lol). Out of all the people who know him (as fans or the general public) I think 95% know him because of his music/dancing, they might know about the other things too, but that would not be the primary reason for them knowing him. Maybe your friend might just be trolling. If not, then what a sad life one must lead considering that they first heard about MJ - the King of Pop - during a five second affair when he showed his baby to his fans from a balcony. No offence intended.

 

[reibish]

Believe me when I say this, I was somewhat a fan of his music around 2005 - 2008 (I only became a genuine fan after the This Is It conference) and I didn't know absolutely ANYTHING about the the child abuse allegations. Frankly, most people didn't. I'm saying this because I never heard anything negative about him at all. Well, other than about his androgynous looks/behavior: http://www.androgynylist.com/categories/Spectacle of Confusion/pictures/michael229.jpg and his vitiligo treatment, but they weren't the main reasons for his fame.

It's so weird to hear people say things like this. It just blows my mind - in a good way! But also so weird. I'm 28, so I remember a lot of the allegations stuff but I was just a kid when it happened. But I distinctly remember my stepfather, who is a hardcore hater, even talking about how it didn't make sense, that he'd want justice and not money if that were his kid.

This gives me hope, though. I guess for people my age and older it's just something we're used to. When people mention Michael and I don't know their stance, I always have to pause and wait. Every time. Never know when I have to go into battle for him, which I will do until the day I die. Or, rather, when I get looks of pity and awkward hugs when people find out I had TII tickets.

It still boggles me though - how do people not know? It makes sense though, I guess - the allegations were not current at the balcony incident and the next ones didn't surface for another couple years. But this really makes me happy for future generations. One of the few things/tributes I could handle in the aftermath of Michael's death was watching young children discover and adore him. All the cell phone videos of kids singing and dancing in cars! Exactly what Michael would have wanted - so I'm glad that there's already a generation that exists like this.

I read about this in an article, they quoted a celebrity (don't remember the name of either the celeb or the article tho ) and he was saying something like: "The media doesn't understand this but the public loves MJ whereas the media hate him..." and that is the truth.

A+ to whoever did actually say that. Because they're right.

Out of all the people who know him (as fans or the general public) I think 95% know him because of his music/dancing, they might know about the other things too, but that would not be the primary reason for them knowing him. Maybe your friend might just be trolling. If not, then what a sad life one must lead considering that they first heard about MJ - the King of Pop - during a five second affair when he showed his baby to his fans from a balcony. No offence intended.

I have to emphasize here that, unfortunately, just wasn't the case. Most people from GenX and older definitely, absolutely knew Michael by his talent first, no question. But they are old enough to remember all of the 80s (Thriller, Bad, and what my friends and I call the Transition era, lol) and the early 90s and what he went through, and I guess that's why so many turned on him at the time. I literally do not remember a time when I wasn't a fan, and I do remember being a crazy 4 year old watching the BoW video debut and the Superbowl performance. But once I got to grade school I remember a lot of defending him. A lot. And I guess it just never really left, not here in the West anyway. Constant. There are definitely people in our generation that know him as a predator first and an artist second, if at all.

 

[MAQ]

It's so weird to hear people say things like this. It just blows my mind - in a good way! But also so weird. I'm 28, so I remember a lot of the allegations stuff but I was just a kid when it happened. But I distinctly remember my stepfather, who is a hardcore hater, even talking about how it didn't make sense, that he'd want justice and not money if that were his kid.

This gives me hope, though. I guess for people my age and older it's just something we're used to. When people mention Michael and I don't know their stance, I always have to pause and wait. Every time. Never know when I have to go into battle for him, which I will do until the day I die. Or, rather, when I get looks of pity and awkward hugs when people find out I had TII tickets.

It still boggles me though - how do people not know? It makes sense though, I guess - the allegations were not current at the balcony incident and the next ones didn't surface for another couple years. But this really makes me happy for future generations. One of the few things/tributes I could handle in the aftermath of Michael's death was watching young children discover and adore him. All the cell phone videos of kids singing and dancing in cars! Exactly what Michael would have wanted - so I'm glad that there's already a generation that exists like this.

I think it's because Michael has always been respected, especially in Asia, for his philanthropic works. He's got a ton of fans in India too. One of the things why I envy the Indians is because MJ visited India but not Pakistan lol. And the Middle East and Japan also adore him. I find that when you respect someone a lot, you don't care about what other people say about them. I'm not saying that he had any less fans in the US but there's a reason why he didn't have plans for touring there.
The second thing is, since it is an overseas thing, most people don't care about any but the fattest details: He was the King of Pop, an awesome dancer, an awesome singer, donated millions to charity, made the best selling album. *full stop* . The 2005 trial might be the most watched trial in America, but it didn't even make a serious headline in Pakistan. Neither did the Balcony thingy which was presented by the tabloids/media as if Michael had dropped a bomb in Germany.

