Urmarea urmării

Până în anul 1997, Akasha Richmond a fost angajata lui Michael Jackson (dar n-a gătit doar pentru el, ci şi pentru Barbra Streisand, Carrie Fisher şi Al Pacino; s-a ocupat de îmbuibarea participanţilor la ceremonii precum cele ale decernării premiilor MTV, Grammy, Oscar dar şi la festivalul de film organizat de Robert Redford la Sundance). A scris numeroase articole pentru ziare şi reviste americane, a colindat lumea pentru a culeghe reţete "sănătoase" şi a publicat două cărţi cel puţin interesante, dacă nu şi utile. Mă refer mai ales la "Hollywood Dish", unde ea povesteşte una-alta despre apucăturile culinare ale unor vedete hollywoodiene sau ce mâncăruri au inspirat acestea. În anul 2008 şi-a deschis restaurantul din Culver City (Akasha, 9543 Culver Blvd. - Culver City, CA 90232, ph. 310.845.1700.)

În luna iunie a anului 2008, Akasha Richmond a acordat un interviu revistei Organic Wine Journal (Nicki Sizemore), din care am ales următorul fragment:

What inspired your passion for sustainable cooking?
I grew up in Florida, and my mother got into natural cooking when I was in Junior High. She was one of those people that made her own bread and yogurt. I started cooking when I was 10 and taught myself out of cookbooks. I later went to college in San Diego and came to LA in the early eighties to study yoga. This was before I really thought about food as a profession. I ended up working at a vegetarian restaurant that was frequented by many celebrities. Michael Jackson used to eat there every day, and I took care of him. He was my first celebrity client. The year Thriller came out…

That’s quite the first client.

He was into the whole healthy thing. Now it’s called the organic movement; back then it was called was called the “natural foods” or “health foods” movement. The word organic used to have a really bad connotation: i.e. restaurants that served brown rice and sprouts. But organic has gotten major branding in the past couple of years. As you know, it’s now good.

"Turkle" povesteşte...

Coperta TV Guide-ului de deasupra anunţă tocmai interviul pe care l-a difuzat MTV în premieră în august 1999. Spun asta pentru că şi acum este accesibil la adresa www.mtv.com. De fapt, fotografia se găseşte în colecţia postată de Karen Faye pe propriul său site, realizat împreună cu mai vechea noastră cunoştinţă, Taunya Zilkie (www.zilkinc.com). Pe site-ul stilistei se găseşte şi interviul pe care ea l-a acordat în septembrie anul trecut revistei Artisan Magazine, "Trei decenii cu Michael Jackson":

Karen Faye, long time hair and make-up artist to Michael Jackson, recently gave an interview with Aristan Magazine, in which she discussed her nearly 30 year relationship with the late King of Pop.

How did you meet Michael Jackson?

I began working with Dick Zimmerman, who was a very popular celebrity photographer back then. He booked me on a shoot for an album cover with Michael Jackson. The album was Thriller. Michael and I got along really great! Michael requested me for his next photo session with ET … and his next assignment, Beat It… and everything after that … the rest is history. Michael was embarking on The Victory Tour with his brothers. Michael required my complete attention, so I brought in Carme to help me. I met Carme earlier while working at the Barbizon School where we both had been teaching. We had become good friends. This began Carme’s 10-year working relationship with Michael’s brothers.

Michael could trust you.

Yes, he could. The media started hounding me after the Thriller album was released. I remember being called by a tabloid reporter offering me $75,000 for any information about Michael or the video shoot we were working on for the song “Thriller.” I said no. They said, “how much then?” It just wasn’t something that tempted me. The offers got more outrageous from there. They finally all got to realize I was a dead end for information and it tapered off a bit. But during major controversies they still were very persistent.

Was Michael spiritual?

Anyone who is creative is naturally connected to the universe. Michael always attributed his talent to God. He said God was channeling through him, and it had nothing to do with him.

I know how much Michael loved all children of the world.

That’s right but what I find more interesting is how children are drawn to him, like a magnet. I think they recognized a kindred spirit. They recognized his unconditional love and related to him because he was a child at heart. Children look at the world through fresh, unjaded eyes. Michael had the ability to see the wonderment of the world like they did.

What was his favorite food?

Michael wasn’t a big eater. He thought it was a waste of time, like a child having to sit at the dinner table while hearing all the other kids outside calling him to come out to play. He chooses organic and healthy food but sure can enjoy a bucket of KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken). Akasha was his chef many years ago, and now has a restaurant in Culver City, California. She would find the perfect compromise. She would make him organic cheese enchiladas that he covered with hot sauce. He would want to eat them every day. She also made a killer banana cream pie that was a favorite. I will never forget these wonderful cookies she made that he nicknamed “ookies”.

Michael is known in the Guinness Book of World Records as holding the record for celebrities giving to charities. Can you share about that?

It is a little difficult to share too much about that because it is not something Michael would talk about. He would just do it. He just did. When we were touring the world, while everyone was going out to restaurants and clubs, Michael’s joy came from visiting orphanages and hospitals. I used to go with him. He would have his team contact them before his visit and find out what they needed. He would fill up his vehicles with toys and treats and we would go. He arranged for playgrounds to be built, bought busses and provided vehicles, paid for expensive operations for children.

Can you share with us when and where was the photo taken?

The photo was taken, high on a hill at Neverland by Jonathan Exley before the trial began.

What were Michael’s favorite make-up products?

Easy, hands down, Lancôme Dual Finish Powder! Lancôme would provide it by the case for me. Shout out to Lancome … thanks for so many years of your generosity. Michael would have it and leave it everywhere. He had it in every pocket. Everyone around him knew if they found a compact, to return it to me, so I could recycle it back to him.

