R.I.P. Michael ‘Smitty’ Jackson*
1930-2009
His friends called him ‘Smitty’ after a fishing trip in 1939 when he was only 9 and fell thru the ice. He never could explain how his nickname had anything to do with the the incident but he smiled every time you asked. He was an Illinois native and a Cubs fan from birth. After a career in used car sales he returned to school and opened his dental practice in 1955. He was a member of the The First Baptist Church, where he volunteered every Saturday to teach underprivileged children to read. He frequented his neighbors homes offering his well honed handyman services in exchange for a cup of tea. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife Margaret and his twin daughters Millie and Janice, who all passed on together in a car accident in 1985. He visited their grave sites weekly; often doing his crossword puzzles as he visited. Smitty was well known to those in his area for taking in stray and sick animals and nursing them back to health before finding them permanent homes. Mr.Jackson has also asked for his entire estate to be donated to Habitat for Humanity, since he has no known living relatives. In lieu of flowers please make donations to PETA in his honor. No services will be held.
Just wanted you all to know that a whole lot of other people died today.
People who did not sleep with monkeys or small boys. People who did not hire someone to create children for him.
People who paid their bills on time and did not require a court order for selling off possessions to pay back their debt owed.
People who did not hang their children out over a balcony. People who did not wear surgical masks and bizarre get ups in public.
Nope. Just ordinary good people, who push on thru life trying to leave it slightly better than it was when they found it.
I know Michael Jackson (the one you thought this post was about) made some really innovative, amazing, uplifting and astonishingly great music. And I appreciate that. But I challenge you to tell me about the rest of his life. I am fascinated that people feel so strongly about a man that was a social deviant incapable of a normal relationship with his family or associates. I am curious about the immense adoration and the sense of ‘loss’ people are talking about. WHAT LOSS? What did you loose? For the past several years he has been nothing more than TMZ content, and artistically silent.
Sure it is sad when someone dies.
But I want us to be sad for the good people.
Not just the famous ones.
And often.
Those are two very different things.
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*This is a real obit. But the name has been changed to make my point. Creative license.
{ 43 comments… read them below or add one }
I love this! I’m having similar conflicting thoughts as I prepare to do my own MJ post. This is a man we spent more time making fun of than anything…and yet. I think it’s the music. Just knowing there’s not going to be another thriller. It’s kind of weird…I don’t know I’m still sorting through my thoughts on this…but I LOVE where you went with your post!
I think I love you. I thought it would be a serious tribute (came over from Twitter), and was bracing for it, but then… this. Sweet relief. Awesome.
I don’t feel sadness that MJ died – I don’t even feel shocked, because if you’ve seem recently, my God, he was just so sickly looking. It’s just… he was a musical icon. No matter how you feel about him and his questionable ‘life’, he brought something – and something huge to the music industry. He was Michael Jackson. He could DANCE! I think the 2 musical icons of our time are MJ and Madonna. I think his passing is just very newswothy because of his life, his musical background, the fact that he was shot to fame from the age of 5, the fact that he was abused, and never lived a normal childhood. After the 80’s, he went downhill fast, but he was a legend of his own kind. Weird. Sure, I like his music, but it’s like I’m going to add any songs to my ipod tonight just because he died…. he was just… Michael Jackson. Beyond famous. Also? I’d go see the movie about his life and death. I think it would be interesting.
Also? Your post was fabulous and very smart.
“Do we judge a man’s life by his greatest contribution to humanity or by his lowest act? Dr. King was an adulterer, Washington was a slaveholder, Charles Lindbergh was a Nazi-sympathizer. But the greatest moments of their lives pushed people forward in how they saw themselves and others, not backward. I say Michael Jackson was one those kinds of people.”
-Phil Hendrie (my favorite)
…people like Farrah Fawcett.
Well Marcy, I completely agree, and couldn’t have said it better myself. He made great music back in the day, but since then? Oy.
I feel bad for him in a way – he had mental issues and I think he was abused, and that’s sad. But he was a grown man and you can’t blame your father for your problems your whole life. At some point you have to be accountable for your own actions.
The way I see it, Michael Jackson the music genius died years ago. All that has been here is Michael Jackson the creepy, probable pedophile. And I truly don’t mean to be nasty, but pedophiles are one thing the world could stand to have less of.
RIP sure, but you won’t find me mourning his loss today. He was lost years ago.
I love this! Although I respect the music, I don’t the man. Personally having a hard time mourning a person with such a jaded past. Yea part of my childhood memories involve his music, but what about the childhood he “may” have stolen from others? Anyways, very wonderful post. Thank you!
Wonderful people die every day. And people hurt from having a loved one die, every day. Fame doesn’t make you better than others. It just makes you better known.
You got that right. A 10 year old child died today in my city from acute complications associated from asthma! THAT’S who should be honored!
And this is why I love you Marcy. The emperor has no clothes. I really don’t understand the mass mourning for him. To me he has been nothing but weird and creepy for the last few decades.
God Bless Smitty, the world is a poorer place for the loss of him.
WOW. You’ll never hear anything like this post on the news, or see it in print. I wonder why?
Powerful.
