Learning from MJ’s tragic experience
Viewers who have seen the TV coverage of the trial of Michael Jackson’s personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, were recently shocked to hear a recording of his conversation with the late iconic singer, who was slowly moaning his excruciatingly slow replies, obviously high on prescription drugs.
Particularly heartrending were his slurred instructions about how “exciting” his new show in London should be. Little did he know that it was too late to reenergize his flagging career—and that his death was only a few months away.
Most tragic of all was his confession in another taped conversation: “I never had a childhood.” We hope that the saddest of all quotes gives parents of other child talents a pause.
They should ask themselves: Is the same thing happening to our own children? In making them work at too young an age as child performers, are we also depriving them of their childhood? And will the physical and psychological effects on them be as tragic as what happened to Michael Jackson?
Battered child
Aside from being an overworked juvenile performer, Michael was also a battered child. As a member of the Jackson 5, Michael had a taste of physical violence from his father-manager who didn’t spare the rod in forcing his “wards” to toe the line. He wanted them to achieve fame and fortune for the family. However, instead of motivating them to do their best, he forced them to perform, whether they liked it or not.
Being the youngest boy among the Jackson 5, Michael got the most adulatory reception from viewers. But, he also got the worst treatment from Mr. Jackson. No wonder, he grew up with many tics and quirks that later became full-blown addictions that eventually cut short his phenomenal career—just as he was preparing to make a brilliant comeback by way of a series of sold-out concerts in London.
Parents of child talents can learn many other cautionary lessons from Michael’s sad and tragic experience. Aside from making sure that their own performing children have enough time and space to play and be children, they should also make sure that their kids won’t grow up so fast psychologically that they lose their all-important sense of wonder.
This is the special quality and glistening view of the world that grownups love to see in child talents, because it renews their own hope in life and living.
Child talents should also be encouraged to develop their imagination because it will take them to different worlds of wondrous possibilities that will “feed” their creativity beyond their childhood years.
Sadly, these are the special qualities that are lost too early and too quickly when kids enter show business, which is run by jaded adults. Forced to work for too many hours, child talents get so exhausted that their physical growth is stunted. (Have you noticed? Many child actors grow up into “vertically challenged” adults.)
Worse, their psychological development is similarly stunted and warped. Since they’re often in the company of adults, child performers could acquire their excessively sassy and cynical ways, and get into all sorts of trouble before they’re mature enough to know how to deal with it.
Michael Jackson had it all, yet he ended up with nothing. Let’s make sure that our own performing kids don’t suffer the same tragic fate.