I know Michael’s nickname for you was “Turkle.” How did you get that name?

I’ll never tell.

Taclale:

1. De ce nu vrea Karen Faye să ne spună de unde-i vine porecla, de ce-de ce-de ce? Turk ar însemna nu doar "turc" (iar ea are nume oarecum nemţesc, Karen, precum îi sunt şi trăsăturile) ci şi "obrăznicătură"... Iar sufixul "le" a fost adăugat din motive de sonoritate - ca să semene cu "turtle", care nu înseamnă doar broască ţestoasă, ci şi turturea. Ne putem imagina orice combinaţie, probabil că toate şi niciuna se vor potrivi cu ceea ce a vrut Michael Jackson să exprime. Ceva pe-aproape tot trebuie să fie... Dac-o mai fi şi oarece argou, am terminat povestea, că n-o să mergem la Los Angeles doar ca să ne familiarizăm cu măgăriile rostite de americani (e doar o presupunere). Mă rog, dacă ne-ajută Ăl de Sus, poate ajungem şi pe-acolo, dar cu mai multe pretexte, nu doar unul.

Revelaţie: dacă porecla asta se pronunţă cam ca "turkey" (curcan) - înseamnă că e vorba despre o "interpretare" liberă, fonetic vorbind, pentru "charcoal" - termen (ca să nu spunem mai mult) folosit în machiaj. Iar coana-mare să fi fost asemănată, în glumă, cu un "turkey", pentru că certamente se fălea, înfoindu-se, atunci când îi ieşea ceva bine. Aşa cum ar face oricine. Nu-i aşa că e un sport adorabil bătutul de câmpi?

Pe de altă parte - nu-i aşa că madam Faye aduce la trăsături cu madam Rowe? Că, la urma urmei, a ales-o pe Debbie şi pentru că avea trăsături teutonice (oase mari, puternice, gena "blondă" părând predominantă şi deci aptă să ţină piept uneia "de culoare") să fie mamă a doi dintre copii pentru că semăna cu "mama" Karen? Da, e o temă de dezbătut mai încolo (când, când?);

2. Ar trebui făcut un dicţionar al expresiilor, cuvintelor (de multe ori "cuvinte-geamantane") şi poreclelor folosite de Michael Jackson. Căci, iată, mereu apare ceva nou - cum sunt aceste mirobolante "ookies";

3. Akasha înseamnă, în sanscrită, "eter". Adică ceea ce spunea maică-să prin 1983, că se hrăneşte cu aer... Hă-hă, glumim. Akasha Richmond are un site foarte interesant despre restaurantul ei din Culver City, www.akasharestaurant.com, din care aflăm că povestea se învârte în jurul vegetalelor...

(va urma)

Un pic de medicină

Moartea lui Michael Jackson a devenit subiect didactic.

De pildă, conform unui articol din www.7est.ro este vorba despre cursurile ţinute la UMF Iaşi (acolo se scrie că moartea a devenit material didactic, de parcă ei pot s-o pipăie pe ea, pe moarte):

Cum ar reactiona Dr. House intr-o situatie limita a unui pacient care se sufoca? Unde au gresit, daca au gresit, medicii in cazul mortii megastarului Michael Jackson? Grea misiune, mai ales daca inca nu esti doctor, ci doar student al UMF Iasi. Ei bine, mai nou, medicinistii au ocazia sa studieze, la cursurile de medicina de urgenta, reactiile in diverse cazuri dificile, inclusiv din seriale TV cunoscute. Medicul Diana Cimpoesu a avut ideea de a aduce cazuri-limita in propriile sali de curs. "Cei care au realizat serialele au avut consultanti foarte buni. Merg de material didactic", spune doctorul Diana Cimpoesu, sefa SMURD Iasi.

Moartea lui Michael
Studentii medicinisti studiaza, plini de transpiratie, cauzele mortii megastarului Michael Jackson. Dintr-un motiv cat se poate de simplu. Trebuie sa stabileasca daca cantaretul putea fi salvat de medicii care l-au primit la spital, daca au procedat corect si daca se descurcau in fata unei situatii de acel fel. Profesorul care le tine cursuri de medicina de urgenta, Diana Cimpoesu, vrea sa vada o sclipire la unul dintre ei, acel ceva care sa-i recomande un candidat bun pentru un post la UPU si SMURD. "In cursurile din acest an, vorbim despre o situatie celebra de resuscitare, moartea cantaretului Michael Jackson. Din experienta, am observat ca un curs interactiv, in care este prezentat un caz celebru, ii face foarte atenti pe studenti. In plus, trebuie sa gaseasca si ei propriile solutii de rezolvare a diverselor cazuri de urgente medicale", afirma Diana Cimpoesu. "Ideea este interesanta, mai ales daca nu stim decat simptomele declarate de pacienti sau observate de medicii, fara a sti finalul povestii. Este o metoda inedita de a studia si aprofunda resuscitarea sau medicina de urgenta", precizeaza Cristina, studenta la UMF Iasi in anul IV.

Pe de altă parte, există analize ale medicilor americani privind moartea lui Michael Jackson:

Michael Jackson: Murder, Money, Medicine and Mayhem
By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Aug 24th 2009 10:07PM

I was as shocked as anyone to see that Michael Jackson's death was ruled a homicide by the coroner. While we all figured out that the drugs killed him, an accidental overdose is certainly not the same as negligence on the part of a physician. It turns out that Dr. Conrad Murray, Michael Jackson's physician, may have displayed a deadly combination of both unethical behavior and serious incompetence. At least that's how things are shaping up.

There is the broader issue of money. We all know that Michael Jackson paid Dr. Murray $150,000 per month to get him the drugs he needed. That's a lot of money to turn down, so even if we are disgusted by what Murray did, most of us can understand the temptation. There is also the added fact that Michael Jackson, a larger than life celebrity, is begging you for drugs that are available with the stroke of a pen. That would make anyone do a double-take.

