I was awake at 640am on 25th June 2009 when I heard a voice on CNA reading out " The King of Pop, Michael Jackson is reported to be dead." Shock was soon accompanied by grief as 15 minutes later, all major television networks in US confirmed that MJ had indeed left us.
I was 7 when I came across MJ. Watching him on my grandpa's tv, he mesmerized me with his dance moves and that unique aura. At that point, I know I am a fan. Of course, I thought he's a white, until I watched his Thriller MTV. (though I thought he might be a zombie too).
I even went as far as borrowing the Sega Moonwalker game from my Primary 6 friend just to realise that it was not compatible with my set. Fortunately, I managed to find an adapter and I spent days playing the game.
Throughout the years, MJ had been entertaining the masses with his moonwalks, crotch grabs, pelvic thrusts and of course, his songs. Yes, he was indeed controversial, but honestly, who cares? He was controversial because he is the King of Pop, and do you think anyone cares if you or me slept with children, went for plastic surgery, bought the remains of the Elephant Man?
Michael, thanks for making my childhood colorful, despite having an unhappy one for yourself. You've rocked my world, and last but not least, I will miss you dearly.
I was eleven when I first acquainted MJ. Together with the entire elementary school cohort, we were forced to master the lyrics of 'Heal the World' by heart and sing in unison during assembly sessions. By twelve, my best friend, introduced me to HIStory: Past, Present and Future. He showed me the juicy and scandal-filled parts of MJ's biography and I was truly intrigued by his twisted and bizarre lifestyle. Both of us didnt look back. My friend went on to be a really successful body builder and I am truly happy for him. But I digress.
His bizarre stories come straight out of Incredible Tales and Tales from the Crypt. Oxygen chambers, elephant man bones, changing appearances from black to white, having fun with boys and the list goes on. It is not for nothing MJ is widely known as Wacko Jacko or Deranged Jacko (really?). But behind this twisted soul lies a brillance that brightened up the lives of millions worldwide.
Here is a man who contributed substantial amount of dough to help the less fortunate around the world, from places like Kosovo, Guatemala and USA. Here is a man who has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice; received 13 Grammies, 13 no. 1 singles and sold 750 million albums worldwide. Here is a man who was abused as a child by none other than the man who brought him into this world (not Jesus, but his father). His father once punished him for keeping the windows open at night by slipping into his room in the middle of the night wearing a scary mask and screaming at the top of his voice.
In any case, the next time you remember MJ, try not to see the foolish and bizarre things that he was associated with but to see him as a respected and ground breaking artiste. I will never forget the MTV of Thriller, which kept me up for several nights after I first saw it; nor the jingles and lyrics of Heal the World, which truly is a wonderful song; and the energetic and high-pitched shrills that occur in almost every of his fast numbers (the HEE-HEE! or OWWW!) The last thing I would forget is his moonwalk, his gravity-defying leaning dance move,his A-B-C song and the look on his face when he was truly happy in his own little world, Neverland.
I really hope he passed a happy man. Millions are mourning over the world for the loss of one of the greatest entertainer ever.
Rest in peace, Michael.
On a ending note, is Samuel L related to Michael? Anybody wanna sell MJ mechandise btw? (赚死人钱ds)
First of all, I would like to express my condolescence to Newcastle United Football Club, who, after 16 yrs in the top flight, was officially relagated to the Coca-Cola Championship on the 24th of May 2009, The asprilla,ginola,les ferdinand and andy cole era will live long in our memories.
As you may already be aware, the abovementioned event has driven one of the co-editor, Mr Sheow Weh Jeh, to a state of emotional trauma which has restricted his ability to continue his duties as an editor of this blog. As he has stated in his earlier press release, he will be taking a year-long break to recover from this difficult period, and I will like to wish him, and NUFC all the best in their roads to recovery. I am confident he will return a stronger and bigger personality to lead this blog to greater heights.
In the meantime, i will be taking over his duties on a temporary basis, and continue to provide the 2 cents worth of opinions of a modern young adult. Taking a step up from a guest editor to a full-fledged one is indeed an honor for me, and i hope i will not disappoint your expectations too much.
