“Singer, entertainer, white-woman”-these are just some of the adjectives that can be used to describe Michael Jackson.
But Michael was more than an entertainer to me. He was a unwitting teacher who taught me during my young and impressionable youth. In tribute to the King of Pop, I would like to share with you 3 things I learnt from watching Michael Jackson music videos.
1. It doesn’t matter if you’re black or white; as long as you are a mutant shapeshifter.
Decades before Charles Xavier could share his dream with a mutant-fearing world, Michael Jackson was already ahead of the curve.
At the end of his music video “Black or White”, Michael showed us that it doesn’t matter if you’re black or white as long as you’re a shape-shifting mutant.
2. Gang related knife fights are actually pretenses for simultaneous dancing
Now, now, we both know why you’re REALLY here.
As a young child I always feared knife-wielding, colourfully-dressed, leather-jacket-wearing gangsters. Fortunately, Michael’s video “Beat It” taught me otherwise.
You have no idea how many gang fights I stopped by breaking into unexpected dance. Thanks Michael!
3. Herds of flesh-eating zombies can be stopped with MORE simultaneous dancing
The WRONG way to deal with zombies.
I always thought that zombies were hungry for human brains. I also always wondered what happened to gangsters when they die.
The CORRECT way to deal with zombies.
With “Thriller”, Michael corrected my first misconception while satiating my subsequent curiosity. Apparently, when gangsters die, they turn into zombies who are hungry for dance. I’m sure those shotgun-wielding survivalist feel real stupid now. Time to trade in those shotgun shells for some dance lessons.
Rest in peace Michael. You gave the world more than it deserved.