There is a clear risk/return trade-off here, in which Murray was being asked to do something illegal in exchange for a great deal of money. Some of us can understand how a doctor with money problems might be tempted to take some extra cash to give away access to his stash of dope. After all, Jackson was the one asking for the drugs, so should he be held responsible for any of these outcomes?"No," says Dr. Elaina George, an Otolaryngologist out of Atlanta. Dr. George argues that Jackson was not the one to blame for his untimely death. She explains that physicians have an oath to "not do harm" to their patients and that by giving Jackson such a deadly combination of drugs, Dr. Murray violated that oath."'Michael Jackson did not have a chance' was my first thought when I read the report that just came out about what caused his untimely and tragic death," says Dr. George, who generally serves as an advocate for other physicians. "I was unprepared for the absolute disregard for the first tenant of the doctors' Hippocratic Oath – 'First do no harm.'

"It is quite possible that Dr. Murray's financial problems may have played a role in his decision to allegedly break the law in treating Jackson. His house was in foreclosure, he was deeply in debt and he'd declared bankruptcy in the past. He'd also accumulated $435,000 in unpaid legal judgments over the last three years. On the outside, Dr. Murray appeared to be successful, but on the inside, he was in as much financial pain as Michael Jackson was in physical pain. In this regard, Dr. Murray was like many other Americans who don't earn enough to keep up with their lavish lifestyles.

There are some who would argue that this entire scenario was driven by addiction: Jackson's addiction to drugs, and Dr. Murray's addiction to money. In the end, Jackson got death and Dr. Murray is going to get prison time. The story ends sadly for everyone.

Eu aştept, cu răbdare, şi părerea doamnei dr. Jan Garavaglia ("Dr. G") - părere care, din câte văd, încă nu a apărut. Înţeleg că nici la ei doctorii nu se calcă pe bătături, totuşi, poporul dornic de amănunte cred că a depus o sumă mare de cerereri, drept pentru care avem şanse să vedem într-un viitor oarecare şi analiza domniei sale.

Ori la bal, ori la...

... Versailles.
Ceea ce părea la început doar o legendă, se dovedeşte a fi adevărat, din moment ce este povestit de Karen Faye, cea care l-a machiat pe Michael Jackson o foarte lungă perioadă (cam 30 de ani): parfumul preferat al artistului era, fără drept de apel, Bal à Versailles (prescurtat, BAV).
Parfumul, creat pentru cucoane în anul 1962 de Jean Desprez (care a lucrat vreme îndelungată pentru Coty), a devenit mai mult decât celebru prin "adoptarea" sa de către Michael Jackson. Deşi pare că doar în ultimii ani ai vieţii sale Jackson ar fi avut preferinţe generale pentru haine, pieptănături şi atitudini femeieşti, Karen Faye declară că deja cu 30 de ani în urmă ("30 de ani" - raportat la ce? că nu zice când a făcut declaraţia; putem presupune că treaba asta s-a întâmplat cel târziu în 1979) au descoperit, ea şi Michael Jackson, că au acelaşi parfum preferat: Bal à Versailles.

În fond, nu e nimic ciudat în asta - mai degrabă e de înţeles preferinţa pentru un parfum, care este pur şi simplu alegerea simţurilor, decât opţiunea pentru coafuri tip Liz Taylor sau chiar Lisa Marie, ori bluze pline de dantelăraie - fabricate special de Audigier.

Bal à Versailles este o halucinantă combinaţie de 25 de elemente de origine vegetală sau animală de pe tot cuprinsul Pământului, împărţite, ca la orice parfum care se respectă, pe trei paliere - superficial, mediu şi de bază. Preţul pentru 0.25 oz (nu ştiu cât înseamnă în mililitri, pe cutia de mai sus scrie că 3.4 FL OZ înseamnă 100 ml - deci habar n-am cum se poate face transformarea) este de peste 250 de lei (noi), iar 0.90 oz - cum are sticloanţa de mai jos - costă aproape 570 de lei (noi) - cu precizarea că, se pare, nu se găseşte decât destul de greu. De asemenea, cunoscătorii îi sfătuiesc pe doritori/doritoare să cumpere parfumul, nu apa de colonie - diferenţa fiind, cică, notabilă.
În ceea ce o priveşte pe Karen Faye, doar înşirarea pieselor video la care a lucrat spune mai mult decât poate o poveste: Bad, Beat It, Black or White, Blood (O.T.D.F.), Captain Eo, Childhood, Come Together, Dirty Diana, Ghost, Give It To Me, In The Closet, Jam, Leave Me Alone, Liberian Girl, MoonWalker, Remember The Time, Say Say Say, Scream, Smooth Criminal, Speed Demon, Stranger In Moscow, The Way You Make Me Feel, Thriller, Who Is It, Michael Jackson: HIStory on Film-1997 Directors - Various, Dangerous: The Short Films-1993 Directors – Various. Se vede treaba că poporul jurnalier habar n-are unde zac secretele, de n-au dat iama peste doamna cu pricina - căci ea a răspuns/răspunde de felul în care a arătat Michael Jackson în toţi aceşti ani. Iar treaba asta nu se face bătând din palme, ci printr-o relaţie de comunicare perfectă. Treizeci de ani! - înseamnă că, de fapt, Karen Faye l-a cunoscut mai bine ca oricine, oricând. Mai bine ca maică-sa, ca Lisa Marie, Liz Taylor, Debbie Rowe, Diana Ross, body-guards, dr. Arnold Klein, cine vrem şi cine nu vrem la un loc. Fabulos. (va urma)
___________
P.S. preţurile sunt trecute ca pentru parfum, dar am descoperit că ilustrarea lor era cu apa de colonie. Înţelege fiecare ce poate. Probabil că jdămilioanele de lei noi sunt doar pentru nerecomandata apă de parfum.

