They were born three years and 24 days apart. And a more than an ocean separated the only child of a Kenyan father and a Kansan mother and the Gary, Indiana kid who was the seventh of nine children. It would be wrong to read too much political meaning into the career of Michael Jackson and that of Barack Obama. (No one is thinking tonite that Hillary Clinton owes a debt of gratitude to Farrah Fawcett.) But it would be myopic to say that Jackson had a huge cultural impact and no political impact, either.
After all, as much as the oft mentioned Huxtables of "The Cosby Show" fame or any number of crossover African-American politicians, Jackson broke down walls between races with music that sent suburban whites and inner-city blacks to say, "I want my MTV!", the fledgling cry of the music cable network when it was still trying to get pickup.
In his androgyny and overall weirdness, Jackson was never really a role model in the sense that you could try and be like him. His talents were too otherworldly and so were his oddities. But he was entertaining and by bringing people together, especially in the 80s when race relations seemed more strained--remember Howard Beach or "Do the Right Thing?" or the Giuliani-Dinkins race--that meant something.
I don't have my copy of "Dreams From My Father" at hand to know if the 44th president mentions Jackson but it's hard to imagine that he didn't have a disc to take with him to Occidental or Columbia. And if he didn't own one, he surely knew the words which made him like everyone else. Barack Obama lived a life of accomplishment, an upward trajectory from Punahou to Harvard, Springfield to the White House that seems incredibly void of demons whereas Jackson was all demons. They're no more alike personally than
where is the rest of this article?
boy o boy.
This is one of the dumbest things I've read in years. Predictable, but incredibly stupid and poorly framed. Too sloppy to be intentional racism, but a wild regurgitation of stereotypes and middle-age white mail psycho-babel cocktail talk.
You've done much better work, but this post should embarrass you and the Atlantic.
As near as I can tell, you've linked Obama and Jackson because they were both black, lived through the same decades in America and reached some level of fame. And your point is?
Man, the stupid of your post just burns.
Cheers
Surely the point is not that they reached 'some level of fame' but that they both reached the real pinnacles of fame within their chosen spheres.
This post is absurd.
There are lessons for all of us, including President Obama, in the story of The Jackson Five and its derivatives.
This is at best a false syllogism, at worst cynical.
Michael Jackson has a role in pop culture whose lineage could be traced back to Mom's Mabley and as forward as Chris Brown.
But to equate a performer with the ability of a politician is a stretch.
President Obama owes Mike what anyone (regardless of race owes Mike), to remember and enjoy the man's music. That is all
I don't think he was equating a performer with the ability of a politician. I think he was making a link between the performer and the OPPORTUNITY of the politician. In the 1970's I was a little white girl in the midwest. There were no African American's in my school BUT the first album I remember owning was "The Jackson 5". Maybe in a small way MJ made his contribution.
I think that Mr. Cooper was trying to say BECAUSE Micheal Jackson was a huge crossover artist that appealed to both whites and blacks; he was the for runner of Obama.
This is not only simplistic but ignorant.
Louis Armstrong
Ella Fitzgerald
Sammy Davis
Duke Ellington
Miles Davis
Sam Cooke
Diana Ross
Tina Turner
The history of jazz and Motown's sound and black music as a whole is a history of connection and space: the civil rights movement occured in large part because of urban whites hitting Harlem in the 20s and black music space. African Americans gained wealth, fame, influence, and power FIRST through their art and food.
Micheal Jackson definitely defined a generation. But the fact is that the trend Mr. Cooper is trying to define is one that's been there for a longer time.
And it ignores the black intellectual history of this country: Douglas, Dubois, Washington, Carver, Dr. Drew etc etc.
I just wanted to say when I talked about the urban whites, I didn't mean to imply the causation there....
A post worthy of CNN.
Jesus fucking Christ. So, when do you and Ambinder start at Politico?
I think what the author means is that Michael Jackson made blacks and black culture accessable to whites unlike anyone before. MJ was the first major star post Civil Rights Movement, a time in which blacks gained their rightful equality, but, looking back, a time of shame and discomfort for many whites. MJ brought black culture to whites through their TVs, into their homes. The next major black start did the same thing- Oprah. The author isnt trying to compare MJ to Barack's power or intelligence or significance (I dont think), but instead showing that MJ showed many whites the amazing talents that all people can posses- whether black or white.
I agree---MJ, Oprah, etc., were a big part of making black not appealing in the way that many of the other figures, e.g., Miles Davis, were, but normal. Miles Davis was dangerous. MJ became a sad parody of himself as he retreated more and more into eccentricity (at some point it became "crazy") but he was a big deal in the early 80s, along with Bill Cosby and so on.
Harold Washington is a sadly forgotten figure that Barack Obama owes big props to as well... I'm sure he remembers Washington as he arrived in Chicago during Washington's term as mayor.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Washington
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=84
Yeah, this is just a ridiculous post. Thanks for the laugh though.
LED TV Reviews Bob Revolution Minnesota Jobs
I guess everyone who finds this post ridiculous did not watch the music awards on BET. Nearly every black entertainer made the comment that because of MJ, Obama became president.
Ok, are you seriously trying to find some common ground between the two or attempting to tell us that there is nothing that makes these two anywhere near the same person aside from the fact that they both share the same skin color "well not really" but eh, what a post. I have to say like the rest I guess it's good reading considering the comedial component. xo: Hair Cut
Anyone with common sense has to acknowledge that Michael Jackson broke barriers of rascism almost like no other. It was these broken barriers that made it easier for White America to accept the differences of our cultures. Michael created a sense of comfort, the kind of comfort that made us fell connected. He was accepted by all races. Without a Michael, it is hard to believe that a White America would had voted in such overwhelming numbers for a Black man named "Barack Hussein Obama".
Michael Jacksons' untimely passing has been painful to millions, but since rumors persist that he will be buried without his brain and people are wondering, is Michael Jackson's body missing? Whether or not Michael Jackson's body is missing, no one knows, but the talk of the brain having been excised for testing, it's highly probable. In a post mortem examination when drugs are a likely candidate, the brain has to be taken out and examined after a cooling off period so drugs can be ruled out or confirmed as having caused his fatal heart attack. Many would give major cash advances to find if Michael Jackson's body is missing.