We deliver primarily academic research-based content and we also provide resources for academics and teachers. We archive online content so that we can deliver researchers a referencing service. We are impartial and are not affiliated with any institution. Therefore we remain objective and balanced in our content. We provide content of a diversity which gives us perspectives of all kinds and makes very clear that we can study Michael Jackson from a wide variety of subject specialisms, from Popular Culture and Literature to African-American Heritage.
We provide a very diverse range of content, including a monthly academic podcast, essays, opinion pieces, editorials, journal issues and volumes, resources, detailed academic book reviews, exclusive authorial interviews, a monthly column which updates readers on the world of Michael Jackson Studies, which is the only one of its kind. We also provide much-needed academic publications on Michael Jackson’s artistry.
27th December 2020
Abstract: In this episode, Karin and Elizabeth, explore Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson through the album Songs In The Key Of Life, and the works of Michael Jackson. They both encourage readers who are interested in researching and writing about Stevie Wonder, to send their works to the journal. REFERENCE AS: Merx, Karin, and Elizabeth […]
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14th November 2020 / 2 Comments on Episode 41 – Leaving Neverland & The Real Michael Jackson
Abstract: In this episode, Karin and Elizabeth, finally decided that the documentaries Leaving Neverland and The Real Michael Jackson needed to be discussed. It took them quite a while to watch the documentaries and they are uneasy topics to discuss. However, we found that new Michael Jackson scholars need to be informed. It is therefore […]
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20th June 2020
Abstract: In this Special episode, Karin and Elizabeth, discuss Michael Jackson and civil Rights and how he addressed institutional racism in his Art. NB: Unfortunately there is a disturbing noise in the last 5 minutes of the recording. I was unable to delete it from the recording and decided the topic is too important to cut […]
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10th June 2020
Abstract: In this episode, Karin and Elizabeth, discuss Michael Jackson and Beyoncé also known as The King of Pop and Queen Bey, and how they fit into the archetype of Black Royalty. REFERENCE AS: Merx, Karin, and Elizabeth Amisu. “Episode 38 – The King of Pop & Queen Bey” Michael Jackson’s Dream Lives On: An Academic Conversation 6, […]
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21st January 2018 / 1 Comment on Episode 34 – 2017 Recap, Past, Present, Future Book III
Abstract: In the first episode of 2018, Karin and Elizabeth look back into the year 2017 and how the Journal has evolved, and what she has contributed to the academic landscape of Michael Jackson Studies. To listen to the extended versions of our previous episodes, join us at Patreon.com/mjdlo and become a member.http://patreon.com/mjdlo. REFERENCE AS: […]
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21st December 2017
Abstract: This episode is the second part of the lost recordings. I talk about the songs and short films ‘Scream’, and ‘You Rock My World’. Taking in consideration the cultural context and the symbolism of the visuals of ‘Scream’ and ‘You Rock My World’. To listen to the extended versions of our previous episodes, join […]
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21st November 2017
Abstract: This episode is the first part of the lost recordings. I talk about the songs and short films ‘Leave Me Alone’, and ‘Jam’. Taking in consideration the production context, symbolism of the visuals and using the recently published thesis of Andreas Ardanic to discuss ‘Leave Me Alone’. To listen to the extended versions of […]
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22nd October 2017
Abstract: In this episode, we have compiled the episodes we loved most. We encourage you, of course, to listen to them again. To listen to the extended versions of our previous episodes, join us at Patreon.com/mjdlo and become a member.http://patreon.com/mjdlo. REFERENCE AS: Merx, Karin, and Elizabeth Amisu. “Episode 31 – A Compilation of our Most Loved […]
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21st September 2017
Abstract: In this episode, Karin and Elizabeth discuss ‘The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife’ and its first anniversary. In part one Elizabeth discusses the history of the book and her secrets of combining creativity and research. An extended version of this episode is accessible by becoming a […]
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7th December 2016
Abstract: This episode is about Michael Jackson and the Egyptian ruler, Cleopatra. Karin and Elizabeth discuss Michael Jackson’s personal art collection, his personal and creative interest in Cleopatra, and the representation of high-status black people in western culture. To expand your knowledge on this topic take our Michael Jackson & Black History Online Course. Take one of our 17 Michael Jackson […]
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Michael Jackson Academic Studies (MJAS) is dedicated to the rigorous, interdisciplinary study of Michael Jackson’s work as a unified aesthetic system. Grounded in art history, visual culture, musicology, dance studies, early modern studies and film theory, MJAS approaches Jackson not as a biographical problem to be defended or debunked, but as a major late-20th-century artist whose work reshaped the relationship between sound, image, body, and mass media.
The journal foregrounds form, lineage, and reception history, situating Jackson within global artistic traditions, from classical European aesthetics and Black diasporic performance to postmodern visual culture. By refusing reductive moral binaries and sensationalist framings, MJAS provides a scholarly space in which Jackson’s art can be interpreted with the seriousness routinely afforded to canonical figures.
Our aim is not rehabilitation, but understanding: to examine how Jackson’s work functions, why it mattered, and what it reveals about race, embodiment, modernity, and the aesthetics of popular culture.
An academic, scholarly journal, which is peer-reviewed, in which academic writing and scholarship relating to Michael Jackson can be accessed. Academic journals are one of the most wonderful ways to share academic criticism and research with interested parties. This research is presented as books, courses, events, essays, teaching resources, columns, articles, book reviews, academic podcasts and original research. In addition, we publish author interviews.
It is a little-known fact that academic, well-researched “books on Elvis Presley alone outnumber titles on Chuck Berry, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, andMichael Jackson combined”. (Vogel, Man in the Music). Whereas an artist like Michael Jackson is incredibly visible through the media and tabloid coverage, research on his art remains comparatively small. If this continues Michael Jackson’s contributions could be written out of history in just a few decades. Therefore, this journal nurtures, fosters, protects, preserves and grows the vital research and recognition of his work.
The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies has three editors: Kerry Hennigan, Elizabeth Amisu and Karin Merx.
Podcasts are a fantastic way of getting academic ideas around Michael Jackson into the public sphere in a way that is easily accessible to listeners. Presented by the journal’s editors, it is the world’s first academic podcast which solely discusses the art of Michael Jackson as well as the broader contexts in which his music, performance and short films were created and received. Each podcast is filled to the brim with academic insights, a plethora of references from a range of academic disciplines, humor and a great deal of discussion, taking Michael Jackson’s work and the study of its reception to new heights.
MichaelJackson’s Dream Lives On: An Academic Conversation is our official, original monthly/fortnightly academic podcast which focuses on the life, art and creative work of Michael Jackson. Recently, featured on the iTunes ‘New and Noteworthy’ lists, Michael Jackson’s Dream Lives On: An Academic Conversation is the world’s foremost podcast on Michael Jackson in academic studies. It is available via iTunes, Android, Email, RSS, and Stitcher. Listen here.