The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife
An essential companion to Michael Jackson's music, films, and books, this work offers 21 original, academic essays on all things Jackson-from film, music, and dance to fashion, culture, and literature.

Going well beyond the average celebrity biography, this comprehensive book looks at why Jackson is regarded as one of the most important musicians of our time, offering insights into every facet of his art, life, and artistic afterlife. It looks at the methods by which his work was created, presented, received, and appropriated; discusses Jackson's varied personas along with his public and private appearances, albums, conceptual art, short films, and dance; and considers his use of costume, makeup, and reinvention.

To help readers understand the phenomenon that was-and is-Michael Jackson, the book focuses on Jackson's historical context through an analysis of his films, songs, and books, examining him as an artist and shedding light on the political and ideological debates that surrounded him. Not shying away from the controversial aspects of Jackson's life and legacy, it also tackles questions of sexuality and racism, gender, and class, comparing Jackson to artists ranging from J. S. Bach to Andy Warhol. Through its examination of Jackson's entire catalog, the work connects all the aspects of his art and life to exemplify-and explain-the performer's unparalleled influence in the 20th and 21st centuries.

1122966084
The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife
An essential companion to Michael Jackson's music, films, and books, this work offers 21 original, academic essays on all things Jackson-from film, music, and dance to fashion, culture, and literature.

Going well beyond the average celebrity biography, this comprehensive book looks at why Jackson is regarded as one of the most important musicians of our time, offering insights into every facet of his art, life, and artistic afterlife. It looks at the methods by which his work was created, presented, received, and appropriated; discusses Jackson's varied personas along with his public and private appearances, albums, conceptual art, short films, and dance; and considers his use of costume, makeup, and reinvention.

To help readers understand the phenomenon that was-and is-Michael Jackson, the book focuses on Jackson's historical context through an analysis of his films, songs, and books, examining him as an artist and shedding light on the political and ideological debates that surrounded him. Not shying away from the controversial aspects of Jackson's life and legacy, it also tackles questions of sexuality and racism, gender, and class, comparing Jackson to artists ranging from J. S. Bach to Andy Warhol. Through its examination of Jackson's entire catalog, the work connects all the aspects of his art and life to exemplify-and explain-the performer's unparalleled influence in the 20th and 21st centuries.

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The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife

The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife

The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife

The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife

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Overview

An essential companion to Michael Jackson's music, films, and books, this work offers 21 original, academic essays on all things Jackson-from film, music, and dance to fashion, culture, and literature.

Going well beyond the average celebrity biography, this comprehensive book looks at why Jackson is regarded as one of the most important musicians of our time, offering insights into every facet of his art, life, and artistic afterlife. It looks at the methods by which his work was created, presented, received, and appropriated; discusses Jackson's varied personas along with his public and private appearances, albums, conceptual art, short films, and dance; and considers his use of costume, makeup, and reinvention.

To help readers understand the phenomenon that was-and is-Michael Jackson, the book focuses on Jackson's historical context through an analysis of his films, songs, and books, examining him as an artist and shedding light on the political and ideological debates that surrounded him. Not shying away from the controversial aspects of Jackson's life and legacy, it also tackles questions of sexuality and racism, gender, and class, comparing Jackson to artists ranging from J. S. Bach to Andy Warhol. Through its examination of Jackson's entire catalog, the work connects all the aspects of his art and life to exemplify-and explain-the performer's unparalleled influence in the 20th and 21st centuries.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781440838644
Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date: 09/26/2016
Pages: 384
Product dimensions: 6.40(w) x 9.50(h) x 1.15(d)

About the Author

Elizabeth Amisu holds a Master of Arts in early modern English literature from King's College London, in conjunction with the British Library.

Joseph Vogel is an Assistant Professor of English and co-director of Film Studies at Merrimack College, USA. He is the author of Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson (Sterling, 2011), which was widely praised in publications such as Rolling Stone, Forbes, and Publishers Weekly, and author of James Baldwin and the 1980s: Witnessing the Reagan Era (University of Illinois Press, 2017). His work has appeared on numerous popular news sites, including The Atlantic, Slate, The Huffington Post, and PopMatters, as well as in many peer-reviewed journals, including the James Baldwin Review, the F. Scott Fitzgerald Review, The Journal of Popular Culture, and the Journal of Popular Music Studies.

Table of Contents

Foreword Joseph Vogel, PhD xi

Foreword Karin Merx xv

Acknowledgments xvii

Michael Jackson: A Selected Chronology xix

Part I Art as Life 1

Chapter 1 Introduction: Reading, Writing, and Rewriting Michael Jackson 3

Chapter 2 A Critical Survey of Michael Jackson Studies 9

Chapter 3 On Michael Jackson's Dancing the Dream 19

Chapter 4 Narrative in Michael Jackson's Bad 31

Chapter 5 Identity and Identification in Michael Jackson's Dangerous 41

Chapter 6 "Liberace Has Gone to War": Undressing Michael Jackson's Fashion 49

Chapter 7 "Instrument of Nature": The Voice of Michael Jackson 59

Part II Life as Art 67

Chapter 8 Thoughts on Michael Jackson's Transformations 69

Chapter 9 "Throwing Stones to Hide Your Hands": The Mortal Persona of Michael Jackson 77

Chapter 10 Recontextualizing Michael Jackson's Blackness 87

Chapter 11 History and Michael Jackson's Autobiographical Potency 95

Chapter 12 Michael Jackson and Children Revisited 105

Chapter 13 "Faith, Hope, and Love": The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson 113

Chapter 14 From Crown to Cross: The Poisoned Chalice of Thriller's Success 119

Part III Art beyond Life 125

Chapter 15 Horcruxes: Michael (Split Seven Ways) Jackson 127

Chapter 16 "Through the Looking Glass": Notes on Michael Jackson and Andy Warhol 141

Chapter 17 Invincible: Michael Jackson's Lost Late Album 147

Chapter 18 Michael Jackson's Obituaries and the Shakespearean Tragic Hero 155

Chapter 19 Moonwalkers: Michael Jackson's Unique Fandom 159

Chapter 20 The Power of the Editor and Michael Jackson's Posthumous Releases 179

Chapter 21 Epilogue: Three Dangerous Philosophies Articles 189

21.1 "The Isle Is Full of Noises": Revisiting the Peter Pan of Pop 189

21.2 Crack Music: Michael Jackson's Invincible 192

21.3 "Heard It on the Grapevine": Are We Losing Michael Jackson All Over Again? 195

Appendices

A.1 From Object to Subject: A Critical Survey on the Representation of Blackness in the Early Modern Period 199

A.2 "With All His Beauteous Race": High-Status Blacks in The Masque of Blackness and The Merchant of Venice 207

A.2.1 Niger, a High-Status Black Character in The Masque of Blackness 212

A.2.2 Morocco, a High-Status Black Character in The Merchant of Venice 219

A.2.3 Gender and the Depictions of Niger and Morocco 223

A.2.4 Conclusion 230

Notes 235

Bibliography 289

Index 341

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