This Is It - oferte diferite

Am primit de la Sony Pictures un e-mail care m-a cam iritat: cumpărătorii de Blu-ray sunt trataţi preferenţial (faţă de DVD-işti), ca să te împingă automat să achiziţionezi Blu-ray-ul. Hm! Nu mi se pare prea cinstit, eventual - puteau diferenţia altfel ofertele, fiecare să aibă ceva ce n-are cealaltă, să nu ştii pe care să o alegi, să fie ambele tentante, să le cumperi, la urma-urmei, pe amândouă. Evident că vreau şi vignetele Thriller şi Smooth Criminal, vreau şi ceea ce se cheamă "Making Smooth Criminal Featurette", căci astea sunt, în linii mari, diferenţele - adică ceea ce Blu-ray-ul are şi DVD-ul nu.

Michael Jackson la Discovery

Aphrodite Jones, autoarea cărţii a cărei copertă originală o avem în poza de sus, va avea o serie de emisiuni difuzate pe ID - Investigation Discovery, cel mai nou şi interesant canal al celebrului post tv. Sper că e acelaşi program precum cel ce se difuzează (şi) la noi. După cum declară pe blogul propriu, doamna Jones va aborda o sumă de subiecte pe care le-a tratat în cărţile sale, pe primul loc aflându-se, evident, cazul Michael Jackson. Prima serie de 10 emisiuni, serie numită "True Crime with Aphrodite Jones" va începe la 11 martie 2010, orele 22 - la ei (coasta de Est), adică pe la 5 dimineaţa (12 martie, vineri) la noi. Dar cum se dau toate în reluare în neştire, o să putem vedea la orice oră pohtim. Trebuie să vedem ce va scrie în program - partea proastă e că, la noi, programele TV online sau tipărite nu cuprind şi ID-ul - sau nu ştiu eu(?).

Este, prin urmare, de văzut, de stat la pândă şi, dacă e posibil, de comunicat... (sper să nu fie la fel de siropoasă ca în carte).
______________________

P.S. Tot pe blogul Aphroditei Jones scrie că tatăl lui Jordy Chandler, Evan Chandler, s-a sinucis - la 5 noiembrie anul trecut. Nimeni altcineva n-a suflat o vorbă - şi totuşi, e cam bizară situaţia. Poate, totuşi, ne va lămuri tot dna Jones, că altcineva se vede treaba că nu...

Ia să vedem...

La 27 aprilie 1984, opt indivizi dubioşi (şapte hăndrălăi şi o duduie) dădeau năvală la adresa de pe uliţa Hayvenhurst din Encino a familiei Jackson, în căutarea unuia dintre băieţi: acela care, cu doar două luni înainte (la 28 februarie), a îndrăznit să împrumute (ca să nu spunem că a şterpelit) vocea colegului lor de corporaţie, Mickey Mouse, pentru a mulţumi celor ce i-au acordat tocmai opt premii Grammy la rând.

Invazia s-a soldat cu un preafericit succes, tribul fiind pândit voios de însuşi cel căutat. Ca o dovadă o prieteneştilor sentimente reciproce, dacă n-aţi fost atenţi la mini-reportajul de mai sus, avem un instantaneu postat mai jos (săracul Freud, ar fi avut ceva de comentat: cum de s-a proptit taman în nasul lui Grumpy?)Dar să revenons la oile noastre... Vocea folosită cu bună ştiinţă, zic eu, la gala Grammy din 1984 seamănă izbitor de mult cu vocea disneyanului tiz: Mickey (dar Mouse). În fond, în afară nume, mai aveau ceva în comun: cel puţin o mănuşă albă...
... preferinţa deosebită pentru culorile roşu şi negru...

... şi pasiunea pentru hainele milităroase, cu epoleţi...
Am zis mai sus că Mickey Jackson a folosit cu bună ştiinţă vocea lui Michael Mouse la gala Grammy din 1984, pentru că drăcuşorii îi şopteau că numai într-un moment deosebit poate să-şi facă de cap şi să nu turbeze nimeni. Nu degeaba repeta mereu că el este Peter Pan. Cine pricepe - bine, cine nu... Ia să comparăm... Ascultaţi cu MARE atenţie vocea lui Mickey (dar Mouse):

sau:

Şi acum - vocea lui celuilalt Mickey (dar Jackson):

Se poate alege orice alocuţiune rostită de acest Mickey (adică Jackson); este, oricum, mult prea interesant chiar şi după 26 de ani...

Poate fi un fel de repetiţie pentru gala Grammy din acest an, la o adică.

Şi mai avem câte ceva în tolbă - dar, deocamdată, ne punem pofta-n cui, admirând ce e de admirat, cum este şi imaginea de mai jos.

Azi, mâine...