Finally, i will like to conclude by saying that i've nvr written a post here that is so decent and serious. Hence, to end things on a lighter mode, i will like to say this to Weh Jeh:
I will be on a year long sabbatical with effect from today due to personal reasons related to a bunch of overpaid and overweight spoilt millionaires. They make me feel so sick that I need a year long break.
We are excited at the prospect of playing the likes of Swansea, Doncaster and Blackpool for next season. Thank you everyone for your support. I will no longer be liable for any comments, footage or posts related to this blog.
Goodbye and see you again in August 2010. Howay the Lads.
The YRB saga has stretched out over the past days as more news are revealed with each passing hour.
The new adviser, Waikit, has slammed old adviser, also ex-long time comrade, in a startling move to distance himself from the ousted adviser. He divulged that he had nothing to do with the so-called "joint release", and urged supporters to "see for themselves, what an outright despicable and delusional person Kokyao really was".
Insiders exposed that Kokyao had tried repeatedly, up to six times, to meet up and attempt to reconcile their differences with Waikit and stand against the renegade editor, Chonyeen. Waikit continued to express his appreciation to supporters and would like to change the name of the blog to Ibened (pronounced as ai;ben-ed) , in order to suit the leadership renewal. - The Mawarema Times
In an unexpected move, the old and new guards of YrB Fan Club issued a joint statement to the media.
"We would like to point out to the public that this is the kind of attire (see photo above) Lai would be in when he turns up for work everyday. It is clear that he has a hidden agenda by lashing out at us in Zimbabwae, of all places. We know who the mastermind is, and we will reveal his identity soon."
The power struggle took its latest twist this evening, when one-time guest editor Lai launched an astonishing attack on the old guards during a rare interview in Zimbabwae.
"It was pretty obvious, at least to me, that this fanclub never really lived up to its self-publicized hype," a stricken-faced Lai began.
"There's no guarantee that the new guards can drag the club from it's slumps - and looking at the new buck-toothed lad i have serious reservations - but it's stonewall clear to me that without change, and change fast, they might as well shut the damn thing down now cuz its fast becoming the biggest joke in town. The current setup is a can of worms,really."
"Fans around the world love this blog, and sometimes you wonder whether there are more suited people out there to lead this club. Let's hope the new guards don't spend too much time making quizzes about themselves."- Harvard Business Times, 10 May 2009
In an exclusive interview with CNN, Ex Advisor Mr Hew admitted that he was wrong to have invited Mr Ng and Mr Lee into the fanclub.
"I trusted them, and this is how they repay me." said Mr Hew who was fighting to hold back his tears.
" It is my baby, you know. And now they are snatching it away from me."
Mr Hew has threatened legal actions against Mr Seow for making the statement to impale him on Christmas Island. - Lian He Bao
In a surprising move (not) , the new adviser has threatened to quit the club for the fifth time this week unless old adviser is "impaled and hung to dry on a lonely tree in Christmas Island."
Mr Seow elaborated : "This town is big enough for only one of us. I am sick and tired of him making jokes at the expense of my new Exco. I am the first decent editor of this blog! I am the masculine one!"
Recent spats between the two factions have received attention. Well-wishers have expressed their support for the New Adviser and are willing to stand behind him, against the tyranny which the Old Guards represent. - The Imagine Papers
Reports coming in are stating that the new exco had changed the lock to the office and they have sacked long time volunteer Mr Lai after accusing him of not allowing them access to the email account. During the negotiation last night, the ex adviser was seen driving off 10 mins after the new advisor arrived at the building. - Malaysiakini
with immediate effect, after the AGM held 2 minutes ago, the new exco will take over duties from the old exco.
Insiders revealed a certain level of inappropriate behaviour by the old exco in representing the club. The new exco is as follows:
Outgoing Exco Chairman : Ms Koh Adviser : Mr Hew
Incoming Exco Chairman of Fanclub : Mr Ng and Mr Lee (co-chair) Adviser : Mr Seow
Mr Seow revealed his disappointment with the "indecency" of the old exco and looked forward to "better times" in the future with his new committee. Mr Seow also mentioned the plausibility of submitting the fanclub's official website in the Singapore Blog competition, despite the sniggles heard within the crowd. - Reuters-