It’s time to promote Michael Jackson’s #Thriller40 with MORE streaming parties on Stationhead –
Will YOU be there?
Last month, the Michael Jackson Global Family attempted to garner a number one spot on Billboard100 for the Thriller single, using streaming parties on Station Head. The campaign was called the #ThrillerChallenge.
Although our goal was not accomplished, our gathering together in a cause for MJ created an extremely wonderful experience in a loving environment. New relationships between MJFam were formed and old relationships were strengthened by this bonding experience.
Michael formed his world-wide community through his deep love of humanity and his desire to see peace among all people, and it was gratifying to see his vision alive and thriving in the streaming party chat.
Fans joined in from Brazil, Greece, Japan, UK. Australia to mention a few. They joined the US fans in this US focused charting campaign for Michael out of a deep dedication to him. It was joyful to see people write out the names of the countries they represented.
“It’s Was All For Love”
It was a major funfest to get acquainted and chat while listening to all the amazing Michael Jackson tracks and ADD to his streaming numbers at the same time. We were also blessed to have Taj Jackson call in one night, during Mellie4Justice party, and then the next night, Prince Jackson called in. Although, he was clearly ill, he came to support the fans in this #ThrillerChallenge and share stories of his dad, chat with fans, and then hung out for hours with us.
Prince Jackson graciously posted this screenshot of th StationHead streaming party up in his Instagram account.
StationHead also gave a shoutout to Mellie4Justice for trending!
WE NEED MORE PEOPLE moving’ and groovin’ in these upcoming StationHead streaming parties.
And would love to add other DJ from other countries on the itinerary –
If you are interested in hosting a Thriller40 streaming party during the week of Nov 18th thru Nov 24th on StationHead please leave your information in the comment section below. If we garner enough MJfans from all over the world the StationHead might add a Fanbase Link for MJFam on their website.
COME and JOIN US!
It’s so easy to set up an account on their platform.
You will need Spotify or Apple streaming app and if you are not currently using them, you can sign up on a 1 month trial basis to participate.
You will be prompted to sign up with a streaming app after you create your StationHead account and if you don’t have one, they offer an easy link and give you an option for FREE-trials –
Michael Jackson – the Most Famous Man to Walk the Earth – posted on Quora by Marina Gkane
Quora question: Is there confirmation that Michael Jackson has 4.8 billion fans?
No, there isn’t. It could be more or less. Either way Michael Jackson was certainly one of the most popular artists to have ever lived and no one can argue that. He is the only celebrity who was literally mobbed by fans all over the world and he needed at least three bodyguards with him at all times. All celebrities need security but at least they can walk down the street if they want with just one bodyguard. Michael on the other hand could not. Not just in the USA but all over the world. And unlike the Beatles, who had a similar effect on people , he never grew out of it.
To understand Michael’s popularity and effect on people:
He was so popular that he became the first western artist to ever appear on a commercial in Russia
He was invited to Donald Trump’s casino Taj Mahal in New Jersey in 1990. Trump invited Michael because he knew he was a crowd puller. However, Trump got very scared with the pandemonium Michael caused even with 20 bodyguards around him.
In 1983 a teenager killed himself because his parents did not let him have plastic surgery to look like Michael Jackson.
He literally put MTV on the map. When Thriller aired on Mtv the network had 3 or 4 times higher ratings than usual. Mtv aired thriller at least twice an hour to meet with the demand.
His fans camped outside his hotel room in every city he toured and chanted his name all night long.
In 1997 he was voted the most famous person in the world.
When he visited Japan in 1988 the mayor of Osaka gave him the key of the town. Thousands of screaming fans welcomed him at the airport and then they ran to the airport to welcome his pet chimp Bubbles, which arrived later. Both Michael and his chimp pet were welcomed like royalty and the mayor even invited Bubbles to have tea with him.
An island in the Carribean once created Michael Jackson stamps.
He was crowned King Sani by the residents of a village in the Ivory Coast. When he arrived to Gabon 125000 people arrived to greet him.
His interview with Oprah Winphrey in 1993 was watched by 62 million people . It was the highest rated entertainment show in 6 years. It had the 20th largest audience in television history.
His Super Bowl performance in 1993 was voted on January 28 2015 as the Best Super Bowl Halftime show ever. Michael’s performance sent tv ratings to the moon. The game’s second highest rated half hour occured at half time. Ever since the biggest stars in every popular music genre have been featured in the show.
Michael Jackson’s music video ‘’ Black or White’’ premiered simultaneously in 27 countries with an audience of 500 million viewers , the most ever for a music video.
Three of the largest selling albums ever are his: thriller, bad and dangerous.
Michael Jackson at 50 sold out almost 1 million tickets within a few hours.
Upon the news of his death on 25th June 2009 Wikipedia, Twitter and AOL simultaneously reported a crash at 03.15 pm.
Michael Jackson’s memorial service on 7th July 2009 was watched by over 1 billion people all over the world. They held a special Memorial Service in the Ivory Coast, where he had been crowned King Sani in 1992.
This is it, the documentary of his rehearsals from his comeback tour , grossed 327 millions world wide. It is the highest grossing concert documentary ever.
The Cirque du Soleil Immortal tour, based on Michael Jackson’s songs, amassed 371 millions in revenue in 2014. It is the 8th highest grossing World tour of all time.
Michael Jackson’s songs top iTunes charts across the world.
He is the top earning dead celebrity every single year since his death.
People in Russia and Germany hold memorial services on his birthday every single year.
MJJJustice Project has been given express permission by @Fei_rock to reproduce his thread exposing Victor Gutierrez, on our wordpress, in an effort to disseminate the information to a wider audience. Please follow him on Twitter.
Vamos a hablar de Víctor Gutiérrez, periodista y director ejecutivo de @LaRedTV. Espero que esta publicación te ayude a descubrir quién es realmente esta persona y si merece tanta adulación por parte del pueblo chileno. ABRO HILO⤵️
A sus 16 años, Gutiérrez ingresó al Instituto de Artes de la Comunicación de Santiago. Sus actitudes provocativas y desagradables hacia sus compañeros obligaron a los responsables de la escuela a expulsarlo. En 1984 se mudó a Los Ángeles y encontró trabajo en un tabloide hispano.
En 1987 entrevistó a un vidente que predijo que el 12 de octubre ocurriría un terremoto en LA. La “noticia” apareció en la portada. Muchos latinos abandonaron la ciudad para salvarse, pero no ocurrió ningún terremoto. Fue un éxito. Se vendieron 150.000 ejemplares del periódico.
Pero Víctor Gutiérrez saltó a la fama el 9 de enero de 1995, cuando Diane Dimond, de Hard Copy, anunció que había aparecido un vídeo de Michael Jackson maltratando a un menor. Aunque no había visto el vídeo, confirmó que su fuente era el periodista Víctor Gutiérrez.
Gutiérrez afirmaba que le había enseñado la cinta a la madre del menor en una habitación del Century Plaza Hotel que él mismo había pagado. El hotel no tenía registro de alguno de que el periodista hubiese estado allí, y la madre del menor negó con rotundidad estos hechos.
Esto fue lo que dijo la madre del niño en sus memorias:
«La historia era una mentira indignante. Nada era verdad. Yo no conocía a ese hombre. No había cinta. Michael nunca me pagó por mi silencio. Nunca abusó de Jeremy. Punto». [Jackson Family Values (Newstar Pr, 1995)].