About the other thing... yes, he might be like that in the US and some European countries, but again, I'm talking about the people all over the world. Nations like Peru or Brazil or Sri Lanka or Japan or China or Pakistan. More people know him there than you'd think. And IMO, if there are 30% of the US citizens knowing him because of bad things, this percentage drops by a lot when it comes to these countries. Btw, I'm not hating on the US at all!

 

[HIStoric]

Only then I think, the public was truly affected (in the West lol)... ...Out of all the people who know him (as fans or the general public) I think 95% know him because of his music/dancing, they might know about the other things too, but that would not be the primary reason for them knowing him. Maybe your friend might just be trolling. If not, then what a sad life one must lead considering that they first heard about MJ - the King of Pop - during a five second affair when he showed his baby to his fans from a balcony. No offence intended.

Well you said it in the first quoted line. I'm from New Zealand (which is considered a western country despite geographically being 'east') and I don't really remember my first memory of him but I remember knowing he was 'weird' before I knew he was the musical genius. The friend I mentioned isn't really the trolling type, I just remember at school in 2010 going through a slideshow of MJ pictures on CNN and we came across the infamous one of him dangling Blanket and he mentioned that.

I don't know how Michael was viewed in the media in non-Western countries (It's actually very interesting finding out because I've always assumed from other MJ fans that he was being crucified by the media all over) but at least here, the trial was quite publicised. Maybe not to the extent of America but still, no-one here wouldn't have known about the trials. What reibish says is exactly right, there are definitely people my age who see him as a predator first and artist second. We grew up in a time when Michael Jackson had long been the butt of jokes for all sorts of issues, his skin, his face, his odd relationship with children etc etc. I had no idea what Thriller or Bad was nor did I know the extent of the allegations, all I knew was that Michael Jackson was a 'weirdo'.

It's certainly very interesting to see it from people of other nations perspective though! It's great that not everyone is introduced to him the way I was.

 

[MAQ]

Well it's sad then. To us, my sis and I (we both are fans of his music, though my sis has now gravitated to other "contemporary" artists that I dislike ) Michael was introduced as an entertainer first, then as a person, and then as a monster portrayed by the media. So since we had already known Michael as an awesome entertainer and a very soft spoken, good-natured human being, we both didn't care about that image. It's like he said "Before you judge me, try hard to love me". We did just that and everything about that "monster" image seemed to be totally fake.

I introduced him to my cousins and younger siblings and they loved him. Kids loved him, and I showed them the Ghosts video which is almost 40 minutes long and they saw it through without showing any signs of losing interest or whatever. My younger bro (he's 8) starts dancing and singing along whenever I play or sing Bad. And that kinda reminds me of how amazing a man I found Michael to be when I first saw him in that Black or White video while he was singing and dancing on the statue of liberty with all those other monuments/wonders from all over the world behind him.

 

[reibish]

You know, reading these comments on this thread made me even think about how Michael would talk about his fans and reception in other countries. He'd always mention how they were kinder, and I always just took it to mean that they weren't as mean to him, because in the U.S. the media was absolutely vicious. I mean truly AWFUL. If you can stomach watching Diane Dimond clips - she may have been the worst but that was 100% the message sent out by the media here. All the time! I knew that in some parts of Asia he still had hero status, but the way it came across to me was that they were the exception.

It never occurred to me that countries were actually treating him well, at least compared to the way America treated him. I thought that the best it got was "less worse" than the American media. I guess the media circus here is just so trashy that we were conditioned to believe that everyone else in the world thought the same way. So that makes me wonder if some people from other countries were baffled by things like Madonna's eulogy at the MTV awards that year, with everyone hanging their heads in shame.

We were truly awful to him here. It was really, really bad (and not good bad, bad bad). When he was acquitted in 2005, I remember heaving a huge sigh of relief only when I found out he left the country. I didn't blame him. It was like all of us needed a break and to heal and recover from the trial - him most of all, but us as well because it was so draining to see the crap being slung at him every single day.

Well, shoot. Ya learn something new every day It makes me happy though.

 

[Erandi]

Well you said it in the first quoted line. I'm from New Zealand (which is considered a western country despite geographically being 'east') and I don't really remember my first memory of him but I remember knowing he was 'weird' before I knew he was the musical genius. The friend I mentioned isn't really the trolling type, I just remember at school in 2010 going through a slideshow of MJ pictures on CNN and we came across the infamous one of him dangling Blanket and he mentioned that.

