Celebrities @ MindSay 
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| Like many others around the world, I was alerted to the the fact that Michael Jackson had died by a text message from a friend. So I turned my computer back on and watched online as the first reports broke across the world news. Yet it all seemed surreal, unexpected and sudden - making it hard to really take in. This icon, this musical legend, was gone. Of course, to many he had been lost for years. Michael Jackson's career had waned from it's 1980s heyday as child abuse allegations and his changing appearance helped to undermine his stardom. Added to this was the ongoing media barrage and the simple fact that the world had seemingly moved on from the time when he unleashed his signature 'moon walk' while performing 'Billie Jean' at the Motown 25th anniversary show. After releasing three of pop music's greatest albums back-to-back in 'Off The Wall', 'Thriller' and 'Bad' - not to mention securing the best selling album of all time in 'Thriller' - Michael Jackson seemed to struggle for the same levels of relevance. Not to say that he didn't still see success, as continued number ones testified, but rather that his all-conquering superstardom became sullied. Despite being found not guilty and having taken the generally accepted and advised option of an out-of-court settlement it was perhaps the child abuse charges that hurt his career the most. He never quite seemed to be able to escape the spectre of the allegations and Michael Jackson the man became somewhat seperated from his musical legacy as his almost child-like purity and innocence was lost to the world. Michael also struggled with his personal appearance as his skin-tone lightened considerably leading some to speculate that he was looking to distance himself from his African American roots. Perhaps the truth will finally be revealed, although it is just as likely that Michael Jackson's secrets will go with him to the grave. There is, however, something about Jackson that could never be kept under wraps, his talent. it is his talent as a singer, performer, dancer and entertainer that we shoudl really try to remember him for. Michael Jackson became arguably the most famous man in the world - his music crossing social, ethnic and geographical boundaries. He had his own distinct style of movement, one that was not classically trained, but rather one that seemed to come from within. Jackson seemed to move instinctively, his performances apparently lacking organized choreography, except where his dancers had to keep up with him. Fittingly for a chilld born just four years after the end of segregation and signed to Motown the same year as Martin Luther King was killed, Michael Jackson's songs helped break down racial barriers as he heralded African American inroads to MTV. Yet he seldom seemed to play upon his heritage, becoming an everyman even as his appearance changed. Through all of the controversy, Michael Jackson's work will live on as his impact continues to be felt through the work of others. His music will continue to be played at parties and in clubs and it seems that with his death Michael Jackson's legacy may grow stronger than it was even during his lifetime. There will be many feeling a strange sense of loss for a man they never knew. Perhaps it is a feeling of personal loss too as a constant part of the lives of many is gone. Another piece of childhood lost with the man that was himself like a boy. A true legend, Michael Jackson's impact cannot be over-stressed and perhaps now, with his untimely death, we can all once again appreciate the talent above the failings of the man. Many more words will be written before Michael Jackson can truly rest, there will no doubt follow legal battles and more controversy. But finally Michael Jackson can rest and for him only three words are now needed; rest in peace. |
Slim – www.grindmodeconnect.com
lots of people dying lately, huh? Ed Mcmahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, and now BILLY FUCKING MAYS. that one hit me the hardest. Billy Mays is part of my every day life. i am actually entertained by his infomercials. just last week, my boyfriend and i were watching some of his commercials on youtube and discussing how we could use each product for stupid things. (i know, we're super lame. abstinence, kids.) he was just on the Tonight Show, too, and my brother and i were so excited to watch him! we're very easily entertained, as you can tell, but that's why Billy Mays was special to us. his commercials were on when nothing else was and we happily watched them.
Rest In Peace, Billy Mays.
| This week sees the start of the Rihanna / Chris Brown trial. Sure to be a media circus, and if the coverage of the incident so far is anything to go by, the court battle is set to become headline news. The focus on Rihanna and Chris Brown has no doubt been fuelled by their popularity within media circles prior to their well-publicized fight. But, is it really helping matters?
