Would a Michael Jackson comeback have worked?

[schiezainc]

So my fiancee and I just saw 'This Is It' earlier today and it got me thinking, about this board especially.

I remember when Jackson announced his plans to tour in London and saw this thread here->

http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/threads/68022/


So, the question I ask is this. Knowing what you know now and seeing what you've seen of the response to Michael, do you think that, had the London shows taken place, Michael Jackson could have possibly had his career revived in the U.S.?

Now, I don't want to ruin the movie for anyone here but the impression I got from watching him was that he still had it, he still had the voice and the dance moves and the ability.

There's no denying the dude was in rough shape and this was nowhere near the Michael of the 80's/early 90's. But, that being said, I think if the images of Jackson in This Is It were what the London crowds got, and if the show was as good as it looked like it was going to be, I think he could have had that comeback we all secretly kind of expected.

What say you? Was it too late for him? Has 'This Is It' changed your opinion on the matter?

 

[BYH]

No.

 

[NoOneLikesUs]

I saw the movie a few days ago and I'm still thinking about it. It's not that it was an incredible movie by any stretch of the imagination, but I can't help but focus on those few moments where all of the ghoulishness he had been associated with for the last two decades just disappeared. There were times when the brain was convinced it was watching something from a very different era.

I think he certainly had the moves and the voice to do this right, but it's impossible to judge the limits of his endurance from what was given to us in the film. I think the most underrated aspect of this comeback was the pioneering technological advances he was going to use for this production. Since only sketches, diagrams and unfinished props were shown in the film, it's impossible to tell how all of that would have went over, but I seriously think some of it was going to mind-boggling.

 

[schiezainc]

I saw the movie a few days ago and I'm still thinking about it. It's not that it was an incredible movie by any stretch of the imagination, but I can't help but focus on those few moments where all of the ghoulishness he had been associated with for the last two decades just disappeared. There were times when the brain was convinced it was watching something from a very different era.

I think he certainly had the moves and the voice to do this right, but it's impossible to judge the limits of his endurance from what was given to us in the film. I think the most underrated aspect of this comeback was the pioneering technological advances he was going to use for this production. Since only sketches, diagrams and unfinished props were shown in the film, it's impossible to tell how all of that would have went over, but I seriously think some of it was going to mind-boggling.

See, that's the thing with me too.

Up until I heard about his death, any time I heard the words 'Michael Jackson' I thought child molester.

I wanted so bad not to fall back into the MJ trap but the movie got to me. It brought me back to those days when I didn't look at him as a freak, when I didn't think of him as a monster.

That's why I think it might have worked. You figure he goes on to do those 50 shows. Obviously some of the footage is going to get out. Hell, they might have even released it as a DVD.

Based on what I saw, he would have gotten nothing but positive press about the shows and you know that someone, somewhere was going to throw as much money as it took to get him back on stage in the US.

Would it have been an instant comeback? No, not likely. But, given time, if he had the endurance, I think he could have gotten back to the top of music.

Now, I'm not saying he would have changed everyone's mind. Hell, if he hadn't died, I'd still think of him as scum. But, I think deep down we all want to remember him as the MJ of old, the one that didn't have the plastic surgery, the one that didn't dangle his kid out of a window. I think the shows would have brought that MJ back to the forefront and I know that, even if I never outwardly admitted it, I'd be singing right along in my head.

 

[imjustagirl]

Never dangled a kid out of a window. It was over a balcony railing. Get your facts straight.

Oh, and yes.

 

[Flying Headbutt]

Hollywood may forgive child molesters, but America doesn't.

 

[sgreenwell]

I never got the impression that Jackson's popularity had fallen off - if it had - because of his performances. I thought it was all solely due to his totally bizarre public personality. Hearing reviews of this movie makes me compare Jackson to another dead superstar more and more: Elvis. Even up to his death, he could still bring it with a great performance here and there, and a lot of addicts can manage to get through day-to-day activity (and performing) between crippling bouts of inactivity.

 

[bagelchick]

I'm seeing the movie tonight. I've heard nothing but positive about it. I think his concerts would've started a comeback and he would've eventually landed in Vegas where all former superstars seem to end up lately.

 

[BYH]

Folks, he died after a series of REHEARSALS. All this talk about whether America and/or the world would have re-embraced the freak (sorry, but he was) is immaterial. There was no way he was ever going to be healthy enough to mount a comeback. Ever.

