My romance with music videos begins with what many consider to be the art form's G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time).
Michael Jackson - "Thriller"
Dir: John Landis
Here's a few reasons why "Thriller" is a big deal(er).
“Thriller's” release in 1983 was such a big deal MTV advertised the times it would play and record numbers tuned in. Meaning, a large portion of the population were scheduling their day around watching a music video.
"Thriller" was such a big deal, the Making Of Michael Jackson's Thriller documentary sold more VHS tapes than any other VHS tape previous.
The "Thriller" VHS tape was such a big deal that it gets credit for the spike in VCR sales that began shortly after its release. It also gets credit for reigniting the sales of Thriller the album, making it the best selling album of all time, still to this day.
The United States Library of Congress declared Thriller a national treasure, a.k.a. a big deal.
"Thriller's" still such a big deal that record numbers of flash mobers organize mass public choreographed Thriller dances all over the world. Over 1500 Philippine prisoners famously did this, as well as a record breaking 13,500-ish participant dancers in Mexico City.
Because Thriller is a big deal, short film, in the horror musical genre, with a big budget, directed by hit Hollywood horror/comedy director, John Landis, this highly raised the bar of possibilities for music videos to come.
For several decades this vid topped best-music-vids-ever-made lists. Like for example in 2011 when Rolling Stone magazine let its readers pick their faves, Thriller was number one. Then ten years later they did a list letting their staff pick the entries. They make a special point to mention in the list's preamble, “Thriller” will not only not be number one, but won't be on the list at all. The only Michael Jackson joint would be “Billie Jean” which would be ranked at number 10, with Rob Sheffield jabbing at Thriller in his write up, calling it “the big-budgeted, 13-minute epic that was treated as an event, though it's really just a John Landis ego trip with not enough music and not enough Michael.” The "not enough Michael" part of this statement is a bit perplexing since there's not many shots without Michael. Compare this to the praise of “Billie Jean” and “Beat It," he writes, “equally stunning, innovative, classic; both videos still cast that spell, no matter how horrifying the story got later.”
I assume the horrors he's referring to are the accusations that Jackson was in sexual relationships with kids. Two of those kids, now adults, tell their tale in a documentary called Leaving Neverland. If only for a thought experiment, let's assume these two kids/now adults, are telling the truth about being in a secret sexual relationship with their hero, Michael Jackson.
If this is true this means Jackson has big secrets to hide. I imagine anyone who has urges to be in a sexual relationship with a child would know a large majority of the population would think them a monster. So that monster part of themselves must be protected through deception. Deception is key in “Thriller," as a plot device patterned twice.
“Thriller” is unique in the Michael Jackson music video catalogue in that it's his only villain role. He repeatedly frightens and gaslights his costar, Ola Ray's character. In the first scene we see smiley, good-boyfriend Michael Jackson transform into a Werecat Monster. Then we learn Michael Jackson isn't the Werecat Monster, he's simply smiley, good boyfriend, popcorn eating Michael Jackson enjoying a movie starring himself as Werecat monster. Then it's revealed that Michael Jackson is a Zombie Monster, and not just any Zombie Monster but lead-dancer Zombie Monster. Then turns out we were deceived again. Michael Jackson isn't lead-dancer Zombie Monster. He's smiley, good-boyfriend Michael Jackson offering the lovely gesture to walk his scared girlfriend home. She was just being paranoid about her boyfriend being lead-dancer zombie monster, how silly. That's when Michael Jackson turns around to look right at us, the TV viewing audience, freeze framing on smiley Michael Jackson with Werekitty eyes, letting us know, yes, he is definitely the Werecat Monster from the movie his character was watching, somehow? And if he's the Werecat Monster chances are he's also lead-dancer Zombie Monster too. He's two monsters and smiley Michael Jackson, one and the same.
Jackson's desire to transform into a monster for this film is well documented in the making of “Thriller” documentary. He wanted a physical transformation to occur. This is one of the reasons Landis was sought out as director as well as infamous special efx make up artist, Rick Baker, because of the amazing transformation from human to human/wolf that occurs in their film Werewolf in London. If true Jackson had secret attraction to young boys, and if this secret inspired feeling like a monster, I imagine literally becoming a monster to be quite cathartic since it provides an artistic outlet for honesty.
Or it's possible Jackson hadn't consciously thought out why he desired to be a monster. The reasons residing in his subconscious. We all have a little monster inside us lurking in our shadows. The danger seems to be the shadows, with liberation from the monster occurring with illumination. To me, one of the most interesting parts of the Leaving Neverland documentary is the kids/now adults, loved and still love Michael Jackson. Their descriptions of intimate times sound more like romance than molestation.
