The passing of icons

Michael Jackson was a modern-day Vincent Van Gogh, regardless of the issues surrounding his death. His artistic mastery was unparalleled.

I can’t say I was a huge Jackson fan. He was viewed as a monster by some, but after seeing his interview concerning the controversial issues that dogged him I don’t believe it was in his character to commit such acts. He believed in adolescent innocence, his own having been exploited. Over time his psyche was overwhelmed by the repulsive cruelty of such accusations. These charges battered his fragile psyche.

Experts say there’s a fine line between insanity and genius, and there were times that the line blurred for Michael. People sometimes don’t realize or care how much damage they do to others, intentional or not.

We should be forever amazed by Michael’s great accomplishments.

Johnny Kent

Waco

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The June 27 editorial comparing Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson was so far off target that it must have been a parting shot by John Young. Only John could have such a myopic perspective.

John could look at a stately oak and pesky cedar tree and describe them as “a couple of trees.” Never were two entertainers more opposite. Farrah was the most sought-after potential “sex star” of the 1970s and ’80s. Sleazy creeps like Hugh Hefner offered her millions to take off her clothes. She refused, even when it hurt her career.

As soon as he was old enough to make his own decisions, Jackson began making bad ones. His philosophy — anything for publicity, anything for shock value — gave us “the glove,” the crotch grab and the nose job. It was no accident that the audience most influenced by his disgusting dance routines were the little boys he invited into his bed.

On the other hand, Farrah waited patiently for an opportunity to perform as a “real actress” and accomplished that goal in her portrayal of an abused wife in The Burning Bed. Tragically, Jackson died in controversy and overshadowed the death of the heroic Ms. Fawcett.

Even so, Farrah had what Michael always wanted. She was one of the most beautiful people on Earth.

Bobby Blain

Woodway

EDITOR’S NOTE: Ms. Fawcett appeared in Playboy at least twice, in the mid-1990s. Her first appearance in the magazine resulted in what was reportedly the bestselling issue of that decade. Incidentally, senior editor Bill Whitaker, who interviewed Fawcett in 1981, wrote the editorial.

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Long before Patrick McManus coined the phrase, I heard my father comment after a funeral that nothing improves a man’s character like his own death. The aftermath of the tragic demise of Michael Jackson once again proves him right.

Where was all the love and adoration before Jackson died? Sadly, he had been filed away as a pitiful has-been who was perhaps a little crazy. Fortunately, the good things will be remembered and the strange behavior forgotten by all but those who write biographies.

Joe Walker

Lorena