Friday, July 03, 2009

Being comfortable in your skin and Michael Jackson

I never saw MJ moonwalk till news channels filled the piece on TV after his death. Never is an exaggeration. May be a glimpse of the amazing feat once or twice, but that's all. I always used to get saddened every time his face flicked on TV, was splashed in the newspapers...

'What has he done to himself??? Why is he like he is?' I remember wondering with a disapproving shrug. Yes, I had read about the many surgeries, but I still couldn't fathom why someone, especially someone as high as him, on such a pedestal of fame, was plagued with a dissatisfaction of the superficial kind, being obsessed with 'how i look' instead of may be 'how / what / why i am'...

Pouring over the photos, the only time he looks alive and kicking to me is as a kid, a part of Jackson 5, then may be till the 70s. That's when his skin looks fed with real blood, real emotions, love or hate. Proceed to the era of white face with red lips — the star value is there, the life force is missing.

How plastic surgery changed his face

I read this article that state's what a mess MJ had become when he died and it sent a whole lot of gloom down me. One little lesson I learn from the moonwalking giant's life and death is to be comfortable in your skin. Otherwise, no matter what giant you become, you may end up pained and plastic.

Looking good is important. But feeling good is much more crucial. And feeling good should not lean too much on one's looks...

8 comments:

causticji said...

I don't think looking good is at all important - it's all about feeling good. And yes, MJ looked okay till early 80s - after which he showed up on the "Bad" cover. His music soon followed his skin to the grave.

Anonymous said...

I think rather than 'how / what / why i am', the most important question is 'who I am'.

Anonymous said...

He never had a normal childhood.. :( dysfunctional family, child star...recipe for disaster...

no wonder he was never quite comforatble or happy in his own skin..


I agree. with your lines...one should be comfortable in one's skin..

MJ never was happy..and it showed in all the weird stuff that he kept doing throughout his life...


PS:- you never saw his moonwalk at length ? :))

Dr. Ally Critter said...

HE did have vitligo, which progressively lightens the skin. But he underwent several plastic surgeries- apparently his father always made fun of his nose.

Anonymous said...

Ahem, ahem, very true, very true...:)

Solilo said...

MJ is a classic example of what overbearing and overambitious parents can do to a child. Also abusive. He never had a proper childhood. :(

There are many child stars in worse condition now because all their hard earned money is used completely by parents. No childhood-no money.

Gauri Gharpure said...

Kaushik-- it does matter if you are tidy and presentable, and tht can be managed even if you don't have the 'perfect' looks..

mahendra-- yes, i didn't pick 'who' but was thinking on the same lines, like how one weighs wht things to give importance to. most of the times we pick up mundane things..

Indyeah, Solilo--
agree abt the normal childhood bit.. makes u feel sad, wonder where his family was all along when he was messing up one thing after the other..
and i know, i missed on many 'happening' things which my peers thrived on, including the moonwalk.. am picking up slowly :)

Alankrita-- i too read abt the vitligo thing, but honestly, thought it would be a ploy to cover up the bad skin jobs, not sure..

Anu-- am glad to see u here more often! :) and now we have found a common friend too..

John Doe said...

I remember laughing over an ad for an american radio channel which was doing a MJ special and promised to play his music from "A poor black boy to a rich white woman."

Isn't funny any more now that the white lady is dead.