A movie? In space? 😲 Your actor could never!

I went through drafts and realized that I have a lot of incomplete articles including some trailer thoughts, so I decided to combine a few of them into one post. 

TC in… space?

Today is July 03rd. Today, the world’s greatest stuntman turns 58. One would think that Tom will take it easy from here on, but no, he’s filming the 7th Mission, then he’ll tackle the 8th and go to space at age 60 or so. Yes, you heard right; TC’s going to space according to conflicting reports. Some are saying that TC would actually be shooting a yet-to-be-named full-length movie on location at the actual International Space Station, while others are saying that he’ll actually be going to space.

Adieu, earth pheasants!

My thoughts? Whatever floats Tom’s boat. At this point, he can shoot a movie on Pluto. However, Tom is yet to make a comment regarding this Space Odyssey adventure because he’s probably learning how to use the bathroom in zero gravity. I’m not a sucker for space anything, so color me not excited. NASA must be insane.

The Little Mermaid gets… a remake?

When it was announced last year that “The Little Mermaid” was going to get a heavy remake with Halle Bailey as lead…

…the world went ballistic! Can you hear the backsplash? For me, I’ll always prefer the redhead Ariel I grew up with. 

I don’t care for mermaids, but I have nothing against remakes for Hollywood has been churning them out for years, but it would’ve better if Halle’s mermaid could’ve gotten her own original story instead of this hand-me-down. If a character – such as Ariel – is well written and well-loved, the character shouldn’t be changed just so another ethnicity could have representation. Why can’t new characters be created? Why is Hollywood so lazy? And Disney, can you stop with the live action films and do something original for once?

Some things are better left untouched. If it ain’t broke, don’t damage it to fix it. What’s next? Tom Cruise to portray MLK? 

Habit

Every year, Hollywood holds a competition for which producer can come up with the wickedest portrayal of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This year, “Habit”, if it sees the light of day, given all the rightful backlash its facing at the moment definitely wins the coveted trophy. The film revolves around Bella Thorne’s character, “a street smart party girl with a Jesus fetish who gets mixed up in a violent drug deal and finds a possible way out — by masquerading as a Nun.” according to Deadline. Paris Jackson also appears in the film portraying Jesus as a lesbian woman.

Just, why?

This project is blasphemous. And “Jesus fetish”? So we’re sexualizing Jesus and poking fun of Him as usual? Just another day at the office for Hollywood.

Hollywood enjoys mocking Christianity and misrepresenting Christ. This portrayal of Jesus is perverted and have gone too far. Jesus is the Light of the world. Without Him, we wouldn’t have hope or life. We wouldn’t be looking forward to spending eternal life with Him. The church have been guilty of allowing the world (Hollywood & the music industry in particular) to influence them thus causing the congregation to drift further away from God. The sermons are watered down and the gospel is intended for the congregation to “feel good”. Preachers need to start preaching against sin and call for repentance.

Our society and culture has fallen into immorality that it’s difficult to understand how many that profess to be Christians tolerate such evil with our cheap entertainment and books about magic (Here’s looking at you, Harry Potter). The moral compass is broken just as the Living Word has prophesized. I’m not surprised by all the evil agendas for it gives me more faith that Jesus is coming soon.

This is straight from the pits of hell. May these people find the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ before it’s too late. May God use us to reach those who do not know Him so that they may accept the gift of salvation that He offers.

¹⁸ “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 

¹⁹ If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 

²⁰ Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. ²¹ They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. 

²² If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 

²³ Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. ²⁴ If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 

²⁵ But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’

John 15:18-25

We live in a world where any and everything goes. Whether we’re Christians or not, we have to be careful of the entertainment we let into our living rooms.

There is nothing new under the sun, just more sin and when it comes to Hollywood, they continue to dish it out quite beautifully. Some picture they paint! Movies such as these can be quite entertaining, but when they stand up to God’s laws, statutes, and judgements, they lack every ounce of decency and moral conduct. 

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Reading Daphne du Maurier books for the first time

Reading is kind of slow lately… but I’m glad I’m reading no matter how slow!

