Friday, June 26, 2009


Posted by Dr. J at 6/26/2009 06:29:00 AM

1 comment:

  1. yhJune 26, 2009 at 12:39 PM

    Just finished listening to the replay of this morning's show. Great job! You guys really know how to blend irreverant humor with meaningful discussion. Although I've only been a M&V listener for about five months, today's was clearly a showcase program.

    The comparisons to Elvis were especially germane (not Jermaine), in my opinion, because at the time when Elvis died I was 9 years old. I was not a witness to the revolution that Elvis helped to launch. My only direct recollections of the man were the bloated, pill-addled Vegas-playing Elvis who wore sequined jumpsuits and capes and occasionally cranked out a third-rate Top 40 tune. I think this parallels quite appropriately with the decline and ultimate fall of Michael Jackson.

    My guess is that just about anyone under the age of 30 wasn't old enough to remember MJ in his true prime and to witness an incredible career arc. It's remarkable to think that when MJ made his show biz debut, popular music was just starting to migrate in large scale from AM to FM. He helped take popular music from radios and record players to videos and Walkmen and ultimately to satellite radio and iPods. He and his collaborators are largely responsible for the video revolution, taking the medium of music video from little more than a filmed lipsynch session to elaborately choreographped, costumed and set-designed micromovies. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that MJ was among the first if not the first true R&B start to generate fans from multiple generations on a large scale.

    Unfortunately, as I think all of you and a number of your guests and callers pointed out this morning, the 30 and under generation only got to bear direct witness to the Michael Jackson who was scarred by scandal and highly erratic behavior - the plastic surgery, the skin treatments, the masks, the oxygen chamber, Bubbles, the child molestation charges, etc. Regardless of whether Michael or others were responsible for his image over the last 15 years or so, it's a terrible tragedy to compare the first 2/3's of MJ's life with the last 1/3.

    Also interesting to note that both legends died of cardiac arrest and had "house doctors" who have suddenly clammed up or disappeared shortly following the death of their star patient - Dr. Nicopolous, anyone? Of course the doctors are the tip of the iceberg. Both Elvis and Michael kept company with many powerful and important people, yet at the end of the day they allowed themselves to be handled/managed/manipulated/exploited by insiders who were clearly not competent for the enormous task. Mistakes were made. Negligence was blatant.

    In both cases the tragedy started well before the actual end of the story.

    Again, thanks for the memorable show this morning.

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