Download or read book Otherness and Power Michael Jackson and His Media Critics written by Susan Woodward and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2014-05-01 with total page 98 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Otherness and Power: Michael Jackson and His Media Critics is an innovative study of the cultural impact of Michael Jackson. Jackson had millions of ardent fans around the world, but from the early days of his adult career many in the media mocked and reviled him. How did such divergent attitudes come about? This book examines the origins and psychological underpinnings of the media's hostility by closely analyzing some of the most harshly critical writings about Jackson. While racism and discomfort with Jackson's "otherness" have previously been recognized as the elements that fueled media criticisms, Susan Woodward reveals another important factor: the perception that Jackson was extraordinarily powerful, in ways that went beyond celebrity and wealth. Through research and careful analysis, Woodward explores the ways in which Jackson's power was seen, the largely unconscious response to his power, the functions of the media's criticisms and the origins of the perceptions of Jackson's power.

Download or read book The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson written by Elizabeth Amisu and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2016-09-26 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An essential companion to Michael Jackson's music, films, and books, this work offers 21 original, academic essays on all things Jackson-from film, music, and dance to fashion, culture, and literature. Going well beyond the average celebrity biography, this comprehensive book looks at why Jackson is regarded as one of the most important musicians of our time, offering insights into every facet of his art, life, and artistic afterlife. It looks at the methods by which his work was created, presented, received, and appropriated; discusses Jackson's varied personas along with his public and private appearances, albums, conceptual art, short films, and dance; and considers his use of costume, makeup, and reinvention. To help readers understand the phenomenon that was-and is-Michael Jackson, the book focuses on Jackson's historical context through an analysis of his films, songs, and books, examining him as an artist and shedding light on the political and ideological debates that surrounded him. Not shying away from the controversial aspects of Jackson's life and legacy, it also tackles questions of sexuality and racism, gender, and class, comparing Jackson to artists ranging from J. S. Bach to Andy Warhol. Through its examination of Jackson's entire catalog, the work connects all the aspects of his art and life to exemplify-and explain-the performer's unparalleled influence in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Download or read book Michael Jackson and the Blackface Mask written by Harriet J. Manning and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2023-06-16 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Michael Jackson challenged the power structure of the American music industry and struck at the heart of blackface minstrelsy, America’s first form of mass entertainment. The response was a derisive caricature that over time Jackson subverted through his art. In this expanded, all-new edition, Michael Jackson and the Blackface Mask argues for the tangible relationship between Jackson and blackface minstrelsy. It reveals the dialogue at minstrelsy’s core and, in its broader sense, tracks a centuries-long pattern of racial oppression and its resistance and how that has been played out in popular theatre. Michael Jackson and the Blackface Mask explores Jackson’s early talent and fame and the birth and escalation of ‘Wacko Jacko’. In relation to all this, the book examines Jackson’s dynamic art as it evolved, from his live performances and short films to the very surface of his own body. Scholarly and interdisciplinary, this work is suitable for readers across a diverse spectrum of academic fields, including African American studies, popular music studies and cultural theory, media and communication, gender studies and performance and theatre studies. Academic but accessible, this book will also be an engaging read for anyone interested in Michael Jackson and especially in his role as an icon of difference, in America’s dynamics of race and his mass media image.

Download or read book On Michael Jackson written by Margo Jefferson and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2007-01-09 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The renowned Pulitzer Prize–winning cultural critic brilliantly unravels the complexities of one of the most enigmatic figures of our time in this passionate, incisive, and bracing work of cultural analysis. Who is Michael Jackson and what does it mean to call him a “What Is It”? What do P. T. Barnum, Peter Pan, and Edgar Allan Poe have to do with our fascination with Jackson? How did his curious Victorian upbringing and his tenure as a child prodigy on the “chitlin’ circuit” inform his character and multiplicity of selves? How is Michael Jackson’s celebrity related to the outrageous popularity of nineteenth-century minstrelsy? What is the perverse appeal of child stars for grown-ups and what is the price of such stardom for these children and for us? What uncanniness provoked Michael Jackson to become “Alone of All His Race, Alone of All Her Sex,” while establishing himself as an undeniably great performer with neo-Gothic, dandy proclivities and a producer of visionary music videos? What do we find so unnerving about Michael Jackson’s presumed monstrosity? In short, how are we all of us implicated? In this stunning book, Margo Jefferson gives us the incontrovertible lowdown on call-him-what-you-wish; she offers a powerful reckoning with a quintessential, richly allusive signifier of American society and popular culture.