Daphne du Maurier (1907-1989) was an English author and playwright. She was known for her moody, so-call romantic, and supernatural plots. Her books are said to be as timeless as Michael Jackson’s music, so here I am.

However, English literature is not exactly right up my alley, so I randomly chose 5 of this author’s books and tried not to read the synopsis or reviews. Had I known what I was getting into!

Book #168: My Cousin Rachel

I actually got to the end of this book, so yay! It was the first book I read from Du Maurier, but I was left wondering if she wrote a lot of stupid characters. Philip Ashley is probably the stupidest character I’ve ever met. He’s rich, spoiled, obsessive, and has no common sense… then the boring book ends. It just ends! But let’s play a game:

Me: Philip Ashley is so stupid.

Audience: How stupid is Philip Ashley?

Ashley is so stupid that when he discovers Rachel wastes money like tomorrow never comes, he actually gives her a great allowance to squander some more. When it gets out of hand, this numb skull gifts her his estate and inheritance. Also, all the clues were given to Stupid Ashley where it concerns the killing of his beloved uncle, but the fool ignored all the signs pertaining to the solving of the mystery. He’s so stupid!

Rachel is quite the stupid character, too, and prettily stereotyped and all.

It was a dull classic with a meh predictable mystery for a highly acclaimed novel. I didn’t enjoy the writing style, the pacing is atrocious, the ending was rushed faster than Usain Bolt could claim gold, and I disliked the setting. Not my cup of coffee. Overall, I wasted time reading this book when I could’ve been reading…

Book #169: …Rebecca

Where do I start? I actually dislike books in which the character/s doesn’t have a name… especially the main one. It’s quite annoying. The main character is dull, boring, and stupid just as Philip Ashley. Perhaps, even stupider and more annoying. Ooh, look at me, I have no name, therefore, I am intriguing and mysterious. Wrong, Nameless! You married a man that treats you like a child. What’s so good about that?

As for Maxi, murder is never the answer. No matter how wrong someone did you, you don’t go around killing people. Books like these are so off-putting. Plus, the author thinks it’s okay to describe every single flower/tree that is encountered and that alone can take up to 4 pages. 

It was a snooze fest and I couldn’t stay for the end. Nameless had no name, and it’s good that her parents didn’t name her, for they quickly figured out that their baby girl would grow up to have no personality.

After reading this book, I didn’t know how to feel to continue with her work for I disliked everything from the writing to the characters in this one. Tell me, Antoine, how am I supposed to feel?

The Others

Well, I didn’t really get anywhere with the other 3 books to be honest. I couldn’t get pass how horrible Joss Merlyn was in Jamaica Inn. I also couldn’t believe how stupid the protagonist Mary Yellan appeared. She witnessed at first-hand how terrible her uncle Joss is to her aunt Patience (The irony isn’t lost here regarding my patience with this author’s work) and still managed to stay. However, I didn’t stay for another second.

Giving this author a 4th chance, I turned to The House on the Strand, yawned and put it down as it suddenly dawned on me: Life is too short to read boring books.

As for Frenchman’s Creek, I chose it for two things: the beautiful cover and Frenchmen (duh!), but that was before I discovered how actually boring this author’s work was. I didn’t get anywhere with this book, but I put it down for two things: a grown married woman committing adultery with a pirate and the usage of the Lord’s Name in vain was overbearing. I don’t know if every 19th century spoiled aristocrat dreamt of escaping marriage to have affairs with dashing French pirates that read poetry (of course, of course, see how the Frenchman is typically, beautifully, and romantically stereotyped!), but this is not the adventurous trip I signed up for.

Overall:

Daphne Du Maurier is not my cup of coffee. Her writing sometimes fell flat and I did not get a sense of that glowing sophistication that’s always associated with her writing. Most, if not all of her work were too wordy and descriptive. And ALL of her characters were stupid. They lacked common sense and book sense; they were all pumped full of nonsense. Du Maurier books are torturing devices and I’m glad this ride is over for I’m…

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Into the Spiritual Desert 🌵

The spiritual desert is not a nice place to be in. You can get agitated, lonely, and even anxious, but to be properly prepared and equipped for battle, this is the place that we eventually come to.

