Everyone knows who Michael Jackson is. Everyone has at least seen one of his videos or heard one of his songs. The first time I discovered Michael Jackson was through my dad, who might be an even bigger fan than I am. I was about three or four-years old and seeing how much Michael Jackson memorabilia he had. My dad had three of his music videos recorded on VHS; "Beat It", "Billie Jean", and of course, "Thriller". Being a little girl and watching the horror film-like video, I was terrified. I told my mom, who yelled at my dad. After hearing my mom tell my dad that little children should not be watching anything with dancing zombies and love struck werewolves, I swore to hate Michael Jackson for as long as I live.
Years went by, of course, and then I was 11-years old. My cousins were visiting for the summer. One of them, to my luck, was an even bigger Michael Jackson fan. He sang his songs, danced his dance moves, and played his videos almost everyday from June to August. After about two weeks of dreading this, I decided to give Michael Jackson a chance. I started with "Thriller", then "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough", and then "Bad." Next thing I knew, I was listening to Michael Jackson nearly every day. I had to admit, I was hooked.
After my cousins went back home for the school year, I found myself listening, dancing, memorizing lyrics, and even memorizing all music videos to the annoyance of my mom, siblings, and friends. I started the sixth grade trying to convince my classmates to listen to at least one song and talking about Michael Jackson 24/7. My parents even got a phone call one day saying that I had spent an entire class period talking non-stop about the King of Pop. Michael Jackson had taken over my middle school life completely. I was completely obsessed, I even tried to cancel my 12th birthday party because he died two days before my birthday. It is safe to say that I am a very devoted fan.
Now, you're probably wondering why I'm even telling you about the beginning of my fandom. To answer that, I wanted to share some pointers on how to know if you are as big of a Michael Jackson Fan as me. Let's begin.
The Wiz
If you have seen the Wiz starring Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, and Richard Pryor, you got to witness the best (in my opinion) version of the Wizard of Oz. I have a copy of the movie that I watch once in a while. But how does this apply to being a Michael Jackson fan? Let's just say that I break into a musical number whenever his solo comes up. The Scarecrow wants to come down from his post, but the crows around him tell him that he doesn't have a brain, therefore leaving him stuck on his post. They even make him sing the Crow Anthem as punishment. The song has a catchy tune, you can't deny the urge to sing along.
The Music Videos
You cannot dare to call Michael Jackson music videos just music videos. They all have a very strong cinematic appeal, meaning you feel like you are watching movie. Most videos run a maximum 14 minutes. You never get tired of watching them, singing along, or dancing. If you are anything like me, of course, you can re-enact the entire "Thriller" video without even watching it. Any music Michael Jackson music video is pure gold.
There Is A Song for EVERY Mood
This one requires a list:
"Bad", "Speed Demon": Feeling mischievous.
"The Way You Make Me Feel", "PYT (Pretty Young Thing)", "Its The Falling In Love", "Love Never Felt So Good", You Rock My World": Happily in love.
"Thriller", possibly the entire Blood On The Dance Floor album: Halloween is coming.
"We Are The World", "Heal the World", "Earth Song", "Man In The Mirror": The urge to make this world a better place.
There is a lot to cover. You can listen on your own time.
You Educate EVERYONE About Michael Jackson
Although I don't do this anymore, I used to teach everyone in my social circle about Michael Jackson. I could be leading a discussion about his music, where he was born, his dance moves, and basically anything else you could possible ask me. If there was a college major solely about Michael Jackson, I'm pretty sure I would pass and graduate with honors.
Now that you have an idea on what it's like to be a Michael Jackson fan, maybe you've realized that you might be as devoted as I am. Or maybe you might think that I'm a crazy fan-girl. Either way, I refuse to hear that today's artists such as Justine Bieber will be taking his place. Michael Jackson was, and still is, the greatest entertainer in all human kind. Long live the King of Pop!
Are you a Michael Jackson fan? Leave your comments below and share this with your loved ones!