Is nothing sacred anymore? It seems like every single day, we’re told that yet another of our beloved fellow humans has done something horrible, and then—because we’re living in a lightning-fast rush to judgement society—there are calls to completely eradicate said human’s legacy and body of work off the face of the Earth.
Based on HBO’s recent documentary about Michael Jackson, “Leaving Neverland” (which I watched and was disgusted by; I believe the guys’ accusations given the decades of evidence and strange behavior surrounding the King of Pop), there are now petitions here in Las Vegas demanding that the two MJ-themed stage shows be cancelled by their casino hosts (Cirque du Soleil’s “Michael Jackson One” at Mandalay Bay and “MJ Live,” a tribute show at the Stratosphere). Could Jackson-themed slot machines be targeted next? Will there be calls for radio stations and MTV to stop playing his music, too? Can we never sing along to “Billie Jean” ever again without feeling guilty and dirty?
It seems to me that there must be some kind of balance between learning from our past and recognizing that we can’t whitewash/erase history. It’s similar to Civil War memorials and statues, kind of—municipalities across the nation have been challenged of late to remove images of Robert E. Lee and others because of what those men stood and fought for. But there are also people who think those memorials should stay and be used as teachable opportunities so that we never forget our past. The Civil War happened, we can’t pretend it didn’t.
Perhaps the two issues aren’t the same at all, but each new revelation, especially in Hollywood of late, brings up important discussions about what should stay and what should be terminated forever.
It’s like when Kevin Spacey fell from grace so dramatically a few years ago in the famous #metoo wave. Yes, what he is accused of having done to young men is horrific, if true, but what do I do about the fact that “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” is one of my all-time favorite motion pictures? Yes, I’m still going to watch it. I still love the performances and the story and the settings. Can I still enjoy the film, and Spacey’s complex Jim Williams character especially, yet be aware that in real life he was kind of a shitty guy?
What about “The Cosby Show?” Can we laugh at the Huxtable family knowing that Bill drugged women in order to have sex with them in real life?
Should we ban all John Wayne movies from television because he was a documented racist and homophobe?
Do we shelve some of our modern classic films because they were produced by the disgusting Harvey Weinstein?
And now, do we have to decide if it’s morally right to watch old reruns of “Desperate Housewives” or “Full House” because their stars paid bribes and cheated to get their kids into college?
It’s certainly a crazy new world we live in, where everyone famous, who did something bad, will be punished and publicly persecuted…but is it right to then immediately erase that person’s body of work from the face of the Earth? Is that what we have to do to ultimately punish the perpetrator?
I don’t know that I have the right answer. I fear that it’s going to be a long, ongoing debate with no end in sight.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I need a Chik-Fil-A sandwich.