Opinion
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
4A — Wednesday, October 2, 2019
Zack Blumberg
Emily Considine
Emma Chang
Joel Danilewitz
Emily Huhman
Krystal Hur
Ethan Kessler
Magdalena Mihaylova
Max Mittleman
Timothy Spurlin
Miles Stephenson
Finn Storer
Nicholas Tomaino
Joel Weiner
Erin White
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E
very semester, after my last
final exam, I have a ritual:
tidy up my living space and
pack my bags for a trip home while
Michael Jackson’s 1979 Off the Wall
album plays in the background. I
like to pull up the album’s YouTube
playlist so that its music videos
display on my laptop screen. The
opening track, “Don’t Stop ‘Til You
Get Enough,” is the perfect end-
of-term song. “Lovely, is the feelin’
now,” belts Jackson, as his tuxedoed
figure dances superimposed over a
series of abstract shapes and colors.
This song was Jackson’s leap into
independence as an adult recording
artist — he penned its lyrics and
composed its driving groove himself,
and the single was released just after
his 21st birthday. The tune creates an
aura of exuberance — it feels good to
listen to.
Off the Wall has a shimmering
airiness that masks the power with
which it propelled Jackson’s career
forward. Over the next decade,
Jackson would moonwalk, zombie-
dance and “hee-hee” his way into
a superstardom that seemed to
transcend reality. The album also
masked a concerning development:
the descent of a deeply troubled
mind whose owner would come to
destroy the personal lives of young
boys and their families.
In January 2019, HBO released
“Leaving Neverland,” a two-part
documentary covering the stories of
two men who made startling claims
about sexual abuse they suffered
at the hands of Jackson as children
in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Their allegations were the biggest
brought against Jackson since his
child molestation lawsuits in 1993
and 2003, neither of which he faced
charges for. Their depictions of
abuse and the way Jackson used
his celebrity to manipulate families
make one’s stomach turn. Unlike
previous cases against Jackson,
the details in this documentary
are
cohesive,
compelling
and
hard to ignore. Its release created
shockwaves that threatened to
finally defame the King of Pop’s
legacy and banish his body of work
into oblivion.
These
threats,
however,
are
illusory. Michael Jackson cannot
be erased from society. His cultural
mark is too deep. Since his death
in 2009, Thriller (1982) has sold
millions of copies, and despite the
initial backlash against Jackson,
online streaming traffic for his music
increased following the release of
“Leaving Neverland”. In the past
month alone, I have heard his songs
played at Maizie’s in the League and
Computer Showcase at the Shapiro
Undergraduate Library. Michael
Jackson isn’t going anywhere.
How, then, do we deal with the
legacy of someone whose work is so
invaluable but whose deeds are so
unforgivable?
Legacies are built on what
we know – concrete facts and
memorable events. Impressive feats
associated with Michael Jackson
as
a
professional
entertainer
are innumerable. He won an
unprecedented eight awards at the
1984 Grammys and broke MTV
racial barriers with Thriller, one
of the best-selling albums of all
time. In 1993, he became the first
major musical star to headline the
Super Bowl Halftime Show. His live
performances of “Billie Jean” were
clinics in solo excellence: a man with
a microphone and an empty stage,
working song and dance magic.
Jackson’s public life as an artist
was captivating. His precocious
talent and demanding father forced
him into the recording industry as
a young child, depriving him of a
normal childhood. He was aware
of his immeasurable gifts as an
entertainer and worked tirelessly
at perfecting his craft. He had
ambition and lofty professional
expectations for himself. From his
mind came timeless musical hits
and groundbreaking music video
concepts. In his prime, he was one
of the most famous and beloved
figures in the world, taking stages
globally with charm, authority and
electrifying energy. This is the side of
Jackson the public knew and adored.
Yet behind every spin, every glide,
every “cha-mone,” was a man who
seemed to be facing internal turmoil.
