Who Is the King of Pop?
There’s no doubt that Michael Jackson is the undisputed King of Pop. Over the years, every time young singers became famous and popular, magazines and media outlets searched for a new King of Pop. The title of King or Prince of Pop is used by such media for a short time to create controversy and noise—and at that time, Michael’s fans’ blood starts to boil.
Years ago, when Justin Timberlake had just become a heartthrob for teenage girls, online media wrote that he was the King of Pop. Some clubs and people referred to him with that title, while others said he could be the one to continue Michael Jackson’s path. At the same time, internet commentators were exploding with traffic—such as the title assigned to this issue on the MJFC forum, which spread to more than three hundred pages and was filled with Michael fans’ anger and rage, drawing a lot of attention as well, to the point where the website administrators invited users to calm down.
In 2007 and 2008, some websites and/or advertisements referred to Justin Timberlake as the King of Pop. The printed image of him on the cover of Rolling Stone, with the caption "The New King of Pop," was both ridiculous and sad.
How can artists like Justin replace Michael Jackson when they owe him and follow his lead? Justin Timberlake may be a talented artist, but his talent is not comparable to Michael’s. Timberlake isn’t a genius, and he isn’t a music icon. The key question is: why do these kinds of media outlets always ignore Michael or even act like enemies toward him? What are they looking for, by using his name, fame, and reputation as leverage, exploiting details of his personal life, and the sensitivity that this name provokes? Maybe more sales or higher rankings.
As a member of the band *NSYNC, Justin Timberlake has always brought Michael’s name up among the artists who had the biggest impact on him. He entered his solo career with the inspirations and lessons he took from Michael. Years ago, Michael appeared onstage alongside the boys of the band at an MTV ceremony. Timberlake presented Michael with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame award, and Michael invited *NSYNC to perform alongside him and his brothers at the Madison Square Garden celebration in 2001.
But when the 2003 accusations against Michael came up, Justin removed Michael’s name from his interviews, and when asked which artists he was inspired by, he mentioned other people. Usher and Timberlake both took a huge influence from Michael, but the difference is that Usher acknowledges he is indebted to Michael and shouts his name whenever he gets the chance.
People may know some of Timberlake’s songs, but perhaps he is best known for the incident during the Super Bowl performance that ended with the exposure of Janet Jackson’s breast—Michael’s sister.
However, Timberlake’s star began to fade after the emergence of another Justin—and this time, Bieber. The media moved on from Timberlake and started looking for another head to place the crown of King of Pop on.
Now magazines call Justin Bieber the new King of Pop.
Oprah Winfrey, one of the most well-known figures in the United States, again borrowed Michael Jackson’s name in her latest interview with Bieber. Over the years, Oprah—who never offered even the smallest support for Michael’s innocence—has made very extensive use of his name. The newest example is exactly this interview. By saying that it was the biggest show since her interview with Michael Jackson in 1993, she directed people’s minds toward the program, and even in her remarks she didn’t stop herself from comparing Bieber to Michael Jackson. She told Justin that there has never been a star like him on Earth. (News)
Justin Bieber himself has accepted that he has a dream of achieving Michael Jackson’s position—that is, the crown of King of Pop (News). But wouldn’t it be better for him to think, like Diddy Riley introduced New Jack Swing, about creating a new style in music—and reach the throne through that?
Michael Jackson never said he wanted to be someone else. His method was: "Learn from the greats and become greater." And he did. It’s a shame that people like Oprah Winfrey use his name to highlight their own statements without accepting Michael’s real position, or that artists like Bieber think about taking his place. Maybe Justin Bieber truly is a devoted fan and has special respect for Michael, but we don’t need another King of Pop—because we already have Michael Jackson.
Maybe years from now, the media will give the title of King of Pop to another Justin, but the crown of the King only fits one person: Michael Jackson!
As Michael’s fans, we are dissatisfied with the media’s behavior toward Michael. This is what motivated us to set up a poll on Facebook. To take part in this poll click and support Michael. This poll was actually created in opposition to magazines and media outlets that assign the title of King of Pop to people other than Michael Jackson. Our goal is to show that despite what the media says, there is no second King of Pop. Michael’s fans have already been able to make many changes—for example, their efforts to remove the phrase "Wacko Jacko" from the media will never be forgotten. If the number of votes in polls like this increases to the thousands, maybe the news will reach the magazines and media, and then perhaps they will be a bit more cautious when handing out the title of King of Pop. And even if that doesn’t happen, at least the fans have said what was on their minds.
Source: eMJey.com