By now I am sure anyone who does not live in a bubble knows about the deaths of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. What a sad day it is. Interestingly enough, these two iconic figures were connected in an eerily strange way in the 80’s in my closet.
Shut it. I am not making any references to MJ’s orientation. He really was in my closet. As a girl raised in the South and Sanford’s daughter, there were to be no posters of any “nuggets” on my walls. I adored MJ enough to secretly listen to my Off the Wall and Thriller albums and hang the yellow sweater vest poster in my closet. Yes, Sybil bought it for me, but I had to hang it in my closet because “your dad will not understand.” Sybil did though, for she also adored the likes of Motown legends thoughout the 50’s and 60’s.
No matter what you think about MJ you have to admit that the man was a musical genius and his spirit will live on through his songs. He will forever be the King of Pop. Rest in Peace.
Farrah Fawcett lived in my closet as well during the 80’s. She had an up close and personal view of MJ from the back of my closet where I was forced to hide her. Like any girl of the late 70’s, I wanted her hair. Not only did I have a Farrah feathered hairdo, but I also practiced the look on my Farrah Fawcett Glamour Center head over and over again until an unfortunate incident where her hair caught on fire much like MJ’s did during the shooting of that Pepsi commercial years later. Who knew that their paths would cross again on June 25, 2009 when she succumbed to cancer after the fight of her life?
Throughout the evening one MJ song in particular has been running through my mind over and over again. In a strange way, I think both Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett will be remembered for making their own changes through their celebrity. I think it is fitting that I post the video and lyrics here to conclude this post and challenge you to make that change.
“Man In The Mirror”
I’m Gonna Make A Change,
For Once In My Life
It’s Gonna Feel Real Good,
Gonna Make A Difference
Gonna Make It Right . . .
As I, Turn Up The Collar On My
Favourite Winter Coat
This Wind Is Blowin’ My Mind
I See The Kids In The Street,
With Not Enough To Eat
Who Am I, To Be Blind?
Pretending Not To See
Their Needs
A Summer’s Disregard,
A Broken Bottle Top
And A One Man’s Soul
They Follow Each Other On
The Wind Ya’ Know
‘Cause They Got Nowhere
To Go
That’s Why I Want You To
Know
I’m Starting With The Man In
The Mirror
I’m Asking Him To Change
His Ways
And No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
(If You Wanna Make The
World A Better Place)
Take A Look At Yourself, And
Then Make A Change
(Take A Look At Yourself, And
Then Make A Change)
(Na Na Na, Na Na Na, Na Na,
Na Nah)
I’ve Been A Victim Of A Selfish
Kind Of Love
It’s Time That I Realize
That There Are Some With No
Home, Not A Nickel To Loan
Could It Be Really Me,
Pretending That They’re Not
Alone?
A Willow Deeply Scarred,
Somebody’s Broken Heart
And A Washed-Out Dream
(Washed-Out Dream)
They Follow The Pattern Of
The Wind, Ya’ See
Cause They Got No Place
To Be
That’s Why I’m Starting With
Me
(Starting With Me!)
I’m Starting With The Man In
The Mirror
(Ooh!)
I’m Asking Him To Change
His Ways
(Ooh!)
And No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
(If You Wanna Make The
World A Better Place)
Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make A Change
(Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make A Change)
I’m Starting With The Man In
The Mirror
(Ooh!)
I’m Asking Him To Change His
Ways
(Change His Ways-Ooh!)
And No Message Could’ve
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
(If You Wanna Make The
World A Better Place)
Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make That . . .
(Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make That . . .)
Change!
I’m Starting With The Man In
The Mirror,
(Man In The Mirror-Oh
Yeah!)
I’m Asking Him To Change
His Ways
(Better Change!)
No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
(If You Wanna Make The
World A Better Place)
(Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make The Change)
(You Gotta Get It Right, While
You Got The Time)
(‘Cause When You Close Your
Heart)
You Can’t Close Your . . .Your
Mind!
