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The Case of Michael Jackson (1) The American pop legend, Michael Jackson was born on August 29, 1958. Ever since his early childhood, Jackson developed strong ties with entertainment industry, while performing as a member of Jacksons 5 band, which enjoyed steady popularity throughout the late sixties. In 1971, his solo career was launched, with Jacksons albums Off the Wall, Thriller, Bad, Dangerous, and HIStory becoming best-sellers. In early eighties, Jacksons physical appearance underwent a dramatic change. As many people still joke today - Jackson was being turned from poor Black boy into a rich White woman.
Nowadays, it is often speculated that Jacksons physical metamorphosis correspond to a Vitiligo disease, on his part. However, the available evidence points out to the fact that Jackson always suffered from the feeling of racial inadequacy, which was the real reason for him to decide to undergo extensive plastic surgeries, in the middle of eighties. In nineties, Jacksons physical condition started to deteriorate rapidly, resulting in him being rarely seen in public. Around the same time, he became involved in promotion of various child-welfare charities. Eventually, it led Jackson to being charged with the sexual molestation of children he liked to hang out with so much. In 1993, the charges of sexual abuse, on the part of Jackson, were being dropped, because he agreed to pay millions of dollars to the family of an abused child.
In 2005, it seemed like Jackson was going to end up behind bars, after all, but he was still able to walk free out of the court room, because his lawyers were able to turn his trial into the mockery of justice. However, the continuous accusations of child molestation, have taken a heavy toll on Jacksons financial standing, which in its turn, caused him to sell much of the real estate he used to own. As for today, Jacksons leads a very secluded lifestyle, while being ordered by the court not to approach kindergartens and schools. (2) Within a context of theory of psychoanalysis, Michael Jackson represents a very interesting case. There can be no doubt as to the fact that Jackson has been heavily affected by his own existential inadequateness, since very early in his life. The roots of this inadequateness appear to go into Jacksons relationship with his father. During the course of his ninety-minute interview with Oprah Winfrey in 1993, Jackson had repeatedly admitted that he used to be getting physically abused by his father Joseph, who strived to straighten his children, by beating them and locking them up in dark room.
When we look at Josephs photos, it will appear that Jacksons father has what it is being referred to as lombrosian facial features small forehead, small eyes that sit deep in his skull and very full lips. Individuals with such facial features are being subconsciously perceived by people as such who represent a potential danger, and as practice shows, they often do. At the same time, Michaels mother appears to have fine facial features, as for a Black woman. Thus, from the time when he was a kid, Jackson grew to disassociate himself with macho masculinity, because he had a hard time of thinking about it, outside of the context of physical and emotional pain. It is also a well-known fact that Jackson had much closer relationship with his mother.
In its turn, it created preconditions for the developing of Oedipus complex, on Jacksons part. Slowly but surely, Michael was growing envious of his father for being able to have intimate relationship with his mother, despite the fact that in Michaels eyes, his dad was a simple brute who did not have the right to tell his wife and children how to behave. According to Freud, it is only the matter of time, for the individual affected by Oedipus complex, to begin acting in the way that can hardly be associated with conventional morality. It seems that Jacksons rise to fame can hardly be thought of as such that corresponded to his rationale, but rather to his subconscious strive to prove to his father that he is better then him.
Ever since Michael became famous performer, his relationship with Joseph has deteriorated even further. The fact that Michael had adopted a very eccentric lifestyle, in his later years, can also be thought as a side-effect of him being affected by Oedipus complex. Apparently, he wanted to prove to himself that he does not have much in common with brothers existential mode, since he subconsciously associated it with his farther. However, since the motifs of social alienation in Michaels psyche became strong enough, they started to acquire destructive properties. Sometimes in the middle of eighties, Jackson had realized that, no matter how hard he would try to make his behavior being linked to existential sophistication, people will continue to perceive him as a Black person, who was able to make his way in White mens world, simply because of being entertaining enough. In its turn, it resulted in Michael beginning to hate his very biological essence, which explains the acts of self-mutilation he had allowed to be repeatedly performed on him.
