With due respect to ...

[blamebrampton]

... those of you who are mourning him, I am probably going to bite the next person who tells me that Michael Jackson was a revolutionary figure in the fight for equality by African Americans. I hasten to add that this has so far been three in real life and double the number of media foik: my flist has been a bastion of sanity.

Aesthetic irony aside, it belittles genuine revolutionary figures. And I am not even talking about political giants like Dr King; there were many entertainers who walked a far more difficult path earlier and with more grace and charity, such as Ella Fitzgerald, Paul Robeson, Josephine Baker, Sammy Davis Jnr and Nina Simone.

I'm all for people loving the heroes they choose, but I would love a bit of perspective at times like these. And perhaps a little sense of history.

Flistees who are just missing the singing and dancing, I apologise for intruding on your sad day. 

Comments

[empress-jae.livejournal.com]

including the one who came up with 'Before Oprah and Obama, there was Michael'

*palmface* Dr. King is rolling over in his grave right now...

He was a very good looking young man

he was SO handsome!

LOOK AT HIM!

*sighs*

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Nah, Dr King is hanging out at Nina's heavenly place having a lovely drink and snacks with her, Ella, Sammy and a horde of others, trying not to laugh at the nose jokes Sammy is making, while Ella pretend-scolds him for being disrespectful. Billy Holiday is sitting behind Sammy egging him on and laughing uproariously. Rosa Parks is sitting next to Billy, telling her she's a very naughty girl, and should keep it up.

And yes, he was gorgeous then!

[empress-jae.livejournal.com]

what? they don't socialize with white folks? :P

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

The Kennedys are there, but they're both off in the guest bedrooms. The rest of the white folks are quietly playing the assembled hordes, because who would intrude on that show?

[piratesmile331.livejournal.com]

The Kennedys are there, but they're both off in the guest bedrooms.
Oh. My. God. You just made my day. Really. That was just SO funny. I love you.
And this is a wonderful and thought-provoking post. I feel sad for that (seemingly) joyful little boy I used to watch singing on TV, who ended up being such a strange, strange man. And he was a very attractive man, once upon a time.

[piratesmile331.livejournal.com]

*wants to be their barmaid*
*would work for free if Ella would just scat a little bit once in awhile*