It seems that the media have, in many ways, made this experience worse for the R&B singers with back-and-forth claims and allegations being made by 'friends' and 'insiders' while the leaking of certain pictures to the press may have also served to undermine the trial itself. There can't be many people who they can call to the jury who have not already had a media-fuelled opinion on what went down that night. The truth of the matter, however, is that the only people who can know for sure what happened were Chris Brown and Rihanna themselves. While popular opinion was that Chris Brown was 100% in the wrong for what he did in striking Rihanna how would we feel if some of the parameters of the case were changed? Would people be so up in arms if it was Chris Brown who had his bruised face shown on the Internet - and indeed would there be such a great deal of interest had it not been Rihanna herself in the car? Remember that just around the same time Suge Knight was arrested for beating his girlfriend in somewhat similar circumstances - and yet there was nothing of the same fuss made over her apparent plight. Of course, we are told it is wrong to hit women - and this is something which I wholeheartedly agree with. But then again it is also wrong for women to take advantage of this position and hit men. As children we are generally dissuaded from being violent to each other - whether boys or girls. Indeed at a young age girls are normally slightly larger physically than boys. So what is right in this? |
He will have labels eating out of his hands, because of the street buzz that he has accumulated. This is WHY promotions, publicity, social media of any sort and the streets are your real bargaining tools! To say that you're getting ready to get signed to a label, means nothing if you have not created a buzz to whereas the labels will be in an all out war over you and your talents. This is how you still get millions from rapping...you up the ante and raise the stakes...
WWW.GRINDMODECONNECT.COM
| This week has seen Brandy gain some level of legal closure over compensation for a 2006 car accident that left a woman dead (see Grind Mode Connect 'News' section). However, she has still to finally settle with the woman's husband who refused $1.2 million in compensation for the accident. This instance may point to the man not having really dealt with the tragic loss of his wife. Then again it may point to a feeling that he can gain more financially. While we can speculate, we cannot know the true reasons behind the husband's refusal of compensation. However there does seem to be a spate of celebrity suing - often for far more trivial matters. Whether it is Justin Timberlake's restaurant, Kanye West losing his temper at LAX or Michael Jackson's concerts - a lawsuit never seems too far behind - regardless of whether the celebrity are themselves at fault or not.
While real grievances should be taken through the courts and awarded relevant compensation, could it be that we are going slightly overboard with the whole thing?
I can just imagine it now; there I am walking down the street, looking down to check my phone, when I notice a shadow fall across me. Before I have a chance to fully look up or react I have encountered Puffy (or 'Diddy' - call him what you will), who accidentally steps upon my new trainers (that's "sneakers" in America). Stopping to assess the damage I notice that he has creased the leather on one toe and scuffed the outer layer slightly. What's worse is that he seems to have also crushed my foot very slightly. Hobbling to a low wall I sit down and gingerly remove my shoe and sock. Yes! There it is! A slight graze on my foot. I quickly take a picture before shouting, "I'll see you in court" at the rapidly retreating mogul, my $80 shoe quickly turning to potential millions before my eyes.
OK - I'm joking and of course such a case would never stand up (would it?). Plus I would actually be too ashamed to carry it out. But there are certainly those out there who see celebrities as paydays; whether it is the victims themselves or, perhaps more frequently, at the behest of 'concerned' friends and relatives. It is a shame that sometimes regular mistakes are followed up by victorious legal action. We put our celebrities on a pedestal and then act hurt when they fall from grace, forgetting that for all their talents they are people like us. Their egos may be a little expanded at times (that's the fame) but ultimately they share the same basic hopes and dreams as everyone else. In our 100-mile-an-hour culture of instant celebrity and instant money (without the effort?) it is all too easy to see the dollar signs, but integrity can't be bought. Like respect, it needs to be earned.
I hope that Awatef Aboudihaj's husband, Marouane Hdidou, can find peace over the loss of his wife due to Brandy's car crash - but I also hope that such a real tragedy can help put the frivolous claims of others into perspective...
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