Michael Jackson: Life, Death, and Legacy, Term Paper Example

Synopsis

The film named ‘Michael Jackson: Life, Death and Legacy’ is a keen look into the life of one of the the greatest musicians in time, Michael Joseph Jackson. The documentary is a narration by Rocky Rodrigue, of the controversial life of Michael, from his early ages to his death in June 25^th 2009. The documentary, edited by Nick Cohen, describes Michael’s music career from the early years when he was a member of his family band to the late years when he collaborated and performed solo. Michael was loved by billions of people across the world, and his life was celebrated by many. It takes us through a journey of the incredible artist, his family and friends, the songs he sang, the people he worked with, the fans, the challenges he faced, his illness and finally his untimely death

In the documentary, a few people are interviewed for information about the great artist who earned the title of ‘King of pop’. Some of the interviewees include his family members, close friends, music producers and his fans. All of them express different thoughts of the events that happened both in the life and death of Michael. They reveal truths which in the public, are not well known, and clear some of the misconceptions that were formed about him. All in all, the underlying factor is that Michael was a phenomenal singer, and stood out in many ways despite the challenges he went through as a child and as an artist. The following are facts discussed in the documentary that are related to the ‘King of Pop’

Important and extensive facts related to Michael Jackson

First, Michael had a turbulent relationship with his father Jackson. Jackson, was from a poor town in Central America (Rodrigue), and got his popularity from his children’s popularity. After the formation of the family band named ‘The Jackson 5’, Michael turned out to be the lead voice, and his incredible moves and voice were the reason the band flourished (Gambacani).

However, he would receive a physical beating from his father in case a mistake was made during their rehearsals. The other children would take it, but it hurt Michael (Vogel). Mica Paris, one of the interviewees, notes that Michael was sensitive to the punishment that his father gave him. On the same, Paul Gambacani notes that Michael confessed to him that he feared whipping. This pain dwelt in Michael for a long time, and it is supposed that it affected how his perception of himself, at one point opting for a surgery to change the look of his nose, of which he had been told was big and unattractive (Vogel). However, at the time of his death, his close friend Susan Etok says that he had forgiven his father and was at good terms with him (Etok).

Secondly, his visual appearance, right from when he was a child performing, was infectious (Paris). Michael had a sense of fashion that inspired many because of its uniqueness. In his later years, he had a glove of diamonds that increased his fame. Earlier with the band, they dressed in bright clothes and bell-bottoms which caught the attention of many, making them choose their dress code. The town would be filled with people with afros and bell bottoms, just to associate with the Michael’s. This was one of the factors that contributed to his fame and popularity all his life in the music industry.

Again, in 1984, Michael Jackson suffered second degree burns from a fireworks accident that happened on stage. This was one of the reasons that the artist underwent a plastic surgery to restore his face (Rodrigue). Alongside the burns, he suffered a breakage of vertebrae and had a back problem that caused him excruciating pain. The medication that was prescribed to him for treatment was strong and led to the addiction to painkillers (Brian Oxman). Later, it was found out that his body was filled with drugs. And addiction to Propofol, a sedative offered in hospitals only, was also discovered as a cause of his death.

Another outstanding fact that the documentary reveals is that Michael Jackson suffered from Vitiligo, a skin condition which causes an extreme change in skin pigmentation. It struck many with the total change in skin color of Michael Jackson (Paris). Many doubted whether Vitiligo was the only reason Michael decided to change his color from black to white. As some of the people interviewed noted, it was a sort of work of art for Michael, alongside his childhood need for acceptance from the criticism of his big nose, and the burns he acquired after the fireworks.

Lastly, Michael started his own charity organization for children from poor families, which he supported. His ‘Heal the world Foundation’ was proof that Michael was a generous giver. He donated money to a foundation in the United Kingdom to support the disadvantaged. He supported children with cancer, and this was after he released the song ‘Heal the world’, which featured children from different backgrounds and races. It is clear that Michael was not all about the fame, popularity and money that came to him. He chose to share what he had with the poor and disadvantaged. The Neverland Valley Park which Michael built was like a “child’s home” (Etok), which had a zoo, cinema and a fun park for the kids, bringing even more popularity for the artist.