The most obvious manifestation was
written on his very face – Jackson was
never satisfied with his appearance
and
consequently
destroyed
it
with dozens of misguided plastic
surgeries, looking like a different
person every decade. His behaviors
became more eccentric and unusual
as his career arc descended in
the late ’90s and early 2000s. He
identified with Peter Pan and shared
his bed with young boys even after
his first child molestation lawsuit,
calling his practice “the most loving
thing to do.” He was, in short, a very
sick man.
Because of the stark contrast
between Jackson’s famous stage
persona and the reclusive, troubled
human behind it, the public has never
had a strong grasp of who Michael
Jackson truly is. His personality,
lifestyle and the numerous child
abuse allegations against him are all
subjects of mystery. It is challenging
to attribute aspects of Jackson’s
backstage life to a physical person
because we don’t feel we know who
that person is. As a consequence,
what is forever associated with
Jackson are things we do feel we
understand – his music, videos and
live performances. This, ultimately,
is what keeps Jackson immortal.
His artistry was phenomenal and
therefore will withstand the test of
time.
If we will not erase Jackson from
our culture, then it is important for
us to make sure that nobody with
power like Jackson’s is able to use it to
cause the kind of harm that he did in
the future. Jackson’s legacy is saved
from further harm partly because
he is deceased – he cannot be put
in jail and suffer the reputational
injury that comes with a sentencing.
The #MeToo movement has been
instrumental in bringing awareness
to and increasing reporting of
sexual misconduct. Its trajectory
should continue so that everybody
is held accountable for their actions
regardless of status. This will help
ensure that moving forward, those
who use their power for harm are
not idolized by future generations.
Michael Jackson’s complicated legacy
MARISA WRIGHT | COLUMN
On impeachment: It was all this, or a woman
DIPRA DEBNATH | COLUMN
L
isten, I really don’t want to
relitigate the 2016 election.
It was heart-wrenching,
frightening
and
all-around
anxiety-inducing. The most vivid
memory I have from the day after
the election is walking into school
and collapsing into the arms of
friends, all of us weeping and
disillusioned. But it is important to
examine the outcome of the 2016
election through the lens of what
we know now.
On Tuesday Sep. 24, House
Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced
a formal impeachment inquiry
into President Donald Trump.
Pelosi,
who
has
previously
expressed hesitation on the topic
of impeachment, cited a recent
whistleblower account of Trump
asking
Ukrainian
President
Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate
former Vice President Joe Biden as
a “favor” for U.S. defense support.
In
the
announcement,
Pelosi
stressed Trump must be held
accountable for soliciting foreign
governments to investigate his
political opponents in an attempt
to gain an advantage in the 2020
election.
Though
impeachment
investigations are ramping up,
this is certainly not the first
controversy of Trump’s presidency,
nor is it the first potentially
impeachable
investigation
into
his administration. There was a
Department of Justice investigation
by special counsel Robert Mueller
into whether Trump and his
campaign conspired with the
Russian government in the 2016
election. In this investigation, the
former FBI director and his team
indicted, convicted or received
guilty pleas from 34 individuals
and three companies involving top
Trump advisers, Russian actors
and hackers associated with the
Kremlin, which can be found in
the full report. There are also
several
ongoing
congressional
investigations of Trump, including
obstruction of justice and his tax
returns.
Of
course,
the
Trump
administration is also involved
in
almost-daily
scandals
that
are not explicitly illegal. A non-
comprehensive
list
includes
separating children from their
parents at the border, calling
majority-people of color countries
“shitholes,” nominating a man
credibly accused of sexual assault
to the Supreme Court, being
credibly accused of sexual assault
himself, attempting to ban Muslims
from entering the U.S., calling
white supremacists “very fine
people” and denying the existence
of climate change.
It was all this and more, or a
woman.
And not just any woman. If not
the most, she was one of the most
qualified people to run for president
ever. She was a Yale-trained lawyer,
first lady of the United States, U.S.
senator and secretary of state.
