A tribute to Michael Jackson

Paying tribute to a hero of pop culture is like writing about ourselves, as “pop” and “culture” are what we, the citizens living on a planet that we borrowed from our children, make of them. At the same time, and in more general terms, I want to write to those who want to infringe on people's individual rights and freedoms. Away from all the fanfare that surrounded the coverage of his untimely death, a number of highly important issues have come up. The first such issue is “stardom” itself. Jackson had a huge fan base in this country, and his rise to fame was sensational, but not entirely unique: Think about the Beatles, Elton John or Madonna. Individuals can become “superstars” in their own right, although I am hesitating to refer to a pop star as a “superstar” or an “icon.” Why don't we simply say “an extremely successful... [read full story]                    

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