Michael Jackson is dead at age 50. The pop star, who had scheduled a series of potential comeback concerts in London to start on July 13, was found unconscious at his home and was rushed to UCLA medical center, where he was pronounced dead. Many reports stated that he was in a coma upon arrival.
Michael Jackson's life was documented mercilessly on television, though he seemed to become less comfortable with his exposure as years passed. His life on the small screen began with his child stardom in the Jackson 5, peaked during his chart-topping musical career and culminated in surgery rumors, health problems, child molestation charges and generally odd behavior. He may have charted some unknown, controversial and even downright creepy territory in his later years, but separating his bizarre personal life from his performance career, it's impossible to deny his genius. Everything from his lyrics to his beats to his costumes to his choreography set him apart from all other musicians. Screeches, white socks, single gloves and the moonwalk are among his many contributions to pop culture.
As television fans, we'll especially miss his music videos, which revolutionized the genre. The light-up cement blocks in "Billie Jean," the bar fight in "You Rock My World," the monster mash in "Thriller," the West Side Story-dance in "Beat It" -- without these videos, the songs would have rocked, but not rolled. Each one was an extended glimpse into his musical mind, and it was a brilliant one. Not many artists are able to put their music to images, but MJ was the King of Pop because of it. He changed music television, and music television made him a legend.
Michael Jackson's life was defined by television, for better and for worse. Television was both his personal artistic canvas and the world's voyeuristic window into the short life of a tragic, complex, talented individual.
