I’m po’d (pissed off)
My review of the Michael movie…
I was so hyped. I was anticipating this film for monthsssss. I love Michael Jackson; he has one of the greatest discographies of all time. His swag, his voice, I love him. I got tickets in ScreenX, I snuck in McDonald’s, I was sat.
Let me start by saying, Jaafar Jackson, you are the man. You are your uncle’s nephew. Wow. The resemblance is uncanny. The swag, the vibe, the dancing– your talents and looks were not used to their full potential.
My mainnnnn gripe with the plot is whyyyy did we stop at the Bad era?! Like that’s when it starts to get extra juicy! I had not watched any trailers whatsoever, so I naively thought that the film would traverse his entire life. Maybe something like Elvis. I was wrong.
I understand the attempt at kindly preserving his legacy because the Bad era was when his image started becoming a bit complicated. The movie deliberately included scenes of Michael talking about how much he loves kids and how all he wants to do is help them. This is an obvious nod at the controversies surrounding his “inappropriate love for children.” I will give them credit because I feel as though they did a great job of dismantling that belief by showing Michael as an honest, caring man who acted like a kid himself. With that being said, the movie was extremely kid-friendly and safe. Too safe. It was clearly an attempt at restoring his name in the public eye. Honestly, it will probably work because now a whole new generation of people will leave loving MJ.
Jaafar Jackson did a phenomenal job. I wish there were more. I wanted to see the controversy, I wanted to see what they would do with his skin lightening, drug use, and the lawsuits. I wanted a more raw cut of Michael Jackson. In a way, the world already got a raw cut of him in real time, and I simply was not alive to witness it. Perhaps it is just my loss. Regardless, I know I am not alone when I say the audience expected more, and the ending was shockingly abrupt.
All that to say that Michael Jackson is still the greatest of all time. Currently obsessed with Liberian Girl. I yearn for an alternate universe where I was alive to witness his rise to stardom, to see a legend in the making. There will never be another one like him.
Edit: I wrote this initial post on Thursday after I watched the movie. It is now Sunday. I have since found that the plot is a bit “all over the place” because the film had to go through soooo many reshoots and script changes due to legal stipulations. Tragic.
https://screenrant.com/michael-original-ending-revealed-script-change/
TikTok has ruined having personal taste in music
After Coachella, people kept asking me which set was my favorite. I replied by saying Sabrina Carpenter. C’mon. That girl put on a damn good show. Every response back was like okayyy 😅. Lots of people were like, “Oh, I don’t really like her.” Okay, sure, but why was this everyone’s response? Not to compare, but why do more people prefer Sombr to Sabrina Carpenter? Sabrina got on that stage and gave us everything. Stage presence, vocals, storyline, dancing. She excelled in all the elements that make for an exemplary pop performance. So, what is the real reason behind the hatred of pop music? I believe that TikTok has ruined the affinity for pop music because people prefer to be perceived as “cool” or deeply knowledgeable about music.
I deleted TikTok back in January 2025 when it was first banned in the US. It had been something I wanted to do for a long time, and that moment was the perfect time to do so. For a long time, I did not have the app. A couple of months ago, I finally redownloaded it because my sister wanted me to like her videos (she actually runs a decent page lol).
One of the main differences I have experienced in my life since being off TikTok is that I have formulated my own opinions about music. I also used to “dislike” pop music, and if I had still been on TikTok, I probably would have had the same opinions everyone else had about Sabrina. However, because I made the decision to stop being a sheep, I have my own opinion now. It is beautiful to have an opinion! I sound a bit hypocritical because I am coming for those who go against mine lol. But I struggle to accept it because I wonder how much of it is actually your opinion! Sabrina’s latest album had bangers: My Man on Willpower, Goodbye, and House Tour, to name a few. I have listened to that album front to back multiple times. I love it, and I had such a fun time singing along at Coachella.
You know which other pop girlies are killing it? KATSEYE, ADÉLA, Addison Rae, Olivia Rodrigo. They’re mainstream for a reason, like what 😭. It’s okay to give them a listen; it won’t ruin your image. I told this one girl that my favorite set was Sabrina, and I could immediately tell her perception of me had switched. I saw it in her eyes. Girl, why?! My playlist can go from The Beatles to Addison Rae to Steely Dan to Michael Jackson.
TikTok has implanted the idea of being “cool” and having “underground” music taste. It’s okay to like mainstream, too! Pop music is fun! Hating pop music does not make you deep. People think that liking what’s “basic” makes you simple-minded. No, it makes you an enjoyer of music!
Taste does not need validation for it to be real. Music is supposed to be enjoyed, not curated for the approval of those around you. Once you free yourself from those self-made chains, everything becomes so much more enjoyable. At the end of the day, isn’t it cooler to go against the grain and do whatever the hell you want? Get off TikTok and stop doing what everyone else tells you to do! Even if you think you aren’t, the constant feedback loop invades your subconscious and quietly reconfigures your entire thought process.
I truly could go on about this for hours, and I haven’t even touched on the internalized misogyny behind the shame of liking pop. This was a very “on the spot” written post because it’s just something that’s been pissing me off!
Note: Michael Jackson is the King of Pop, yet nobody gets hate for liking his music. So, why is it suddenly wrong when a girl admits to liking pop? MJ is okay, but other top-performing female artists aren’t? There’s a conversation to be had here.
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