Download or read book Michael Jackson written by Shawn Henning and published by AuthorHouse. This book was released on 2009-09-29 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As fans of entertainers our voice is often overlooked. We are passed off as simple fans who really don't know to much. The media, with all their experts, reports, opinions, and speculations are often times not the truth. For the first time the fans of Michael Jackson will speak out. False reports and rumors are exposed in this book and the Author provides in indepth look at the media theories and speculations. The fans finally have a book that expresses what they know to be the truth about The Icon of Music Michael Jackson. The Author takes you through Michael Jackson life from the viewpoint of a fan. Backed by intense research and interview from noted film-maker and defense witness for Michael Jackson Larry Nimmer who also wrote this about the book. "You've done excellent research and there were some things that I learned that I didn't know. It was interesting what you had to say about the accusers and about his dad, Joe Jackson. I liked your comparison that Americans will sleep with animals in their bed but they are not accused of bestailiaty... good comparison... You've presented a convincing story about people who fabricated stories for personal gain, including the media, at the expense of Michael Jackson... great job and very interesting." Larry Nimmer

Download or read book Keep Moving written by Armond White and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 117 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The King of Style written by Michael Bush and published by Insight Editions. This book was released on 2012-11-06 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The King of Style: Dressing Michael Jackson is a fascinating look at the intersection of music and fashion, as well as an homage to Michael Jackson’s brilliant fusing of costume, personality, and performance to create his iconic image. Through his music, dance, and fashion, Michael Jackson created a mystique that was unique to him and recognized as such throughout the world. For five decades he mesmerized audiences—and for twenty-five of those years Michael Bush was there as Jackson’s designer, stylist, and friend, accompanying the King of Pop on his journey to becoming the King of Style. While paying homage to the original Billie Jean, Beat It, and Thriller looks that put Jackson on the fashion map, The King of Style also traces their evolution over several decades. Jackson’s penchant for the military silhouette is explored in detail, along with the trade secrets behind the sequined glove and the fencing uniform that he, Michael Bush, and Dennis Tompkins reinvented to make stage magic. It was Bush who dressed Jackson for the final time, before he was buried. Dozens of garments were left unfinished by his shocking death. The legacy of Michael Jackson lives on. An artist like none other, he transformed everything he touched—from the fabric of his clothes to his legions of fans around the world.

Download or read book Michael Jackson s Dangerous written by Susan Fast and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2015-02-26 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dangerous is Michael Jackson's coming of age album. Granted, that's a bold claim to make given that many think his best work lay behind him by the time this record was made. It offers Jackson on a threshold, at long last embracing adulthood-politically questioning, sexually charged-yet unable to convince a skeptical public who had, by this time, been wholly indoctrinated by a vicious media. Even though the record sold well, few understood or were willing to accept the depth and breadth of Jackson's vision; and then before it could be fully grasped, it was eclipsed by a shifting pop music landscape and personal scandal-the latter perhaps linked to his assertive new politics. This book tries to cut through the din of dominant narratives about Jackson, taking up the mature, nuanced artistic statement he offered on Dangerous in all its complexity. It is read here as a concept album, one that offers a compelling narrative arc of postmodern angst, love, lust, seduction, betrayal, damnation, and above all else racial politics, in ways heretofore unseen in his music. This record offered a Michael Jackson that was mystifying for a world that had accepted him as a child and as childlike and, hence, as safe; this Michael Jackson was, indeed, dangerous.

