Madonna pays tribute to Michael Jackson at VMAs
Monday, 14 September 2009
Michael Jackson, who was not only one of the most influential forces in MTV's history but also provided its Video Music Awards with some of its most irreverent moments, got reverential treatment Sunday as Madonna and his sister Janet provided emotional tributes - one through words, one through song.
It was a tender, special moment - a rarity for the Video Music Awards. But the mood didn't last for long, thanks in part to another onstage outburst from Kanye West.
Madonna kicked off the show at Radio City Music Hall with a poignant speech about her relationship with Michael Jackson, which began when she was a youngster idolizing the then-child star, then morphed into a friendship when both were at the apex of their careers, and later, grew distant.
Madonna lamented the negative publicity that dogged him in his later years.
'Sometimes, we have to lose things before we can truly appreciate them,' said Madonna, dressed in black.
'Yes, Michael Jackson was a human being, but yes, he was a king,' she told the celebrity-studded crowd, which included Michael's brother Jermaine and father Joe Jackson. 'Long live the king.'
It was a tender, special moment - a rarity for the Video Music Awards. But the mood didn't last for long, thanks in part to another onstage outburst from Kanye West.
Madonna kicked off the show at Radio City Music Hall with a poignant speech about her relationship with Michael Jackson, which began when she was a youngster idolizing the then-child star, then morphed into a friendship when both were at the apex of their careers, and later, grew distant.
Madonna lamented the negative publicity that dogged him in his later years.
'Sometimes, we have to lose things before we can truly appreciate them,' said Madonna, dressed in black.
'Yes, Michael Jackson was a human being, but yes, he was a king,' she told the celebrity-studded crowd, which included Michael's brother Jermaine and father Joe Jackson. 'Long live the king.'
From AP Via Yahoo! News
> she was bringing attention to herself with her "I" statements. So dumb.
Yes, I think she was being genuinely compassionate. She was born in the same month; inevitably her life is going to have some parallels. Also, starting a tribute like that with a bunch of 'I's is vintage Madonna, powerfully compassionate while sounding self-serving at the same time. It's just her.
I do wonder though about the 'eight brothers and sisters, so do I' bit. Katherine Jackson gave birth to ten babies. Marlon's twin brother died soon after birth. Nine kids lived to adulthood. Madonna Fortin had six kids by Silvio Ciccone, Joan Gustafson had two. That's a total of eight vs. nine Jacksons. Am I missing something here? Was Madonna being approximate so she could neatly repeat the 'so do I'?
Posted by: Mike | Wednesday, 16 September 2009 at 12:34 AM
I thought her speach was so sweet and heartfelt.
Then I heard a lot of people were saying she was bringing attention to herself with her "I" statements. So dumb.
TMZ.com, ABC's The View, The Insider-newsmagazine show.
Posted by: Tony | Tuesday, 15 September 2009 at 02:28 AM