Afternoon Aural: Michael Jackson
What can we say? It’s Michael Jackson, it’s “Smooth Criminal” and “The Way You Make Me Feel,” and it’s fucking awesome, so you better sing along!
What happens if you don’t? Jackson kills you in your dreams, of course…
Regardless of what one thinks of MJ as a person, he sure could dance. Too bad Smooth Criminal wasn’t shot in widescreen. It was the most expensive music video in its day, and widescreen would have been worth the investment. If MJ is ever able to rehabilitate his reputation, Smooth Criminal will stand as one of the great videos in music history.
It occurs to me that MJ can begin redeeming himself by discussing openly how struggling against his own nature has brought him to this sorry state. MJ could be a great force for change if he rejects the sham that is his public/private persona. He’s already held up as an example of what happens one tries to adopt values that are contrary to one’s inner nature.