Michael Jackson: King of Publicity
(Was MJ just monkeying around?)
Make no mistake, fame followed Jackson in both his private and public life until the very end. While some say the fame drove Michael to do better, others questioned his bizarre lifestyle and antics. Yet, was Jackson feeding this media frenzy to start?
According to Nick Mayor, editor of Freak! Inside the Twisted Mind of Michael Jackson, at least one rumor was created by Jackson himself. Jackson’s representatives gave a photo to the infamous National Inquirer showing Michael asleep in a hyperbaric chamber with a contingency that the word ‘bizarre’ be used in the story.
Why would a star create such buzz that he would later deny? Again, according to Mayor, it was because he was following in the foot steps of the greatest promoter of all time: P.T. Barnum. According to unverified reports, Michael Jackson read P.T. Barnum’s autobiography and handed it to his manager and staff, stating simply, “This is my Bible now.”
Both legendary entertainers knew one simple fact: people love a good show, especially a freak show. So the marriage to Lisa Marie Presley; the skin color changes; the baby dangling over the ledge in Berlin - was it all a show?
No one will ever know for sure because even MJ himself couldn’t control the publicity (see his ordeals in court for more). Now in death, he is as popular as ever. Recent iTunes charts, as well as worldwide charts, show many of his hits are back on top -- an incredible and unheard of feat considering how long the songs have been around. Even the internet slowed because of how many people rushed online upon hearing of his demise.
(Whale Fail from Twitter as seen from one MJ fan)
While we mourn the loss of Michael Jackson as the King of Pop, we, too, should note that he was also the King of Publicity.
RIP Michael Jackson