Is Michael Jackson a King ?

Have you ever asked yourself why people give the “King” label to some special persons ? Popular urban myth is that Michael Jackson gave this “King” label to himself. I’m the King of what I’m doing, and as what I’m doing is pop songs, then let me be the King Of Pop. As simple as that.

Well, that’s ok but everyone can afford it. I’m cooking splendid tortillas, so let’s call me the King of Tortilla ! But what will make people inject value to that ? Will they do it just because my tortillas taste a lot better than what the can make on their own ? Sure nope. Nope nope. There’s something else.

In these days where Kings, real ones, don’t rule anymore our world, the “King” concept is a kind of bag to throw in part of our beliefs and hopes. And more than that, a part of what we are, in our daily human lifes.

King of Pop finally goes the same way as King of Rock : the tragic way. And that’s the real beginning of the myth.  Guys who made it and then were totally destroyed by their fate is a very talkative experience. Not because we especially want and approve it, more because it reminds us that nothing divine walks on Earth.

Days before his death, only fans, mainly from popular classes, where excited to see Michael Jackson on stage again, wich means a minority despite what media say. Now after his brutal death, this goes way beyond. Listening to MJ’s tracks is no more an old fashioned gimmick. Even the President of the United states recognized to have a few tracks of MJ on his iPod. Nobody will go an check if this is true, it’s more a wise political move to remain close to popular mainstream. And in any case, it also shows the amplitude of the phenomenon. Now MJ is simply a celebration, a fresh and reliable one, just because we – all – need to celebrate to face the unknown of our own future. MJ as well as Elvis decades ago, are the Christ extension (for example, other religions work on the same basics). We regularly need ‘someones’ special enough to be what we’ll never be, and that can suffer and die in pain, just the way we’ll do sooner or later.

Now if MJ is an icon and a “King”, it’s for sure not only because because of his music (lots of superior musicians lived and will live). It’s because of his so human fate. And then that’s why we inject such a value in that “King of Pop” label, of course, value in $.

That’s the way it is.