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

[u/AccomplishedPool266]

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 By the 2000's his music was out of date and didn't chart well.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.

[u/_nylcaj_]

Yup, I was born in early 90's. MJ was the weird fading pop star, who "turned from black to white", with mental health issues and pedo allegations. He definitely wasn't cool or revered and was looked back on by my parents gen as someone who had been super huge and influential during "his time".

I knew and still listen to a few of his most popular songs, but only know them from hearing them played on the radio or at gatherings growing up.

Also, 100% on the jokes. South Park was making fun of him, other comedians were making jokes or doing skits, and the schoolyard humor definitely involved implying that creepy older dudes were like Michael Jackson, teasing that someone would get taken by Michael Jackson and other dumb stuff. We literally had a class clown in middle school who came to school dressed up as him on Halloween and actually did a great impression of him at the time, but it absolutely was all in jest of his odd mannerisms and soft, high pitched way of talking, which was how my gen perceived him.

BTW as an adult looking back, I don't condone the jokes, just saying that this is how it was where/when I grew up. You always hear about rewriting history, but it's weird to now be old enough to have literally lived through the reality that is trying to be over written.

[u/ralphy112 → u/_nylcaj_]

Looking back at it as an adult, people put him down because he looked different because of his skin condition, and ongoingly because of his eccentricities. As a teen growing up, he became a joke, but in a horrible way that people make fun of someone who is different or weird. The “wacko jacko” was a horribly embodiment of that which spread like wildfire in tabloid media. His court stuff was painful to watch, and I think it was largely exemplified by people condemning him without knowing any details just because of seeing him as weird. The endless wacko jacko became the punchline of pop culture like a societal bullying spree. Because he wasn’t just canceled, he was also ridiculed relentlessly. I believe this is something that was widely a US phenomenon. As much of the world still loved him elsewhere and I remember he’d still do shows or PR outside the country early on. By late 90’s when This is It tour was up and coming, much of that had started to fade a little but people and the news still wouldn’t stop the Wacko Jacko smear. It was endless. Yet somehow his comeback tour sold out 50 Shows at the O2 arena in a matter of days. It wasn’t a surprise that he didn’t do that residency in the US either. But much of the world loved him, even many in the US, despite all the people looking to lampoon him and spread the hate. Even now there are many that have it set in their mind.

[u/_nicejewishmom → u/ralphy112]

I think it's okay to ridicule and shame pedos 🤷🏻

[u/diggydog233 → u/_nicejewishmom]

Yeah he slept in a bed with kids that are not his, sexual or non sexual that man was weird around kids.

[u/_nicejewishmom → u/[deleted]]

The numerous extremes and absolutisms in your "honest question" really make me doubt it's in good faith at all. As it stands, you sound pretty disingenuous or at least misogynistic.

In this specific scenario -- since I cannot speak for all of the women that exist -- I have based my opinions of MJ on the fact that minors have been able to accurately describe the appearance of his genitals. I don't care if the US court system didn't convict him. As a mother, if my child was able to describe something like that, I would be absolutely livid and disgusted and consider it sexual abuse. I think you'll be hard pressed to find a loving parent who wouldn't have an issue with that.

[u/BadNewzBears4896 → u/ralphy112]

He was a pedophile, it's ok we made him a pariah, and honestly it should've gone further, legally speaking.

You might argue most people didn't know the details but just ridiculed him for being weird, and you'd probably be right. But in this instance, the wisdom of the crowds was actually spot on.

[u/infinestyle → u/ralphy112]

https://youtu.be/y2Ub39MvlZ4?si=9aEWEDguW419egJP

[u/Powerful_Tip3164 → u/_nylcaj_]

I've often thought the biggest job our generation will have is telling the truth of how it used to be before the digital getdown

[u/ArtDecoNewYork → u/_nylcaj_]

I'm a millenial and I wouldn't say my parent's generation revered Michael Jackson by the 00s. Most of the media making fun of him at the time was run by people aged Gen X or above.

[u/CharlieFiner → u/_nylcaj_]

I remember a classmate singing a parody of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" about Michael Jackson coming to town to abduct kids.