Michael Jackson demandó a Dimond y a Gutiérrez. La primera se salvó por la protección del fiscal de Santa Bárbara, Tom Sneddon. Pero se abrió una investigación policial contra Víctor Gutiérrez sobre estas acusaciones.
Cuando las autoridades le pidieron a Gutiérrez que presentase la cinta de vídeo durante el proceso… sorpresa! No la tenía, ni fue capaz de mostrar pruebas de su existencia. Nadie, salvo él, afirmó haber visto jamás esa grabación.
Durante el proceso, el investigador privado Eric Mason reprodujo una conversación que había tenido con un periodista llamado Ken Wells, quien, a su vez, había tenido una charla con Víctor Gutiérrez sobre todo este asunto. Estas fueron sus palabras:
«El Sr. Wells me dijo que, el 2 de julio de 1997, el Sr. Gutiérrez y su abogado, el Sr. Goldman, llegaron a la casa del Sr. Wells para hablar sobre la producción de las supuestas imágenes. Gutiérrez le contó a Wells todas las conexiones que tenía en el negocio de los tabloides…
… y que había vendido muchas historias, algunas de las cuales habían sido mentiras simplemente inventadas. Según Wells, Gutiérrez dijo que el dinero en el negocio de los tabloides era fácil, incluso con historias falsas».
Sobre el vídeo de MJ, Gutiérrez le dijo a Wells: «El juez me pidió que reprodujera la cinta, pero no pude hacerlo». Wells le preguntó a Gutiérrez si alguna vez había visto esa cinta, y respondió entre risas: «Bueno, ya sabes cómo son estas cosas…».
Víctor Gutiérrez perdió el juicio y tuvo que indemnizar al cantante con 2.7 millones de dólares por los daños causados. Huyó de EEUU, donde vivía desde 1984, se declaró en bancarrota y nunca pagó su deuda (a día de hoy, sigue sin hacerlo).
No conforme con esto, Gutiérrez publicó en 1996 el libro “Michael Jackson fue mi amante: El diario secreto de Jordan Chandler” (acusador de MJ). Un libro que ni siquiera contaba con la aprobación de los propios Chandler, que negaban que el menor hubiese escrito diario alguno.
Un diario que, de haber sido real, habría sido una prueba concluyente en el caso contra Jackson de 1993. Jordan Chandler, en una declaración oficial que hizo el 14 de agosto de 1997, negó cualquier tipo de relación con Gutiérrez y con el diario que había publicado en su nombre.
Nadie vio ese diario nunca. Gutiérrez no explica en ningún momento cómo lo obtuvo y ni siquiera lo entregó a la policía cuando lo solicitaron como parte de la investigación. La única persona que defendía la existencia de ese diario era el propio Víctor Gutiérrez.
Incluso la periodista chilena María Barraza confesó a través de Twitter que Víctor Gutiérrez le habría confesado en un almuerzo cómo se había inventado la información del libro.
Ahora, partiendo de la base de que su libro es falso y proviene exclusivamente de la imaginación de Gutiérrez, adentrémonos en el contenido de este diario para entender cuáles son las verdaderas fantasías de Víctor Gutiérrez:
En su libro, Gutiérrez describe en términos MUY explícitos y desagradables las supuestas relaciones sexuales de Michael Jackson con niños, especialmente con Chandler. Pero lo más sorprendente no son los detalles gráficos y obscenos de los supuestos actos (los cuales no citaré)…
… sino que, de algún modo, Gutiérrez expresa con sus propias palabras que esa presunta relación sexual entre MJ y los niños era algo maravilloso, positivo y que no debía desaprobarse. El libro no hablaba de una supuesta víctima, sino de una “historia de amor”.
Una historia preciosa que fue arruinada por el “prejuicio maligno” de la sociedad y la codicia de los padres.
Esta perturbadora idea en favor de la pedofilia ya se defendía en los créditos y el prólogo del libro, y es que el libro está dedicado a NAMBLA. Pero, ¿qué es NAMBLA?
La “North American Man/Boy Love Asociation”, es una organización pedófila que defiende las relaciones sexuales entre adultos y niños, y que se opone a establecer una edad mínima para que los niños puedan mantener relaciones físicas.
Aquí, algunas de las palabras de Gutiérrez en su libro:
«Michael Jackson es un pedófilo, lo que a los ojos de la sociedad lo convierte en un “criminal”. Para mí era confuso no saber si referirme a los niños como víctimas o ex amantes».
«Los expertos indican que las relaciones sexuales entre adultos y menores a veces son amorosas y no tienen un efecto negativo en la vida del joven. Quizás dentro de 100 años la gente acepte más este tipo de historias de amor».
Terrorífico…
La relación entre Víctor Gutiérrez y NAMBLA comenzó en 1986, cuando el periodista asistió por primera vez a una de sus reuniones en Los Ángeles (algo reconocido por él mismo). En esas reuniones, escuchó que algunos de sus miembros consideraban a MJ un ejemplo a seguir…
… por la relación tan cercana que el músico parecía tener con los niños. Gutiérrez vio en Jackson un elegido para establecer en la sociedad la normalización de las relaciones intergeneracionales. Dejó su empleo y dedicó su empeño a buscar posibles víctimas del cantante.
Se citó con ex empleados del artista, que nunca habían formulado una sola acusación contra MJ relacionada con niños, les pagó $200 y les convenció para vender historias sórdidas sobre MJ a los tabloides. Historias que, casualmente, se parecían mucho a las fantasías del libro.
Las historias del libro de Gutiérrez que relacionaban a ex empleados de Michael eran tan falsas, que ni siquiera los ex empleados están de acuerdo en que sean reales, y dicen que todo lo que escribió es “pura ficción”.
Entre estas declaraciones, se encontraban historias sobre enemas, tampones anales, sábanas manchadas y hasta huesos de bebés.
NADA de esto fue mencionado en el juicio contra Jackson, por NINGUNO de ellos. Todos confesaron a las autoridades que, en realidad, no habían visto nada.
A través de los Chandler (o de su niñera), Víctor consiguió fotos del entorno de la familia para adornar su libro. Como este dibujo, en el que teorizan cómo sería el pene de Jackson, para elaborar una descripción, la cual estuvo llena de errores que no coincidían con la realidad.
En el libro de Víctor Gutiérrez también se describen escenas pornográficas muy fuertes entre el músico y otros niños, como Brett Barnes o Macaulay Culkin. Ambos siguen en la actualidad, y más que nunca, defendiendo la inocencia del cantante.
Con todo esto, en mayo de 1999, el departamento del Sheriff confiscó todas las copias del libro de Gutiérrez bajo una orden judicial.
Sin entrar a enumerar todas las contradicciones y errores presentes en este libro de propaganda pedófila (no queremos que me bloqueen la cuenta por contenido sexual), podemos asumir que Gutiérrez se puso en contacto con la familia Chandler mucho antes de las acusaciones a MJ.
El padre de Jordan Chandler asumía que había sido “convencido” por terceras personas de que la relación de su hijo con MJ iba más allá de una simple amistad inocente. Se sabe que Gutiérrez tuvo trato cercano con los Chandler en el periodo en el que se formularon las acusaciones.
¿Fueron ellos los que entrenaron a Jordan Chandler para “diseñar” las acusaciones? Parece ser que sí, y hay más pruebas sobre ello:
Tras las acusaciones de Chandler, se presentó otro menor afirmando que había sido maltratado por Michael Jackson.
La periodista Diane Dimond, amiga de Gutiérrez, cubrió el caso. Finalmente, el niño se derrumbó en el interrogatorio y confesó que todo era mentira, y que había sido convencido y entrenado para contar esta historia falsa por un tal Rodney Allen.
