He Said, She Said: Michael Jackson's This Is It
By D. James Ruccio III
November 2, 2009
This Is It may be titled with a sense of irony. The purpose of the title may have been meant to represent the pinnacle of his career but it could also be that this, the performance, is all he had. Michael Jackson's This Is It will most likely be the last, indelible demonstration of his ability as he was about to re-emerge and perhaps remind his fans why he was once upon a time the unquestioned "King of Pop". With the rapid fraying and multiplication of media options we may never again see someone so completely take control of pop culture as did Jackson.
Shortly after his death, Caroline and I happened out for a night of cocktails and karaoke. His death was recent and many chose to do their best renditions of his songs. The night took on the sense of an impromptu celebration of what he contributed to our lives. I hadn't sung, much less hummed or even thought of his songs in many years. But then a moment happened that reminded me of his significance. Someone chose to sing "Wanna Be Starting Somethin'." As the song progressed, people began to react as something took them over. Couples popped up and danced with one another, others simply danced alone. One woman mounted the table she was occupied and began to drunkenly shimmy. Those not dancing were singing raucously and by the end of it all we were all collectively united in a strange, movie-like scene where everyone was reminded of his impact. For all the seeming tragedy of his life and untimely death, the legacy of uniting random strangers like this is not such an insignificant accomplishment.
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