I don’t know if you’ve ever been to the Spiritual Desert, but I’ve been to that place at some point in my Christian walk. I felt doubtful; as if I was alone navigating through this vast desert as a stranger in a foreign land.

And I continue to aimlessly wander around the Desert, deep in my emotions wondering where was God in all of this. Knock, knock, God, where are You? Are You still there?

See, my experience was not even bad, but at the beginning, I aimlessly walked around in circles acting as if “Woe is me!” when in fact, God was there with me all along. 

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11

God doesn’t forsake us, but we’ve forsaken Him. Time after time again. It’s like we trust Him with the minuscule matters, but not the big ones. The Desert is a place of testing and training. It’ll determine how weak or strong we are. We’ve seen Joseph go through his Spiritual Desert period in the form of training/tests while in prison for God was preparing him for a BIGGER task, and he couldn’t get there overnight. Moses spent his first 40 years in Pharaoh’s palace learning how to be a student and solider. The next 40 years of his life were spent in the desert taking care of his father-in-law’s flock of sheep. It was in this Desert, that the demoted Moses (from prince to shepherd) learned the qualities that he’ll need as Israel’s future leader and emancipator. He entered into the Desert as a dry cactus and left as a blooming one after his apprenticeship with God.

Everything cannot be perfect for then you won’t grow.

As I said at the beginning of this reflection, I used to go around the Desert feeling sorry for myself. Now, I don’t look at trials and tribulations in the same way anymore. Whenever I encounter them, I look towards God asking Him what He’s teaching me here. What lesson does He want me to learn? I’ve learned to trust Him even more during these times thus growing through these lessons. There is no need to fear these hardships when we go through them with faith in God for this period produces a quality we all need: patience (James 1:2-3). 

To be in the desert is part of the Christian experience. Come on now, you can’t want the sweet-smelling savor without experiencing the bitterness! When we’re in the desert, we’re actually going through trials. And even if you don’t feel God, don’t think that He’s left us to face these battles on our own. He’s actually refining and sharpening us. He’s molding and humbling us to be more like Jesus. He’s strengthening us to weather these storms so that we may emerge not only victorious but stronger.

And then the tests that God wants us to pass are passed with flying spiritual colors and there’s rain in your Desert! A beautiful outpouring of rain that washes away the stench of the battle that you just been through. And you feel elated and happy, but most of all, you feel stronger because of God, for it is in the Desert that God teaches people Who He really is. It is there that we learn to trust a Known God to an unknown future. 

Now, how does that feel?

Note: It’s weird that of all the things I could be inspired to write a post from, it steams from an MJ GIF for “Stranger In Moscow” (the 3rd one) again recalling Romans 8:28. This topic was heavy on my heart, but I kept putting it off until one night when it was past midnight and the house was quiet and God said that it was time to get the weight off my heart.

I was disappointed and almost gave up on writing this post as the page crashed twice and most of the words I wrote weren’t saved and I had to start all over again. But with the Holy Spirit, I persevered. When MJ wrote “Will You Be There”, I believe that he was in his own Spiritual Desert at the time and that’s the song I identify with most, but “Stranger In Moscow” was an eye-opening song for me where it concerns the emotional human heart.

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*** “Stranger In Moscow” GIFs via Google Search

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The Manakin

I found Michael Jackson in the jungles of Costa Rica!… but he was in bird form. You’ll see a little later on. Now, let’s look at some manakins. 

Image: The Red-Capped Manakin

🐦 Manakin is the common name given to about 60 species of small, passerine birds that can be found in Paraguay, northern Argentina, southern Mexico, southern Brazil, and Trinidad and Tobago. 

🐦 The name “manakin” comes from the Middle Dutch mannekijn, or “little man”.

Image: The Blue Manakin

🐦 Red-capped manakin males perform a “moonwalk” where they slide up and down a branch and show off their bright yellow thighs to approaching females.

🐦 The Blue Manakin male is the bluest to the plumage while the female is duller and greenish overall. The Blue Manakin is a poster bird for the Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazilian.

Image: The Golden-headed Manakin

🐦 The male Golden-headed Manakin is difficult to find, however, they can be seen around male display sites where they gather to display for females.

🎶 Birdie Jean is not my lover, ow! She’s just a bird, who claims I am the one…🎶

The Red Capped Manakin aka “Moonwalking Bird” has the best courting dance ever! They do the “moonwalk” completed with wings slapping the legs and slides to attract the ladies during breeding season. Watch these natural-born thrillers moves via One UnconditionalLove:

Images: Pinterest

Reference/s: insider.si.edu; manakinsrcn.org; YouTube

Related

The Anhinga

The Blood Pheasant

The Crane

The Duck

The Eagle

The Flightless Birds

The Gulls

The Hoopoe

The Imperial Shag

The Jays

The Kiskadee

The Lorikeet and the Lory

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Groovy Sunday Jams: Favorite Bill Withers’ songs

I grew up listening to the music of my father. That means Otis Redding, Al Green, Percy Sledge, and of course, Michael Jackson. Later on, I’ll adopt Ben E. King (The Drifters) and Bill Withers as favorites. They don’t make voices like these anymore. Mr. Withers passed away on March 30, 2020, from heart complications, but his golden voice lives on through his music. 

Bill served in the army for 9 years. During this time, he overcame his stutter and got into songwriting and singing. These are my favorite songs from him:

Lovely Day

This timeless masterpiece will always be a favorite of mine! Bill’s voice and ridiculous note holding towards the end (almost 19 seconds!) of the song grabbed my intention when I first heard it. This song helped me through some bad times and I knew God was talking to me, telling me that I should be more appreciative of the days He has gifted me with for no matter how many challenges I face, I’ll always have Him by my side (which brings me to the other song below). It’s the perfect song for a Sunday morning. 

Worship Jesus and every day will be a lovely day. 

 

Lean On Me

This song always brings a smile to my face. It also reminds me of another favorite song of mine, “Will You Be There” by MJ. God didn’t create us to be alone. We’re meant to be in communication with others (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). The central focus of this song is friendship and putting away pride when it comes to asking for help for at some point in our lives, we might just need help and it’s okay to ask for it because one day, I might be the one who needs someone to be there for me. 

In these trying times, we need someone to lean on. We can always count on and lean on Jesus no matter how difficult a trial we might be facing.

 

BONUS: Ain’t No Sunshine

It’s not exactly an upbeat song, but I love Bill’s voice on this track. This was the song that made me recognize Bill. The lyrics are there for interpretation, but it seems like it’s about an older man in love with a younger woman. I don’t exactly like cover songs, but if it’s done right, I’ll appreciate it and I did just that when I heard MJ’s version.

There’ll be always sunshine even if it’s dark and gloomy if we walk with the Sun of Righteousness. 

 

Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone
It’s not warm when she’s away
Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone
And she’s always gone too long
Anytime she goes away

Ain’t no sunshine when you’re gone, Bill Withers. Thank you for all of the lovely days and the good music.

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Thoughts from the lockdown!

Over the past few months, I’ve seen the world go from hoarding toilet paper to animals actually enjoying the open without people trying to invade their space every second. Look at how happy this crow IS to have the see-saw all to itself!:

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9W37i_qaHI/

While the essentials got a pass to leave their homes for work, the rest of us were threatened to stay inside for our own good unless we really need to go to places such as the pharmacy or grocery. And boy, when some people got to the grocery, they bought things they did not need for selfish reasons!

We were also warned to wash our hands and sanitize, and I wondered if people never knew about practicing proper hygiene before this pandemic. The public was also advised to social distance and wear a mask while out in public. 

MJ made wearing masks couture before it was couture itself. 😆

The measures that were put in place by governments around the world made people angry that they were being imprisoned in their own homes for their good. This was not D’ 2020 they envisioned in their mind when the year began. 