En 1999, Rodney Allen, mientras mostraba públicamente a través de internet su obsesión por Michael Jackson, fue arrestado y condenado a cadena perpetua por abuso sexual a menores. Pero, ¿qué tiene que ver Víctor Gutiérrez con esto?
Recientemente, Rodney Allen ha afirmado desde la cárcel que Víctor Gutiérrez y el padre de Jordan Chandler le deben dinero, y les acusa de haberle estafado tras el entrenamiento de Jordan Chandler.
Asimismo, asegura que el propio Gutiérrez abusó de un menor en un hotel.
Según Rodney Allen ha confirmado en 1999: «Cuando las cosas se hubieran establecido, se me iba a pagar una gran cantidad de dinero. Víctor Gutiérrez y Evan Chandler prometieron que me pagarían. Michael nunca tocó a Jordan ni lo maltrató sexualmente».
Gutiérrez jamás aportó una sola prueba de las muchas que afirmaba haber recopilado sobre Jackson, pero cada testigo, o incluso cada presunta víctima de MJ, afirmó en algún momento que había tenido contacto con este periodista chileno antes de hacer sus acusaciones.
Víctor Gutiérrez volvió a EEUU y comenzó a trabajar para el programa Dateline de NBC, de nuevo junto a Diane Dimond. Empezó otra gira de promoción de su libro y ofreció cobertura del juicio de Jackson de 2005, contando su versión de los hechos.
Gran parte de las noticias que daba sobre el caso se demostraron falsas durante el juicio, como que en el colchón de Michael Jackson había ADN del acusador o que Jackson poseía pornografía infantil en su vivienda.
Pero lo cierto es que incluso la Fiscalía usó el libro de Gutiérrez como documentación para el caso, y muchos de los detalles de la acusación se parecieron a los relatos del libro. ¿Habrían usado esas historias probadamente falsas para adornar las acusaciones y crear un patrón?
En septiembre de 2006, la revista GQ Magazine, basándose en entrevistas con Gutiérrez, contó cómo el periodista planeaba participar en una película sobre su libro en la que se representase la relación de MJ y Chandler como algo romántico y consensuado.
Nunca llegó a grabarse.
Víctor Gutiérrez también es responsable de esparcir otros rumores, como el de que Michael Jackson habría abusado de dos niños mexicanos y que el FBI era conocedor de ello.
El propio FBI desmintió esta información y aseguró que no había referencia alguna sobre estos hechos.
En una entrevista para ADN Radio, Gutiérrez dijo: «¿Por qué seguir hablando de Michael Jackson cuando hay temas más importantes?».
¿Cómo puede decir que hay temas más importantes si él basó casi 20 años de su carrera en fomentar bulos sobre su vida?
Años más tarde, surgen nuevas acusaciones contra Jackson y se graba un famoso documental. Nuevamente, la mano de Gutiérrez se pudo ver reflejada en el contenido de estas demandas, donde existían hasta 16 coincidencias con el libro de Víctor Gutiérrez.
Es irónico pensar que Michael Jackson fue perseguido y condenado socialmente por las acusaciones fabricadas por Víctor Gutiérrez, un escritor que promulgó abiertamente y con impunidad que los niños estaban preparados para tener relaciones sexuales con personas adultas.
Es irónico que la persona que acabó con el prestigio de Michael Jackson haya sido alguien que nunca tuvo reparos en hablar positivamente de la pedofilia.
Como dijo en su libro: «Los pedófilos se enamoran, se obsesionan, sienten deseos, al igual que las personas heterosexuales…
… u homosexuales. Ahora que entendemos mejor el impulso sexual que algunos sienten por los niños, podemos comprender más completamente la experiencia de Jordie y Jackson, una pareja que se amó intensamente y de una manera muy erótica».
Repugnante…
Pero Michael Jackson no fue la única víctima de las fantasías de Gutiérrez. En 2003, fue acusado de tejer un complot contra un senador de Alianza por Chile al publicar unos artículos en el semanario “Plan B” en los que establecía sus presuntos vínculos con una red de pedofilia.
Gutiérrez afirmaba conocer todos los detalles de sus orgías en la casa de Claudio Spiniak Vilensky. Unos días más tarde, Gutiérrez entrevistó a un niño en la TV que afirmaba haber estado presente en esas orgías, donde también estaría el candidato a la presidencia Joaquín Lavin.
Poco después, el niño se retractó de sus acusaciones y reveló que Gutiérrez le había pagado entre 10.000 y 20.000 pesos, algo que el abogado de Gutiérrez tuvo que reconocer, aunque afirmó que se trataba solo de un gesto humanitario, al tratarse de un niño en situación de pobreza.
Finalmente, la policía no pudo encontrar ninguna relación entre los políticos a los que señalaba Gutiérrez y la red de pedofilia.
En octubre de 2008, Víctor Gutiérrez fue sentenciado a 61 días de cárcel y a pagar 30 millones de pesos chilenos a Cecilia Bolocco, Miss Universo y ex mujer del presidente de Argentina, por “injurias graves proferidas en menoscabo” sobre su vida privada.
Víctor había compartido la falsa primicia de que Bolocco tuvo un romance con Paulo Coelho mientras salía con Carlos Menem. Finalmente, se probó que la única relación que mantuvieron se basó en un encuentro público y unas llamadas telefónicas conocidas por la pareja de Bolocco.
Ni la deuda con Jackson ni la adquirida con Bolocco fueron pagadas jamás. Gutiérrez basó su carrera, presuntamente, en propagar calumnias sobre personajes públicos basadas en sus propias fantasías, y se acostumbró a escapar siempre de la justicia para evitar pagar sus deudas.
Asimismo, Gutiérrez ha seguido propagando rumores íntimos sobre la vida sexual de otras figuras públicas durante la última década, como cuando en 2003 insinuó que las gemelas Campos ejercían la prostitución, motivo por el cual también fue demandado por injurias y calumnias.
Tras la muerte del presentador chileno Felipe Camiroaga en 2011, Víctor Gutiérrez también se dedicó a especular con su vida priva afirmando que este mantenía una relación secreta con una amante antes de fallecer.
En 2012, Gutiérrez acusó de infiel a la presentadora y política chilena Raquel Argandoña, afirmando que mantenía una relación secreta con José Alfredo “el Pollo” Fuentes mientras estaba casada con Eliseo Salazar.
Marcelo Ríos, David Copperfield y Marlen Olivari serían solo otros ejemplos de celebridades acosadas por Gutiérrez, algo que solo revela la exasperante conducta intrusiva del periodista en la vida personal de otros, a menudo propagando mentiras y polémicas infundadas.
La actitud incendiaria de Víctor a la hora de esparcir rumores y defenderse de las críticas suele mantener siempre el mismo patrón: afirma que tiene pruebas, que hay testigos y que su verdad será probada. Pero, al final, nunca aporta nada que confirme sus bulos y acusaciones.
Durante estos días, se ha estado ensalzando la profesionalidad de Gutiérrez, por exponer la censura y la manipulación a la que se ve expuesto su canal de televisión por parte del gobierno.
Pero, ¿es este el héroe que necesita el pueblo chileno?
