Work and Soul in Michael Jackson's This Is It (Special Series Part 2): The Miracle of Children

Jackson and dancers in "Smooth Criminal" sequence. (AP photo
by Sony)

For part 1 of this 4-part Special Series, please click here . Part 2 starts below:

References to Joe Jackson’s, the singer’s father, hard-driving task-master style of parenting and management are commonplace in stories about Michael Jackson’s childhood. The image has been documented by Jackson himself in the autobiographical Moonwalker as well as in television and magazine interviews.

The most damning testimony of all, however, against the emotional and physical abuse he endured as a boy for the sake of growing into a great performer, might be the song “Childhood.” In that painfully bruised evocation, we hear a wounded soul asking the world to seek understanding of his life before attempting to judge his person. We also, tragically, hear that same soul struggling to find something that can never be fully reclaimed.

The Miracle of Our Children

In many ways, this heart-squeezing song is one that could be sung with conviction by many, if not most, of the Black youth of Jackson’s generation. Without presenting this observation as any kind of excuse whatsoever, the fact is that the severe discipline practiced by Joe Jackson at the time was typical in many households throughout African America. So was the use of humiliating insults ––in Michael’s case they were aimed at his nose–– presumed to keep a person’s ego in check, but which caused some sensitive “artist types” to develop neurotic compulsions, obsessions, and fixations.

Moreover, it may be argued that Black parents took their model for correcting or shaping the behavior of their children from the dominant culture of American society in general. After all, if oppressive racism, sexism, and class-discrimination were nothing else, they were socially sanctioned forms of dehumanizing aggravation.

MJ's parents Katherine and Joe Jackson at their son's funeral. (AP photo release)
 

Whereas such practices are now described as abuse, in the mid-twentieth century Black parents were often considered neglectful if they did not “cut that child’s behind” (a.k.a. spank or beat them) to “keep them in line” or make them recognize certain social boundaries before crossing any such lines. They were also employed to teach children resilience --or make them "tough"-- against the hard knocks they inevitably would encounter in life. The younger Jackson discarded the philosophy of corporal punishment. He developed instead an outlook that was summed up in his 2001 “Heal the Kids” speech at Oxford and which included this plea to the world: “Together, let us create a symphony of hearts, marveling at the miracle of our children and basking in the beauty of love.”

Creative Detail

The son’s is a more gentle guiding hand than the father’s reportedly was but is nevertheless clearly visible in This Is It, particularly when it comes to any lessons in resilience and determination that may have carried over. The first song to explode booming and rocking off the screen is “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.” Jackson does more listening than singing during this particular rehearsal and at the song’s end comments that the bass is not where it should be: “It’s funkier.” The pursuit of that extra precise measurement of funk is one hallmark of the composer’s genius. For other songs, it is the insertion of a three-second interval as opposed to a one-second interval, or a small gesture synchronized with a big beat.

Michael Jackson and This Is It Dance Company. (AP photo by Sony)
 

The passionate attention to creative detail is a leftover from Jackson’s days of training with his brothers, one that he could privately smile about and for which his fellow musicians thanked him. They appreciate the deep intimacy he shares with his music and say as much. He makes the work ––all 9 to 12 hours or more per day of it–– an experience of memorable pleasure and lasting artistic empowerment.

by Aberjhani

NEXT: Work and Soul in Michael Jackson’s This Is It Special Series Part 3 by Aberjhani, the National African American Art Examiner and author/co-author of eight books including The American Poet Who Went Home Again and Christmas When Music Almost Killed the World.

More on the Work and Soul of Michael Jackson: 

• Work and Soul in Michael Jackson's This Is It Special Series Part 1
  
• Michael Jackson's This Is It Movie Wesbsite
  
• Notes for an Elegy in the Key of Michael 1
  
• Michael Jackson Legacies of a Globetrotting Moonwalking Philanthropist Part 2
  
• The World Lets Go While Holding on to Michael Jackson
• To Walk a Lifetime in Michael Jackson's Moccasins
• The Untold Story of Neverland DVD
• This Is It trailer on YouTube
  
• Michael Jackson Fan Club Website
•  Work and Soul in Michael Jackson's This Is It Part 3 A Spotlight on Excellence