I DON'T FEEL TOO GOOD It never ceases to amaze me how cheaply Americans are willing to sell out their values and priorities. Am I the only one who finds it odd that Michael Jackson, who has never been found guilty of one charge filed against him, is still considered a social pariah yet James Brown, who was convicted on numerous occasions of spousal abuse, battery, wielding a firearm, illegal drug possession and a host of other similar charges, is being heralded as a hero?
Yeah, I know we all "struggle with our demons" but, in the end, Brown's penchant for violence and drugs far outweigh the fact he recorded "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag.". I would agree that he was one of the most influential artists of our time, but this guy didn't just have a bunch of unpaid parking tickets. He was a wife-beating felon. He'd get jacked up on coke, beat the crap out of her or anyone else, and then be forgiven by the rest of us because he was fun to watch on stage. We really are whores.
So yes, James Brown was, to be sure, a great entertainer. But he was, more significantly, also a career criminal who laughed at society's laws because he was a celebrity. Perhaps the reason he was known as the "hardest working man in show business" was, quite simply, because he was holding down two jobs.
I said the same thing to like 20 people. It was the first thing I thought of b/c I volunteer in a women's shelter, I guess. The multiple funerals/viewings/honor ceremonies continued anyway. All while his current wife was locked out of their house.
