Jarvis Cocker Talks Michael Jackson, Brits Stage Invasion
July 6, 2009 by Dave Parrack
Michael Jackson’s life and death has now been discussed ad nauseam by both the people who knew him and the people who didn’t. I must admit to being a little bit bored of the whole thing now. Michael Jackson was a great singer, songwriter, dancer, and performer. But he was not the second coming. It’s very sad that he has died at the tender age of 50, but since his death on June 25, thousands of other people have died around the world, many of them younger than Jacko, and all of them having had less of a privileged life.
However, there is one man’s opinion I still wanted to hear regarding the life and death of Michael Jackson. That man is Jarvis Cocker, who had a brief but very famous connection to the King of Pop. Cocker, formally a member of the Britpop band Pulp, appeared on the British television show Question Time last week and was asked for his opinion on the passing away of the once-great music artist.
He said:
“If there’s a tragedy about the whole thing, I would say that if he’d kept making records like he did in the mid-’80s up to now, that would have been great. But for the past 20 years he didn’t do that – for me, that’s the tragic part of it.”
The host, David Dimbleby, then asked him about that fateful day back in 1996 when Michael Jackson appeared at the Brit Awards to sing Earth Song. Pulp front man Jarvis was sitting at his table getting increasingly annoyed at Michael Jackson’s over-the-top, pretentious performance where he literally acted as if he were Jesus, able to heal children, old people, hell, the whole world. And Jarvis decided to act. He said:
“He was pretending to be Jesus. I’m not religious but I think, as a performer myself, the idea of someone pretending to have the power of healing is just not right. Rock stars have big enough egos without pretending to be Jesus – that was what got my goat, that one particular thing.”
The video of what Jarvis Cocker did to protest against Michael Jackson’s 1996 Brits performance is embedded below. At the time I was as shocked as anyone else at what I was seeing happen, but pleased that someone in the audience had the balls to actually get up out of their seat and ruin what was a ludicrous display of pomposity and ego.
I’m sure there are Jacko fans out there who hate Jarvis Cocker for what he did in the video above. But regardless of how much you adored Jackson, you have to admit that performance, and the song in general, was an egotistical display of cringe that even goes beyond what Bono and Chris Martin can manage. Together. On a good day.
[Photo Source: Newscom]
RIP Michael.
When I first saw that I thought Jarvis was part of the act. I have no idea what was going on. Until Geldof lambasted Jarvis in his speech. That was also the first time I heard of Jarvis. Many of us have this notion that Jarvis went up there to protest MJ’s molestation charges, until now. That ’s why people oftentimes call Jarvis looking more like a kiddie fiddler than MJ. We didn’t know that was about MJ’s egomaniacal performance.
So, when is Jarvis going to invade Bono or Kanye West.
“Earth Song” is a ballad that incorporates elements of blues and gospel. In the socially conscious track, Jackson issues a plea to God about problems ranging from war to endangered animals.
IT’S NOT A SONG ABOUT BEING JESUS OR GOD,ARE YOU STUPID?!
Jarvis had to be physically removed from the stage by security guards and in the process three children were injured.
I just able to watched the video today and I feel very dissapointed with JARVIS.I thought most of the people in Europe,US countries are well educated, but in this case I am very much conviced that you Jarvis are not one of them .I came from Asian country but we, I ,know how to give respect to ones opinions , ideas of any individual.You are so called artist too????but I think you are not well educated.There are some movies there related to GOD , CHRIST , there are several actors who performed that kind of role…why you never or I nver heard any protest from you…Why is it in Michael performance you made those protest….IS THAT BECOZ FOR SURE YOU WILL GET A MINUTE OF FAME …well Jarvis,work hard, strive hard like what Michael did to his career… he is there as KING OF POP its becoz of his hardwork, love to GOD,his family, friends, fans and living things.So for you out there who wants a LOVE that Michael has from all over the world.Please do well, act well coz we are all watching you.Fans wil easily love someone who will able to show their great talent, working hard by giving their best to entertain their fans/world, and who always stayed humble no matter achievements or fame they got.And that what Michaels have ……so dont feel get jealous…just work hard in your craft….and your attitudes towards life.
To all haters of Michael jackson.please open your heart your eyes, and your mind…any celebrities you know or are you willing to give any 1% of your blessing to
continuation:
To all haters of Michael Jackson….please dont be a haters of him for life,he able to share all his talents, his blessings to the point that he even he lost his childhood for us to entertain us/world.Now he is already gone lets give him respect and peace.
Everyone commits mistake and no one is perfect in this world.so lets be kind to each other.God bless