The Death of Michael Jackson Broke My Heart

… not because  I was a great fan but because he died in an era when he was regarded as a freakshow.

News about Michael Jackson in the past few years were mostly about his child molestation cases and him teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. Hardly stellar gossip fodder for a demigod who is regarded as the King of Pop. (What makes Elvis then?)

To die as a clown makes it all the more heart wrenching because he never had a chance to redeem himself. I don’t know if he ever would have even if he had another 10 years to live. He dabbled in real estate when he chose the life of a hermit after all the allegations and court cases. It would suck to be Michael Jackson.

The song Ben is so apt for him now:

Ben, the two of us need look no more
We both found what we were looking for
With a friend to call my own
Ill never be alone
And you my friend will see
Youve got a friend in me
(youve got a friend in me)

Ben, youre always running here and there
(here and there)
You feel youre not wanted anywhere
(anywhere)
If you ever look behind
And dont like what you find
Theres something you should know
Youve got a place to go
(youve got a place to go)

I used to say, I and me
Now its us, now its we
(I used to say, I and me)
(now its us, now its we)

Ben, most people would turn you away
I dont listen to a word they say
They dont see you as I do
I wish they would try to
Im sure theyd think again
If they had a friend like ben
(a friend)
Like ben
(like ben)
Like ben

**

My earliest memory of Michael Jackson is the taunt the kids at my kindergarten used when someone was showing off, “Action, Baby lotion, Michael Jackson, television!”

Did he have a concert in Malaysia sometime in the early 90s?  I remember owning a Pepsi tumbler in 1994 with his face on it and asking my classmate, “Would you like to meet Michael Jackson one day?”

Throughout my years in high school, boys loved using Michael Jackson’s dance moves as part of their performances for various school events. There was a boy in my school who could dance exactly like Michael Jackson..I can’t remember his name. But he was seriously good. Even had the plastic sheet for his shoes.

One of my most hilarious Michael Jackson memories is of my friend Kay Hong who was adamant about performing a few Michael Jackson numbers for the LEO IU that he organized in 2003. He tried really hard to practice the moon walk and he was quite proud of it..hahaha. He even attempted to moonwalk up my road (tar road, mind you) after leaving my house, and my nextdoor neighbour looked on curiously. How embarrassing! 😛

My friend is a real joker that’s why the gang really loves Kay Hong. LOL. Even my dad likes to hear about his latest antics. On the day of the event, he and the other boys were attempting the moonwalk and some guys from the previous performance were throwing oranges on stage. Literally throwing oranges!

Since it was a LEO event, obviously it was supposed to be for charity. He gathered the orphans up on stage and sang “We are the world”. He wanted to make it really sweet by singing with the littlest boy of the lot, whose height reaches up to about Kay Hong’s hips. The joker bent down to sing with the little boy and had his bum facing the entire audience throughout the whole song. Hahaha.

Haih Kay Hong don’t kill me. 🙂 You made me more aware of Michael Jackson’s musical talents!
And as for where I was when I first heard the news?…. in bed. Woke up to an sms from my dad who watched it on CNN.

RIP Michael Jackson, your fans miss you deeply.