Christophe Boulmé is a graphic designer, illustrator and self-taught photographer. He regularly puts his talents at the service of artists and signed the biggest portraits of Michael Jackson, the covers of his albums and the poster for the single Stranger in Moscow. He has published an exceptional book, publishing hundreds of unpublished photos. We found him in Paris. An unconditional fan of Michael Jackson, Christophe Boulmé began his career with the creation of photomontages and drawings inspired by the world of the singer. He doesn’t know it yet, but his works will become cult. Michael Jackson, seduced by the creative world of the “little French photographer”, gives him confidence. He gives you access to the backstage of his shows and poses for him. Christophe Boulmé, who does not speak English, only communicates with the singer with his appearance and gestures. He became one of the few photographers authorized to retain full ownership of his photos and enjoy complete freedom of action. Ten years after the disappearance of the Jackson legend, the “little Frenchman” opened his photo library to share his clicks with the world.
How did you meet?
It is the path of a life, it is very abstract, very complex. When I started, I was a fan. We had the ambition to build a magazine for fans, we fought for it to exist. Michael knew about my work, I had the opportunity to photograph it in concert. In recent years, I have been responsible for entire campaigns.
What you felt during that first meeting?
Michael was overwhelming in his naturalness, availability, simplicity. He was very touching, very polite, very attentive. As it was a photo shoot with him Michael was interested in my equipment, in the way I worked. It was extremely touching, very destabilizing. I had a great human being in front of me, interacting with me with the greatest simplicity, it was incredible.
Was he stressed?
No! I never saw him stressed with me. I was much more stressed than he was.
You don’t speak a word in English. How did you communicate?
We talked a lot with our eyes. From time to time, he would call me to come closer. He must have thought I was shy. We had a very intimate moment, with a very personal conversation, it was at the hotel in Los Angeles, when we talked about the projects. I spoke bad English, but I accepted it: his passion, his enthusiasm. I was so immersed in his world and we talked so much with my eyes that I knew in my head what I had to do.
You signed the covers for his albums and the single Stranger in Moscow. What were his requirements?
None! I remember Stranger in Moscow. I had an idea and proposed it. Michael’s “right arm” said to me, “Do it! And come and propose us! ” When Michael found out, he looked for a while and then said, “It’s beautiful!” Sometimes he made special requests. And even in those moments, I had absolute freedom. He was never directive. He and I never made money from it. I never made a single job. It offered me great opportunities. It let me work on its image all year. It’s not a record cover that would make a difference. Black and White magazine.
Michael Jackson left 10 years ago. Why wait so many years before publishing these pictures of him?
It’s been ten years since we heard all about him. It was time to stop being modest. I had a life, I worked hard, I had many rewards for this extraordinary man, he was an extraordinary artist and we forget him more and more.It was time for our history to show a little of what his personality was. “I never wanted to consider him pragmatically and retrospectively, nor see you as a creature only supernatural “, you write. “Peter Pan, half man, half woman, half child” …That’s how it is described. It’s excess! This makes him a little misshapen. “I saw it my way,” you continue.
What is your opinion of the man?
When his universe generated my inspiration, everything seemed normal to me. I never had an opening justifier. Michael showed himself to me as a complete, brilliant, sober artist. From the beginning, he knew what it would be. His “half man, half child” side seemed natural to me.
edited Dec 2, 2021 UPDATE!! We Did it AGAIN – This time ONE BILLION streams on SPOTIFY for Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean — These One Billion Campaigns are running simultaneously. .Let’s make sure we reach these milestone on both platforms – We’re sending out a Major Love to Michael ✊🏼 – Spotify has a only a few songs that have hit the One Billion mark, this is a great achievement for the MJ Global family. ❤️
WE were so proud and happy when Whitney Houston’s signature song “I Will Always Love You” and theme song to her movie “Bodyguard” garnered over one billion views on Youtube in 2020. This is an amazing feat for an artist who is no longer here to promote her music and we respect this wonderful artist and her fanbase.
This was very encouraging for Michael Jackson Global Family who implemented a #1Billion4MJ campaign initiated by a steadfast fan @TudoPeloMichael in May of 2020, focusing primarily on Billie Jean YT video. See original post.
We would of course want all of Michael’s video to hit One Billion and with time, many will achieve that designation, but it is important for us to prioritize our attention on achievable goals. We are focusing on the top viewed FOUR Michael Jackson Youtube videos, for the Phase I, of this #1Billion4MJ campaign.
Billie Jean hit the 900,000,000 mark on Jan 2nd, 2021 and as serendipty would have it “Billie Jean” was released as the Thriller’s second single on January 2, 1983. The World Music Awards tweeted about this accomplishment and we are thrilled, to say the least, but it will take a continued effort by dedicated Global fans to reach ONE BILLION by August 2021.
UPDATE!! WE DID IT !! Billie Jean has Over ONE BILLION VIEWS as of June 10th 2021
We encourage all fans to develop a daily routine of searching on Youtube ALL Four of Phase I Titles and watching EACH video all the way through. As we continue to build the views on these four topped viewed Michael Jackson Youtube videos we suggest you watch some of the titles in Phase II in between viewing these four:
Smooth Criminal, Remember The Time, The Way You Make Me Feel, Black or White and Bad have views that range from 349Mil to 776Mil and as time passes their individual views will increase and our focus will shift and be concentrated on them as ALL FOUR in Phase I, will have already reached One Billion or are nearing it. This is a continous campaign as we want MULTIPLE Youtube videos of Michael Jackson to reach ONE BILLION.
Smooth Criminal views are moving at a fast pace –
Updated view counts – ( graphics Dec 2 2022 and Jan 2, 2023 tally)
As always we appreciate the love and respect for Michael Jackson and your concerted efforts to give him the designation of MOST Youtube videos with One Billion Views of any deceased artist. It’s within our hands to make it a reality –
Las señales silenciosas de Michael Jackson, Craig James Baxter
Por Craig James Baxter Autor de “Behind The Mask: What Michael Jackson’s Body Language Told The World” Twitter: @bodylanguageuk Traducción por Vanessa Rivera Guevara (@moonwalkervane)
Michael Jackson fue considerado por muchos el más grande intérprete que el mundo haya visto; su música y sus presentaciones lo convirtieron en uno de los individuos más famosos e icónicos que alguna vez hayan adornado el escenario. Sin embargo, el gran éxito también se acompaña de gran angustia. Cuando la gente piensa en Michael Jackson, muchos recordarán su música y sus legendarias rutinas de baile, pero su vida privada bien documentada y las sórdidas y, en ocasiones, condenatorias alegaciones en su contra proyectaron una oscura sombra, la cual abordé en gran detalle en mi libro. No obstante, mientras reflexiono ahora sobre mi investigación, es evidente que había muchos otros ejemplos del comportamiento habitual, no verbal, de Michael que no cubrí. Por tanto, dentro de este artículo mostraré más sobre los comportamientos más frecuentes de Michael, específicamente acerca de los saludos, y discutiré su importancia.
Entonces, ¿cuáles son las ventajas de observar el comportamiento no verbal de otras personas? Bien, el lenguaje corporal es una parte bastante integral en nuestra vida diaria, pero la mayoría de veces somos ajenos a los mensajes silenciosos que enviamos y recibimos de los demás. Ahora mismo, por ejemplo, mientras lees este artículo, habrás adoptado una postura o posición cómoda, dependiendo de las circunstancias de tu ubicación; por ejemplo, podrías estar exhibiendo una postura cerrada si te sientes incómodo con la cercanía de una persona, especialmente dadas las circunstancias actuales del distanciamiento social. El zoólogo y eminente experto en lenguaje corporal Desmon Morris afirma que «todos cargamos con nosotros, a donde sea que vayamos, un territorio portátil llamado espacio personal. Si las personas entran en este espacio, nos sentimos amenazados». (Morris, 2002: 192) Esta postura o posición que has asumido probablemente ha sido moldeada durante años, y casi es seguro que no tendrás una inclinación en cuanto a dónde se originó o por qué te decidiste por tal acción. Asumiendo que este es un ejemplo trivial de cómo repetimos patrones de comportamiento, y siendo que estas acciones hacen nuestras rutinas diarias predecibles, también podemos aplicar esta misma lógica a otros aspectos de nuestras acciones diarias con respecto al comportamiento.
