What's REALLY Going ON Volume 1, June 2014 Issue #6 | Page 88

WATCHMAN ON THE WALL
The Watchman- A World Without MJ?

As a kid in the 1980s, I was a huge fan of
“choose your own adventure” stories. You
know the ones: you read up to chapter nine or
so and at the end, the main character faces
some kind of preteen thriller dilemma. Do I
open the door or open the window? If you
chose door, you would skip to chapter eleven.
If you chose the window, you would continue
to chapter ten. Each ending was wildly different but still satisfying, mainly because you didn’t know what the other ending would’ve
looked like. Your ignorance was bliss.
What does “Choose Your Own Adventure”
have to do with Michael Jackson? Well, life is
a ride of predestined twists and turns that ultimately become our fate, our journey, and our
legends. In late 1969, the Jackson 5’s performance on the Ed Sullivan Show ushered in a
new chapter for popular music. Michael Jackson specifically shaped popular culture, fashion, art and music in ways we could never imagine. Let’s explore a few.
Before Michael Jackson, only the biggest
nerds wore high water pants with loafers and
white socks showing. Wearing one glove
meant cold fingers until you located the other
at the lost and found. Epaulets, arm bands and
aviator shades, once only worn by third world
dictators, became the must-have fashion.
In the beginning, Katherine Jackson was reportedly planning to name her baby boy Roland. I’m not sure why she changed her mind,
but I’m thankful she did.

to be on one of the planes headed from New
York to Los Angeles on September 11, 2001,
but he overslept.
Even in death, Michael was a pioneer. We rediscovered the importance of performing CPR
on a hard surface. The callous role of insurance company in a pop star’s life was exposed. Suddenly, everyone knew the word
Propofol.
Suddenly, our heroes were no longer sacrosanct. They battled demons like us and they
could die like us. In life, Michael was something otherworldly, but in death, all is laid bare.
Our superhero really had vitiligo? What do you
mean this superman was only five foot nine?
Many of today’s young singers simply wouldn’t
exist were it not for the King of Pop. The dancing styles of Usher and Chris Brown are built
on the DNA of Michael Jackson’s style. Justin
Timberlake’s playbook-perfect imitation of Michael Jackson is worthy of a separate article
altogether.
So, if not Michael, then who? Trying to remember who Michael Jackson’s peers were in the
early days is like trying to remember the world
on September 10, 2001. Personally, I don’t like
to dwell on it. Instead, to paraphrase Dr.
Seuss, I don’t cry because he’s gone, I smile
because he was here.

-The Watchman-

Serendipity continued playing a role in Michael
Jackson’s life. Rumor has it he was scheduled
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