They Don't Make Celebrities Like Michael Jackson Anymore

Magic Johnson invited Michael Jackson to a Lakers game in the 1980s, but Jackson hesitated because he feared his presence would trigger an intense frenzy. The fears proved accurate, as fans reacted wildly, forcing the game to be stopped to get him out. Jackson’s level of fame is portrayed as uniquely obsessive and enduring, even decades after his death. A recently released biopic about his life has become one of the highest-grossing biopics, with speculation about a sequel because the film’s timeline ends in the late 1980s. Criticism about the film’s commercial nature and omissions, along with multiple legal controversies, have not prevented strong audience interest. The article notes that Jackson denied wrongdoing, settled one lawsuit, was acquitted in another, and his estate has denied allegations in a later case.

"“He sat down; people went crazy,” Johnson recalled to Variety. “They were running from upstairs, the sides. We had to stop the game to get him out.”"

"As popular as Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and Drake are, all have attended sporting events without causing a stoppage in play. But Michael Jackson, after he became famous, was different. He existed on a truly singular plane of stardom-and nearly 20 years after his death, he still inspires a unique level of obsession, devotion, and curiosity from fans, even those who weren't alive to see him in the flesh."

"Already, the movie is the second-highest-grossing biopic of all time, and there's serious speculation that a sequel will be produced, given that the movie's timeline stops in the late 1980s. Audiences haven't been deterred by the critics largely panning the film for being shallow and offensively commercial."

"The flurry of headlines about what was left out of the film-most obviously, the 1993 lawsuit that accused Jackson of molesting a 13-year-old, and subsequent lawsuits alleging similar abuse-also haven't mattered. (Jackson settled the 1993 lawsuit and denied wrongdoing; in 2005, he was acquitted in a lawsuit brought by a different accuser. Jackson, who died in 2009, was accused of sexually assaulting four children in a new lawsuit filed against his estate in February. The estate has denied the allegations.)"

Read at The Atlantic