En relación con estos comportamientos repetidos, una de las acciones habituales de Michael era agacharse al saludar a niños desfavorecidos o enfermos. Esto era especialmente visible durante sus muchas visitas a hospitales y orfanatos. A primera vista, muchos pueden sentir que esta es una acción puramente inocua; sin embargo, esta forma de agachar el cuerpo ayuda a interactuar con niños pequeños, específicamente cuando estás interactuando con ellos a la altura de los ojos. Cuando esto ocurre, y dentro de este contexto, suprime la necesidad del niño de mirar físicamente hacia arriba para verte —la cual es una posición que suele verse cuando un niño está siendo regañado por un mal comportamiento—, y, por tanto, ayuda a que ambos se sientan cómodos e importantes. Lo que hace a esa señal de comportamiento aún más reveladora es la frecuencia con la cual Michael la realizaba. Puesto que Michael era un incansable activista de muchas organizaciones benéficas para niños, su empatía y sinceridad se convirtieron en su segunda naturaleza. Como resultado, el saludo al agachar el cuerpo que ves aquí habría sido producto de su subconsciente, realizado sin pensamiento consciente o aviso. Al observar el mensaje silencioso que esto envía al receptor, es claro que Michael está mostrando una sinceridad profunda y honesta, y como tal, esta acción ayuda a transmitir el mensaje de «aquí no hay jerarquías; somos iguales».
Además de la habitual inclinación del cuerpo de Michael, otro saludo visto frecuentemente era la reconfortante caricia de cabeza. Durante mi investigación para “Behind The Mask”, noté qué tan seguido Michael empleaba esto, especialmente cuando saludaba a una fan exaltada que necesitaba consuelo adicional mientras se encontraba entre sus brazos. Esta acción es un poderoso gesto reconfortante y suele ser utilizado por padres amorosos cuando sus hijos están molestos. Esto nuevamente demuestra la compasión que Michael tenía hacia sus fans, no solo reconociendo su necesidad de consuelo de una manera en que sus padres lo habrían hecho, sino también siendo capaz de utilizar un gesto tan poderoso que permitiera a la fan expresar su emoción en manos seguras. Como se vio con el saludo de la inclinación del cuerpo, no tengo duda alguna de que este comportamiento habría sido también producto del subconsciente de Michael, realizado sin pensamiento consciente y ejecutado en el momento preciso en que una fan se sintiera abrumada. Al observar el silencioso mensaje aquí, la acción transmite un mensaje muy claro de «estás segura aquí conmigo».
Como se ve en este saludo, una de las habilidades de Michael era hacer que aquellos que lo conocían se sintieran especiales e importantes para él. Como mencioné anteriormente, no tengo duda alguna de que estos saludos formaban parte de los comportamientos habituales de Michael, moldeados no solo por la cantidad de personas que saludaba, sino también mediante la sinceridad distintiva que mostraba en su interior cuando saludaba.
Alejándonos un poco de las muestras de saludo, no solo es importante exhibir el lenguaje no verbal de Michael en este formato, sino es imprescindible educar a la siguiente generación acerca de Michael. Yo estaba complemente honrado y eufórico al enterarme que el profesor Corby Phillips (Twitter @CorbyPhillips) utiliza mi investigación sobre el lenguaje corporal de Michael durante sus lecturas acerca de la comunicación no verbal en el Miami Dade College. Esto no solo ayudará a promover y preservar el legado de Michael, sino también motivará a los estudiantes a averiguar la verdad sobre él. Con una abundancia de rumores salaces y desinformación en cuanto a la vida privada de Michael, que aún sigue siendo circulada por los medios de comunicación, nunca ha habido un momento más importante para documentar y promover el lenguaje no verbal que Michael mostraba, y también exhibir su incansable y duradera labor humanitaria.
Como lo he documentado en este artículo, estos saludos son enormemente significativos. No solo revelan el lado de Michael que quizás nunca hayas considerado, sino también muestran cuán naturales eran de él. No hay indicio de ser forzados o engañosos: él simplemente quería demostrar lo mucho que apreciaba a sus fans. La compasión de Michael, tanto en su sentido de comportamiento no verbal como en sus incansables obras de caridad, es fácilmente observable y proporciona una prueba más de su comportamiento increíblemente desinteresado hacia otras personas.
Cerraré este artículo con unas palabras del mismo Michael: «Darle a alguien un pedazo de tu corazón vale más que toda la riqueza del mundo».
The truth is I wasn’t going to blog on the anniversary of Michael Jackson’s 62nd birthday this year. Not only have we been in a heat wave in Los Angeles but I have been trying to manage with my mother locked down in a nursing facility, left brain damaged from her second husband’s abuse. For the past six months, she has not been allowed visitors but I have been given permission to see her from a gate for 25 minutes, in the sun, with traffic whizzing by, two times a week. The isolation is getting to her as she does not understand why she has no visitors coming inside even though I have tried to explain the situation to her. She asks me to “come inside”, “let’s go” “vamanos” and “open the gate.” Finding a perfectly ripe avocado made me happy, because it’s the only food they allow me to…
By Craig James Baxter
Author of ‘ Behind The Mask: What Michael Jackson’s Body Language Told The World ‘
Twitter: @bodylanguageuk
Michael Jackson was considered by many to be the greatest performer the world has ever seen; his music and performances made him one of the most famous and iconic individuals to ever grace the stage. However, great success often comes with great anguish. When people think back to Michael Jackson, most will remember his music and legendary dance routines, but his well-documented private life and the sordid and often damning allegations against him casted a dark shadow, which I addressed in great detail in my book. However, as I now reflect on my research, it’s evident there were many other examples of Michael’s habitual non-verbal behaviour that I didn’t cover. So within this article, I will showcase more of Michael’s frequently seen behaviours, specifically around his greeting displays and discuss their significance.
So what are the advantages of observing the non-verbal behaviour in other people? Well, body language is such an integral part of our daily lives, but more often than not we are completely oblivious to the silent messages that we are both sending out and receiving from others. Right now for instance, as you read this article, you will have adopted a stance or posture which is comfortable depending on the circumstances of your location – for example, you may be displaying a closed posture if you are uncomfortable with the proximity of a person near you, especially given the current social distancing circumstances. Eminent body language expert and zoologist Desmond Morris states that ‘…we all carry with us, everywhere we go, a portable territory called a personal space. If people move inside this space, we feel threatened’ (Morris, 2002: 192). This stance or posture which you have arrived at will have probably been moulded for years, and you will almost certainly have no inclination as to where it originated from, or why you decided on such an action. Granted that this is just a trivial example of how we get into repeated behavioural patterns, but these actions make our daily routines detectable, and we can also apply the same logic to other aspects of everyday behavioural actions.
