Did Michael Jackson Commit Suicide?
*Michael Jackson died of a heart attack which may or may not have been caused by his use of prescription drugs. But could his death have been a kind of indirect suicide? Michael was unhappy for decades and I keep wondering if he had lost enthusiasm for life itself.
He certainly had lost his passion for performing. Michael Jackson spent the past several years running away from work -- even though he was being crushed by a mountain of debt (estimated to be over $400 million). Michael didn’t do anything to promote last year’s 25th anniversary of “Thriller.” No TV special, no all-star concert, nothing. Casino tycoon Steve Wynn wanted to build a huge Las Vegas extravaganza around the King of Pop, but Michael passed on that opportunity. The prince of Bahrain (who let Michael and his kids flop at his castle for over a year) signed a deal with Jackson for a new album, a movie and a world tour. Michael fooled around in the prince’s studio but never finished any music so the prince got in line with all the other creditors who are suing Jackson.
Obviously, Michael Jackson was in no hurry to get back into the studio or onto the stage. Various spokespeople claimed he was excited about this summer’s planned concerts at London’s O2 Arena, but that’s hard to believe. Michael sounded more resigned than enthusiastic when he announced the London shows at a news conference in March. He kept repeating the series title, “This Is It,” in a bland tone of voice that made it seem that he didn’t really want to be bothered with this whole comeback thing.
Add all of that to Michael’s unhealthy weight loss (media reports say he was about 110 pounds when he died), his alleged dependence on prescription drugs, his reckless spending habits, the childish theme of Neverland Ranch and, of course, all of that plastic surgery he had over the years and you have the picture of a man who apparently spent most of his life trying to escape from himself.
No, Michael didn’t commit suicide. Not in the conventional sense. But in the midst of his tangled emotions, might he have given up on living (either consciously or subconsciously) and allowed himself to spiral down to the point where his untimely end became inevitable. To the world, Michael Jackson’s death was a tragedy. To Michael it may have been a relief.
JAY-Z BANS BREEZY?
I need to send Jay-Z a thank you note. Rumor has it that he blocked Chris Brown from performing on the BET Awards. Apparently, when Jay-Z found out that Breezy was booked for the show he threatened to cancel his performance. BET didn’t want to upset Jay-Z, who is not only a gigantic star but also a very influential businessman and the husband of the biggest woman star in the world, Beyonce. So, Chris Brown was dis-invited.
Much love to Jay-Z for taking this stand. It would have been extremely bad form to have Chris appear on the nation’s #1 black music awards gala just days after he pleaded guilty to brutally assaulting Rihanna. Chris needs to sit his behind down somewhere and chill for a good, long while. Let him get some of that community service under his belt. Let him issue a heartfelt confession and apology to Rihanna before he is re-admitted to the limelight. I doubt he’ll do that because, like I’ve been saying for months, I don’t think Chris is truly sorry for what he did. If he is, then let him demonstrate that with a very public and significant statement. Then, and only then, should we re-embrace him.
BEYONCE’S “AVE MARIA” DRESS WAS AN INSULT
Beyonce’s rendition of “Ave Maria” on the BET Awards was enchanting. But what was up with that dress? You don’t sing hymns in a see-through gown with your legs, shoulders and cleavage all out and with bright lights shining behind you to silhouette all of your sexy curves. That’s just plain disrespectful. The dress Beyonce wore for the performance was a beautiful piece of artwork. It was also sexually suggestive and that made it inappropriate and insulting for the presentation of a religious song, especially one of the most reverent and time-honored hymns in the Catholic canon. Beyonce grew up in church so she should have known better.
Thank you for listening. I’m Cameron Turner and that’s my two cents.
THINK! IT AIN’T ILLEGAL…YET!
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