SC Governor Mark Sanford
Mark Sanford, who I had previously criticized for refusing federal stimulus money, was nowhere to be found early in the week. Early reports were that he was hiking on the Appalachian Trail. Then it was that he was writing, too. Either way he was clearing his mind and there was nothing to worry about, although leaving your state abruptly and not leaving any plans in place while you are away is bizarre. Then word came that he had been in South America and the proverbial cat was out of the bag. This was followed by a press conference in which he announced that he was actually engaged in an extramarital affair with a woman in Argentina. This was a stunning announcement by Sanford, who was considered one of the most conservative of all conservatives. He is a supporter of teacher-led prayer in public schools as well as displaying the Ten Commandments in them as well.
Personally, after reading his personal e-mails to his mistress published by The State newspaper, he is in a relationship with this 'other woman' called Maria. There e-mails are very thoughtful and well-written, and appear to me to be more about just animal lust and the thrill of a new experience. However, the hypocrisy is almost too much to take. Sanford, as many of the more outspoken in his party, has thrived by riding a very high horse. He was the poster child of "values" and "conservative ideals". Newsweek hailed him as "The Last Conservative Standing". He was one of the most ardent accusers of Bill Clinton during his Lewinsky scandal. And here he is embroiled in the same thing himself. Certainly the damage to his family is significant and quite possibly impossible to repair. While it would be easy to take shots at him one must also remember that there are children involved in this and that they are all 'real people', not characters on a television show. I will whole-heartedly say that I disagree with many of Sanford's political decisions and cheating on a spouse is always wrong. I also will say though that I hope that some good comes out of this. If it is time for Sanford and his wife, Jenny, to split then they should do just that. When the trust leaves a relationship there is little else to stand on and I truly wish them well as they sort out their future.
Michael Jackson passed away surprisingly yesterday at 50 years of age. The cause of death, while still being investigated, is listed as cardiac arrest. While he has been no stranger to controversy, it's indisputable that he is one of, if not the, greatest performer and pop star of all time. Unfortunately he is a picture of tragedy. He was a household name as a child singing with his siblings in The Jackson 5. His father, who was emotionally and physically abusive, pushed his children and molded his children into a top-selling R&B group. Following the success of his time in The Jackson 5 (later The Jacksons) he went on to have unprecedented solo success.
In 1979 he released Off the Wall, which went on to sell over 20 million copies worldwide. This was followed in 1982 by Thriller. This album would become the best selling album of all-time and also ushered in the music video, as the video for the title track was nearly as legendary as the album itself. Thriller contained seven top 10 singles, won 7 Grammy Awards and, according to the Guinness Book of World Records had sold 65 million copies worldwide as of 2007.
Bad was released in 1987 and became the first (and only) album to have five number 1 singles. It was another mind-blowing success, netting sales of 30 million worldwide as of 2008. Shortly thereafter he purchased land in Santa Ynez, California where he built Neverland Ranch. In 1988 he released his autobiography entitled Moon Walk, which reached the top spot on the New York Times bestseller list. His next album, Dangerous (1991), went on to sell another 30+ million copies worldwide. This was followed by HIStory, the best-selling multiple-disc album of all-time, and his last studio album Invincible in 2001.
Despite his truly amazing album catalog, critical and commercial success, Jackson became a lightning rod for controversy throughout his career. His numerous rhinoplasty surgeries caused his facial features to change constantly over the years. It all began in 1979 when he broke his nose practicing a complex dance routine. His initial surgery left him with difficulty breathing and this lead to more surgeries thereafter. He was severely burned in 1984 by a pyrotechnics when filming a Pepsi commercial. He also grew more pale as the years passed and rumors swirled that he was bleaching his skin. These were ultimately untrue as it was discoveredd that he was diagnosed with a somewhat rare skin disease called vitiligo as well as the potentially life-threatening lupus. Treatments for both conditions lightened his skin, and the make-up applied to even out blotches in his skin made his apperance even more pale. Many speculated that he suffered from anorexia nervosa as well as body dysmorphic disorder. The former would explain his periods of weight loss and the latter was another sign of a distorted and overly critical self-image problem he had.
In 1993 he endured the greatest public image setback of his life. He was accused of molesting a 13-year old boy. Due to genitalia descriptions by the boy, Jackson was subjected to a strip search by investigators. The matter was settled out of court and the family of the boy refused to continue with criminal charges. The state closed its investigation thereafter siting lack of evidence. During this time Jackson became addicted to several pain killers and rarely ate. In 1994 he surprisingly married Lisa Marie Pressley, the daughter of the legendary Elvis Pressley. Their marriage lasted less than 2 years. He also had a pet monkey named Bubbles, which made him the butt of many jokes. In 2003 he was again accused of child molestation by another 13-year old. During this trial former child actor Macauley Culkin testified in Jackson's defense that despite spending considerable time together in his youth nothing inappropriate ever occurred. As before, he was acquitted of all charges. However, his preference for spending large amounts of time with children kept him under considerable scrutiny.
Jackson was both a living legend and mystery. He had a very damaging, abusive and stressful childhood if it can be considered as such. His father was overbearing and would allow nothing other than perfection from Michael and the rest of the Jackson 5. Michael also was subjected to listening to his older brothers have sex with women while he uncomfortably tried to sleep. It appears that Michael was always striving to recapture his lost childhood. This was further evidenced by his Neverland Ranch, named after "the boy who never grew up", Peter Pan. His self image was almost certainly negative, as he battled with frequent weight loss and suspected anorexia. His frequent plastic surgeries left him looking later in his life very little like the young boy that won over America's hearts in the 1960s. He undoubtedly had many strange characteristics, most notably his friendship with young boys. But one must ask was this a sexual attraction or a longing to compensate for something that he himself had not been afforded? It is indisputable that he was a once-in-a-lifetime musician and performer. His legacy in that regard will forever be cemented. Unfortunately his enduring legacy may well be one of a child trapped in a man's body. He lived an embattled adulthood rife with controversy, allegations, debt and strange actions. He did, after all, dangle his infant child over a hotel balcony and wore pajama pants to a court appearance.
The changing face of Michael Jackson from past to present.
Despite all of his eccentricities, I feel that Jackson was more malcontent than monster. He was forever chasing the impossible. He was never 'accepted' for a mortal child by his father but sought love by being the perfect performer. Being on stage was his outlet and also his torment. It was his place of refuge but there was also a level of success on it that even he could not reach. No one could. It is reported that he was dissapointed by the success of Off the Wall despite it's large record sales. His father begrudged him for his pug nose as a child and his acne. He was never allowed to have a Christmas or holidays due to his schedule and celebrity. He will most likely forever remain a difficult person to truly understand unless some revelations come out now that he has passed. I have heard people make jokes recently about him and that is to be expected, but I will forever remember him as the once seeminly invincible superstar he was when I was a child. He was larger than life on stage and on the charts. Professionally he had the "Midas Touch" and I hope that his legacy is one of awe-inspiring musical success and not one of mind-numbing personal struggle.