In relation to these repeated behaviours, one of Michael’s habitual actions was to lower himself down when greeting sick or disadvantaged children. This was especially observable during his many visits to hospitals and orphanages. Upon first glance, many might feel this is a purely innocuous action; however this form of body lowering helps to engage with young children, specifically when you’re interacting with them at their eye level. When this body lowering happens & within this context, it removes a child’s need to physically ‘look up’ to you (which is a position often seen when a child is being reprimanded for bad behaviour) and thus helps to make them feel both comfortable and important. What makes this behavioural signal even more revealing is the frequency in which Michael would perform this. As Michael was a tireless activist for many children’s charities, his empathy and sincerity became second nature. As a result, the body lowering greeting you see here would have been a product of his subconscious mind, performed without conscious thought or prompt. Looking at the silent message this sends to the receiver, it’s clear Michael is showing a deep and honest sincerity and as such, this actions helps to transmit the message of ‘ there’s no hierarchy here, we’re equals. ‘
Following on from Michael’s habitual body lowering, another frequently seen greeting action was the comforting head cradle. During the research for ‘Behind The Mask’ I noted how often which Michael would employ this, especially when greeting an emotional fan needing additional comfort whilst in his arms. This action is a powerful comforting gesture and is often utilised by loving parents whenever their children are upset. This again further demonstrates the compassion Michael had towards his fans, not only recognising their need for comfort in a way their parents would have done so, but also able to utilise such a powerful gesture which allows a fan to express their emotion behind safe hands. As seen with the body lowering greeting, I have no doubt this behaviour would have also been a product of Michael’s subconscious mind, performed without conscious thought and delivered at the precise moment a fan became overwhelmed. Looking at the silent message here, this action transmits a very clear message of ‘you’re safe here with me‘.
As seen with these greeting displays, one of Michael’s abilities was to make those he met feel special and important to him. As I’ve mentioned, I have no doubt that these greeting actions formed part of Michael’s habitual behaviours, moulded not only by the volume of people he greeted, but also via the distinctive sincerity he showed within in his greetings.
Moving away from greeting displays, not only is it vastly important to showcase Michael’s non-verbals in this format, but it’s also imperative to educate the next generation about Michael. I was incredibly humbled and elated to learn that Professor Corby Phillips (Twitter @CorbyPhillips) utilises my research in to Michael’s body language during his lectures on non-verbal communication at Miami Dade College. Not only will this help promote & preserve the legacy of Michael, but it’ll also encourage students to pursue the truth about him. With an abundance of salacious rumours & miss-information regarding Michael’s private life still being circulated by mass media, there has never been a more important time to document and promote the non-verbals Michael showed and to showcase his enduring and tireless humanitarian work.
As I’ve documented within this article, these greeting behaviours are tremendously significant. Not only do they reveal as side to Michael that you may never have considered, but they also show how natural these were for him. There’s no hint of them being forced or duplicitous, he simply wanted to show how much he appreciated his fans. Michael’s compassion, both in his sense of non-verbal behaviour & his tireless charity work are so readily observable and provides yet further evidence of his incredibly selfless behaviour towards other people.
I will close the article with words from Michael himself;
“ To give someone a piece of your heart, is worth more than all the wealth in the world. ”
There are those rare visionaries who come along, maybe a few every millennia: the Bodhisattvas of the world. They are usually empaths who begin in childhood to literally feel the pain of the world and make vows to the cosmos early in life to change or improve it. They go about spreading awareness and mobilizing forces for change in order to make the world a better place. Counted among them are: Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Theresa, John Lennon, Lady Diana Spencer, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Mattie Stepanek, Nelson Mandela and a little Moonwalker.
The most famous man on earth literally stopped the world and the Internet when he became immortal on June 25, 2009. Michael Jackson was such a one— a cheerleader for humanity and a force for coalescing compassion and mobilizing global forces for change, philanthropy and social reform. A global messenger, Michael’s rise to stardom afforded him visibility and a worldwide platform from which to broadcast his message. His boldness and artistry garnered attention and Michael knew how to get attention. When he pulled enough people in and had everybody’s attention—he emphatically delivered the message. It was cloaked in a form that everyone could understand—the universal language of music.
As a child, he acutely felt the pain of the world and especially the world’s children. Michael’s words in his book Dancing the Dream reveal a thread of spirituality and mysticism rare for one so young. His body of work is filled with myth, metaphor and musical and visual story that encodes a stunning spiritual message for the human race. One has to look closely and deeper for the real message: his Ghost short film holds a jaw dropping message about humanity, mirror and shadow.
His Man in the Mirror song written by Siedah Garrett, became a Gandhi-esque anthem for a generation. He donated 100% of the proceeds of that song to charity as he did with many of his concerts including the Victory Tour with his brothers. Man in the Mirror encourages self reflection and mastery and being the change you wish to see in the world: “I’m starting with the man in the mirror; I’m asking him to change his ways; no message could have been any clearer; if you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change.”
Michael also produced They Don’t Care about Us and other songs to address police brutality and mistreatment by authority. His song and video Black or White changed minds and advanced racial equality and multicultural diversity. His We are the World composition with Lionel Richie and accompanying video gathered 39 of the most visible faces on earth to raise millions to save lives in Africa. Heal the World was sung by children around the globe and at the 1993 Super Bowl halftime show where the whole stadium became a collage of earth’s children of all races and ethnic origins. Michael was the impetus behind Live Aid, Band Aid and he is responsible for starting the trend for musicians and celebrities to engage in fundraising and philanthropy.
His environmental anthem and epic music video Earth Song, was a prominent feature of his planned comeback concert, This Is It. Earth Song carries the message that we must become not only custodians but stewards of the planet or risk destroying or losing it. His spiritual messages in the form of self-reflection, commitment and action boldly took on: racism, inequality, war, poverty, gangs, illicit drugs, apathy, the misuse of power, evil, at risk youth, education, family bonds and a host of contemporary social issues. Videos of Earth Song Live can be found on You Tube stunningly raw in their emotion and stark in their message.
Michael’s Don’t Stop till You get Enough is about the Force featured in Star Wars by George Lucas; he was a fan of both Lucas and Spielberg and he understood the concept of The Force, an intuitive conscious energy that permeates creation. He often said it was that intuitive energy, Force, or God who wrote his lyrics, performed and worked through him. He denied his own genius saying that his creativity and power didn’t come from him but through him. He writes about itDancing the Dream. The last album Michael produced, Invincible included Cry, a song about us—meaning humanity the collective, being the chosen one and needing some kind of sign that we are: ‘on it’… the mission to change the world and create a better version of the human.
Michael’s international concerts featured a military tank screaming onto stage and a soldier who lays down his weapon for a child who extends an offering of peace. He organized concerts at the world’s troubled spots like the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea asking his promoters to send him where he was needed. He teamed up with Pavarotti in benefits for the Warchild organization to help children in Kosovo and Guatemala. He organized a series of benefit concerts in Germany and Korea. He recruited Slash, The Scorpions, Boyz II Men, Luther Vandross, Mariah Carey, A. R. Rahman, Prabhu Deva Sundaram, Shobana Chandrakumar, Andrea Bocelli and Luciano Pavarotti for the Michael Jackson and Friends concerts. The proceeds were donated to the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, the Red Cross and UNESCO.
After the 9/11 terrorist attack in New York City, Michael Jackson helped organize the United We Stand: What More Can I Give benefit concert at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., which aired on October 21, 2001 and included dozens of major artists. His song What More Can I Give was written for the benefit and he donated it to the 9/11 families. He founded the Michael Jackson Burn Center at Culver City Memorial Hospital in California. Attending President Clinton’s inauguration, he asked for more funding for AIDS research after Ryan White, another child he had befriended, died from the disease. Michael Jackson is listed in the Guinness World Book of Records as supporting the most charities of any entertainer—thirty nine of them. He met with heads of state and marched with armies round the world. The arm band he wore every day on his sleeve was homage to children and he vowed to wear it until there were no more wars on the planet and no more hungry children. His taped fingers were to remind him and us that there were still injured and suffering children in the world.
