The Thriller is gone

I guess you can’t write a blog titled Imaginary Worlds without considering the untimely death of pop legend Michael Jackson and the many many people who had an imaginary social relationship with him. Imaginary social relations are relationships with media figures we don’t actually know, but with whom we feel an emotional closeness or perhaps toward whom we feel an emotional repulsion. Moreover, these media figures play important roles in our lives: mentors, friends, lovers, father or mother figures, among others. The degree and nature of one’s imaginary social relationship with Michael Jackson probably depends on your age. Students in this class do not remember a time when there was no MTV. And for those who are younger than twenty, you cannot remember a time when Michael Jackson was not embroiled in some controversy. If you are older, let’s say in your thirties, then you might remember Michael Jackson and his brothers at the beginning of their careers. The video above represents a seminal moment when Michael Jackson introduced the "moonwalk" during a performance of Billy Jean at the Motown 25th Anniversary Show. There is no question that his career has been a long one and that he impacted people in different ways. How did he impact you?