Mâine apare DVD-ul This Is It, e bine că şi ai noştri s-au mişcat. Costă 39,90 lei (noi) - la unul din hipermarketuri cel puţin, după cum spune catalogul valabil din 27 ianuarie. În alte părţi poate e mai scump, în fine - bine că este. N-am apucat să cumpăr concertul din Japonia (DVD) - o să mă agit când dă colţul ierbii.
Prin urmare - mai sunt două evenimente şi pot anticipa că o să cam gata, oficial vorbind, adică terminoiu cu atenţia dată lui Michael Jackson: DVD-ul de mâine şi gala Grammy. MTV deja l-a scos din topul vedetelor (subit şi cam bizar, dar...), se prea poate să nu mai fie nici în programul MTV România (dezamăgitor week-end-ul ăsta, vai de mama lor). Rămâne doar aşteptarea editării "nelansatelor" şi procesul doctorului Murray. Şi multe, prea multe întrebări: despre viaţă, despre procese, despre cei din jur, despre moarte.
De citit articolul de pe blogul all for L.O.V.E.: A big part of Romania. Bun, bun (poate introducerea ar trebui periată - e cam ceţoasă. Dar mi-a plăcut "mulţi dintre noi fiind prea mici, sau pur şi simplu, n-au avut ocazia să ia parte la concertul din 1992 al lui Michael Jackson, şi mai ales la venirea lui într-o ţară..." ă?! what the hell...?). E un teren bun de explorat, mai ales că Jackson a ţinut minte locul, din moment ce voia să înfieze copii de aici. Mai e şi momentul 1996...
Mă duc să aprind o lumânare.

Treabă de făcut:

1. De votat de jdămii de ori, cât se poa': msg.com, până la 1 februarie. În marea finală a concertelor de la Madison Square Garden sunt, pot spune de pe acum, concertele Led Zeppelin (1973), Michael Jackson (2001) şi Michael Jackson (1988). Se votează şi concertele deceniului (2000-2009, deşi numărătoarea se începe întotdeauna de la 1, deci ar fi trebuit să fie 2001-2010, dar nu contează) - pe locul al II-lea e Aguilera (6,9%), pe locul I este Michael Jackson (86,4%) - comentatorii îi acuză pe fanii lui MJ că folosesc votul automat. Nu toţi îl folosesc, aşa că să ne scutească; de pildă, eu nu-l folosesc - nici nu-l recomand, oricum se poate vota o dată pe zi - totul e să perseverezi şi să-i agiţi şi pe prieteni. Asta e, n-au decât să-l folosească şi ei. Se mai poate arunca o privire şi la colecţia de topuri (a anilor '70, '80, '90 şi mileniul ăsta).

2. Pentru că mâine, luni - 25 ianuarie 2010, se împlinesc şapte luni de la plecare şi s-ar cuveni, creştineşte vorbind, oarece slujbă sau pomană (că tot a rămas indecis faţă de vreo confesiune anume), avem la adresa www.beliefnet.com o rugă compusă special pentru Michael Jackson (şi neamurile lui):

Prayer for Michael Jackson and the Jackson Family
Let us pray for Michael Jackson and all those who love him.

BY: Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway

Dear God, Divine Spirit of love and compassion,
Please grace us with your loving presence,
As we take a moment to remember Michael Jackson.

The world has been stunned by the loss of one so young,
We grieve that life has come to an end for this great talent.
Many fans share this time of pain and sorrow,
As well as the sadness of this shocking end to an era.

Please help those who are suffering through this loss,
We ask, especially, that you uphold his family,
That you comfort his grieving mother,
And that you embrace his children,
Who now must go on without a parent.
May they find solace, somehow, in the love flowing forth for their father.

For all those who grieve, please bring peace in knowing that his spirit, his music, and his contribution will live on.

Dearest Creator, we pray,
Gently guide the soul of your son, Michael Jackson, back home.
Hold him close, renew him.
Enfold him in your divine grace.
May he be healed and made whole again.

He was a bright star but also led a sad life.
Please heal the hurtful parts and those who may have been hurt in some way.

As we remember his contributions and controversies,
As we listen to his music and watch his videos,
As we hear so many recount their memories of him,
Let us be thankful for all he has given us,
And let us hope for healing for all from the darker side of fame and fortune.

Amen.

3. Tot la adresa beliefnetului se găsesc teme tratate de Rabbi Shmuley, de alţii şi articolul lui Michael Jackson citat de multe ori aici, iar noi vom citi mai jos articolul lui Rabbi Shumely Boteach, "The Day Michael Jackson Told Me He Could Save Hitler" - titlul este ales oarecum comercial - să atragă atenţia adică, pentru că discuţia lui Michael Jackson cu Rabbi Shmuley a fost foarte logică şi chiar plină de miez. Numai un bou nu ar înţelege ce a vrut Jackson să spună:

Michael Jackson's comparison of himself to Gandhi, Mother Theresa, and Martin Luther King, Jr. in the videotaped testimony that recently aired at his trial will strike some people as yet another example of a bizarre man's stunning flight from reality. But it would be unjust to single out Michael as a warped celebrity with delusions of grandeur when in reality such far-fetched self-appraisal is thoroughly in keeping with how American celebrities see themselves.

That American celebrities see themselves as gods and messiahs explains why they can behave so crassly and experience no shame. This belief that he is different-more elevated, more sensitive-than ordinary folk, and thus not subject to rules of right and wrong led to the destruction of the life and career of Michael Jackson, a man who once had considerable good in him. If you thought he was having too much plastic surgery, well, as a mere earthling you could never understand the image needs of a superstar. And if you thought that sharing a bed with a child, however platonic, was disgusting, well, that too is because seeing it from your mortal vantage point could never enlighten you as to how the self-proclaimed `voice for the voiceless' sees it.

I shall never forget how, when I was close to Michael and still believed that his celebrity could be used for positive ends, we sat down to produce, for the purpose of publication, hours of conversations about what he saw in children. The conversations were fascinating-Michael is much smarter and more insightful than people would otherwise believe.

On one occasion, the conversation turned to evil historical figures who had had abusive parenting, which helped to explain why they had grown up to be monsters. Michael said that there is good in everyone, and that he believed he could reach it, as the following transcript shows:

Şi, malhereusement, acum nu mai continuă cu nimic. Poate doar cu imaginaţia noastră. Când l-am citit (ăhăt), era întreg. Hm!
4. Tot Rabbi Shmuley - care este, din câte ştiu, patronul site-ului, mai are un articol foarte interesant:

Michael Jackson: Lost in a Cultural Neverland
'Don't try to make him normal' I was told. 'He's famous because he's not normal.'