Michael, while on tour, would visit orphanages and hospitals in the countries where he played to concert audiences. He often met with leaders and if he found deplorable conditions during his visits, he would threaten to cancel a concert unless the conditions improved within 24 hours. No one ever ignored his demands for it would likely have caused citizen revolts. There are also hundreds of stories from people who were personally contacted by Michael Jackson. After a sniper opened fire at Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton, California, Michael called the local sheriff to request an escort from the airport to the school to visit the children; Dave Dave was a child who was badly burned when his father doused him with kerosene and lit him on fire and Michael, upon hearing the story, insisted on meeting and befriending him; Bela Farcas needed a liver transplant when Michael met him at Bethesda Hospital in Budapest so Michael paid for his new liver; he funded burials for children whose families couldn’t afford them and in one case, he sent his sequined jacket and a glove for the child to be buried in; he donated clothing and belongings for fundraisers and was the recipient of humanitarian awards too many to mention during his life and more since the recognition of his contributions since his death.
For decades, his Neverland Valley Ranch hosted monthly guest vacations, whether he was there or traveling, for children who were: gravely ill, inner city, handicapped, poor, at risk youth, gang affiliated, disenfranchised and disillusioned. The video for his famous Beat It featured real gang members Michael recruited—the Crips and the Bloods who collaborated to film it; the two groups had never before cooperated on anything except violence. His work with children was legion and very dear to his heart. Twice during his career, his celebrity, wealth and deep pockets brought accusers and accusations into his life—of improprieties with children. The accusations hurt him deeply and were later proven false and attempts to extort money from him. Although found innocent, the ordeal of his 2005 trial had harmed his reputation and was deeply wounding causing him to never host children at his fantasy ranch, nor live there again. He left his home feeling it had been sullied irreversibly by unscrupulous accusers and underhanded law enforcement personnel. He would never again sleep in his bedroom, in fact sleeping at all became rare; his sleep problems escalated and eventually led to his untimely and eerie death.
Most of Jackson’s work asks us to be emissaries of change and the evolution of human consciousness. The man leaves in his wake, an unparalleled humanitarian legacy, planetary midwifery and the alchemical power of the Bodhisattva used to enhance humanity and the planet. Using voice, magic, majesty, artistry, dance, mystery, sensuality, musical genius, enchantment and colossal talent to get their attention, pull people in, and marshal forces to deliver his message Michael trumpeted the message: Heal the world, make it a better place; make that change and change the world.”
If one digs underneath the hype, sensationalism and medialoid portrayal of Jackson, one finds a visionary and true humanitarian. If one looks beyond the label of “crazed” attributed to his fans, one finds mostly intelligent, thoughtful people who quite possibly are the greatest legacy he left this world. As the world’s most famous and visible global humanitarian and cheerleader, he leaves behind a worldwide family of 250 million admirers who are taking his teachings seriously. Michael always said his fans were his legacy. Many in the media have given them a cursory dismissal because of the “fan” label. But they got the message and they mean to be the change they want to see in the world and make it a better place. They are an army of humanitarians who are being the change. They mobilize themselves and resources for causes like the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile and others. They got Michael’s message and are weaving it into their lives.
Perhaps it’s time Michael Jackson is recognized for who he really was and not for the media frenzied and tabloid portrayal that pandered to a sophomoric public drunk and fixated on the cult of celebrity. His genius is there for anyone who wants to take a closer look, who wants the truth and not the tabloid caricature version. If he were recognized for his real accomplishments we would see an unappreciated visionary and genius, a spiritual teacher among us who was hiding in plain sight and masquerading as a Moonwalking Maker of Magic. If you feel impelled at all to take a closer look you may find your mouth agape and your surprise staggering. And you might even come to understand the Force that was Michael Jackson; then the real legend continues.
I can’t forget that impact that I first got when I watched Michael Jackson’s short film “Thriller”. There was enough impact to change the world. I felt “Something is going to happen. Something that I have never seen before.” In the same era, Madonna, the absolute queen who conquered the world with a pair of high heels, debuted into stardom. One after another never before seen music revolutions were constantly occurring in the world which led to people having a lot of iconic moves engraved into their minds. It was Vincent Paterson, that I was able to interview, who was responsible for many of the iconic Michael Jackson and Madonna’s enthusiastic movements as he created behind the scenes as a director and choreographer. As if they met Vincent like fate, the world started to go to an unpredictable future. Vincent, when you worked with Michael Jackson and Madonna, there must have been some kind of magic going on in their performances to move my heart the way it did. I haven’t been able to have my heart be moved as much since then. What kind of spell did you cast on us?
—You joined “Thriller” as an assistant choreographer. What do you think are the reasons why it is loved all over the world, even now?
“First of all, it’s a crazy, fantasy zombie dance. It was a unique dance that anyone can feel like dancing to and it was easy enough for people to remember the moves. So, it is still loved all around the world. Also, the fact that it wasn’t just a music video but also a short film where we can enjoy the story was another reason. Michael loved films and ‘Thriller’ was inspired by the film ‘An American Werewolf in London’. Because a music video channel called MTV was born at that time, people around the world were surprised to see ‘Thriller’. They thought ‘What is this? What is happening?’ when they saw the unpredictable story and the overwhelming performance.”
–Your style of choreography is very iconic and never stops attracting viewers. For example, I liked the Zero Gravity movement from “Smooth Criminal”. How on Earth do you create them?
“Sometimes, it just comes out of my crazy brain (laughs). Let me tell you the story of when Michael gave me a cassette that had ‘Smooth Criminal’ in it. He said ‘Listen to the music and let the music tell you what it wants to be.’ I put a headset on and listened to it many, many, many times. I began to see movement in shapes, such as a rectangle, a circle, or a spiral, and then I started to move to the music. That’s how the choreography was born. On the other hand, for Zero Gravity, I got inspired from a dance performance piece I had seen years before. The dancers came out with skis on and started leaning. This visual came into my head when I was creating the choreography for Smooth Criminal and I knew Michael would love it. Sometimes, I get inspirations from a play, a novel, or art, like the example I just cited. And other times, choreography comes out of my brain just by listening to the music. There are various ways to create choreography but the important thing is how I can be honest to the music.”
–The dance where Madonna grabbed her crotch in “Express Yourself” was especially surprising (laughs).
“This is how that happened. When we were filming ’Express Yourself’, Madonna asked me ‘What should I do with my hand on this last part?’ I answered ‘Why don’t you grab your balls because you have bigger balls than most men?’ (laughs). I taught her many ways to appear stronger, be more beautiful, and act more sophisticated. I even taught her how to smoke a cigarette and how to crawl on the floor. Interestingly, superstars don’t always know how to make themselves move a certain way for the public. Even Michael needed guidance. That’s why smart performers hire a choreographer. When we filmed ‘Black or White’, the director had an idea of having Michael stand in front of gray walls. Michael didn’t really like the idea. So, he asked me ‘Vincent, what do you think?’ and I said ‘Let’s express the inclusion of race, which is the theme of this song, by using dances from around the world.’ And I created the choreography which included Balinese, Cossack, and African dances. Michael’s dance vocabulary was mostly what he knew from his Motown days, including tap. When he began making his short films, he opened himself up to learning a variety of styles. From this education, as well as his working out with street dancers in LA, he evolved his own style.”