Musical selections performed by the Michael Jackson

Michael was a pop star that performed many songs from a young age. Berry Gordy, one of the Music producers interviewed in the documentary, mentions the song “I want you back”. The song was performed by The Jackson 5 with young Michael being the lead, as a “soul and bubblegum” music (Gordy). The moves, dress code and vocals of the young artist caught the attention of many people around the world. Again, the song “Off the wall” was the first solo done by Michael with Quincy Jones as his producer. The song was a hit and brought even more popularity to the musician. Another hit song discussed in the documentary is “Don’t stop till you get enough.” This was the proof that he was now a solo voice apart from the band. The song sold over 7 million copies around the world.

Joe Vogel talks about the song “Billy Gin” and notes that its lyrics spoke about the situation he was in life- “distrust, anxiety and paranoia”. The song, taken by many as a love song, cause the MTV to start playing music by black artists seeing the talent that Michael had. The song “Thriller” is still the best selling film in the world, with more that 110 million copies sold. Paris speculates that one of the reason is that three incredible artists worked on it. The song was written by Rod Temperton, produced by Quincy and performed by Michael. Being extremely incredible in their works, the song was a great hit to this day.

After his surgery, Michael sang “Bad” which was produced by Quincy Jones, and presented him as a character with a different attitude from what many were used to. Later on, he sang “Black or White”, the most controversial song of all his music. It raised any questions about his intentions (Paris), but it was interpreted that he meant to note that it did not matter what his skin color was. He was human just like anyone else (Etok). The last song discussed in the film is “You are it alone”, and even though it appeared like a love song to many of his fans, the son spoke of his isolation during the time, and his loneliness in fame as a pop star. The song remains one of his most successful commercially (Rodrigues).

Achievements and challenges                         

Being a phenomenal artist, Michael received many awards for his work. He received 8 Guinness world record, 13 Grammy awards and 13 awards for his #1 solos. The received an award for thriller being the best-selling album in history, a start on Hollywood’s billboard and an award for being the greatest artist of the decade (Rodrigues). The last award was made by the retired president George Bush of the United States of America (Rodrigues). The people who worked with him including Sheryl Crow noted that he appreciated other artists when they did well. Even with the fame, Michael listened to other artists’ work and appreciated it.

However, Michael had his own challenges that affected his career in one way or another. First, he was charged with sexually abusing two male teenagers, allegations that were found to be untrue. He had two failed marriages, as noted in the documentary. Furthermore, he was unwell and in pain most of the time, and this made him weak. In one incidence, he appeared for a hearing in court in pajamas, an indication that the pressure to perform had affected his health. In his last years, Michael went bankrupt because of living above his means. Michael was declared dead in June 25^th 2009, and his personal doctor was charged with overdosing him with propofol. He was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment to compensate his family and fans.

The interviews in the documentary, and the videos he was caught speaking and addressing some of the issues that faced him cleared some of the misconceptions that people had formed about him. One of these was that he changed his skin color because he did not love his race. This was cleared by the statement that he suffered from Vitiligo, and the fire that burnt him on stage. The discovery that his personal doctor overdosed him cleared the rumor that he had committed suicide. The interviews changed my mind and the world’s as well, about Michael’s controversial death.

Conclusion

In spite of the fame and popularity, the world was misinformed in some facts about Michael. The documentary provides rich and credible information about the King of Pop. His legacy remains in the songs that are still selling in the market, and the charity works he did for the poor and children. The film plays a major role in providing credible information about the artist and clearing the false beliefs about him.

Works Cited

Rodrigue, Rick. Dir. 2018. Michael Jackson: Life, Death and Legacy https://youtu.be/Itpikn__PY4