MJ

I won’t go on and on about this but I loved Michael. When we were younger, my brother was a far bigger fan than I was, but I was always trying to wrap my head around the fact that people would literally faint at the sight of him. And as I began to understand pop music more, I began to realize what a huge part of my musical development Michael Jackson was and always will be.

To be clear: I don’t give a shit about the weirdness or the alleged crimes. Michael may have been the best that ever was and considering his upbringing, I think we were lucky to have witnessed this talent at all. And ignore the tired jokes; Michael may have “already died 10 years ago,” but he will be forever relevant in a way that those quick to judge could never understand.

Anyway, true to form, I have an embarrassing story regarding MJ. Right after Michael had given the television interview during which he referred to his son as “Blanket,” I was riding the subway home from south Philly. A group of teenagers were discussing the interview, a conversation that consisted mostly of “he’s a fag” and “he totally rapes babies.” I got so infuriated that when it came time to exit the train, I stood up, walked up to the teens, pointed STERNLY in their collective face and yelled:

“WELL HE WROTE THRILLER. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH YOUR LIFE?”

It ranks up there as one of my top Cranky Old Man Moments but, in this case, I think I was totally justified.

PS: I just put together an MJ tribute for my job. I know you all have these songs, but it doesn’t hurt to have them all collected in one place. Enjoy: