To fellow MJ fans... a word

For months, I've lurked on various MJ fan sites/discussion boards in the hope of hastening the mourning process and for the most part, doing this was helpful. However, I have come across pockets of fans who are overzealous in their appreciation of MJ's contributions to their lives. They come off as overly sensitive and possessive and worse, they think that their 'taking up for Michael' is some sort of divine mission - not an exaggeration, given that some have made him into some sort of deity.

Michael Jackson wasn't a deity. He was a man. A very special man, but a man. And yes, I have on, more than a few occasions, engaged in overindulgent behavior when it comes to this man; however, I haven't forgotten about the gift that this man bestowed on me and numerous others: the ability to be receptive to new experiences.

It is very hard to remain receptive in the current world, because you are constantly assailed with vindictiveness, mediocrity, and outright pantload, but it is a battle worth waging. Mercifully, a little part of me held on to receptiveness, despite Mary Hart and Entertainment Tonight's infiltration of the We Are the World 25 Haiti recording. Thanks to the bad editing and Mary Hart's posturing, I was fully prepared to hate the update. How thoroughly wrong I would've been.

First of all, for me, nothing will ever overshadow the original version of We Are the World. I loved that song so much, I even bought the full length LP, which feature other artists like Steve Perry, Prince, Tina Turner and Bruce Springsteen. I remember singing it, along with my classmates, in music class. That original version is entrenched inside of me; however, I would be lying if I didn't say that I am feeling the updated version, especially the new material featuring rappers/hip hop artists. Initially, I thought, along with many, that Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones were posturing when they implied that MJ would be on board with this version, but I honestly think that they were right. MJ was many things, but mostly, he was a collaborator. He fed on the creative energies of others, especially the 'others' who were, seemingly, outside of his comfort zone.

Did the new version have big-marquee names like the original version? No. Has something like this been done before? No. But thinking back on the other charity singles like Do They Know It's Christmas? or Hands Across America, or Voices that Care or even the hip hop charity/public awareness projects like Self Destruction or We're All In the Same Gang, We Are the World seems to be the only single that withstood the test of time and can be improved upon without the threat of destroying it's original integrity.

No, it's not mandatory for fans to embrace the updated version, but for pete's sake, don't use your reticence to manipulate MJ's actual legacy. MJ was not Norma Desmond, folks - so desperate to cling onto past glories that they became distorted to grotesque proportions.

He was a man who wrote a pretty good song, which clearly, still has a life of its own. Wouldn't that make MJ happy?