Jacko Free

Certainly, everyone by now has heard of Michael Jackson’s acquittal. To some, this is an act of grave injustice – another case of a celebrity circumventing the principles fair play and equality before law. For others, Jackson has been released from the clutch of grubbing mothers out to exploit his eccentricities for his money. (Amusingly, on his site, Jackson likened his acquittal to the fall of the Berlin Wall and Nelson Mandela's release from prison!)

But regardless of your stance, Michael Jackson remains an enigma. He is likely a more enigmatic figure today than he was at anytime throughout much-publicized lifetime. Here is a man who transformed from a poor black boy to a rich white woman; a man who transcends the demarcations of race, sex, and age.

This is a guy that’s set the record for album sales, took Emmanuel Lewis as his date to the Grammy’s, slept in an oxygen chamber, purchased the Elephant Man’s bones, lives in an amusement park, married then divorced Elvis’ daughter, dangled his baby son out a hotel balcony, and professes to sharing a bed with young boys. He is likely today the most famous man in the world. To his most devout fans, he’s a messianic figure. To most others, he’s a 46-year old black man trapped in the body of an anorexic white woman’s with a mental age of an 11 year old boy – a freakshow that’s completely lost touch with reality.

Given all his troubles – a scarred reputation, slumping album sales, financial debts – can Jackson rebound? He certainly can. More than anything, Jackson has to quit this nonsense with sleeping with boys, scrap with the Wacko Jacko persona, and re-assume his rightful throne as The King of Pop.

So be prepared – I predict MJ will make a comeback, and he’ll be as strong as ever.