The tuning into the media caused panic within so many people that they seem to fear the virus more than God. This kind of fear only leads to anxiety and other wicked thoughts. Trust always in the Lord. Do not unravel or compromise with the world.

Instead of running scared, we should be re-evaluating our priorities. What are we doing all day long? How are we using the time that God has loaned us? Are we praying? Are we reaching out to those in need?

In all of this melee, I threw my trust in God and just went with the flow. Over the past weeks, I’ve been enjoying my family, valuing my walk with God, engaging more with nature and trying new things in the kitchen. Yes, I said the kitchen. 😒

Life as we know it is not over and this is not the new normal (at least not yet) for we’ll get to enjoy the sun again even if it’s for a little while. I hope you’re all doing well and leaning on God throughout everything no matter what.

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My reading so far…

And the TBR continues to go down, down, down! YAY! This calls for a confetti celebration!

Expectation vs…

But there’s still so MANY books to go! 🙄

…reality.

I’m currently on my 38th book of the year as I write this, and I’ve realized that books are becoming even more meaningless and distasteful, so much, that I’ve been lowering my expectations with every book I choose to read. In this way, I won’t be totally disappointed if the book turns out to be boring or just didn’t quite live up to its gloating standards.

As for the classic challenge that I’m currently doing, well, let’s just say that I haven’t read as many classics as I would’ve liked to (as yet), but I’ll devote a month or two for that sometime just to get them out of the way and out of my life.

So far…

Books I enjoyed:

Books I didn’t enjoy:

Murder, Handcrafted (Amish Quilt Shop Mystery Book 5) by Isabella Alan

Amish quilt shop owner Angie Braddock solves mysteries and whines a lot! She’s not Amish, but her best friend is, and almost every chapter, she reminds readers about this and seems to subtly poke fun at Amish clothes and culture. I’m glad to get rid of this cozy mystery from my TBR. 

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

Reviewers RAVED about the cleverness of this book, but it was all over-hyped, for there was nothing clever, new, or original about this story. I unraveled the so-call “you won’t see it coming twist” from the very first page and the other one as soon as Emma stepped into the picture, so I don’t understand the glowing and high-as-the-mountain reviews for this book. The entire book is a joke.

All of This Is True by Lygia Day Peñaflor

All of this is stupid, irrelevant, pretentious, poorly executed, bland, and downright boring. 

Books I revisited:

Books I DNF’ed:

#Prettyboy Must Die by Kimberly Reid

This so-call pretty boy CIA agent didn’t do it for me. He spends the majority of the story being sexist, and he’s a proper right arrogant jerk that looks down on everyone. He spends almost every chapter talking about his so-call good looks and whining. I have a strong dislike for whiny protagonists. I had to put this book down for many reasons that if I were to go into them, it’ll end up being a full review and I don’t want a reminder of why I STRONGLY disliked this drivel.

When it comes to saving the world, I’d rather leave my life in another pretty boy’s hands: Ethan Hunt’s. 

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Book #157: The Recordsetter Book of World Records

This book can safely be called ‘Humans Doing Foolish Things for 15 Minutes of Fame’.

I mentioned this book back then in a 2018 book haul and I just got around to it. I got it for only $10 at my favorite bookstore. After reading this book, I’m glad that I didn’t pay the full $101 for it. 

This book falls under nine categories – The Creative Arts, Food & Drink, Sports & Games, Science & Technology, Money & Style, Groups, Visionaries, Earth & Environment, and The Human Body. It gets useless from the very first so-call record: Most Polaroid Shakes in 1 Minute. Why? Why would I waste my time trying to see how fast I can shake a picture in a minute?

Here are some other “records” I found over the top or just plain silly:

* Highest Tap Dance: Heather O’Neal, a travel guide, actually went to Mount Everest (17, 598 feet) just to tap dance. I love tap dancing, but I am not climbing any mountain just to do so. I’d rather tap dance on top of a table.

