Comments on: Michael Jackson Date Rape Anthems: Too Soon? Edition

By: danielle

danielle — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 07:03:53 +0000

Isn't Billie Jean about this chick saying she has Michael Jackson's baby? This...is kind of witch hunting. Or just really poor examples.

By: snobographer

snobographer — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 20:54:46 +0000

The video for "The Way You Make Me Feel" has always irked me. It came out when I was a teenage girl dealing with street harassment every damn day, so my reaction at the time, honestly, was "great, just what I need is Michael effin' Jackson and MTV (both the biggest entities in pop culture at the time) making that shit cool." And as I'd predicted, after that video came out, there was a huge uptick in the number of douchewads aggressively pestering me whenever I went out in public. The lyrics never bothered me much though. Just seemed like your typical poppy "girl, you're so hot I could plotz!" type song. Regarding "Billie Jean," ever notice how Jackson's most elaborately narrative songwriting was always about monster groupies coming to get him? Other examples are "Heart Break Hotel" and "Dirty Diana." I doubt he was exceptionally misogynist, but groupies scared the bejeezes out of that guy.

By: Tamara Ashford

Tamara Ashford — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 18:28:06 +0000

Hey!!! honestly i never thought of the songs that way! u guys are just perverted! and im pretty sure he didnt mean it that way either1 c'mon thriller??? wtf??? wtf does that have to do with date rape?? n as shy and sweet as he is im pretty sure he didnt mean it that way! any song like ego by beyonce can be misunderstood 'it's too big, it's too wide, it's too strong, it won't fit." I LOVE U MJ N THESE CRAZY PEOPLE R STILL TALKIN ABOUT U!! WHEN WILL THEY EVER QUIT???!!! ENJOY HEAVEN! I'LL SEE U SOMEDAY!:)

By: Fancy Lady

Fancy Lady — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:53:33 +0000

Amanda, I totally agree with you. Watching the vid for "The Way You Make Me Feel" knocks me off my feet, and not in a good way, especially the part where he follows her into a car. The vid conveys the message that stalking is an acceptable way to pursue a woman, because eventually she'll just give in anyway.

By: Shele

Shele — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 02:09:05 +0000

Hey,maybe you've got to look at the perspective of the artist. Was he writing about himself or was he reflecting upon society? Where did he draw his inspiration from for his song lyrics? And maybe, just maybe, the artist is giving the audience want they want. It's called marketing. You can read anything you like into visual imagery, the written text, what you hear, all depending upon your own personal perspective and what you are looking for from a specifically narrow point of reference. Take "Girls on Film" by Durran Durran, say you're coming from a morally constricted perspective you would see "Girls on Film" in an entirely different way to someone who has more openmindedness about sex/sexuality. What do you perceive "Midnight Summer's Dream" to be/represent from Shakespeare? Keep in mind that you just may see it completely different from what was originally intended from Shakespeare.

By: Q

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:59:42 +0000

Well, Blood on the Dance Floor should provide some revenge don't you think?

By: Amanda Hess

Amanda Hess — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:55:18 +0000

DirtyDiana, I agree that many of Michael Jackson's songs are explicitly rapey. I see Smooth Criminal as more of a Rape Jam than a Date Rape Jam, however.

By: DirtyDiana

DirtyDiana — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:32:27 +0000

Yeah, I agree with Q, your song selections are pretty weak. You missed the obvious: Smooth Criminal.

As He Came Into The Window
It Was The Sound Of A Crescendo
He Came Into Her Apartment
He Left The Bloodstains On The Carpet
She Ran Underneath The Table
He Could See She Was Unable
So She Ran Into The Bedroom
She Was Struck Down, It Was Her Doom

By: mdesus

mdesus — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:05:03 +0000

dude the way you make me feal is super rapey. he corners a lone woman on the street at night, and won't let her get away even when she starts to run.

By: "BLANKET"

"BLANKET" — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:34:42 +0000

UMMM LOOK U DIRTY BASTARD DONT TALK ABOUT HIM LIKE THAT IN THE SONG THE WAY U MAKE ME FEEL HE IS NOT STALKING HER AND ALL GIRLS DO THAT(RUN AWAY) BE CUZ THEY ARENT TRYNA SEEM TO EAGER... AND IN THE SONG BILLIE JEAN HE IS SAYIN SHE IS A HOE NOT HIM BEIN THE BAD ONE!! AND THAT SHE A LIAR AND THE SONG THRILLER WAS BASED ON A MOVIE THAT WAS OUT AT THAT POINT IN TIME...DONT TALK BOUT MY IDOL LIKE THAT I LOV EHIM SO MUCH AND HE DIDNT DO ANYTHING TO YOU HE IS NOT MOLESTER HE LOVES KIDS THEIR PARENTS WERE JUST AFTER HIS MONEY AND HE IS KIND CARING AND LOVING AND IF SOMEBODY NEEDED MONEY OR ASKED FOR IT I ELIEVE HE WULD GIVE IT TOO THEM I MEAN THATS THE LEAST HE CULD DO HE WA A BILLIONARE...

By: Q

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:24:25 +0000

I agree with all of you. Amanda, let the man get buried first, then mention this stuff. Besides, your song selection is weak. You'd find better examples in P.Y.T., In the Closet, Give Into Me, and others.

By: anonymoose

anonymoose — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:47:54 +0000

There wasn't anything close to rape in any of that. This was more poorly contrived than Transformers 2.

By: anon

anon — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:43:31 +0000

kinda reaching at this point

By: Coleman

Coleman — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:28:34 +0000

My rapey fun is dead! You killed it!