Core Post 4 - Clayton Vozzella

Kobena Mercer delves into the success of Michael Jackson as an essentially gender, racial, and sexually ambiguous superstar in her piece “Monster Metaphors: Notes on Michael Jackson’s Thriller.” As I read this, I thought a lot about society’s binaries, and how some people are able to break these expectations and still be incredibly successful. Jackson defied a lot of expectations: racially ambiguous, sexually ambiguous, and not clearly pubescent. Mercer writes, “ Neither child nor man, not clearly either black or white and with an androgynous image that is neither masculine or feminine, Jackson’s star-image is a ‘social hieroglyph,’ as Marx said of the commodity form, which demands, yet defies, decoding” (302). Jackson is virtually an “identity-less” amoeba who is uneasily classified.

            What I find even more fascinating about Jackson’s success is his racial identity. Though he altered his skin to pass as white later in life, he rose to stardom while still identifiably black. His famous family members “remains” black, and thus we cannot forget that he is undeniably black. Coincidentally, we just finished talking about O. J. Simpson in Race, Class, and Gender in American Film, and one of our main topics was O. J.’s ability to distance himself from blackness, and for all intents and purposes, embodied whiteness, and was embraced as “white” by the American people.

It’s difficult enough for white men to bend gender, so for Jackson as a “black” man to accomplish this task is even more spectacular. “Jackson not only questions dominant stereotypes of black masculinity, but also gracefully steps outside the existing range of ‘types’ of black men” (Mercer 314). For a man who is largely expected to conform to traditional ideas of race and masculinity, it becomes even more incredible that he can transcend these and be as successful as he was. It begs the questions why and how? Culture must have ebbs and flows that at different times allow for different gender and racial expressions. He simultaneously embraces gender and sexual fluidity while rejecting his racial identity and embodying whiteness. And yet, he is one of the most successful, famous, and lucrative artists in the history of pop music. Perhaps authenticity and genuine talent prevailed over punishment for rejecting society’s binaries.

Lastly, what makes Jackson’s success even more fascinating is his refusal to put rumors to rest. Shirley Brooks, one of Jackson’s business associates, says: “He doesn’t and won’t make public statements about his sex life, because he believes – and he is right – that is none of anyone else’s business” (302). Usually when a celebrity is subject to rumors, especially their sex life and/or sexual orientation, they quickly put to rest these potentially false claims. Jackson was able to not only break the rules but also not apologize for breaking them, which made it even more astounding that he succeeded the way that he did. His fame almost feels entirely inexplicable.