The tragic events of Michael Jackson's arrest, which have broken the heart of all like me who know him, are an indictment not just of a man, but of a culture. America is increasingly becoming the land of damaged celebrity. But who is to blame for the fall of so many "heroes"?

Many accuse Michael Jackson of living in a world of fantasy. But superstars live in a world not of their own creation, but of our creation. Our worship of celebrities has gone from a pastime to a devotion, from a form of recreation to a form of veneration, from entertainment to religion.

Detached as we are from G-d and estranged from lofty pursuits, we have invented new gods here on earth. Where once people were awed by the heavenly stars, today they prostrate themselves before movie stars. Where once man pondered the secrets of the Universe, we today seek to uncover the enigma of Michael Jackson. Is it surprising, then, that the objects of this worship begin to believe that they have a right to make up and live by their own rules, even when it becomes completely ruinous?

Many believe that it is drugs and failed relationships that spoil celebrities. But I have discovered that it is sycophantic friends who are the worst poison of all. When I was close to Michael between 1999 and 2001, I tried to convey to him that famous or not, he must incorporate the basic ingredients of a healthy life, and that among these are time spent with family, involvement with a spiritual community, and being prepared to take criticism.

When he mentioned to me that his greatest wish was to promote the welfare of children, I told him he could only do so if he attained a modicum of credibility. This meant never being alone with children who were not his, meeting and learning from respected child-development and education experts, and speaking at serious rather than sensationalistic events.

sursa (întotdeauna trebuie indicată sursa): www.beliefnet.com.

Interesante articole (bănuiesc că sunt, de fapt, predici de folos la templu). Nasol e că nea Shmuley îl foloseşte pe MJ pe post de cărăuş sau ca agent de propagare a ideilor shmulistice ... ori shmuliene.

5. Şi mai este un site (faină denumirea lui - căci îi defineşte scopul): Rotten Tomatoes. Acolo sunt puricate filme de toată mâna şi, prin urmare, şi ale lui MJ (nu ascund faptul că, deşi nu mă bucură, filmele lui nu-s prea bine cotate, în afară de This Is It - cotă 80%). Chiar el - ca actor de film are cam 33% cotă.

RedOne

Numitul RedOne, un marocano-suedez care se ocupă de destinele muzicale ale unor vedete (Lady Gaga, Akon, Usher) a declarat zilele trecute că are atâta material muzical înregistrat cu Michael Jackson încât poate scoate liniştit un întreg album. Cu piese numai una şi una, zice - şi îl credem, căci ştim cum era MJ. Pentru că, după câte înţeleserăm, Michael Jackson îl angajase prin 2008 să-i producă noul album. Chiar un articol din mai 2008 dezvăluia faptul că RedOne petrece foarte mult timp împreună cu Michael Jackson în studiourile din Las Vegas (unde Jackson chiar plănuia să-şi facă o casă):

Producer RedOne is spending a lot of time in Las Vegas these days, supposedly working on an album with Michael Jackson, which he can’t talk about.

“Honestly, I’m not allowed to talk about Michael at all,” says RedOne, who was born Nadir Khayat in Morocco and now calls Los Angeles home. “I just love him. I’m a big fan of his. There’s something going on, but I can’t talk about it.”

What RedOne can say is he’s spending a lot of time in the recording studio at the Palms.
“The studio, it’s incredible. The sound is amazing,” he says. “And so is Las Vegas. I love Las Vegas. We get a lot of peace of mind in Las Vegas. It’s very nice. It feels good working in Vegas. It’s very convenient, so close to L.A. It’s like a dream world that helps you musically and creatively.”

sursa: prince.org

Alte amănunte sunt şi pe blogul somethingtodoatwork.wordpress.com:

Michael Jackson recording new album with Akon, RedOne, no kids

Michael Jackson is back in the studio working on a new album, it has been claimed.
The Thriller star, 49, has reportedly hired top producers RedOne and Akon to mastermind the new record.

They started working together at the Palms recording studio in Las Vegas Wednesday, reports Showbizspy.com

“Michael is producing the album himself and then will sell it to a record company when he’s finished”, a source tells the New York Post newspaper.
“Michael has banned his kids from the recording studio.
“He realises this is very important and doesn’t want any distractions.”
The singer, who supposedly had been seeing his children’s nanny, has even put his love life on hold.
“He’s not going to be involved in any personal relationships with women until he gets this record done,” the source said.
“He’s dumped the nanny – she’s not around any more.”

Source ~ Daily Telegraph
This entry was posted on May 20, 2008 at 1:57 pm

Iată ce scriu şi cei de la Billboard (prelurea de la Reuters e şi la abcnews):

Producer RedOne Eyes Michael Jackson Release
by Mike Collett-White, Reuters | ianuarie 21, 2010 12:52 EST
Grammy-nominated producer RedOne, who helped Lady Gaga top charts around the world, believes that music he worked on with Michael Jackson before the singer's death could yet be released.

The 37-year-old producer, born in Morocco and steeped in European pop and rock after spending several years in Sweden, recorded with the "king of pop" in Las Vegas in 2008 and 2009 and in Los Angeles in 2009, before Jackson's death aged 50.

While the results are far from the finished product, RedOne, whose real name is Nadir Khayat, believes he has enough material to work on for a record, although any release would have to involve agreement with Jackson's record label and estate.

"I have big plans," he told Reuters at a recording studio in London, where he has been working with other artists.

"There is material that could come out [from the Jackson sessions]," he added.