Yes, she was connected with
controversy throughout her public
life. And yes, she was slightly more
moderate than my own personal
politics. But running against a
man so unqualified and immoral,
she undoubtedly should have been
president of the United States.
While
Trump
and
his
Republican
supporters
may
believe Democrats are frothing
with delight at the thought of
impeaching Trump, it does not feel
good to be reminded of what could
have been. Sure, I’m comforted
by the fact that our efforts in the
2018 midterms will not be all for
nothing, but I’m certainly not
thrilled at the fact that we have to
go to such extreme lengths to stop
Trump from committing crimes
and trying to use foreign assistance
to win the next election. Really
though, it feels terrible that had we
elected her we may have extended
health insurance to millions more
Americans, passed laws to stop gun
violence and began appropriately
responding to the crisis of climate
change among several other issues.
As much as we all have the right
to be angry on her behalf and on
behalf of every single person who
has been hurt by Trump’s policies,
there is no justice for 2016. There
is only redemption in 2020, but
impeaching Trump for his crimes
will ensure he goes down in history
with a scarlett asterisk next to his
name, forever indicative of his
illegitimacy.
While
I
am
content
with
watching
this
administration
explode in its own incompetence
and
criminality,
it
is
worth
considering how our failure in 2016
has the potential to fail us again in
2020. And to be clear, coming back
from as low as we’ve gone will take
an incredible amount of individual
and collective self-reflection. With
2020 in full swing as the Democratic
caucuses and primaries are mere
months away, the impeachment
inquiry serves as a stark reminder
of the consequences of 2016 and
our inability to stop Trump’s
ascendancy.
Right now, the leading contender
for the Democratic nomination, Joe
Biden, campaigns heavily on his
electability — that he has a unique
ability to beat Trump in the general
election because he can appeal
to the white working class and
moderate independent voters, two
essential demographic groups to
Trump’s win in 2016. One can think
he is the best person for the job,
but one should choose him for that
reason and not some biased notion
of electability, which often favors
the most privileged among us and
marginalizes candidates who don’t
look like 44 of the 45 total former
U.S. presidents.
To make an electability argument,
we have to rely on our instincts about
what a president looks like, sounds
like and feels like — who inspires
us, who we can relate to, who we
can imagine as the most powerful
leader in the world. But our instincts
failed in 2016. We were wrong; all
of us, despite who we voted for, are
implicated in the election of Donald
Trump. Some of us — specifically,
about 43 percent of the country —
may not want to admit it, but we’ll
all look back at this grave error in
history with consternation and
shame, just as we do with Andrew
Jackson and Andrew Johnson and
Richard Nixon. The only question
left is whether we will continue to
vote with the same impulses that
gave us an impeachable president
in the first place — fear, bigotry and
nationalism — or we will redeem
ourselves by voting with courage and
aspiration.
Marisa Wright can be reached at
marisadw@umich.edu.
Dipra Debnath can be reached at
dipra@umich.edu.
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FROM THE DAILY
Trudeau and progressive white
hypocrisy
O
n Sep. 18, photos surfaced of Canadian Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau wearing brownface, followed by the news of two
more instances in blackface. Trudeau, the Leader of the
Liberal Party, immediately apologized for his past actions, stating he
did not consider them racist at the time but should have known better.
These photographs come
at a crucial point for Trudeau
and the Liberal Party of
Canada, as they are currently
less than one month away
from Parliamentary elections.
Considering Trudeau has
portrayed himself and his
Parliament as a beacon of
progressive
politics,
these
harmful
acts
exhibit
a
profound level of hypocrisy.
This is not limited to past
offenses but shows itself in
many of his behaviors and
policies during his time as
prime minister. Though he
has championed himself as
enlightened,
the
privileges
he holds as a wealthy, white
man
make
him
blind
to
the truly damaging effects
of
his
transgressions.
If
re-elected this fall, Trudeau
has
a
responsibility
to
support policies and focus
on
communities
he
has
previously
neglected.
In
order to uphold his own and
his country’s reputation as
progressive leaders, he must
demonstrate his commitment
to equality through actions,
not just through words.
