A Tribute to Michael Jackson

Published in 'Inzine', The Loft, Newcastle

Zombies. When people think of this, they tend to think of death and rotting bodies.  Popular culture has tended to accentuate this link, with cinema often showcasing people with a bad case of the man-munchies. This has led to my distaste of this subject, and my efforts to stay as far as possible away from anything which happens to involve flesh-eaters and the walking dead.

I mean seriously- grown humans gnawing into each other with total abandon!? To be honest, there are other films out there I would much rather watch, no matter how artistically creative zombie cinema can be. Frankly, I find the themes explored here both disturbing and frightening.

When the Loft first told me about the topic for this zine, initially I found myself mighty disinterested. But then something terrible happened: Michael Jackson- the King of Pop and MTV zombie cinema- passed away. Despite the suspicion that he had misused his connection with young people, the spontaneous emotion that poured out all over the globe showed just how much he was admired.

The tribute that was televised in the night of his funeral made me see what an amazing performer he had been. Just as traditionally zombies had been infectious, so to was the music that Michael Jackson wrote. Songs like Beat It, Billy Jean and Thriller had catchy rhythms that the listeners could do naught but dance to.

Some of the ways that he danced, such as the moonwalk and the robot, were incredible and done enviously smoothly. His albums were phenomenally successful, with a staggering 750 million sold worldwide. His film clips revolutionised the MTV industry, taking the film clip from being a mere promotional tool and moving it into the realm of fine art. 

Mr Jackson, your passing stood the world still. When just a wee’ lad, people stopped to take notice of the little African-American boy who- as he grew and aged- wowed the people with his uncanny ability to move to music. For that, I tip my hat to you.