"In case I'm going to release something, I would do it for charity, for something that he would have been proud of, because you always felt like everybody wanted to take advantage of him though his life," said RedOne, considered one of the world's top producers after his partnership with Lady Gaga.

Recalling his collaboration with Jackson, he said: "The music we were doing was good, really good...very energetic, uplifting. It's sad that we never finished the material.

"Michael always has been focused on having hits, not having songs, so he always records a lot of songs and takes the best of them and that's his formula which I love. We were doing good quality music and it's never been finished."

RedOne has been nominated for four Grammys -- the music industry's top honors -- ahead of the January 31 ceremony, where stars will perform a tribute to Jackson.

RedOne i-a dedicat lui Michael Jackson un omagiu (nu ştiu dacă ceea ce e mai jos e chiar piesa cu pricina, dar sună bine):

Omagiu şi premieră la Gala Grammy

În completarea Galei decernării premiilor Grammy, ce va avea loc la 31 ianuarie, când Michael Jackson va primi o distincţie pentru întreaga activitate, Usher, Céline Dion, Smokey Robinson, Jennifer Hudson şi Carrie Underwood îi vor aduce acestuia un omagiu, în cadrul căruia va fi difuzat, în premieră mondială, mini-filmul 3D "Earth Song". Acesta urma să fie inclus în spectacolele turneului "This Is It", pentru că exprima crezul lui Michael Jackson: trebuie să punem viitorul planetei înainte de orice.

Producătorul co-executiv al Galei Grammy, Ken Ehrlich, a declarat: "Acest film trebuia să fie una din cele mai importante părţi ale fiecărui concert, iar când Michael l-a văzut prima oară, în timpul ultimei repetiţii, avea ochii plini de lacrimi".

Televiziunea CBS, care va transmite Gala premiilor Grammy, va pune la dispoziţia celor care vor vedea transmisiunea acasă, ochelari 3D în magazinele partenerilor săi din, desigur, Statele Unite (de la 24 la 31 ianuarie). Organizatorii promit ca momentul dedicat lui Michael Jackson să fie unul cu adevărat emoţionant.

Mai multe amănunte sunt la www.mtv.com (de unde mai aflăm şi că MJ şi-ar fi dorit o colaborare cu Lady Gaga, al cărei fan se zice că era).
________________
Dacă am înţeles eu bine, la adresa www.michaeljackson.com scrie un pic altfel: că numiţii mai sus, câtigători şi ei de Grammy, îşi vor uni vocile cu cea a lui Michael Jackson (cântând ce? - probabil "Earth Song"?). Om trăi şi om vedea.

Oprah Winfrey îşi aminteşte...

Acum - chiar acum (22:34) se difuzează, la Euforia Lifestyle, emisiunea 'ceea ("Oprah Remembers Michael Jackson", 16 septembrie 2009) despre Michael Jackson. Până acum n-am observat nimic scandalos, cam totul e ceea ce am puricat la vremea respectiva ("Oprah Winfrey zice" - 17 septembrie 2009), cu citate ample din interviul luat în 1993. Onestă.

Emisiunea este în reluare mâine, de la 12.20.

M-ar fi interesat, deşi nu-i frumos (măi-măi), să ştiu/ştim ce i-a spus MJ când nu filmau. De ce ne-a spus Oprah despre asta dacă tot nu ne zice despre ce e vorba?

Olodum

Olodum este un grup cultural bazat pe comunitatea afro-braziliană din Salvador, capitala statului brazilian Bahia. Acest grup a fost fondat de percuţionistul Neguinho do Samba (care a murit la 31 octombrie 2009, la vârsta de 54 de ani). În anul 1995, grupul Olodum a apărut în cel de-al doilea film realizat de Spike Lee şi Michael Jackson pentru piesa "They Don't Care About Us". Muzica a fost uşor modificată pentru a integra stilul de percuţie al celor de la Olodum, fapt care a determinat ca versiunea aceasta ("The Olodum Version" este titlul neoficial al cântecului) să devină mult mai cunoscută decât cea de pe album.

Aici o să vedem/auzim alte muzici ale celor de la Olodum.

Reluare: They Don't Care About Us - making of...

Riscurile meseriei... dacă dispare iar, se poate intra pe You Tube şi se-ncepe căutarea "pas cu pas". Deocamdată, înlocuim.

Partea I:



Partea a II-a:



Şi un bonus:

Whoopi Goldberg, John Landis, Miko Brando, Quincy Jones, John Legend - vorbind despre Michael Jackson

John Legend vorbea despre Michael Jackson în iunie 2007 într-un interviu acordat lui Tommy Theunisz:

Şi un bonus...:

This Is It - cronici şi nominalizări

Kenny Ortega face, pe blogul său, o listă de cronici şi nominalizări ale filmului This Is It. Postările sunt din zilele de 13 şi 18 ianuarie. Iată linkurile pentru cronici:

a. www.zap2it.com - 'Michael Jackson's This Is It', By Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune | October 28, 2009 (şi un fragment):

The self-made and then self-remade performer surrounded himself with a great group of backup dancers for this concert. Ortega's film showcases their efforts. There's a "Chorus Line" bit at the beginning where we see the cattle call, then the principals selected for the top slots, plus lots of testimonials from dancers addressing the camera on the subject of what Jacko means to them. You forgive the cliches because the dance footage makes this movie. (Though even Ortega might agree: A sharper-minded concert film might've weeded out the blather a little.)