I don't know how Michael was viewed in the media in non-Western countries (It's actually very interesting finding out because I've always assumed from other MJ fans that he was being crucified by the media all over) but at least here, the trial was quite publicised. Maybe not to the extent of America but still, no-one here wouldn't have known about the trials. What reibish says is exactly right, there are definitely people my age who see him as a predator first and artist second. We grew up in a time when Michael Jackson had long been the butt of jokes for all sorts of issues, his skin, his face, his odd relationship with children etc etc. I had no idea what Thriller or Bad was nor did I know the extent of the allegations, all I knew was that Michael Jackson was a 'weirdo'.

It's certainly very interesting to see it from people of other nations perspective though! It's great that not everyone is introduced to him the way I was.

Well, I am from an eastern European country (although I live in the west ) and I can tell you that Michael was crucified in the media there as well (as early as 1992, before the allegations). There, the tabloids were just starting to emerge and they always needed some "new" material in order to trash someone. Sad, indeed! Nevertheless, Michael had always had a lot of fans stand by him. I remember how my family used to mock MJ back in 1993-'94, at the same time mocking me (just a kid) for being his fan...

 

[MAQ]

"When I moved back to Pakistan in 1995 as a teenager I was surprised to see how prevalent Jackson was here. He was as ubiquitous as Coca Cola. Everyone knew his songs, and even a popular Pakistani comedy show called 50/50 had Billy Jean playing during a scene where its protagonist robbed a house. Kids, including my brother, constantly imitated the moonwalk, and though most failed you'd find a few success stories." excerpt from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nosheen-abbas/pakistan-mourns-michael-j_b_224790.html

'“There are many people in Pakistan who don't know that the world is round but know who Michael is,” said Munizeh Sanai, the general manager of the country’s most popular English language radio station...'
http://blogs.abcnews.com/theworldnewser/2009/06/pakistan-and-the-king-of-pop.html

"It has been five years since the King of Pop Michael Jackson died under mysterious circumstances. However, he is still in our hearts for his music, dance and style. Not only has he influenced musicians across the globe, he has also had an impact on Bollywood. Be it movies, songs or dance moves, we have been impersonating his style for decades. In fact, actors like Mithun Chakraborty, Javed Jaffrey, Hrithik Roshan and Prabhu Dheva have been inspired by MJ’s dancing style. So much is the obsession for MJ that Mithun even named his son after him..." Here's the full article : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...-Bollywood-connection/photostory/37180389.cms

And this makes me jealous as hell:
India, all my life I have longed to see your face. I met you and your people and fell in love with you. Now my heart is filled with sorrow and despair for I have to leave, but I promise I shall return to love you and caress you again. Your kindness has overwhelmed me, your spiritual awareness has moved me, and your children have truly touched my heart. They are the face of God. I truly love and adore you India. Forever, continue to love, heal and educate the children, the future shines on them. You are my special love, India. Forever, may God always bless you .
— Michael Jackson.

 

[Lil]

There are still isolated tribes and very poor areas where there is no mass media and they may or may not know about Michael. Certainly Michael is one of those people whose fame could definitely reach through to even such populations.

^reminded me of this (a fan posted this on tumblr a while ago - I can't find the complete story right now, but this is part of it):

A personal anecdote of the power of Michael Jackson: So my boyfriend is Ecuadorian. Born there, lives there, speaks zero English, just straight up Ecuadorian. And he adores Michael Jackson. Adores. He grew up on the northern coast of Ecuador.. in the freaking forest. I'm not kidding. Like, lived in a wooden hut. They had their farm and what not and about 5 miles or so outside of the forest is a little, dusty, poor as shit village where some of his extended family lives. To this day, he remembers with absolute clarity that the first video tape to ever arrive to this little village, sometime in the earlyish 90s, was a scratchy, badly recorded tape of Michael Jackson short films and performances that had been ripped straight off a TV. Michael Jackson was such a huge freaking deal that the first freaking video tape that arrives to the middle-of-no-where Ecuador was a Michael Jackson tape. Neither my boyfriend nor anyone else in town speak a word of English beyond “Hello!" and "How are you?", yet these people know every word to Billie Jean, Beat It, and Man In The Mirror. True, they have no idea what they're saying (reaction to my translation of Thriller? “Ah..okay, the video makes a whole lot more sense now…") but they can (sort of) sing along!
My boyfriend has no idea who Elvis is. He can recognize a picture of the Beatles in their early days, but doesn't know any song they sang. But you better damn well believe that when I asked him what his favorite MJ video was, he immediately replied "Smooth Criminal!" in a horrible, mangled English accent. Even weirder? No one in their town knew that MJ had been accused of child molestation.

