Fox News conservative commentator Bill O’Reilly appeared a little puzzled as to why black Americans are so interested in coverage of Michael Jackson. Again, this illustrates O’Reilly’s lack of knowledge, lack of appreciation for and lack of respect for the so-called black community. O’Reilly miserably fails to appreciate that black people see more than skin color when they looked at Michael Jackson. Now, that is not to say that some people may not have been disappointed by some things Jackson did during his life, but that doesn’t mean they turned their backs on him. O’Reilly fails, also, to appreciate the huge impact that Jackson had on pop culture, the black community and on the world. Contrary to what O’Reilly may content, Michael Jackson was a trailblazer and was the first to cross over on such a large scale to appeal to people from all races, as an entertainer.
Were there a lot of black entertainers on MTV prior to Michael Jackson blowing up? Uh, no. Unlike O’Reilly, I am not going to get into one of these deals pitting black entertainers who came before Michael Jackson against Michael Jackson. There were some great male and female performers who helped set the stage for Michael Jackson, but what Jackson did for the entertainers of today is virtually immeasurable.
Excuse me, I digress a bit.
Here is what O’Reilly said citing the results of a Pew Research poll:
O’REILLY: Black Americans are much more engaged in watching this stuff than white Americans, even though Michael Jackson has white children – and he chose to have white children — and the face deal, don’t even want to get into … So what’s that racial thing all about?
Black people can appreciate him (and the impact he had on so many people through his abilities as an entertainer). The fact that he had white children and his skin mysteriously ligthened does not mean that black people can no longer appreciate him and his contributions any more than white people would appreciate him more because of that.
Are having white kids and lighter skin color disqualifying factors (in terms of black appreciation)?
Here is a Pew Research Poll that talks about interest in the deaths of celebrities. Note that Michael Jackson is not even at the top of the list.
Source: Pew Research Center
