Michael Jackson was once universally acclaimed as a song-and-dance man of genius; Wacko Jacko is now, more often than not, dismissed for his bizarre race and gender transformations and confounding antics, even as he is commonly reviled for the child molestation charges twice brought against him. Whence the weirdness and alleged criminality? How to account for Michael Jackson’s rise and fall? In On Michael Jackson—an at once passionate, incisive, and bracing work of cultural analysis—Pulitzer Prize–winning critic for The New York Times Margo Jefferson brilliantly unravels the complexities of one of the most enigmatic figures of our time. 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 her stunning first 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 and start listening now!
"I just reread this excellent book. If you were impressed by Joan Acocella's piece on M.J. in 27 July 2009 New Yorker (for 3 days she watched and analysed his music videos), you are going to be blown away by Margo Jefferson's marvelous book. 5 stars. " — Tuomas (5 out of 5 stars)
"I just reread this excellent book. If you were impressed by Joan Acocella's piece on M.J. in 27 July 2009 New Yorker (for 3 days she watched and analysed his music videos), you are going to be blown away by Margo Jefferson's marvelous book. 5 stars. "
" I really, really enjoyed this book. "
" A fascinating look at Michael Jackson by a Columbia professor - a quick but insightful read. "
" Pretty good, but not the best. I would not choose it, but I had to.. I read it for a school presentation. I recommend it for those who like MJ, otherwise you will be disappointed. "
" An interesting insight into the talent and downfall of Michael Jackson. A quick and compelling read! "
" Turn off all the TV and internet coverage of Michael Jackson's death and pick up this slim book by Margo Jefferson. Love him or hate him, her observations are to the point and thought provoking. A riveting look at an icon and what became of him. "
" This book is more on the psychology and transformation of Michael Jackson than his life story. It's a brilliant read. "
" I just reread this excellent book. If you were impressed by Joan Acocella's piece on M.J. in 27 July 2009 New Yorker (for 3 days she watched and analysed his music videos), you are going to be blown away by Margo Jefferson's marvelous book. 5 stars. "
" Yes today I finished the book on michael Jackson and i was very mad I might just read it again. "
" Interesting, well-researched, and sympathetic portrait of a complex public figure, but this book reads like a first draft. "
" A incisive survey of Jackson's place in our culture and a great example of the strengths of cultural criticism. "
" All of these essays are very interesting and well written. "
" I thought this was an excellent investigative piece that didn't ever objectify Jackson as a cultural oddity, but instead treated his subject as a human being with problems, successes and emotions. "
" Really great book! I'm a huge fan of Michael Jackson but I believe this book really explained who and what he was as a person. It was veryu insightful and it was definitely worth reading for those of you who are King of Pop fans. "
Margo Jefferson was for years a theater and book critic for Newsweek and the New York Times, where she won a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 1995. Her writing has appeared in Vogue, New York, and the New Republic, among other publications. She is the author of On Michael Jackson and is professor of writing at Columbia University School of the Arts.
Andrea Johnson is an actress and audiobook narrator that has played roles opposite Jack Nicholson and Chris Rock.
Audiobooks Were Restored to Your Cart
[ShoppingCartItemsAddedOnMerge] audiobook(s) were left in your cart from a previous visit, and saved to your account for your convenience. You may view or remove these audiobooks on the shopping cart page.