Download or read book The Office of Historical Corrections written by Danielle Evans and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2020-11-10 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: WINNER OF THE 2021 JOYCE CAROL OATES PRIZE NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2020 BY O MAGAZINE, THE NEW YORKER, THE WASHINGTON POST, REAL SIMPLE, THE GUARDIAN, AND MORE FINALIST FOR: THE STORY PRIZE, THE L.A. TIMES BOOK PRIZE, THE ASPEN WORDS LITERARY PRIZE, THE CHAUTAUQUA PRIZE “Sublime short stories of race, grief, and belonging . . . an extraordinary new collection . . .” —The New Yorker “Evans’s new stories present rich plots reflecting on race relations, grief, and love . . .” —The New York Times Book Review, Editor’s Choice “Danielle Evans demonstrates, once again, that she is the finest short story writer working today.” —Roxane Gay, The New York Times–bestselling author of Difficult Women and Bad Feminist The award-winning author of Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self brings her signature voice and insight to the subjects of race, grief, apology, and American history. Danielle Evans is widely acclaimed for her blisteringly smart voice and X-ray insights into complex human relationships. With The Office of Historical Corrections, Evans zooms in on particular moments and relationships in her characters’ lives in a way that allows them to speak to larger issues of race, culture, and history. She introduces us to Black and multiracial characters who are experiencing the universal confusions of lust and love, and getting walloped by grief—all while exploring how history haunts us, personally and collectively. Ultimately, she provokes us to think about the truths of American history—about who gets to tell them, and the cost of setting the record straight. In “Boys Go to Jupiter,” a white college student tries to reinvent herself after a photo of her in a Confederate-flag bikini goes viral. In “Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain,” a photojournalist is forced to confront her own losses while attending an old friend’s unexpectedly dramatic wedding. And in the eye-opening title novella, a black scholar from Washington, DC, is drawn into a complex historical mystery that spans generations and puts her job, her love life, and her oldest friendship at risk.

Download or read book Sport Sport and power relations written by Eric Dunning and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2003 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of texts providing a useful resource for students in the field of sports studies. Subject headings include approaches to the study of sport, the development and structure of modern sport, sport and power relations, and major issues in contemporary sport.

Download or read book Bad written by Dylan Howard and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2020-07-07 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An Inside View into the Dark Side of a Music Icon He was the King of Pop, a superstar without equal, the idol of millions of young people around the world. But was Michael Jackson also a sexual predator without equal, someone who preyed on the very fans who adored him? Bad is the revelatory untold true story of the strange and larger-than-life career of Michael Jackson, the King of Pop. In the wake of the controversial two-part documentary Leaving Neverland, which told the stories of two young boys who were befriended by the singer and have claimed they suffered years of agonizing abuse, Dylan Howard set out to investigate Jackson’s life and death in unprecedented depth, to determine—as one lawyer suggested—that the pop star ran “the most sophisticated child sexual abuse procurement and facilitation operation the world has known.” After all the highly publicized trials and unfounded accusations, stunning new information has finally come to light: irrefutable evidence that one of the best-known, best-loved figures in the world was a monster behind closed doors—a foul-mouthed, abusive, drug-sodden freak whose deeds and the reasons for those deeds are revealed now for the first time. A dramatic narrative account based on dozens of interviews, Howard shares Jackson’s own riveting personal journal—obtained exclusively for this book—interviews with family members, multiple first-person sources—some of whom have asked to remain anonymous—as well as thousands of pages of court documents. What he uncovers is a man who was both naive and Machiavellian, unorthodox, a devoted father, shrewd businessman, and drug addict whose life was cut short but whose sound and style have influenced artists of various genres and generations. Remarkably though, in death, there remains two portraits of Michael Jackson: the reigning King of Pop, and a pedophile whose pattern of abuse ruined his reputation. Fans and individuals alike will forever be asking if the insidious claims being made about MJ are true. This is the new narrative and the sad legacy of one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Here is his life story, told for the first time with stories and testimony that will leave you shaken.

