November 15, 2003

I Don't Beat Eggs, I Whip Them

Michael Jackson's father, Joe (not related to the somewhat reactionary homophobe who used to be able to write catchy songs), recently delivered a fascinating symposium on semantics:

Michael Jackson's father says he never beat his son but admits in a TV interview to be broadcast Sunday that he whipped him.

Joe Jackson told the British Broadcasting Corp. that he whipped Michael with a switch and a belt but says he never dealt out a beating.

"You beat someone with a stick," the BBC quoted him as saying in a story on its Web site Friday.

And if you want to pound someone, you use a mallet. Also note that this BBC interview was overseen by "Majestik Magnificent...Michael Jackson's personal magician." That's the guy I really want to hear interviewed, honestly. I also love that Majestik threatens to call off the interview. Like Michael Jackson's father cares one tiny bit for the opinions of his son's personal magician.

Posted by Francis at 10:47 AM
Comments

isn't joe jackson (the singer) gay? not that that would prevent him from being reactionary or a homophobe, but it may make it less likely.

(see "Real Men" and "A slow song" on Night and Day (http://www.mondaypapers.com/nightday/nightday.htm) (which is a great album).)

Posted by: Ken/Cazique at November 15, 2003 02:44 PM

Gosh, now I just don't know. What with songs like "Is She Really Going Out With Him?", I just assumed he was straight. But I know the lines you're talking about in "Real Men", and I guess I always assumed they were a joke or something. I didn't, however, notice the ambiguity of the word "friend" in "A Slow Song" until you mentioned it. So, hmmm. Interesting.

Posted by: Francis at November 15, 2003 03:05 PM

Most of the reviewers seem to think that Fairy Dust is a satirical comment on gay stereotypes in the media, which is certainly the conclusion I drew.

Is Volume 4 any good, by the by? I miss the Joe Jackson Band era very much. I know it won't be Look Sharp! or Beat Crazy, but is it worth the money?

Posted by: Columbine at November 17, 2003 02:53 PM

Joe Jackson interview where he gives a few thoughts about Fairy Dust. I love the web.

http://www.puremusic.com/joejackson3.html

Posted by: Columbine at November 17, 2003 02:56 PM

Okay, I'm convinced. I retract my comment about Joe Jackson being a homophobe. Now I just think it's not a very well-written song. Or has easily misread lyrics; musically it's the most interesting song on the album. (Of course, I'm a sucker for songs in 5/4.)

"Fairy Dust" seems like the sort of song whose satire value is completely contingent on whether you want to decide it's a satire or not; contextually it's hard to get a grip on. I guess I was predisposed to take a dim view of it given Joe Jackson having previously gone on record as a crank with his "kids today" rant in "Beat Crazy". (Though maybe that's satire, too. Oh, it's all confused now.)

I guess I would also be likely to cut him slack if I didn't think his songwriting had taken a nosedive. I might need to break out "Volume 4" one more time to see if I was just in a bad mood that day, but mostly it didn't make a big impression on me. Not that he can't still pull out good songs now and then -- "Glamour and Pain" from "Night and Day 2" is the best Pet Shop Boys song of the past few years. (They've been in a slight slump themselves since "Bilingual".)

Posted by: Francis at November 17, 2003 05:48 PM