Michael Jackson: "Just Beat It"

User offline. Last seen 9 years 50 weeks ago.
FUR3jr
Number 468
FUR3jr's picture
Conspirator for: 16 years 6 weeks
Posted on: July 11, 2009 - 12:16am

Michael Jackson may have had some catchy tunes, and, how shall we say this delicately... a distinct personality, but what I will most remember him for is

PLAGIARISM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VbPd2iu4bg

and

MONOPOLIST (Intellectual)

"While working with Paul McCartney on the two hit singles "The Girl Is Mine" (1982) and "Say Say Say" (1983), the pair became friendly. McCartney told Jackson about the large amount of money he earned from owning music catalogs; he was earning approximately $40 million a year from other people's songs. Jackson subsequently began buying, selling, and distributing publishing rights to music from numerous artists. In 1985, ATV Music, a music publishing company owning thousands of music copyrights, including the Northern Songs catalogue that contained the majority of the Lennon-McCartney compositions recorded by the Beatles, was put up for sale.[35][36] Jackson took an immediate interest in the catalog, but was warned he would face strong competition. Excited, he skipped around saying, "I don't care. I want those songs. Get me those songs Branca [his attorney]"."

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson#1984.E2.80.9385:_Scalp_burn...

Now when I was in elementary school (earning Good Citizenship Awards), I adored Michael Jackson.  I thought that he was just the most talented pop musician I had ever heard.  I was not very well versed in popular/counter-culture at the tender age eight.  I had just started learning how to play the cello, and my musical preference was Motown, especially the Marvin Gaye, and the Ronettes.  So it seems pretty natural that I'd be a fan of Michael Jackson too.  But, like Santa Claus, the breaking of the illusion broke my heart.

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User offline. Last seen 15 years 16 weeks ago.
Number 6Billion
Number 448
Conspirator for: 16 years 8 weeks
Posted on: July 11, 2009 - 6:15pm #1

i think "plagarism" is a bit harsh. i mean, pretty much all artists "barrow" from others, standing on the shoulders of giants and all that. i think it can be argued that jackson made it his own.

as for the intellectual monopolism, the actions cant be defended, but i think some slack has gots to be cut for people on issues like this. he propably never thought of it as violent, and i wouldnt have either five six years ago.

and that is the crux of why i responded to this post: its easy to be so into the libertarian bubble of thought that one forgets that a huuuuuuge chunk of the population has never considered wether intellectual property, welfare, or public roads (or public anything) is violent or not. so i think its prudent to forgive jackson, as well as others for "knowing not what they do". after all, "there but for the grace of god go i" or something.

i was never a big fan of mj like you, FUR3jr, so i imagine it must have been hard to learn of his shortcomings. ive never really had any of my heros torn down (yet)...

i dont know. go easy on the guy is what im trying to say i guess.

 

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