Download or read book Texts written by Peter Childs and published by Edinburgh University Press. This book was released on 2006-09-27 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Being able to analyse different types of text is an essential skill for students of literature. Texts is a new kind of book which shows students how to use literary theory to approach a wide range of literary, cultural and media texts of the kind studied on today's courses. These texts range from short stories, autobiographies, political speeches, websites and lyrics to films such as The Matrix and Harry Potter and from television's Big Brother to shopping malls, celebrities, and rock videos.Each chapter combines an introduction to the text and aspects of its critical reception with an analysis using one of sixteen key approaches, from established angles like feminism, postcolonial studies and deconstruction to newer areas such as ecocriticism, trauma theory, and ethical criticism. Each chapter also indicates alternative ways of reading the text by drawing on other critical approaches.

Download or read book Man in the Music written by Joseph Vogel and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2019-08-27 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For half a century, Michael Jackson’s music has been an indelible part of our cultural consciousness. Landmark albums such as Off the Wall and Thriller shattered records, broke racial barriers, amassed awards, and set a new standard for popular music. While his songs continue to be played in nearly every corner of the world, however, they have rarely been given serious critical attention. The first book dedicated solely to exploring his creative work, Man in the Music guides us through an unparalleled analysis of Jackson’s recordings, album by album, from his trailblazing work with Quincy Jones to his later collaborations with Teddy Riley, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, and Rodney Jerkins. Drawing on rare archival material and on dozens of original interviews with the collaborators, engineers, producers, and songwriters who helped bring the artist’s music into the world, Jackson expert and acclaimed cultural critic Joseph Vogel reveals the inspirations, demos, studio sessions, technological advances, setbacks and breakthroughs, failures and triumphs, that gave rise to an immortal body of work.

Download or read book Caste written by Isabel Wilkerson and published by Random House Trade Paperbacks. This book was released on 2023-02-14 with total page 545 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB PICK • “An instant American classic and almost certainly the keynote nonfiction book of the American century thus far.”—Dwight Garner, The New York Times The Pulitzer Prize–winning, bestselling author of The Warmth of Other Suns examines the unspoken caste system that has shaped America and shows how our lives today are still defined by a hierarchy of human divisions—now with a new Afterword by the author. #1 NONFICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR: Time ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, O: The Oprah Magazine, NPR, Bloomberg, The Christian Science Monitor, New York Post, The New York Public Library, Fortune, Smithsonian Magazine, Marie Claire, Slate, Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews Winner of the Carl Sandberg Literary Award • Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize • National Book Award Longlist • National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist • Dayton Literary Peace Prize Finalist • PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction Finalist • PEN/Jean Stein Book Award Longlist • Kirkus Prize Finalist “As we go about our daily lives, caste is the wordless usher in a darkened theater, flashlight cast down in the aisles, guiding us to our assigned seats for a performance. The hierarchy of caste is not about feelings or morality. It is about power—which groups have it and which do not.” In this brilliant book, Isabel Wilkerson gives us a masterful portrait of an unseen phenomenon in America as she explores, through an immersive, deeply researched, and beautifully written narrative and stories about real people, how America today and throughout its history has been shaped by a hidden caste system, a rigid hierarchy of human rankings. Beyond race, class, or other factors, there is a powerful caste system that influences people’s lives and behavior and the nation’s fate. Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including divine will, bloodlines, stigma, and more. Using riveting stories about people—including Martin Luther King, Jr., baseball’s Satchel Paige, a single father and his toddler son, Wilkerson herself, and many others—she shows the ways that the insidious undertow of caste is experienced every day. She documents how the Nazis studied the racial systems in America to plan their outcasting of the Jews; she discusses why the cruel logic of caste requires that there be a bottom rung for those in the middle to measure themselves against; she writes about the surprising health costs of caste, in depression and life expectancy, and the effects of this hierarchy on our culture and politics. Finally, she points forward to ways America can move beyond the artificial and destructive separations of human divisions, toward hope in our common humanity. Original and revealing, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents is an eye-opening story of people and history, and a reexamination of what lies under the surface of ordinary lives and of American life today.

