Episode 89 – How to Write an Academic Book Review
Abstract: In this episode, Elizabeth and Karin discuss how to write an academic book review in a rigorous manner. They discuss this based on the recent academic book review Karin wrote of Michael Jackson’s Radical Aesthetic by Willa Stillwater. REFERENCE AS: Merx, Karin, and Elizabeth Amisu. “Episode 89 – How to Write an Academic Book […]
MJ Studies Today CXXII
Abstract: Joseph Vogel, an author well-known to Michael Jackson researchers, has produced a new book focused on the short film for Jackson’s song “Black or White.” The television premiere of the film (a.k.a. music video) in November 1991, brought howls of protests from those viewers who could not understand the “panther dance” coda. MJ Studies […]
Episode 88 – Past-Present-Future Book 8
Abstract: In this episode, Karin and Elizabeth go back to last year, discuss the present and give some insight into the future. We discuss the essays, podcast episodes and the columns published in the past year. REFERENCE AS: Merx, Karin, and Elizabeth Amisu. “Episode 88 – Past, Present, Future Book 8” Podcast, Michael Jackson’s Dream Lives […]
Academic Book Review – Michael Jackson’s Radical Aesthetic
Bibliographic Header Opening Framing The two volumes are structured theatrically, divided into acts. Volume One opens with a “Prelude: Telling, Untelling, and Retelling,” followed by Act One: The Early Films, Act Two: A Time of Crisis, and a concluding Codetta. Volume Two reprises the framework of Telling, Untelling, and Retelling, moving into Act Three: A […]
MJ Studies Today CXXI
Abstract: This month, MJ Studies Today columnist Kerry Hennigan provides a personal view of the recently upgraded version of Michael Jackson’s short film for the song “Give In To Me.” Jackson’s 1991 album Dangerous provided a wealth of material ranging from the understated anthem “Heal the World” to undeniably sensual songs like “In the Closet” […]
Call For Papers
Michael Jackson remains one of the most influential artists of the late twentieth century, yet his work has rarely been approached through sustained formal and art-historical analysis. Scholarship has tended to orbit biography, scandal, or cultural defence, leaving the work’s aesthetic intelligence under-examined. This call invites contributions that approach Jackson form-first: as a unified aesthetic […]
Episode 87 – The Michael Trailer
In the episode, Karin and Elizabeth discuss the teaser trailer for the Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, and compare it to the Aretha Franklin biopic Respect and Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody. They explore the history and evolution of movie trailers as an art form, noting their shift from simple advertisements to sophisticated promotional […]
MJ Studies Today CXX
Abstract: This month Kerry Hennigan continues the discussion on artificial intelligence (A.I.) and its relationship to Michael Jackson’s artistic legacy. This important theme began with Karin Merx’s article “Echoes Without Presence: AI, Michael Jackson, and the Crisis of Cultural Authenticity” published here in the Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies on 18 November 2025 and […]
Episode 86 – Echoes Without Presence
In this episode, Elizabeth and Karin discuss the recently published essay Karin wrote, Echoes Without Presence: AI, Michael Jackson, and the Crisis of Cultural Authenticity. They discuss specific topics as mimesis, misremembering and disremembering and imagination. Feel free to connect and ask us questions. REFERENCE AS: Merx, Karin, and Elizabeth Amisu. “Episode 86 – Echoes […]
Echoes Without Presence: AI, Michael Jackson, and the Crisis of Cultural Authenticity
Abstract This essay investigates how artificial intelligence reshapes the legacy of Michael Jackson by analysing the growing proliferation of AI-generated simulations, deepfake vocals, reconstructed short films, and algorithmic “enhancements” through an interdisciplinary lens that combines postmodern semiotics, neuroscience, narratology, and embodied artistic practice. Although Jackson’s creative process was rooted in intuition, bodily intelligence, and whole-brain […]