Today was also the first dance lesson of 2011. Oh how I have missed it! The atmosphere of Pineapple, the camaraderie with my classmates and the ringleader - King himself! It was great to get back into it and with one of my favourites, Jam! It was a great workout and I can not wait for many more enjoyable classes.
Now as you may have read Hasinah recently wrote a blog which included an article 'Michael Jackson and Proper Emotions'. I wrote a response to this and Hasinah has replied. It was great to hear her view and it made me think again.
Below is my response to the latest reply about the article. Alas it was yet again too long for Hasinah's comments box so I thought I would post it here.
Further response to article
It was very interesting to read your response. I still have a problem with the fact that people who felt any degree of grief over the death of Michael Jackson are seen to be overreacting. At what degree does people grief become overreacting? Of course the people that killed themselves can be deemed by almost everyone as overreacting but what are the definitions for the rest of the people? Are there acceptable degrees of grief? What is the tipping point?
I still feel that instead of looking at the factors of why people feel the emotions they do that instead it is a case of the author not feeling the same way and therefore stating that anyone who does feel grief is overreacting. As the author does not understand why anyone would feel that way he can not relate to it. Therefore if he can not understand and decode it then it must be an overreaction. It is again the topic of your views and outlook are created by the experiences you have as this is how you make understanding. But what then makes you the expert therefore granting you rights to claim other people's emotions are wrong? It almost seems as if he needs grief to be quantifiable and be able to be charted against grieving emotions compared to the persons closeness to the situation. But grief is an emotion and all emotions are subjective and there is no way to quantify them. So really the only way to know if someone is overreacting is to understand their perspective as to WHY they feel this way. As emotions are not a science (of course emotions are created by chemicals in the brain) but feelings are unique to every single person and actually the concept of emotions is abstract. Such as when we discussed what is love? Every single person who explain it in a different way. This is the same with all emotions so how can the author cast aspersions onto people in regard to something that is so subjective?
It is bombastic to claim that anyone that feels grief at all it wrong. And why do certain people feel they have authority over what is correct to feel and not? As I mentioned the author will hold some things in esteem which I would totally disregard but I am not the one to judge him for this.
Lest we forget Jackson is not the only person to have a public outpouring of grief. So if millions of people do it are they all wrong, yet the author is right? What qualifications does he have to make this judgement and to belittle people who feel these emotions?
My emotional response to the passing of Michael Jackson
I did not bring into my response personal feeling as it is not appropriate but as I don't feel the point was put across I will discuss my personal emotions over the loss of Jackson.
I personal felt, and still feel to some degree, what can be defined as grief over the passing of Michael Jackson. I was not a 'superfan' I just loved MJ's music and moves. I never had any merchandise, never read any articles, never followed what he was doing professionally or personally unless a single or album was out. But Michael Jackson was a constant throughout my life. My household was never musical, the radio never played, but the only albums we ever played in the household was Michael Jackson. Lest we forget that Jackson's career started when my mother was a girl watching The Jackson 5 with my grandmother.
In my childhood everyone wanted to be Michael Jackson. There was a magical quality to this man who's talents knew no abounds. Just when you thought you had seen it all MJ would pull something new and sensational out the bag. He was still thrilling people in the This Is It rehearsals, until the few hours before his death. In my primary school dances the highlight was always when Michael Jackson would come on and the whole school stopped to surround a boy named Freedom as we watched as he performed the entrancing and magical movements of Michael Jackson.
I will admit in the years after the 'History' album I lost interest somewhat. I didn't follow was was going on. This changed once I heard in 2008 that at some point Michael Jackson would be doing a residency at the O2. I knew I would do anything to get to see what would be the greatest show on earth by the best performer in the world. That inner child wanted it's childhood fantasy accomplished. I knew I would be dazzled and the thought of the atmosphere in that arena with 20,000 watching Jackson perform is still enough to give me goosebumps. Alas this was never to be.
On hearing of MJ's passing the first few days I was filled with a sense of wonderment of just what an incredible impact he had had on people. On 26th June 2009 every single shop, car and headphone was blasting out Jackson classics. It was such a great emotion to know we were all celebrating a life that we had received such pleasure and entertainment from.
