Michael Jackson – Term Paper

Michael Jackson was a pop singer since the age of ten. He did not grow up like his fellow age mates, having slumber parties and having friends. Michael Jackson is undoubtedly not the first celebrity to cause a stir by inserting his race into art. However, there must be a reason why his actions were resonating. Simply, he has been a star of color who has been in the race for the mainstream audience with a lot of controversy surrounding him and his death. Michael has had to face many controversies despite many accolades which surrounded his name. 

M.J had many controversies surrounding him. Firstly, in the mid-1990’s, he was accused of sexually abusing Jordan Chandler. Chandler and his father came into the picture, and there was a lot of outcry from the media. These accusations ended up in an out of court settle. Also, in 2003, Michael was in the limelight on account of sexual abuse. The basis for the accusations was a documentary, where he was purportedly seen holding hands with a young boy while discussing sleeping arrangements. He was arrested in 2003 and charged with sexual abuse, but he was later acquitted of all charges. Michael spoke about how painful this experience was for him. 

Jackson tried to explain the irony of why he was always around children. He said that through them, he would know how it feels to have a normal childhood since it was not so for him. The child abuse charges against M.J were the worst charges during his career. Many people sought explanations and resolved the discrepancies by blaming Michael’s father for M.J’s abuse under his watch. While everyone was looking for answers, his career was ruined. No one ever looked at Michael in the same way again.

Secondly, Much of Jackson’s life was plunged with rumors that he had plastic surgeries extensively. Over the years, his skin became noticeably lighter. M.J attributed the change in color to a skin condition called Vitiligo. Additionally, people were wondering why Michael Jackson chose to transform from being black to being white through plastic surgeries; while his lyrics stated that it did not matter whether a person was black or white. Despite Michael’s radical change, he only admitted to two nose jobs. 

A surgeon in Los Angeles who shared practice with M.J’s doctor, admitted that Michael was a frequent customer. Doctor Wallace said that Michael had several surgeries and in two years he had approximately had twelve surgeries. His nose was repeatedly operated on, and the surgeries took a toll on his face.

Lastly, at his death, His Doctor Murray Conrad was accused of manslaughter. Murray was accused of involuntarily causing the death of Michael Jackson. This created further controversy as to his death. Accordingly, other reports claimed that he was not dead, but “covertly killed.” Other media posting suggested that M.J was murdered by an experimental bioweapon. The news on the internet blamed his doctor for his inaction during Michael’s death. On the other hand, other theories suggested that he faked his death. Despite Michael’s controversies, his lived his life with so much to admire abut his talent, his art and his personality.

Conclusion

To sum up, Michael Jackson’s life was one of a pop idol which was well deserved. Even at Jackson’s death, he was widely loved. Despite his first-hand success with the Jackson Five, it was not always bliss for him. He has had to face innumerable controversies and cross many hurdles. Despite the many controversies surrounding him, he has changed the pop world forever. In 1982, Thriller was the best-selling album. In his career, he scored 13 hits at the number one position more than any other artist. Also, he is estimated to have sold over 400 million records, which is higher than anybody else’s. 

Works Cited

Hadley, Mari. Michael Jackson Master of Illusion: The Final Curtain Call. Xlibris Corporation, 

2009.