 

[Mystery Meat II]

Something would have happened to cut the comeback short or cancel it outright. Medical drama, legal drama, something. The shows still would have sold out, and he would have had his supporters, but it's not like he wandered off the path after 1996. He had singles out after that and few people bought in. Enough for 50 theatrical shows? Sure. A full-fledged comeback? Probably not -- if he doesn't die in June, random people aren't playing Can't Stop Till You Get Enough in July.

 

[Football_Bat]

Hollywood may forgive child molesters, but America doesn't.

Never convicted except in the court of public opinion, I should point out.

If Latrell Sprewell and Mariah Carey and Richard Nixon can come back, so could've Jacko. He would've had to start in Europe, of course. He was still fricking huge on the continent at least (the UK tabs were even more fierce on him than the American press was).

 

[slappy4428]

No.

Not only that, but Hell No.

 

[kingcreole]

Folks, he died after a series of REHEARSALS. All this talk about whether America and/or the world would have re-embraced the freak (sorry, but he was) is immaterial. There was no way he was ever going to be healthy enough to mount a comeback. Ever.

I agree with this.

The whole Creole clan saw "This Is It" yesterday. My kids loved it. My 11-year old has made it her goal to do the moonwalk (she's not half bad at it). I too enjoyed it. MJ still had a good voice and had dance moves that defied gravity. And the set for "Thriller" alone would have made the concert worth the price of admission.

If MJ was in good health, a comeback in America would have worked, no doubt. But I'm skeptical all 50 London shows would have happened. The guy was as skinny in death as Elvis was fat.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

He had already postponed several of the concerts when he died. Count me among those who are very skeptical that they would have taken place.

Haven't seen the movie, but the clips make him look pretty impressive. Then again, they were able to cherry-pick from something like 100+ hours of rehearsal footage, so I'm not sure how accurate it is in showing his overall condition.

He remains insanely big in Europe - I was in Italy a few months ago and heard "Thriller" everywhere, over and over. But here, I suspect he had Vegas in his future... if he could show up regularly, and he probably couldn't.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

He had to die for anyone to care again.

I don't think he could have even sold out a stadium tour in the US before he died.

I mean, let's be honest, it was

 

[Chef]

No way, Jose.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Hollywood may forgive child molesters, but America doesn't.

Never convicted except in the court of public opinion, I should point out.

If Latrell Sprewell and Mariah Carey and Richard Nixon can come back, so could've Jacko. He would've had to start in Europe, of course. He was still fricking huge on the continent at least (the UK tabs were even more fierce on him than the American press was).

There's a bit of a difference between a player choking out his coach (some thought PJ deserved it), a singer having an epic meltdown (sheer entertainment value) or a politician losing a couple of elections (than a singer with a history of bizarre behavior who admitted he shared beds with young boys.

A Jackson comeback would have drawn a good amount of his diehard fans, but in terms of being a roaring success? No.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

Hollywood may forgive child molesters, but America doesn't.

Never convicted except in the court of public opinion, I should point out.

If Latrell Sprewell and Mariah Carey and Richard Nixon can come back, so could've Jacko. He would've had to start in Europe, of course. He was still fricking huge on the continent at least (the UK tabs were even more fierce on him than the American press was).

There's a bit of a difference between a player choking out his coach (some thought PJ deserved it), a singer having an epic meltdown (sheer entertainment value) or a politician losing a couple of elections (than a singer with a history of bizarre behavior who admitted he shared beds with young boys.

A Jackson comeback would have drawn a good amount of his diehard fans, but in terms of being a roaring success? No.

Also, worth noting, Nixon's rehab was largely after his death as well.

 

[93Devil]

Never.

 

[Piotr Rasputin]

Is it wrong that I want to go into a theater to see the movie, and, no matter how good it is, yell out, "This is ****!" just to see what would happen?

But I digress.

The comeback was already working.

50 sold-out shows in London. Which would have led to feelers getting put out for a possible world tour - one last time, see him now, etc. - and he would have been able to finish a triumphant world tour. Look at the London schedule; he would have been able to stay healthy, and it would have taken two-plus years to hit everywhere with that type of spread-out schedule. Two-plus years of positive publicity about how spry he looked onstage.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Is_It_%28Michael_Jackson_concerts%29

Nostalgia for quality, entertaining music is all over the place these days. The damn Police got back together. So did old-school Van Halen. Michael Jackson would have sold out multiple nights in the biggest cities, and single nights everywhere else. In arenas, with stadiums under consideration in Europe, and in Los Angeles and New York.

Absolutely no doubt in my mind.