Human Nature “If they say ‘why,’ ‘why?’ tell them that it’s human nature. Why? Why? Does he do me that way?” These lyrics to the beautiful song Human Nature, by Michael Jackson are so powerful. In the chorus of this song Michael Jackson is simply saying that when one wonders about the reasons behind the cruel actions of people the answer is simple: it is human nature. It is human nature to not always be kind and it is human nature to do exactly what it is that you want. This song, Human Nature directly relates to the life of Michael Jackson, specifically the parts of his life that relate to his trial. It relates because during his trail, and throughout his life in general, many people judged him, and were hurtful and cruel to him. A possible simple explanation for this unkindness is that it is just human nature to act this way sometimes. That truth is not pretty, and it is not what people want to believe about themselves but sadly, it is true sometimes. This song relates to the life its performer because the verses talk about living your life in a way that makes you happy, which is something that Michael Jackson did every single day. It is the reason that Michael Jackson had to go to trial in the first place. He lived in a way that upset people because he was very close to children. Even though Michael Jackson was never prosecuted for the crime that a big part of society still believes that he committed, he never won. Because of the slander from the media, the viciousness from those participating in his trial, and the complete advantage that was taken over Michael Jackson’s vulnerability, it is easy to argue that he lost. If you were to ask my mother, Michael Jackson was the greatest man to ever live. If you ask many others in the harsh world that we live in, they would have a very different answer. The media played a very large role in Michael Jackson’s trial and in his life after his trial because it was the source of information for people, and when that source is information is used to make money, to exploit him, and to portray him in a negative light, that is what the people will remember. In the novel by Aphrodite Jones entitled, Michael Jackson Conspiracy, there is a forward written by Tom Mesereau, and in it he discusses the role of the media in Michael Jackson’s case. He says that he witnessed, “…an international media juggernaut that was heavily invested in seeing Michael Jackson convicted and destroyed” (xv). He goes on to say that, “Despite the presence of many honorable journalists, the ghost of profit seemed to overshadow much that truthful, accurate and careful” (xv). Mesereau is clearly disturbed and disgusted by the media’s role in Michael Jackson’s life, with justified reasoning. In these quotes he says that the media was used to create negative outcomes for Michael Jackson and to make a lot of money while doing it. When the media is involved in a scandal, the true purpose of it goes out of the window. The purpose of the media is to inform the general public of the facts in a way that they will understand. In the case of Michael Jackson it was used to drag his name through the mud and to generate negative buzz that would keeping people wanting more so that a profit could be earned. Some of the grimy news casts that covered Michael Jackson’s trial such as one that stated: “Michael Jackson spent 35 million dollars to silence at least two dozen boys he abused” had the sole purpose of spreading lies about him, his case, and his character. These are the shocking things about that time in his life that people remember.
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