Download or read book The Book of Hidden Things written by Francesco Dimitri and published by Titan Books (US, CA). This book was released on 2018-07-03 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Four old friends confront their darkest secrets in this fantasy steeped in nostalgia, folklore, religion, and the seductive landscape of Southern Italy—by the Italian Neil Gaiman. “A tale of adventure, mystery, friendship and heart-wrenching beauty that will make you re-examine what is holy, what is true, and what is beyond the realm of possibility.” —BookPage Four old school friends have a pact: to meet up every year in the small town in Puglia they grew up in. Art, the charismatic leader of the group and creator of the pact, insists that the agreement must remain unshakable and enduring. But this year, he never shows up. A visit to his house increases the friends’ worry: Art is farming marijuana. In Southern Italy doing that kind of thing can be very dangerous. They can’t go to the Carabinieri so must make enquiries of their own. This is how they come across the rumors about Art—bizarre and unbelievable rumors that he miraculously cured the local mafia boss’ daughter of terminal leukemia. And among the chaos of his house, they find a document written by Art, “The Book of Hidden Things”, that promises to reveal dark secrets and wonders beyond anything previously known. Set in the beguiling and seductive world of Southern Italy, Francesco Dimitri’s first novel in English is a story friendship, landscape, love, betrayal, and mystery that will entrance fans of Elena Ferrante, Neil Gaiman, and Donna Tartt.

Download or read book Earth Song Inside Michael Jackson s Magnum Opus written by Joseph Vogel and published by Blakevision Books. This book was released on 2012-12-01 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: FULLY REVISED AND UPDATED! Released in 1995, Michael Jackson s "Earth Song" was in many ways anachronistic. In both theme and sound, it was like nothing else on the radio. It defied the cynicism and apathy of Generation X. It challenged the aesthetic expectations for a pop song or even a protest song, fusing blues, opera, rock and gospel. It demanded conscience in an era of corporate greed, genocide and environmental indifference. A massive hit around the world (reaching #1 in over fifteen countries), it wasn t even offered as a single in the United States. Yet nearly eighteen years later, this six-and-a-half minute lamentation stands as one of Jackson s greatest artistic achievements. In this groundbreaking monograph, author Joseph Vogel -- who filmmaker Spike Lee praised as having "brilliantly cracked the DNA" of Jackson's work -- details the song s evolution from its inception in Vienna in 1988, to never-before-heard stories from the recording studio, to its controversial release and reception, to Jackson s final live performance in Munich in 1999. Based on original research, including interviews with the song s key participants, Earth Song: Inside Michael Jackson s Magnum Opus offers a fascinating reassessment of this timeless work of art.

Download or read book Michael Jackson The Making of Thriller written by Douglas Kirkland and published by Filipacchi Publishing. This book was released on 2010-10-28 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Michael Jackson: The Making of "Thriller" is an illustrated tribute to the King of Pop and his groundbreaking music video, with never-before-seen photos of its creation. The book features over 200 exclusive, behind-the-scenes photographs of the artist on set during the 1983 production of the Grammy award winning video directed by John Landis. Considered to be the most successful project of all time, "Thriller" is beloved the world over, inspiring imitation and a cult-like following of millions of fans. Documenting the creation of the most popular and iconic music video of all time, this book celebrates the artist and his music at the top of his career. Famed photographer Douglas Kirkland and journalist Nancy Griffin were the only members of the media allowed on the set of the video. The resulting photos capture Jackson both in high performance mode and relaxing on the set and depict his transformation into the characters in the video as well capturing the public and private faces of Michael Jackson. Compelling, intimate photos of the artist are accompanied by interviews and quotes from musicians and celebrities, including Sir Paul McCartney, Diddy, Beyonce, Steven Spielberg and many more. With a holographic cover that, when tilted, transforms the artist into his zombie character, the book is an impressive gift to be treasured by fans and music lovers everywhere.