(Then You Close Your . . .
Mind!)
That Man, That Man, That
Man, That Man
With That Man In The Mirror
(Man In The Mirror, Oh Yeah!)
That Man, That Man, That Man
I’m Asking Him To Change
His Ways
(Better Change!)
You Know . . .That Man
No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
(If You Wanna Make The
World A Better Place)
Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make A Change
(Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make A Change)
Hoo! Hoo! Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!
Na Na Na, Na Na Na, Na Na,
Na Nah
(Oh Yeah!)
Gonna Feel Real Good Now!
Yeah Yeah! Yeah Yeah!
Yeah Yeah!
Na Na Na, Na Na Na, Na Na,
Na Nah
(Ooooh . . .)
Oh No, No No . . .
I’m Gonna Make A Change
It’s Gonna Feel Real Good!
Come On!
(Change . . .)
Just Lift Yourself
You Know
You’ve Got To Stop It.
Yourself!
(Yeah!-Make That Change!)
I’ve Got To Make That Change,
Today!
Hoo!
(Man In The Mirror)
You Got To
You Got To Not Let Yourself . . .
Brother . . .
Hoo!
(Yeah!-Make That Change!)
You Know-I’ve Got To Get
That Man, That Man . . .
(Man In The Mirror)
You’ve Got To
You’ve Got To Move! Come
On! Come On!
You Got To . . .
Stand Up! Stand Up!
Stand Up!
(Yeah-Make That Change)
Stand Up And Lift
Yourself, Now!
(Man In The Mirror)
Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!
Aaow!
(Yeah-Make That Change)
Gonna Make That Change . . .
Come On!
(Man In The Mirror)
You Know It!
You Know It!
You Know It!
You Know . . .
(Change . . .)
Make That Change.
Man in the Mirror one of my all time favorite Michael songs.
I don’t care what you say about the man, he was a fucking genius. There is no taking that away from him.
I have very fond memories tied to his music.
One of my favorite lyrics from my ALL TIME favorite song by him “You got to feel the heat and we can ride the boogie
share that beat of love.”
Rest in peace Michael, you can share that beat in heaven.
Lovely post! Man in the Mirror is one of my favorites as well. I think it showed the depth of who he was or wanted to be.
This is a lovely sentiment. Thanks for sharing it!
Very nice.
Many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, MANY fond memories of Michael, The Jacksons, the music, the events.
No matter what, his iconic status will be remembered.
Beautiful post! I have so many fantastic memories of both of these great performers. They will be sorely missed.
Thriller was the first tape I owned, and I loved it muchly. I wish all of the negative thoughts would have been left out of the news over the last 24 hours … an icon passed away, and in that respect alone he deserved a time of simple remembrance. I love listening to MJ’s music. I see much of it as timeless, not in the traditional sense, but because it still brings new listeners to the music of the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s.
Farah Fawcett was not someone I thought much of until I saw “The Burning Bed.” My own home life growing up was unhappy, at best, most of the time. There was a time when I found myself crawling to the kitchen for a knife. I cradled it in my arms for hours, trying to decide between killing myself and attempting to kill the person who had been hurting me. I put that knife away, crawled back to bed, and endured another 9 years of abuse until I could move away legally. “The Burning Bed” helped me realize that the choices before me were not the only choices, and helped me decide that I didn’t want the path those two choices were leading me down.
A couple of weeks ago, I saw the special she had taped over the course of the last year, home video of her struggle to fight cancer. I cried through the whole thing … it wasn’t like I felt the same way about her as my (step)mother, but for some reason FF’s struggle reminded me greatly of my (step)Mother’s struggle. It was heartbreaking.
May they both rest in peace.
Your post is beautiful, and made me giggle.
xo
I had an Econ/Govt/Psych teacher that had a Farrah Fawcette doll head like that that he used for different demonstrations. He used it in his explanation of the Id, Ego, and SuperEgo. It was amusing and I will always remember that!