Jacksons at the BET Awards
Let me make something very clear, I am NOT a fan of Joe Jackson (MJ’s dad) at all! I think that he pushed Michael too far as a kid and Michael even revealed that his father occasionally beat him. I do not think they had a very good relationship or one at all for that matter. It bothered me that Joe was walking down the red carpet of the BET awards doing an interview with anyone who pointed a mic at his direction. What bothered me the most was how he took much of the time advertising his new record label and, as usual, used Michael to get into the spotlight. The above interview with CNN is BEYOND uncomfortable to watch and it is the exact type of situation which I dread the most as an entertainment reporter. What’s up with the written statement and how he had the woman come up to read it? I couldn’t stand how he was sitting in the front row smiling and laughing along during the show. Don’t get me wrong; it’s okay to celebrate someone’s life but less than 3 days after your son’s death. It just felt wrong to me. He just seems like the most epic villain in a Tyler Perry film. He just reads as evil to me.
The most heartbreaking portion of the night was when Janet Jackson took the stage to give a short speech about her brother. You can hear the pain and sadness in her voice and it hurts me to see/hear her like this. Unlike her father, you can tell that this tragedy is really taking a toll on her. My heart and prayers are with her.
As far as the rest of the show. I thought that Jamie Foxx was obnoxious throughout the majority of the show. I’m happy I wasn’t in the audience because it must have been a workout to have to stand up for EVERY performance as dictated by Foxx. I also couldn’t stand how he took every opportunity possible to plug his album and his concerts in Vegas. At one point in the show he literally said, “You guys, be quiet for Michael. Thanks. So if you want to get to a concert you’ll never forget, make sure you come see me in Las Vegas on blah blah blah.” Something to that effect. I was disgusted. He and Joe Jackson need to collaborate on some projects.
There was ONE Foxx moment that I actually enjoyed.
Best Performanceof the Night: Ciara’s tribute to Michael Jackson singing “Heal the World”
I wasn’t that big of a fan of this year’s show. I think that the MJ death really threw them a curveball and I don’t think they dealt with it very well. It felt very rushed which is what happens when you only have a couple days to prepare but still I felt they could have done much more. Also, I think I’m starting to realize that I hate ALL live rap performances, it just NEVER sounds like the actual song to me. There’s always an exception and I think that is Kanye West who does have the ability to put on a great performance every now and then but personally, I thought the Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and Drake preformances were just dreadful. That’s all!
-N