Apparently, Michael does not view his plastic surgeries as simply the mean of improving his physical appearance by being put through the pain; Michael redeems his unholy existence in his own eyes. Indulging in self-mutilation is one of the ways Michaels subconscious psyche expresses itself, which is why he often strives to emphasize its own disfigurement by wearing a black mask over his face in public. Psychiatrists are aware of the fact that victims of child abuse often become sadomasochistic adults with severe self-image issues. In his book Bodies Under Siege Self-mutilation in Culture and Psychiatry, Armando Favazza provides us with the psychoanalytical insight on the practice of self-mutilation: Self-mutilation is a violent act associated with suffering, either immediate or delayed. However there are many culturally sanctioned instances where persons willingly mutilate themselves or allow others to mutilate themSelf-mutilation of the nose is not uncommon in various cultures around the world many mentally unstable people resort to it as the method of realization of their identity (Favazza, p. 12). The masochistic pleasure that Jackson derive out of his physical pain, corresponds very well to his messianic public stance.
If we look at the ideas contained in Jacksons songs, it will appear that they closely remind the ideas of early Christians universal unity, non-violence, abstract love to humankind, unimportance of race or culture, and the most important idealization of children. It will not be an exaggeration, on our part, to suggest that Jackson thinks of himself as more of a religious figure then simply a former pop star. Just as Jesus Christ, who exploited peoples lack of education and good taste, while preaching his suicidal ideas, Jackson was able to utilize society's metaphysical inadequateness, as the vehicle that brought him to the heights of public fame. Yet, deep inside, Jackson knows that his art has absolutely no objective value, but it is only educated White people who understand this fact. Michael also knows that he cannot deal with the public criticism that is being directed at him by resorting to rationalization. Therefore, just like Jesus Christ, Jackson begins to talk about the children as such that symbolize the victory of innocence and naivety over intelligence, every time while facing criticism.
It has often been suggested by tabloid press that Michael Jackson has never grown up, while remaining essentially a child, deep inside. Such suggestion could not possibly be more wrong. Michaels practice of bleaching his skin, as well as his existential eccentricity, suggest that he no longer strives to fill his life with meaning, but quite contrary to that to get rid of the wireless of the world. Such strive is strongly associated with individuals life reaching the phase of emotional senility. Jackson is mental and physical wreck, which is why he seeks physical contact with children apparently, he believes that having sex with children is the ultimate tool of physical revitalization. Such idea is not very original, even though that the physical mechanism of revitalization through contact with children remains unknown.
Nevertheless, it has been known since ancient times that hanging out with children have an immense positive effect on lives of old people. The most expensive medicine that slows down the process of aging is being made out of the flesh of human fetuses. Therefore, Jacksons obsession with children corresponds to his subconscious desire to remain young and not to his concerns about childrens well being, as it is often being suggested by Michaels fans. At the same time, it would be wrong to think that Jackson cannot attain existential vitality simply because of physical limitations of his body. It appears that he does not strive towards life, but rather towards un deadness, which is the reason why Michaels physical appearance strikes us as being utterly odd he definitely looks like a vampire.
If it was not up to his money, he would have been locked up in mental institution long time ago, since he clearly possesses psychological traits that make him dangerous to society. Michaels victories in the court of law, his continuous assaults on conventional morality, which go unpunished, his dependency on drugs, convinced him that he is really vastly superior to the people who surround him. Since Michael associates existential superiority with White race, it comes as no surprise that his lips and nose continue to become narrower and that his skin appears to grow paler and paler, as time goes by. Apparently, he also receives pleasure out of the fact that, despite the plenty of evidence, which point out to the fact that he despises his own race, the majority of Michaels fans would still become utterly horrified by such suggestion. In other words, being able to manipulate people psychologically is another source of pleasure for Michael, along with molestation of children. Just as Jesus, he poses himself as representative of light and kindness, while being dark and evil inside.
Jackson is not just a weirdo, he is a monster who was able to adopt the spirit of early Christianity to realities of post-modern living, which made him immensely rich and turned his fans into brainless zombies. Therefore, we can say that it is only the matter of time, before more skeletons will be discovered in Jacksons closets probably in more senses then just allegorical. Bibliography: Favazza, Armando Bodies under Siege: Self-Mutilation in Culture and Psychiatry, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987.
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