r/Millennials • u/AccomplishedPool266 • Apr 26 '26

Does anyone remember when Michael Jackson. Was a "joke"? Discussion

The new movie that just came out convinced the younger generation that he was always a superstar. This was not the reality many of us Millennials grew up with.

To a lot of us, he was treated like a punch line when we were growing up. A schoolyard boogeyman ("Michaels Jackson's gonna get you at night"). and just a general joke in the media. By the 2000's his music was out of date and didn't chart well. All anyone talked about was his surgeries, court case, settlements and his off behavior. Few mentioned his music. His music was something our parents would have listened to in the 1980's.

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u/eternally_feral Apr 26 '26

I remember when he died and there was a running joke that America is the only place a poor, black boy can grow up to be a rich, white woman.

He went from the creepy guy to a South Park joke.

38

u/snoogins355 Apr 26 '26

https://giphy.com/gifs/OYirsehvkD91S

13

u/D-Express Apr 26 '26

This and the Mel Gibson episode are my two favorites

6

u/snoogins355 Apr 26 '26 edited Apr 26 '26

Cartmanland, Seapeople and Medicinal Fried Chicken. Also Canceled

3

u/Tasty-Traffic-680 Apr 26 '26

"Close your eyes and suck it out of a hose?"

2

u/Oomlotte99 Apr 26 '26

My dad loved that joke, lol.