Such a good example of how incredibly far his fame really reached! But was Michael the most famous person to ever walk the earth..? I think at least in our time, maybe he is.
It's interesting to think a couple of centuries ahead, what his legacy will be and if he would be considered one of the most famous people in history then.. I like to think about that sometimes, because I'm sure as time goes on people will be able to look at Michael more objectively, and he will be 'freed' from the image the media has painted of him. It's a shame a lot of people who've lived in the same time as him just can't seem to get past that, but I hope that with each new generation he'll be remembered more and more for his artistry (and humanitarianism, hopefully) and less for the controversiality's and tabloid bs:yes:

 

[Star-Gazer]

Just think how big Michael would be had he been active in the social media age. He would have the most twitter followers, etc.

 

[reibish]

I like to think about that sometimes, because I'm sure as time goes on people will be able to look at Michael more objectively, and he will be 'freed' from the image the media has painted of him. It's a shame a lot of people who've lived in the same time as him just can't seem to get past that, but I hope that with each new generation he'll be remembered more and more for his artistry (and humanitarianism, hopefully) and less for the controversiality's and tabloid bs:yes:

I think that is what will happen in the long run. Many people who are revered today were entirely unknown OR were surrounded by controversy during their prime, but we don't often remember that now.

I just really, truly hope that not only will his music be a legacy but his philanthropy and desire to inspire others as well. Michael is the only person that is often globally recognized in this way: "I wanted to succeed because Michael made me believe in myself." That is an INCREDIBLY powerful statement that really sets him apart from other entertainers and creatives. Hell, that is something even I carry with me and I don't work in that field at all. Other people may be inspired by their own heroes' work, but it's usually the actual output and the technicalities that went into it, or whatever. But it's Michael as a person that really lights fires under people's asses and I really hope that the trend continues and people are continued to remain motivated to do that, because it's SO powerful.

 

[MAQ]

Just think how big Michael would be had he been active in the social media age. He would have the most twitter followers, etc.

He already is pretty big.. 70+ million likes on Facebook. Some weeks ago, MJ and 1D were neck to neck in the Best Fandom voting site. Although, sadly 1D won. However, it's still an incredible thing. Beiber is on the decline. In fact none of the singers are that big these days. It's been a while since anyone sold 20+ million record. The only thing which shows that they're still strong is their YouTube views. And we all know why videos like Anaconda are being watched so much.

 

[MAQ]

I think that is what will happen in the long run. Many people who are revered today were entirely unknown OR were surrounded by controversy during their prime, but we don't often remember that now.

Elvis married a 14 year old. But he wasn't publicly disgraced like Michael was during the 90s/21st century. I guess that just shows how much times and race matters. So it will take a lot more time for that humiliation to go away. Plus, that wasn't the only controversy. Unfortunately many 'fans' and people think he was a self hating black man, a surgery addict, weird for loving children (it is actually not that weird, many countries have cultures which associate with youth e.g Japan. In Pakistan, it isn't weird for distant relatives to share a bed. I've shared a bed when I was little with a 3rd or 4th cousin - much older cousin - but nothing sexual happens), took female hormones - which is on face value THE weirdest rumor I've ever heard - and the list goes on and on.

Very few people have so many controversies surrounding them. Almost nobody in history has been dissected as much as him, which shows how rotten the media and tabloid culture is. Notice that where there's less tabloid culture, there are lesser negative MJ stories around and the general public's views are more positive. Many people here thought he'd converted to Islam and that story got circulated a lot - which was something that's very positive. It's like people were making up stories just to find more ways to love him.

I know how much bipolar this post seems lol

 

[terrell]

I might be a month late for this thread but...
I'm from Pakistan, and even illiterate people know of Michael here. That's why I get edgy when someone says that Elvis or The Beatles have much more global influence than MJ. My dad was a huge fan of music, and he doesn't even know who The Beatles were. He only knew of Elvis or Michael. When I was in 8th grade almost nobody in my class knew anything about Elvis, but all of them had heard at least one MJ song. And this song was at least 2 decades old lol.
Even people who haven't heard MJ's songs have heard of Michael at least. And his image has almost always been positive in this side of the world. So yeah, you can say he's the most famous person on the planet.

MJ was more famous. He crossed racial lines, age, gender, etc. Just as many whites, hispanics, Asians love MJ as blacks. And you see people from all backgrounds at MJ' show not just a few other groups. Do you see Elvis or the Beatles gettting awards at Black award shows or events back then at the same rate as MJ did with crossover audiences and within his own racial group? No.

 

[HIStory]

I read about this in an article, they quoted a celebrity (don't remember the name of either the celeb or the article tho ) and he was saying something like: "The media doesn't understand this but the public loves MJ whereas the media hate him..."

I agree this. There is hardly more vicious media than the British, but the British public always loved him. I think that is true most of the world. While of course the media has an effect on people everywhere, but I think it had its most unfortunate effect in the US.