–You directed Madonna’s Blond Ambition Tour, one of your many renowned pieces of work. That was the first time Madonna or any other woman in the media dared to be overtly sexual on stage. At that time, Madonna’s sexual performances were the newest popular topic to talk about. Was it a message trying to convey “Women, be strong!”?
“Perhaps that was part of it. Madonna likes to shock people. She likes to keep people on their toes, never knowing what her next incarnation will be. During the Blond Ambition Tour, she wanted to say that men and women should be equal. In this tour, I tried to stage “Like A Virgin” on a big bed. I said to her, ‘I want you to lie on the bed. And wouldn’t it be interesting if two men were there as part of the headboard of the bed?’ Then, she said ‘I also have come up with a great idea!’ and brought out cone bras. Jean-Paul Gaultier had made for her, but she never used them for anything yet. I thought that I would have the male dancers wear them, too. In this show, I had women wear men’s clothing and sometimes dressed men with a feminine tip. That’s because sometimes women have men’s feelings or attributes and vice versa. The Blond Ambition Tour was making a statement that sometimes there is a thin line that separates male and female attributes, making the classification of sex ambiguous. Also, it was important for us not to force people to watch the scene by shouting ‘Look at this!’ but to make people smile in spite of themselves by using humor especially when expressing sexuality. Madonna bloomed as a woman who incorporated sexuality into her artistry. At that point in time, women weren’t as open as men in expressing their sexuality in public and still taken seriously as artists. But Madonna could and did.”
–It is said that you put theater, fashion, and art to the direction for this tour and after the world realized this is how a pop concert should be, it changed the pop concert formula. How did you come up with those ideas?
“I was trained as an actor and a director. I was involved in theatrical productions from when I was in college. When Madonna asked me to direct the Blond Ambition Tour, she said she wanted to create something totally different from concerts that had been done before. We decided to create a show that was more than just singing and dancing. Our stage had large, elaborate sets, many costume changes and expressed various characters. Madonna appeared as a girl with curlers in her hair, a repentant sinner, and a mysterious mermaid. For me, ‘change’ and ‘contrast’ is important when creating work. In short, it means creating a completely different emotion right next to a proceeding one. For example, laughter after sadness or happiness after anger. By creating this roller coaster of emotions, we can keep moving people’s hearts or giving surprises. I wanted to make the Blond Ambition Tour not just a pop concert to watch but a theatrical event that impresses people. It’s no exaggeration to say that this tour was the beginning of theatrical type rock/pop concerts, which are now the norm. Humbly, it was a historical moment that changed the definition of concerts.”
–What do you think Michael Jackson and Madonna brought to their era?
“I think they were playing important roles as influencers who made changes in society’s movements, not only in America but on a world scale. For example, Madonna and I took the dance moves of Voguing, that was known only in gay clubs in New York, and used it for her song ‘Vogue’. At first, she didn’t think that “Vogue” would become that big of a success. She had placed the song in the middle of the concert, but I said ‘No! No! No! Vogue comes at the end of the show. This is going to be huge! This is going to blow their minds!’ When it comes to Michael, he often invited street dancers to the studios and danced with them. Michael learned a dance called the Back Slide from them, evolved it, and completed his own dance move called the Moonwalk. When he executed the Moonwalk in the TV special Motown 25, people were blown away thinking ‘What in the world is that?’ The credit of bringing movement from various cultures, which few people knew about, and making them world-class movements goes to Michael Jackson and Madonna. Also, they always said to me ‘Let’s make something that is totally new that the world has never seen before.’ We brought a lot of ideas out and played around with them. Especially, because Madonna was well versed in the visual arts and Michael in films and musicals, they created innovative modern rock and modern pop music by combining their strengths of classical elements to their works. For example, the monochrome music video of ‘Vogue’ was inspired by the black and white pictures by an American photographer named Horst from the 40s, and ‘Thriller’ was inspired by ‘An American Werewolf in London’. Through Michael Jackson and Madonna’s works, people not only renewed their understanding of how wonderful classical works were, but also were able to get new values and broaden their field of perspective by touching the most essential feature of art beyond the frame of pop music. That was exactly what we wanted to do.”
–I think that Michael Jackson and Madonna are one of a kind in the history of humankind.
“I agree. They had unique talents. In addition, they gave their best effort to make the best use of their potential. For example, when Michael didn’t know how to do a certain dance step, he would stand in front of the mirror and repeat the same movement thousands of times until he knew how to perform it perfectly. If you were close enough to see the amount of energy, concentration, and their incredible attitude that they put into their work, you would understand why Michael was able to become ‘Michael Jackson’ and why Madonna was able to become ‘Madonna’. They believed in and accepted their unique talents, and they wanted to bring out the best that they would be able to become. Also, they were blessed with wonderful creators such as directors and choreographers who brought out their talents to the best of their ability. All of their success had the perfect bond of creators where not one element could be excluded. But timing was the most important thing for their success. Thanks to the birth of MTV, their work was given an opportunity to be seen by billions of people at the same time. Remember, there was no Internet or social media back then. People all around the world were starving and were thirsty to see their icons, thinking ‘I want to see more! Give me more!’ That’s why fans listened to the records on repeat and watched the videos over and over. It warmed our hearts and made spectacular memories that we can never forget. Today, we are flooded with never ending information and people’s tastes are so diverse. The feeling of having your heart moved doesn’t last for a long time. It is interesting to think if Michael Jackson and Madonna could still become as famous as they were back then, if they debuted today. So, one important element that led them to become as successful as they were was the perfect timing of everything– talent, human resources, and the era they were born in. There could have been people who had almost the same talent and made almost the same effort but couldn’t become superstars. Probably, a little spell was cast on Michael Jackson and Madonna. And so, they were meant to be the unsurpassable ‘Only Ones in the World’.”
–I heard that you might plan to hold some workshops for Michael’s dances in the future.
“I was given a chance that nobody else can experience and was blessed with working with many talented artists and wonderful masterpieces. I hope that the happy circle of giving these irreplaceable gifts, such as the love and grace that I felt, to others keeps on going like an endless merry go round. Particularly, memories with Michael were special. He was a person who was like a child who never said mean words. What he taught me was to love people, to be considerate to people and to do good for the world. I’m hoping to hold workshops for Michael’s dances all over the world. I still want to share the magic that he shared with the world and me. Don’t you feel the same way?”
Vincent Paterson ◎ He started his career as an actor and a director for a theatrical company and started learning dance when he was 24. He played the gang leader in Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”, and was an assistant choreographer for “Thriller”. He got an exceptional promotion as a choreographer for “Smooth Criminal”, causing his life thereon to change drastically. Later, he was involved in a number of M.J.’s legends. For example, he choreographed for “Black and White”, directed the Bad World Tour in 1987, and directed a Super Bowl Halftime Show in 1993. He is also known as a choreographer for Madonna. He directed and choreographed the Blond Ambition Tour, which made her an instant superstar. It is said that Madonna couldn’t be the person she is today if it wasn’t for him. What’s more, he also directed a Cirque du Soleil show and many other projects. He is active in various areas beyond the boundaries of industries.
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“Love people, be considerate to people.
Do good for the world.
That is what Michael taught me.”
“In Smooth Criminal,
inspiration for that lean
came from skiing.”
“Michael and Madonna
have always said to me
that they want to create something that’s completely new
Original post Voices of Education
Interview【Vincent Paterson】
MJJJusticeProject 