You Didn't Have to Change, Michael...

This video is from "Free to Be, You and Me" and features a young Michael Jackson and Roberta Flack. The movie, music, and book influenced my life in ways that I cannot even begin to appreciate. Oh, Michael, when Flack sings, "You don't have to change at all," I think she meant it...



I am going away this weekend, so sorry that I never got to this week's "womyn of the week", but I'll tell you who next week's is - Dorothea Dix! Did you not learn about her in your psychology class?! Then stay tuned next week...

It's a "Thrill" to Honor Michael Jackson-I Just Wish It Wasn't So Soon

Michael Jackson was obviously a tortured man. Excuse me, genius! I don't know if the allegations against him about child abuse/molestation are true, but I do know that there were some shady things going on - on both sides. Jackson should not have been sharing his bed with young boys or dangling his son outside a window, but the white media and lawyers should not have been trying so hard to dismantle a successful black man's career, which I think was their real reason for all the attention on those issues in the first place. And let's not forget the parents! Alanis Morisette, who was a child actor/singer before becoming famous, has equated pushing children into acting to child abuse. I'm sure her statement also applies to any child star treatment.

Whatever your views are on Michael Jackson, it cannot be denied that he was a true innovator. I remember watching his videos growing up and they were so wonderful. They transported me to a fantasy world of wonderful dancing, graphics, and stories. And equality! I remember being surprised when Thriller came out, because even though I was probably eight, I noticed that the premise was a horror film where the main characters are black. It's funny (weird, not ha-ha) how sometimes one does not notice an -ism until it's gone. Oh, and I mean gone as in not present in a video that's only a few minutes long. This is not a post racial world, as much as some people like to claim it is-for claiming something does not always make it so. Life just ain't that easy...

For your viewing and listening pleasure, here is Thriller:



I'm sorry that it's not the original, but for some reason it is not allowed to be embedded and I'm not posting a link, because some of the comments are too racist and hateful and I simply won't subject you guys to that. This version, however, almost brought me to tears as it was performed by men in a Filipino prison. I thought it quite poetic that the prisoners would be the zombies. lol I'm going to learn more about this group, because those same prisoners have apparently made a lot of videos of them dancing to popular songs. I am just astounded! For those who don't think that music therapy is real, think about how hard it must be getting a whole prison system to cooperate together in order to make a video like this. *sigh* If only I could have finished that music therapy degree...