* Most Times Smiling While Listening to “Beat It”: Someone smiled 302 times to this song and I’m here wondering, “How does someone even smile for this song?” It’s not even a feel-good song! What about “Librarian Girl” or “Fly Away”? Those are beautiful songs and I can see myself smiling along to them. Also, someone thought that putting on socks (57 in total for the crazy record) while listening to “Beat It” was a fantastic idea.

* Slowest Time to Eat a Bowl of Cereal: Why? Who wants to sit for 22 minutes, 47.4 seconds just to eat a bowl of wheat that could take up to 2 minutes at least?

* Most Pizza Slice Face Slaps in 15 Seconds: Attention seeker loves playing with food so much that she got someone to slap her with a slice of pizza 210 times on the face. Did she not hear the saying about playing with food?

* Most Trivial Pursuit Questions Answered Incorrectly in 1 Minute: Pure ignorance! I didn’t mind if he was trying, but he was deliberately sprouting stupid things. For example, he answered lipstick for the most popular crop in the U.S. home vegetable gardens. 

* Most Images of “Uncle Jesse” Viewed on a Web Browser at Once: I don’t know what’s people’s fascination with this character, but to view 92 photos in one sitting? I have better things to do with my time than to watch images of pervert Jesse.

* Fastest Time to Direct Twenty Insults at a Fire Hydrant: She clocked in at 15.49 seconds. Hello, looney bin! Although I wonder if the hydrant could’ve spoken, what its insults at her would’ve been like. Hmm, we’ll never know. 

* Largest Group of People Pretending to be Sea Otters: 10 loonies.

* Most Times Slapping Someone in the Face in 1 Minute: 660 times. Axel slapped his brother Petter this many times as the mom stood at the back of the room giggling because it’s the funniest thing she has ever seen in her entire life. 

Overall, this book shows how stupid, desperate, and just sad some people can be just to get their name in neon lights for 15 minutes.

Final Verdict:

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Devotional Nugget #9: Tame the tongue 😛

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.

Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 

James 3:10-11

When words tumble from our mouths, do they edify and build up one another (Ephesians 4:29) or do they maliciously and intentionally harm (Proverbs 26:28)? If the battle over the tongue is something that we continually lose every day, then we need to examine ourselves closely.

When you open your mouth to speak, the listener/s should benefit from the conversation. Out of the same mouth should never come both blessing and cursing (James 3:11) for when you curse someone, you’re cursing God’s creation. Get rid of all “bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice.” (Ephesians 4:31). Before responding to someone with malice in our hearts or in anger, we should put ourselves in their place and ask, Would I want someone to respond to me in this way? Regardless of how the person is acting, we have to always behave and respond in a Christlike manner.

Never speak with the intention to hurt someone. It’s not easy taming the tongue on our own and that’s why we have the perfect Helper in the Holy Spirit so rely on Him.

Bring the chains
                                        Your lips of tragedy

                            Depeche Mode

Bind your lips with chains by meditating on these scriptures:

Job 15:3;6

Psalm 34:13; Psalm 141:3

Proverbs 10:19; 21:23

Ephesians 4:29

Colossians 4:6

James 1:26

1 Peter 3:10

Reflection

What do you find most challenging in taming your tongue?

Call on Jesus to help you to be mindful of the words you use and meditate on scriptures concerning the tongue. 

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Book #152: Michael Jackson: The Magic, The Madness, The Whole Story, 1958-2009

But was he, really? 🤔

Pages: 765

Unless you have been living under a rock for your entire life, EVERYONE knows who Michael Jackson was. He was a man of many talents and one of those was beatboxing. MJ could’ve beatboxed the instrumental of a song before it came together. 

Now, this book took me many years to read believe it or not. A friend of my mom gifted the book to me in 2010 and I left it for a while. I started reading it sometime in 2012 or so, then left it again and returned to it sometime in 2014. Then, late last year was the final straw. I finally picked the book up and read until the last page which I completed earlier this year. I was glad to get this off my TBR.

“I want my whole career to be the greatest show on earth”

Michael Jackson

The author had known MJ since they were little – MJ was 10 – and so he decided that he was MJ’s official biographer. However, Randy struggled with accuracy throughout the book and you can tell that Michael’s youth up until he was 20 was the best-researched part of the book for as the years rolled by, they weren’t that close anymore. MJ had shut a lot of people out of his life, for he was always insecure, mistrusting, and suspicious.

