Michael Jackson, Transhumanist

Nick Gillespie | June 30, 2009

RU Sirius, the coordinating intelligence behind the excellent journal h+, has offered up the most truly original interpretation of Michael Jackson's importance:

Michael Jackson is obviously not an example of transhumanism to be followed.  But he is a signpost on the road to post-humanity. I believe the future will study him from that perspective, and in some odd way, it will learn from his many mistakes.

In a tightly argued piece, Sirius manages to make sense of virtually every aspect of Jackson, from the constant physical changes to his Peter Pan syndrome. And he does it with humor, irony, and heart. And, not surprisingly for a guy whose latest book is subtitled Rock Stars on Drugs, with an in-depth understanding of pop music big and small.

Read the whole piece.

Comments

|6.30.09 @ 10:24AM|#

"In the end, Jackson's life reads as tragedy, but context is everything. Given the opportunity, most of us would probably take some of the drama along with some of the glory, the adventure, the money, the indulgences, the ego strokes.... I mean, it was a pretty rich life -- in all senses of the word."

I guess I am in the minority feeling that an ordinary life well lived is preferable to an extraordinary life than ends with my being a pedophile freak living completely isolated from genuine human contact and surrounded by leeches and sychophants. Jackson was mentally ill. No amount of money, fame or adventure makes that condition any more bearable.

Xeones|6.30.09 @ 10:29AM|#

Speaking of mental illness, Cracked has a new article on 6 new personality disorders caused by the Internet. What see you guys? Shall we get with the diagnosing, and figure out what makes LoneWacko, Lefiti, Tony, et al. tick?

Mike M.|6.30.09 @ 10:34AM|#

Everyone had it right when he was simply "Wacko Jacko".

|6.30.09 @ 10:44AM|#

#2 is the most common malady of our trolls and griefers. The best way to deal with them is to ignore them; you can't get rid of a masochist by beating him up.

I will admit to having a touch of #6.

GILMORE|6.30.09 @ 10:54AM|#

Well I guess that finally answers this question:

"What is the Problem with Michael Jackson?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwySzkpyMfI

..."No! You are the blind bullshit my main man!"

|6.30.09 @ 11:05AM|#

Every nutjob has a little "libertarian hero" in them.

Warty|6.30.09 @ 11:12AM|#

I have a touch of #3. Misuse an apostrophe and I'LL KILL YOU.

SugarFree, our worst griefers have #2 and #1 in equal amounts. Yo, fuck Lonewacko.

Xeones|6.30.09 @ 11:17AM|#

I will admit to having a touch of #6.

Likewise. It's been getting worse lately, too. Ask my coworkers.

I think joe was (is?) a little of #1 in addition to #2. Though i wouldn't be surprised if Hit'n'Run was a hotbed of more internet psychopathology than the author ever dreamed of.

Xeones|6.30.09 @ 11:18AM|#

WARTY!
[shakes fist]

Warty|6.30.09 @ 11:22AM|#

Though i wouldn't be surprised if Hit'n'Run was a hotbed of more internet psychopathology than the author ever dreamed of.

Just when Epi posts, dude. Narcissistic personality disorder, drug addictions, god knows how many paraphilias...the mind reels.

Mike in PA|6.30.09 @ 11:27AM|#

Pedophile? I doubt it.

Puer Aeternus? Oh hell yeah!

Those two usually look alike, but are far different. And one is sort of the opposite of the other.

Abdul|6.30.09 @ 11:37AM|#

"Post-humanity"?

Who comes up with this shit?

PC|6.30.09 @ 11:39AM|#

If one was a cash cow, especially in the entertainment business, and eventually went insane, most likely people would not be looking out for his or her's best interests, they would just try to get as much cash out of them as they could. That's what happened here, he went crazy and no one intervened because they were all on the take. They should have yanked him from the world stage after Dangerous.

Maybe its after his death, during his crazy years he really wasn't as successful anyway, the earlier stuff is what people remember with regards to his music. Babe Ruth's best highlights don't involve him being an old weak man, Elvis didn't get his fame from being an old fat pillhead, etc. MJs accomplishments before he went nuts should be remembered, he opened up many doors for blacks in entertainment, especially commercially speaking, and changed the game regarding pop music, though it seems most of that has fallen on deaf ears. And considering the way that music is distributed nowadays there will probably never be another like him when he was in his prime, and don't forget that he did this with music that had a positive message.

|6.30.09 @ 11:58AM|#

I've heard smoking in an oxygen tent can be couterproductive.

|6.30.09 @ 12:20PM|#

Michael Jackson's last words are said to be "take me to Children's Hospital".

|6.30.09 @ 12:21PM|#

"Elvis didn't get his fame from being an old fat pillhead, etc."

Elvis did some really good underappreciated music in the 70s. He was really only a fat pill head and a shadow of his former self the last year of his life.

Mike M.|6.30.09 @ 12:44PM|#

Michael Jackson's last words are said to be "take me to Children's Hospital".

Did you know that when he died he was working on a album of Elton John remakes?

The hit was going to be "Don't let your son go down on me".

|6.30.09 @ 12:46PM|#

Did you know that when he died he was working on a album of Elton John remakes?

I thought it was a global warming song. Working titles: "Heat It" or "Chiller".

Thanks to Mark Steyn.

Rhywun|6.30.09 @ 12:55PM|#

I guess I am in the minority feeling that an ordinary life well lived is preferable...

No, you are not.

|6.30.09 @ 1:21PM|#

He had a heart attack after he saw an ad in the paper that said "Boy's Pants! Half Off!"

Rich|6.30.09 @ 1:41PM|#

> Who comes up with this shit?

Humans.

|6.30.09 @ 1:46PM|#

I voted for the Las Vegas Elvis stamp.

|6.30.09 @ 2:18PM|#

I must be gettin old. I remember when Elvis was thin and MJ was black.

Mike|6.30.09 @ 4:28PM|#

Why did Michael Jackson cross the road?

To get to the little boy.