In the few weeks afterward was when I started to feel grief. Grief for the loss of great talent. Sadness for a man that never really got to feel true happiness and satisfaction. A man who seemed to have it all but still carried an overwhelming sense of sadness and loneliness about him. Heartache for his children, far to young to lose their only parent. And a sadness for the loss of my childhood.
To me Michael Jackson is much more than a great singer and performer. He was the best. He is what everyone strives to be. He made songs that touched the soul, his moves defied logic and caused that childlike feeling of excitement of when we see something magical, his humanitarian work and altruism is inspirational and reminds me that I am not what life is all about - to look outside myself, help others and remember L.O.V.E. He overcame adversity again and again. He is the prime example of an underdog, a figure that people always stand behind. He conducted himself with grace and dignity no matter what was thrown at him. And most importantly he brought people together. He broke down barriers not just in music and dance but in society, in race relations, in environmental issues. He taught me how to be a better person. He was the last fantastical figure of my childhood that remained, unlike santa or faeries who disappeared long ago, and now that image was shattered as I realised he wasn't invincible, he was flesh and blood like the rest of us and ultimately perishable. And that is why I grieve for Michael Jackson.
Conclusion
People may feel I overreact when I say I grieve for him. But it is much more than just the person or his image. I grieve for my lost childhood and all the wonderment and feelings of possibility he game me. I don't even think it is the person Michael Jackson we grieve. It is the idea of Michael Jackson and all that that image stands for, the emotions we had personally attached to this ideal and the loss of all of these factors. And that is why I think people grieve for Michael Jackson.
Emotions are irrational and this is why I don't think you can quantify them and decide that any degree of grieving is irrational. Unless you understand someone's story, and even once you do, what qualifies you to condemn that person's emotions?
Here are some links to some articles I read after the passing of Jackson. The first one I think sums up how a lot of people I know felt. As i mentioned before a lot of people grew up with MJ as a constant presence in their life, which explains why people had an affinity towards him. This article discusses this.
There were some quotes in that article that really touched me.
And this article discusses childhood and the fact that all around the world people felt the same towards Jackson, creating a common link that enabled people all around the world to join.
People may feel I overreact when I say I grieve for him. But it is much more than just the person or his image. I grieve for my lost childhood and all the wonderment and feelings of possibility he game me. I don't even think it is the person Michael Jackson we grieve. It is the idea of Michael Jackson and all that that image stands for, the emotions we had personally attached to this ideal and the loss of all of these factors. And that is why I think people grieve for Michael Jackson.
Emotions are irrational and this is why I don't think you can quantify them and decide that any degree of grieving is irrational. Unless you understand someone's story, and even once you do, what qualifies you to condemn that person's emotions?
Here are some links to some articles I read after the passing of Jackson. The first one I think sums up how a lot of people I know felt. As i mentioned before a lot of people grew up with MJ as a constant presence in their life, which explains why people had an affinity towards him. This article discusses this.
There were some quotes in that article that really touched me.
"The thought of Michael Joseph Jackson not being alive is completely implausible....I then heard a woman ask to no one in particular if we had heard that Michael Jackson had died. The entire subway car gasped, and it seemed the same feeling that had taken over my body minutes earlier had found new destinations of flesh and soul to take hold of....one thing remains consistent from generation to generation; we aren't supposed to live in a world without Michael Jackson."
"In a strange way, Michael's death has made him human again. In his passing, we were able to see the great son, brother, father and humanitarian that Michael had evolved into during his short 50 years on this earth...A year later, we see Michael in a different light; a light that has shunned hypocritical finger pointing and embraced an everlasting bond that will always be shared through his music."
And this article discusses childhood and the fact that all around the world people felt the same towards Jackson, creating a common link that enabled people all around the world to join.
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Well that was a long entry! It would be great to hear other people's opinions on the article and response.
Until next time I wish you much happiness,
Sophie
"When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight". ~Kahlil Gibran
"Sorrow makes us all children again - destroys all differences of intellect. The wisest know nothing". ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
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