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Discussion Topic: RIP Michael Jackson
Marlo Stanfield added to this discussion on June 26, 2009
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Discussion Topic: RIP Michael Jackson
Hank Kornblut added to this discussion on June 26, 2009
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My take on this topic as written in an e-news I sent to my customers:
One of my favorite candies has always been Jujyfruits. As a kid, I’d eat them at the movies, holding them up to the light of the screen to determine which flavor was in hand. Even today they’re still a guilty pleasure There’s not much to them—just some corn syrup and artificial fruit flavors mixed together with enough gummy substance to make them fun to eat. But, as candies go, they’re pretty successful. They were first produced in 1920. And today you can still find them in the candy aisles of most grocery or drug stores. Still, I understand that, after all, they’re Jujyfruits. It’s not the same as eating a quality fresh baked good. They’re a sweet—that’s all—and no matter the nostalgia I feel for them, they’ll never be anything more than what they are.
Why bring this up? Because, Michael Jackson died yesterday. Talented? Sure. No denying he understood from a young age how to sing, perform and compose music that would have a general mass appeal. But as I listened to certain commentators stretch to describe his musical abilities, it caused me to cringe. Particularly galling was the notion one put forth that he was our generation’s Fred Astaire. Fred Astaire was not an artificial confection—he was as fine a baked good as was ever made. OK—I’m stretching the analogy. But you get the point. Popularity, accessibility and sales should not be confused with talent. There will always be standards even as we ignore them at our own peril.
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Discussion Topic: RIP Michael Jackson
Gary Sommers added to this discussion on June 26, 2009
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Quote from Hank Kornblut's post:
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"My take on this topic as written in an e-news I sent to my customers:
One of my favorite candies has always been Jujyfruits. As a kid, I’d eat them at the movies, holding them up to the light of the screen to determine which flavor was in hand. Even today they’re still a guilty pleasure There’s not much to them—just some corn syrup and artificial fruit flavors mixed together with enough gummy substance to make them fun to eat. But, as candies go, they’re pretty successful. They were first produced in 1920. And today you can still find them in the candy aisles of most grocery or drug stores. Still, I understand that, after all, they’re Jujyfruits. It’s not the same as eating a quality fresh baked good. They’re a sweet—that’s all—and no matter the nostalgia I feel for them, they’ll never be anything more than what they are.
Why bring this up? Because, Michael Jackson died yesterday. Talented? Sure. No denying he understood from a young age how to sing, perform and compose music that would have a general mass appeal. But as I listened to certain commentators stretch to describe his musical abilities, it caused me to cringe. Particularly galling was the notion one put forth that he was our generation’s Fred Astaire. Fred Astaire was not an artificial confection—he was as fine a baked good as was ever made. OK—I’m stretching the analogy. But you get the point. Popularity, accessibility and sales should not be confused with talent. There will always be standards even as we ignore them at our own peril."
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Hank, your points are well taken. However, I would find Michael Jackson to be a much more legitimate talent than say Britney Spears, The Backstreet Boys, N'Sync, or Taylor Swift who are true creations of record companies and marketers.
The Fred Astaire analogy is surely a bit of a stretch, but Jackson's talents were much more than those listed above.
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Discussion Topic: RIP Michael Jackson
Ben Golden added to this discussion on June 27, 2009
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I don't know. I think MJ is definitely as talented as Fred Astaire, and probably more so. Fred Astaire's grace on the dance floor is obviously something marvelous, but his acting wasn't very good and his singing was average.
Michael Jackson wrote most of his music including a lot of his most popular pieces--he should get a huge amount of credit for that. His voice suited his music well, and he could hit notes that most people cannot (although nose jobs certainly play a part of that). His dancing is certainly jaw-dropping and out-right entertaining. Also, he blazed soo much of his own trail.
Altogether, they are from vastly different time periods, and entertainment changed very much between their times. That always makes comparisons difficult and inconclusive. The thing is, Michael changed the whole entertainment landscape drastically in a way I doubt Fred Astaire did. I can't really imagine a more consummate entertainer than Michael Jackson.
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Discussion Topic: RIP Michael Jackson
Anthony Windsor II added to this discussion on June 27, 2009
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Michael Jackson was just purely talented. How can you say that he was any less that pure talent¿?
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Discussion Topic: RIP Michael Jackson
Gary Sommers added to this discussion on June 27, 2009
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Quote from Ben Golden's post:
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"I don't know. I think MJ is definitely as talented as Fred Astaire, and probably more so. Fred Astaire's grace on the dance floor is obviously something marvelous, but his acting wasn't very good and his singing was average.
Michael Jackson wrote most of his music including a lot of his most popular pieces--he should get a huge amount of credit for that. His voice suited his music well, and he could hit notes that most people cannot (although nose jobs certainly play a part of that). His dancing is certainly jaw-dropping and out-right entertaining. Also, he blazed soo much of his own trail.
Altogether, they are from vastly different time periods, and entertainment changed very much between their times. That always makes comparisons difficult and inconclusive. The thing is, Michael changed the whole entertainment landscape drastically in a way I doubt Fred Astaire did. I can't really imagine a more consummate entertainer than Michael Jackson."
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Kind of like comparing Isiah Thomas and Bob Cousy.
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Discussion Topic: RIP Michael Jackson
Hank Kornblut added to this discussion on June 28, 2009
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" I can't really imagine a more consummate entertainer than Michael Jackson."
And pro wrestling is the best style because it's the most popular?
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Discussion Topic: RIP Michael Jackson
Mark Niemann added to this discussion on June 28, 2009
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Quote from Hank Kornblut's post:
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"" I can't really imagine a more consummate entertainer than Michael Jackson."
And pro wrestling is the best style because it's the most popular?"
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Yes. Pro Wrestling is the best. Next you're going to try to tell me it's not even real!!!
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