Death of a Legend

With great genius comes great madness, and with great madness comes great genius.


Resquiscat in Pace.
To be completely honest, I didn't even truly discover Michael Jackson's music -- nor the brilliance of it -- until about a month or two ago. But I feel glad that I did so before this untimely death of the timeless pop legend, particularly because I feel that I realize how much more it means now that I know what his work was.

The music is legendary in history, but what really keeps me perpetually astounded is the sheer, overwhelming effect that he had on the global human collective in the world of popular culture. The phenomenon that was this single figure. The power he had, greater than moving mountains. One single individual, who moved such passion in millions of other human beings that tears instantly streamed down their faces at his mere, wordless presence on a stage.


In some way, something inside me grieves at the news because in some way, someone who was always seen as immortal -- and very nearly, even like a god -- has died today. Now I like the music very much, but that doesn't mean I absolutely worship Michael Jackson that way. It's simply the incredible phenomenon of the whole thing that hits me. How distressing is it to a human to know that a god, a being of eternal life, has met its mortal end?

It's true that he was certainly past his prime at the time of his death, and unfortunately, also suffered a harsh critical beating from the world that used to worship him in the final years of his life. But in spite of that, when he was alive, he was still there, still living. People who are in agreement with his court accusations probably will not agree, but I feel as if MJ's death is like the removal of something, almost comforting, always taken for granted, yet now suddenly and shockingly gone forever.

All we can say is that the passionate, undying art he created will be the embodiment of his immortality now, as it always has been. But that's saying quite a lot.