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Michael Jackson's death: pop and circumstance
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The King of Pop is dead.
Michael Jackson was surely one of the most famous people in the world. That in itself is a difficult role to play. Michael Jackson’s death is tragic in the sense that during the last tumultuous years of his life, it became clear that he could no longer bear the weight of public opinion.
When celebrities like Michael Jackson show such obvious signs of losing themselves in their public image, we cannot simply blame only them for their eccentricities. Most often, their eccentricities are in direct relationship to their fan base. In Michael’s case, the line between fan and fanatic was severely blurred, as could be seen in the screaming mobs and paparazzi that bombarded him constantly. Looking at the nature of the fanaticism that surrounded him in light of what he did to himself over time, it is easy to see that Michael Jackson had indeed been assimilated by his persona – his public self. A persona is no substitute for a real individual self.
Celebrities fill social roles that are created by society. In order to maintain a healthy relationship with these roles, those who fill them must understand the difference between their persona and their real inner selves. The persona is but an outward extension of personality. It is a piece of ourselves that we present to the world outside us. While our personas certainly should be infused with our true individuality, the persona itself is not our individual reality. Celebrities who have a clear understanding of themselves are obvious. Madonna, for one, stands as an excellent example of a woman who knows the difference between her role as a pop star and herself.
It would be all too easy to blame the man Michael Jackson for his inability to differentiate between his role and his true self, but therein lies the rub. In actuality, it was Michael the boy that was unable to bear the weight of the pressure of fame. Michael Jackson was trapped by the Eternal Boy – the child left behind in his rise to fame and fortune.
Michael Jackson was seized by his persona because he became enormously famous at a very young age. He did not yet have the capacity to process and integrate that kind of fame. Michael the boy believed the pop about himself and over time, unconsciously became the role his equally unconscious fans demanded that he play. His is a tragic example of what can happen to some people when they become extraordinarily famous as children. Drew Barrymore is the case of a child star that fell under that pressure and was able to rise again as an authentic, conscious adult.
In Michael’s case, he was bestowed by society the royal title of King of Pop – a title which certainly no one person has the capacity to bear, much less believe in and live with. Michael mistook himself for his role as the King of Pop. That Michael’s true individuality was compromised by the role he tried to fill became apparent as time went on. Somewhere along the way, he lost himself and we also lost him. The true Michael disappeared when he was just a child. We will never know Michael the man because the little boy inside was never allowed to grow up, and now the King of Pop is dead.
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