Some things/thoughts I took away from the book:

* The author overwrote. There was no need to talk at length of the Thriller video. We know it scene for scene. At one point, I wonder if I was reading a bio or a journal. 

* MJ didn’t want to do the Pepsi deal for he had a bad feeling about it, but his money-hungry brothers and father forced him to sign the contract anyway.

* MJ wanted to rename the “Victory Tour” to “The Final Curtain”. Many, many years later, he got to call his final shows “This Is It”.

* Paul McCartney is a proper right hypocrite.

* Berry Gordy and Diana Ross taught MJ to lie about his age when he was about 9. I still don’t know why he idolized this woman.

* Elizabeth Taylor was a brat and a handler who always knew how to get under MJ’s skin. She made decisions for him as if she wishes she was Katherine Jackson. She was high maintenance and expected MJ to gift her with extravagant things. At one point, she moved MJ to her home. She nagged MJ about opening up himself to a romantic relationship and when he finally had something with Lisa, she felt jealous and left out. She even took charge of his life and legal proceedings in 1993. I never trusted her friendship with MJ, but I also think MJ was infatuated with her and she knew it and she held him at arm’s length for she had control and power over him. 

And I think I’ll stop here for there was nothing to really surprise me about the man and the myth. Now, my rant… or something like it.

The Magic

Trust me, there was nothing magical about MJJ. He was programmed and brainwashed by Disney just like many of us were as children into believing in magic and that’s probably why he preferred fantasy over reality. MJ was an enigma and he beheld the world with a childlike wonder and curiosity, but his talents had nothing to do with magic. He was just crazily gifted. Did you know he also drew and painted? Exceptionally well, too?

See, crazily gifted. No magic there.

The Madness

MJ was highly valued by his mother as the son who can do no wrong and put on a pedestal by fans making him a god. In the 80s, he was said to be battling with lupus and vitiligo. 

He often shied away from talking about his skin condition and that was fine by me. I did not need to know every medical detail. But it spiraled him to another height of madness for over the years people were crazy over his skin and his eccentricity. It was as if he was in a circus peep show except that he was viewed in front of the entire world as a freak at a P.T. Barnum circus show. 

The greatest madness of MJ’s career were/are his fans. 

The Whole Story

Hmm… will the REAL MJ, please stand up?

Did we really know the whole story? Do we really know the real MJ? Alas! We don’t. Michael was a slave to Hollywood and the devil for he used his God-given talents to carry out the devil’s work through his lustful and sexual dancing. He was the ultimate sex symbol and sexual fantasy for both men and women. He ripped his shirts, thrust his pelvis and gyrated his hips in ways no man – or woman for that matter – ever should.

It seems like he had childhood trauma, but sometimes I wondered if he also had DID. He was a terrific father, but he avoided communication and conflict. He loved giving and visiting the orphanages, but he was also a narcissist who quickly became bored with people so he discarded them like unwanted toys.

Over the years, I couldn’t decide if Michael was too feminine for my liking (he really blurred the lines between masculinity and femininity), but his smile endured and up to this day, I still think he had one of the most beautiful smiles in the world if not the most beautiful. I mean, come on, that smile could bless a nation!

Overall:

MJ was a gifted, talented genius, but he was also battered, bruised, broken, and the poster boy for why you shouldn’t love the world and all that is in it (1 John 2:15; Mark 8:36). He was tortured, twisted, molded and created in their image – turning him into a caricature of his former self; the image God created him in – for our entertainment and we contributed by enjoying his work or ridiculing him (especially by mocking the way he looked in photos when he was just probably miserable, silently pleading for help while dying inside) whichever suited us best. He never found the happiness he passionately yearned for, for he was looking in the wrong places.

Only God could’ve granted him what he was searching for.

Michael died as he lived for the worldly desires: the King of Pain, never freed,  always chained.

***GIFs and images via Google Search