The way Jackson interacts with Ortega ("yeah, I totally agree, Michael!" he says at one point in rehearsal, trying not to sound like a sycophant), or any of the army of collaborators, the audience can piece bits of Jackson's personality together. He is coy, nonchalant, controlling, a trouper, a sweetheart, a poseur -- sometimes all at once. We rarely see the performer in close-up, and the choice seems deliberate; that face was not his greatest piece of self-reinvention, only his most apparent. But in the film's longest extended take, when Jackson duets on "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" with Judith Hill, we see how this performer used a vocal rehearsal to explore, and figure things out, and match his somewhat fraying voice to what he was thinking in terms of movement. He could dance brilliantly right up to the end, it's clear. "This Is It" may be a court documentary, but as a heavily lawyered portrait of an artist, it's still pretty compelling.

b. USA Today - 'This Is It' film: Equal parts thriller, off the wall, HIStory By Elysa Gardner, USA TODAYUpdated 10/30/2009 (şi un fragment mai jos):

When Sony Pictures announced that it would release a Michael Jackson film culled from tapes of rehearsals for concerts that he would never get to perform, some hearts surely jumped at the prospect of seeing one of pop's most exuberantly talented entertainers back in peak form.

Let's be honest, though: That's not what most of us expected from This Is It (* * * out of four), which opens wide today. The Jackson who shook off his mortal coil on June 25 wasn't the vibrant young performer who regularly electrified stadiums, and hadn't been for many years. (...)
Even when just marking his movements, Jackson shows signs of the physical and vocal fluidity and sheer charisma that he retained. Watching him work with his band and backup singers and dancers, one senses the excitement and joy that talented performers can bring to the often grueling process of assembling a show.

Jackson's creative team and crew emerge as engaging personalities in rehearsal and interview segments that are surprisingly funny or moving. (Jackson himself reveals a sense of humor that mitigates his more eccentric traits.)

Of course there is the music —I'll Be There, Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground), Wanna Be Startin' Somethin', Billie Jean and on and on.

c. blogul numitului Roger Ebert (cunoscut critic de film - cunoscut, adică, la ei) - This Is It BY ROGER EBERT / October 27, 2009 (+ fragmente):

"This Is it," Michael Jackson told his fans in London, announcing his forthcoming concert tour. "This is the final curtain call." The curtain fell sooner than expected. What is left is this extraordinary documentary, nothing at all like what I was expecting to see. Here is not a sick and drugged man forcing himself through grueling rehearsals, but a spirit embodied by music. Michael Jackson was something else.(...)

Never raising his voice, never showing anger, always soft-spoken and courteous to his cast and crew, Michael with his director, Kenny Ortega, micro-manages the production. He corrects timing, refines cues, talks about details of music and dance. Seeing him always from a distance, I thought of him as the instrument of his producing operation. Here we see that he was the auteur of his shows. (...)

His audience in this case consists entirely of stagehands, gaffers, technicians, and so on. These are working people who have seen it all. They love him. They're not pretending. They love him for his music, and perhaps even more for his attitude. Big stars in rehearsal are not infrequently pains in the ass. Michael plunges in with the spirit of a co-worker, prepared to do the job and go the distance.

How was that possible? Even if he had the body for it, which he obviously did, how did he muster the mental strength? When you have a doctor on duty around the clock to administer the prescription medications you desire, when your idea of a good sleep is reportedly to be unconscious for 24 hours, how do you wake up into such a state of keen alertness? Uppers? I don't think it quite works that way. I was watching like a hawk for any hint of the effects of drug abuse, but couldn't see any. Perhaps it's significant that of all the people in the rehearsal space, he is the only one whose arms are covered at all times by long sleeves.

d. Time - Michael Jackson's This Is It Review: He's Still a Thriller By Richard Corliss Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009 (& fragment):

Jackson is hot again. His old albums — now sacred relics, for which the faithful did not pay so much as tithe — sold better after his death this summer than they had in this millennium. A poll of visitors to the Fandango website showed that the No. 1 movie costume for this weekend's Halloween revelers would be Michael Jackson. The singer, whose worldwide success was built on CDs and concerts, not movies, became his own fictional character. And like the runners-up — Wolverine from the X-Men films and the Twilight series' Edward — Jackson is a hero from the dark side.

So what is This Is It? A concert film without the concert. A backstage musical that takes place almost entirely onstage. A no-warts hagiography that still gets the audience closer to the real Michael Jackson — MJ the performer, that is — than anything in the man's avidly documented history. Wisely and decently ignoring the circumstances of his death and the circus that followed it, Ortega focuses on the re-creation of about a dozen Jackson standards for the concert.

e. Rolling Stone - This Is It by PETER TRAVERS (Posted: Oct 29, 2009):

Where This Is It triumphs is when it has the sense to keep it simple. Yes, Jackson holds back on the vocals. "Don't make me sing full out," he pleads to the crew, cheering him on in rehearsal as he duets with Judith Hill on "I Just Can't Stop Loving You." He needs to conserve his voice for the actual performance. But the slight rasp adds emotion and warmth to "Human Nature," "Man in the Mirror" and "Billie Jean" — a vulnerability rare in Jackson, who rivaled Fred Astaire in the surgical precision of his presentation.

Şi mai sunt vreo două linkuri. Iată şi nominalizările (asta că tot fură Gloabele de Aur, nu? Numai că Asociaţia criticilor străini de film de la Hollywood nu dă premii şi pentru documentare. M-a şi mirat că au băgat la grămadă comediile cu musicalurile, în paranteză fie spus.):

Michael Jackson’s ‘This Is It’ film has been nominated for the following 2010 awards:
NAACP Image Award: Outstanding Motion Picture (NAACP este The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, adică o organizaţie a minorităţilor etnice din SUA, adică un fel de UDMR sau Romani Criss ale lor, nu?)
Critic’s Choice Award: Best Documentary Feature
ACE Eddie Award: Best Edited Documentary (e vorba despre nişte premii anuale acordate pentru creativitate) - (Don Brochu, Brandon Key, Tim Patterson & Kevin Stitt, A.C.E.)

sursa: kennyortega.com