To
many,
revelations
about Trudeau’s racist past
have
shaken
an
idealized
view of the prime minister.
However, these are not the
only instances in which he has
contradicted his purported
ideals. He has long held a
contentious
relationship
with
Canada’s
indigenous
persons, demonstrated by his
approval of the controversial
Trans
Mountain
pipeline
expansion
that
threatens
native lands. Trudeau has
also
been
criticized
for
sarcastic comments he made
toward an indigenous activist
advocating
for
mercury
poisoning
compensation.
Beyond his poor track record
with Canada’s First Nations
population, Trudeau has faced
accusations of violating ethics
laws by trying to pressure
his former justice minister
and Attorney General Jody
Wilson-Raybould
to
drop
charges against a company
based in Quebec. As Canada’s
first
Indigenous
Justice
Minister, Wilson-Raybould’s
resignation was viewed as a
setback in the reconciliation
process by many Indigenous
leaders.
The
damages
of
Trudeau’s ignorance are not
limited to Canada; during
an official visit to India in
February 2018, Trudeau and
his family drew criticism for
overdoing
their
traditional
attire,
entering
“costume
territory” and appropriating
Indian culture. These offenses
while in office indicate his
past
racist
behaviors
are
part of a larger pattern of his
privilege and ignorance.
World leaders must be held
to the ideals they promote,
and Trudeau is no exception.
It’s true that Trudeau has
taken some actions reflective
of his liberal ideals while in
office. Upon entering office in
2015, he named Canada’s first
gender-balanced cabinet. He
has been a vocal advocate for
refugees, though amid recent
pressures
from
Canada’s
right wing, he has supported
a far less welcoming policy
regarding asylum seekers at
the U.S.-Canada border. Under
his leadership, his parliament
has made a concerted effort
to fix the environmental laws
implemented by the previous
Conservative administration.
However, in order to continue
promoting
himself
as
a
forward-looking frontrunner,
he must adhere to these ideals
consistently in his policies
and his personal life. A mere
image of progressiveness is not
enough; this progressiveness
must be reflected in Trudeau’s
actions. Like any leader, he
has a duty to stick to his
promises.
As students at an elite
university,
we
are
being
primed to become leaders
in our respective fields. For
many, this includes politics
and business. Trudeau’s racist
wrongdoings
demonstrate
that we have a responsibility
to
thoroughly
educate
ourselves on other cultures
and
communities.
It
is
imperative to acknowledge
how our privilege and actions
impact others. Otherwise, we
are contributing further harm
to our environment as well as
depriving ourselves of a well-
rounded education. As future
members of the workforce,
we
must
understand
the
histories of harm and violence
inflicted upon other cultures.
This includes understanding
why blackface still causes
damage. Progress cannot be
made when we don’t do the
necessary work of confronting
our biases and the impact of
our privilege.
However,
broadening
cultural
understanding
and appreciation does not
mean adopting cultures as
our own. Even when well-
intentioned,
the
racist
fashions
of
appropriation
further violate communities.
Cultural appropriation erases
histories, distorts diversity
and promotes stereotypes. It
is the very mistake Trudeau
made when he intentionally
chose to wear brownface and
blackface. However, this does
not mean Trudeau should
be
immediately
dismissed.
Instead,
his
actions
can
serve
as
a
reminder
for
self-reflection
and
change.
Especially as students, we
should
embrace
expanding
diversity
and
inclusivity,
not in fear of being caught
but because of our inherent
eagerness to learn.
It is clearly disheartening
when a beloved politician’s
racist past is revealed. Justin
Trudeau has been commonly
viewed as a champion of
progressivism, but with each
racist act our trust in him
continues to falter. Trudeau
faces a long road of re-earning
respect and trust, especially
from Canadians. Yet, it is
important we do not demonize
Trudeau,
but
rather
take
time to reflect and educate
ourselves. We cannot change
Trudeau’s past, but we can
learn from him and strive for
improvement.
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