Episode 79 – Consuming Passions
In the second part of the book review Unfinished Business by Judith Hamera, Elizabeth and Karin discuss how Hamera writes about Consuming Passions, Wasted Efforts and Michael Jackson’s Financial Melodramas. One of the important questions they ask is why using Michael Jackson and compare his dancing and financial gains and losses as deindustrialised. They ask […]
MJ Studies Today CXI
Abstract: This month’s MJ Studies Today column highlights a Michael Jackson demo recording of a song called “Fall Again.” Written for Jackson by Walter Afanasieff and Robin Thicke, “Fall Again” was never finished, and was subsequently recorded by other artists. It featured in a Hollywood movie, and became a hit for Kenny G. Nevertheless, columnist […]
Episode 78 – The Labors of Michael Jackson
Abstract: In this episode, Elizabeth and Karin talk about Judith Hamera’s powerful book, Unfinished Business: Michael Jackson, Detroit, and the Figural Economy of American Deindustrialization, the concept of virtuosity in relation to Michael Jackson’s labours and the labour of factory workers. They also explore the cultural and historical context of Michael Jackson’s music and the potential for future opportunities […]
MJ Studies Today CX
Extract: In this month’s MJ Studies Today column, Kerry Hennigan looks at a song that is a personal favourite – “Who Is It” from Michael Jackson’s Dangerous album. Both the song and the short film are considered in the context of their content and the similarities between the betrayed protagonist and Jackson himself in the […]
Past-Present-Future Book 7
In this episode Karin and Elizabeth discuss four columns by Kerry Hennigan, the two podcasts of last year and dive in the introduction of an academic book titled “Unfinished Business” by Judith Hamera. REFERENCE AS: Merx, Karin, and Elizabeth Amisu. “Episode 77 – ‘Past-Present-Future Book 7’, Michael Jackson’s Dream Lives On An Academic Conversation 12, no. 1 […]
MJ Studies Today CIX
MJ Studies Today for January 2025 looks at Michael Jackson's humanitarian legacy which came from very humble beginnings. Continue reading
MJ Studies Today CVIII
Abstract: In this month’s column, Kerry Hennigan reflects on the current and forthcoming official projects from the Michael Jackson Estate, namely MJ: the Musical and the forthcoming biographical movie Michael. In considering the concerns of some fans, Kerry looks back on the Estate’s collaboration with Cirque du Soleil, and on the potential for all such […]
Episode 76 – Wannabe Startin’ Somethin’
In episode 76, Karin and Elizabeth discuss the essay “Wannabe Startin’ Somethin’: Michael Jackson’s Critical Race Representation” by Dawn-Elissa Fischer, Professor at the San Francisco State University where she teaches courses on black popular culture, information technology and virtual ethnography. REFERENCE AS: Merx, Karin, and Elizabeth Amisu. “Episode 76 – ‘Wannabe Startin’ Somethin’’, Michael Jackson’s Dream Lives […]
MJ Studies Today CVII
Abstract: Every year around Halloween, the sound of Michael Jackson’s song “Thriller” enjoys a resurgence on music streaming platforms as the occasion’s most essential theme song. Just as essential is the iconic dance routine from the Thriller short film, which this year inspired an animated feature by Illumination starring the cast of the Sing movies. […]
MJ Studies Today CVI
Abstract: This issue of MJ Studies Today continues the story of false narratives and alternative histories generated or regurgitated about Michael Jackson. Picking up where Part 1 (August 2024) left off, this month columnist Kerry Hennigan looks at some of the stories about Jackson that circulated following his death. Some of these defied not only […]