This is an insightful observation, Marcy. Our fascination with celebrity is annoying, from the TMZ-driven “journalism” to the celebrities they (we) sycophantically praise. With Michael Jackson, it is kind of funny because he was an industry, a powerful paradigm shift in pop music, and an undeniable talent. I remember singing the anthems of the “Thriller” with an entire bus-load of pre-teens en route to grade school (oh how Michael would have loved that). I don’t remember doing that with really any other artist or song; his music was pervasive like no other of our generation. But, like other uber-celebs of generations past and since (reference Elvis, Marilyn and on the other side, Britney and Lindsey), celebrity corrupts and dements… these people have literally gone street-rat crazy from the pressures of stardom, and it has driven them to the grave… (just waiting for the other Jimmy Choos to drop on the later two). It is sad, because it can’t be what they signed up for, but we still make them the subjects of our jokes, and the objects our punch-lines. In MJ’s case, he was accused of deplorable things, so it is ultimately tough to sympathize with his manias.
I once had a cute, sweet, kitten named Sebastian. We moved out here from St. Louis and boarded him with the luggage on a plane. That cat was never the same. He was freaked out, skittish and in need of some deep feline therapy. He’d, all too literally, crap at the first blush of fear and was never the same, lovable critter. In the end, I was sad to see him go, but because he was but a shadow of his former self, it was kind of a relief. That’s kind of how I feel about Michael Jackson. Thank god the soap opera is over. He’s no longer relevant, but many of us hang on to the time when he was. Both (Sebastian and Michael) were thoroughly damaged creatures beyond hope of repair; and in the spirit of candor, the world is probably better off without them.
Fantastic point.
I’m not sad- more reverant about the fact that my generation lost someone of mass influence- both positive and negative. It’s a milestone for everyone who owned a cassette of Thriller.
I couldn’t have said it any better myself! I thought that I was the only one that was scratching my head over all the news coverage. Awesome post!
Good job — much better than my snarky version.
I pretty much love you. Well you know, in that not-real superficial virtual reality I don’t even know you kinda way.
BINGO! The Michael I remember from back in the day has been GONE for a while now. We can still listen to and enjoy his music and appreciate his success as a musical artist, and now all the rest of the hoopla will stop. I hope.
Here in DC, we’re still mourning the loss of 9 people due to that accident on Metro on Monday. Everyday people, just goin’ about their business, commuting home from – or to – work, the victims now of an apparent computer relay problem and some too-old cars not built to withstand that kind of impact. Could’ve happened to me. I ride that train line and was trying to get on a train on a different part of it that day.
As you know, I’m mostly annoyed that the media isn’t giving equal coverage to two celebrity deaths. I get that MJ was sudden and Farrah had been sick for a while now, but both were icons of their generation.
Kudos to you for an awesome post. I heartily agree!
Can’t you imagine Smitty, Michael Jackson, Farrah, and Ed McMahan waiting to get into heaven? I hope Smitty has a good sense of humor!
Can you imagine Smitty, Michael Jackson, Farrah, and Ed McMahan waiting to get into heaven? I hope Smitty has a good sense of humor!
VERY well said! Thank you for summing up my feelings so eloquently!
And to everyone mourning – love yourself and make a difference. That will be more productive!
Create a Great Day!
Pat
LOVE THIS.
LOVE.
You summed it up all so perfectly. I couldn’t agree more!!
I like that you point out that ordinary folks who make a difference in their own worlds die every day without much notice. I’ve always loved the stories of the average-everyday people better than the mostly trivial exploits of the superstars.
Very well put, Marcy. I was afraid I was the only one who felt this way.
Amen!!!
*Sigh.*
Marcy for the win. Eloquently written, but more than that? You have a GIFT of being able to pull from the atmosphere just the right image, just the right example, to drive home your point.
That tribute to Smitty made me tear up, for real. Michael Jackson’s death didn’t cause so much as a sniffle. It was very sad — for him, for his family, but not for me. I’ll even argue with you over the question of the degree of his talent (but not for very long) because I just plain DID NOT LIKE his music. Influential, innovative, savvy, charismatic — absolutely. But talented? With asterisks. (But his dancing was fantastic.)
And all of the above points made by your commenters were spot-on as well. Gosh, The Glamorous Life Association has SUCH smart members. ;)
I’m glad you said it! It amazed me when people said they CRIED when they heard about it. Yes he made good music 20 years ago but that just isn’t enough for me to cry over.
Well said! :)
I can’t imagine crying over any famous person’s death. I did get teared up over the state funeral of Ronald Reagan because of his widow’s reaction, but not his actual death. But yeah, not someone like Michael Jackson, and especially not enough to go to the extremes some of these fans have. Don’t they have family they can focus their passion on?
And this is where we agree to disagree.
So we should be sad every moment of every day? Because Good People die every day, somewhere.
Let’s face it, the nature of News is that it’s about things that are out of the ordinary (you know, like “man bites dog”?). The news can’t report on every good person who dies, and who would read it? The nature of Fame itself is that people are interested in the famous person for some reason. So events in the life of a famous person are news. I don’t take that as giving a value appraisal to one life over another.
It’s just the News Business.
Cheers to Smitty!!! What a cute little old man, and inspiring.
Another awesome and bold post, Marcie! Well done, you.
Thank you :) LOVE your post.
This post conveys my thoughts in a way I am unable to. Thank you for making what should have been an obvious point… but somehow isn’t. Although I can recognize his contribution musically, I just don’t understand why his death is such a huge media circus.
RIP, Smitty. Your positive contribution to the world will be missed! :)
I wubba you! I don’t feel one iota sad that any celebrities died. Lots of more important people also died. Thanks for keeping it real.
Great post, Marcy. So true, so true :)
well put i couldn’t agree more
This… is brilliant! I whole-heartedly agree 100%
Amen! A Michael Jackson to truly celebrate! Thank you so much for the heads-up.
Stopped by from Mental Mama’s blog. Love this post of yours. So well thought out and I couldn’t agree with you more.
AMEN!