Tracey "Zipporah" Johnson
Last night I watched the BET Awards with my Family and Friends on Facebook and Twitter. The interaction of my social networks was a priceless addition to watching the last minute thrown together Tribute Show to the amazing Michael Jackson. I was looking forward to this show because of what I was hearing from various Artists & Musicians concerning the changing of sets in order to honor the legend and legacy left to us by MJ. For the most part I loved the show. The appearance of Janet was the highlight of the Show for me. There were wonderful performances, mediocre performances and shameful performances all making for a pretty good show being that the changes were made 48 - 72 hours before the airing of the live show. For me, a creative individual, things do not have to perfect. It is the imperfections that make things interesting, entertaining as well as makes for intriguing dialogue. There are some cases in which I expect perfection only because that is what I have come to expect through experience from certain folks like Beyonce, always the consummate perfectionist. Also expect perfection from Ton3x, and Ne-yo who never disappoint when they hit the stage.
But for those that are still finding their “space” on stage I am patient with them. I enjoy watching their process, must be why I love reality shows – the professional ones not the ones about dating and finding love, hate those. But the ones about competition for career passions I really dig. What I find most interesting about these awards shows, after parties, post award shows and reality shows is that the media aka “monster” makes grand attempts to shape the perception of the masses concerning a particular thing. I mean let’s look at how they are covering the passing of Michael Jackson. I mean we want to know but damn we really don’t need to know everything. Let us have our memories, our experiences, our love for someone with whom we have shared our lives for most of our lives, in my case all of my life. They are working to uncover all the ugly aspects but what the media has not been able to do regarding him is kill the love that they had for the creative genius that he is. Michael’s London tour of which the 50 shows were sold out for $85 million in two hours showed everyone that it just doesn’t matter what or how media covers people. We all have flaws, made mistakes, have secret addictions, habits and thorns in our side – the difference is that we are not public figures, at least not of that magnitude. We will never know what it is like to live life in a fishbowl like that. MJ is not the only one who has fallen prey to the media, so many others have as well and their testaments to the how media can either blow up or blow apart their lives is something that we can be thankful that we will never experience. The bravery in which many government officials, celebrities, and athletes go about their normal duties after scandal, misunderstanding or mistakes is always astounding to me – to live life knowing that the judgmental, critical eyes of the world are watching is just crazy. I give kudos and a standing ovation to those that have successfully lived past their mistakes.
Late Great Michael Jackson
People are using the media and reality shows to their advantage these days to tell their side of the story. They are cashing in on the monster that created them. First they use scandal, some premeditated to blast them into stardom, television interviews, video guest appearances, modeling contracts and such, and then they get a reality show to change the perception that they willingly entered into with the monster they sold their soul to. I would think for the most part that they did not enter into that contract for that sole purpose but once in it’s hard to get out. But I also believe that some of them did it intentionally. Which is why I respect so highly people that have kept their private lives just that…private. Others have tried but only a few have succeeded and to them I say good job. On another note I watched the reality show I promised myself I wouldn’t watch after the post award show called Tiny & Toya. I am not interested in a show that focuses on the loves of well-known rappers but the sneak peek gave me more than I bargained for. The show is not about the material blessings these ladies get to enjoy at the hand of their significant others but these ladies have real struggles just like us. They have family issues, elder care, self-esteem, motherhood, and occupational choices. I found it interesting and intriguing and actually I related to them, on so many levels. I would recommend the show to anyone, specifically ladies because everything is pretty much in that one mini episode that I viewed. It was pretty emotional because it focused on their relationship with their parents, their children, the love of their spouse, the choice between domestication and occupation; something we can all relate to so in that aspect they are using the monster media to their advantage. I was hoping that it would change my perception of them, and it did…for the better. So good to know that the monster doesn’t always win.