I think back to how much I loved Michael Jackson and “Thriller” as a kid. It was not only my first music video experience but my first horror movie. Allowing little kid me to experience fear in a safe environment, producing more respect and love toward Jackson for taking me through that experience. When Jackson smiles at us with those Werecat eyes at the vid's end, we know he's our friend, sure he plans to keep scaring the screams out of his girlfriend and lying to her, but he's being honest with us. So we can trust Michael Jackson, and I did.
I think back to that childhood love and wonder toward Jackson. What if he tried to romance me back in my tender age? Would I have reciprocated? I feel like I would probably try, but probably wouldn't make it around the bases cause I was a pretty immature kid, and pretty self-conscious about large my front teeth, way too self-conscious to give a proper blow job, if requested. I'd have to stretch my lips over my teeth, which concerns me that I'd be making a Bill Cosby type facial expression and that may turn Jackson off. Concern that I wouldn't satisfy Michael Jackson in a hypothetical child molesting situation is probably some psychological stuff for me to examine, as well as my childhood heroes like Jackson and Cosby turning out to have questionable sexual desires. From what I know, our trauma shapes our desires. Maybe these dude are like me and received trauma on their first few days of life when masked doctor strangers cut off the most sensitive part of our bodies during a common-in-America sex crime known as circumcision. An act that teaches boys that non-consensual violation of other's bodies is okay, as their first lesson in this life.
It seems abused children are more likely to grow up and abuse others and/or abuse substances, therefore abusing themselves, therefore abusing others. It's been documented that Michael Jackson's father, Joseph Jackson, beat his children, especially when making music or dance step mistakes. He'd also psychologically abuse his children. He'd make fun of Michael's big nose because he knew his son to be sensitive about that part of his body. One would imagine this would have big influence on Michael's decision to get several corrective nose-size-decreasing surguries throughout his life. As a child going through the physical and psychological abuse, Michael became afraid of his father. Though fear instilling and strict discipline were factors of the Jackson 5's success, making them into rich music celebrities, it also robbed them of their childhood. Inspiring Michael to write the song "Childhood," with the chorus...
People say I'm not okay
'Cause I love such elementary things
It's been my fate to compensate
For the childhood I've never known
This compensation inspired the creation of Jackson's home the Neverland Ranch, named after the place the lost boys never grow up in the story of Peter Pan. Creating a place for children to feel safe to enjoy being children. The Ranch featured a theme park, a movie theater, a petting zoo, a bunch of candy, and houses with secret closet rooms. The later is mentioned in Leaving Neverland as the kids/now adults talk about doing sex acts with Michael Jackson in his very large, basically full room sized, secret passage closets. Which means the sexy song and music video for "In The Closet" could more accurately star some boys instead of super model, and Epstein Island vacationer, Naomi Campbell, and possibly achieve greater chemistry between the stars.
Michael Jackson - "In The Closet"
Dir: Herb Ritz
These are pretty dark thoughts, but all the more reason to bring them to light. Embracing the deep introspection art can inspire. We could go deeper in examining Michael Jackson's work and how it may relate to his inner demons with the follow-up vid to "Thriller", the also album title tracked, “Bad”.
Michael Jackson - "Bad"
Dir: Martin Scorsese
Much like Thriller, Bad was a huge event. A fifteen minute short film, directed by auteur Martin Scorsese, with Wesley Snipes playing his neighborhood friend that urges Michael Jackson to do bad stuff, but Michael Jackson says (paraphrasing) “No. I'm not gonna do bad stuff, cause I'm bad, but I'm bad in a good way. And because I'm bad in a good way, I'm telling you that you're being bad, but you're being bad in a bad way. Now stop it, okay?” Now imagine Michael Jackson isn't telling this to Wesley Snipes, he's telling this to his sexual urges with young boys. Adds extra intrigue, no?
If Michael Jackson's sexual attraction to young boys is true, the story didn't get "horrifying later", as Rob Sheffield writes, it was always horrifying. Making “Thriller” perhaps Jackson's most personal, confessional work of art and still my first and one of my most favest music video experiences.
And if Jackson's kid sexual attraction isn't true, then great! “Thriller's” still one of my faves. To be honest though, it's a bit more interesting thinking about it the other way. Once again however, that would be something for me to consider personally examining psychologically.
Member discussion: