Sunday Diva / Three From the Hip:
Janet Jackson
In my own personal big gay church there is a wing dedicated to those who belong to the Rhythm Nation. These divas got us to think, encouraged us to love and respect ourselves, made us feel sexy as hell and... most importantly, got us to dance! One diva, even though there are those who came before her, is the founding mother of this revolution. She is the one who defined it. Owned it. And has ruled over it, like the queen she was born to be.
Janet.
Or... Miss Jackson, if you're nasty.
Oh, she may have hailed from the house of Jackson, but she quickly established, she was her own person.
She took control.
We applauded her, and some... like a certain clueless, closeted 27 year-old in Minneapolis, MN, heard her words and followed her lead.
And we continued to follow her. Her sexual awakening? Our wake up call. Her plea for love, understanding, tenderness and togetherness? Our battle cry.
Bumps in the road? You bet. The life of a diva rarely runs smoothly. And one of those bumps?
Damn.
It got ugly and unjustly tore her from her throne.
But the lady continued to rule, if not the charts, then our hearts.
And one thing's for certain...
She.
Never.
Missed.
A beat.
The gospel according to her?
Well, here are three from the hip, dropping from her lips.
The topic? Perception.
"In complete darkness we are all the same, it is only our knowledge and wisdom that separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."
"Dreams can become a reality when we possess a vision that is characterized by the willingness to work hard, a desire for excellence, and a belief in our right and our responsibility to be equal members of society."
"People tend to put entertainers on pedestals. We're human beings, just like you. You may see us smiling, and whether we have money or not, we still have bills to pay, we still have our stresses. I think a lot of people want to focus on others' shortcomings to make themselves feel better. And it's a very sad thing."
Control - Janet Jackson
All For You - Janet Jackson
Made For Now - Janet Jackson
feat. Daddy Yankee
And one last parting shot...
6 comments:
those jackson kids had it rough. it's a wonder they all didn't wind up in the crazyhouse. I always liked her early stuff, like "control" and "nasty". she lost me after "rhythm nation". now she's concentrating on raising her son.
Janet was always about Control!
I LOVE Janet. And always will.
When we look at ourselves, we must keep in mind the flow of the stock market! Everything ebbs and flows. Physically and emotionally.
I love your writing too, Upton.
I liked her far far more then her bother. Her music i enjoyed far more and had a more edgy sound to it. And if you bought a Janet album....it would last two years that songs would still release off. Not even Madonna had that many releases off single albums.
But Janet is surprisingly not around...seems to have fallen off the planet. It rare to even hear her mentioned. I wonder if she didn't go crazy like the rest of the family?
Oh Janet ! We have a bittersweet relationship. My first intro to her musically was a single called “young Love” fell I love after that. I really became a fan once Control hit the scene . Let’s not even get on Rhythm Nation! It was on. I still love me some Janet but I must admit her last album was a disappointment “No Sleeep” ‘Burn it up” “Damn Baby” Broken Hearts Heal” and “Black Eagle” is all I really mess with. The other songs are like, “WTF?” And even though I like “Made For Now” it just don’t reach me like albums and songs from 1982 “Janet Jackson” to about 2004 “All for You.” But I still bump me some Jan . Look forward to see what se brings us in the future.
I love Janet. Love her.
One of my first concerts, with TLC opening. I love The Velvet Rope. The last one was not as successful but I still love that song with Daddy Yankee. Did you read about her being blacklisted from Viacom? They fucked her career.
XOXO
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