Michael Jackson doll—as seen in hands of his bereaved son!
Tuesday, July 7th, 2009
BENDABLE LIMBS: Blanket and doll
Trust it to a website called “Droolicious—Modern Design for Modern Parents” to find a product to drool over in the middle of Michael Jackson’s memorial.
The site’s post titled “What Was Blanket Holding?” dispenses with eulogistic ponderings and zeros in on the revelation that Jackson’s youngest son, Blanket, was gripping a “1995 Official Triumph International Michael Jackson doll” that “you can pick up” for between $260 to $1500, depending on whether you’d like it to sing.
No one at Droolicious seems to find it at all curious, notable, or (I dunno) heart-rending that this child is holding a plastic, miniature version of his plastic, full-sized dead father—something that’s never really been seen before. John F. Kennedy, Jr., for instance, didn’t have a JFK doll to help him mourn.
It’s as if Barbie’s daughter is attending Barbie’s Dream Funeral. A version of which, I just found out, was recorded for this 2007 YouTube video. Given Barbie’s parallels with MJ—both emaciated pop icons, born in the late 50s, given to makeovers and blank expressions—this clip disturbed me. I actually gasped at 00:28.
Goodbye, Barbie/Michael.
Related Posts:
• Michael Jackson bleached his son’s hair—both cruelly and cheesily
• Michael Jackson’s death as a “learning moment”
• How Michael Jackson disguised his kids—a brief history
Sort of weird to think that the doll is older than the child. But it’s the ultimate transitional object. Cue internet-based custom action figure service for the bereaved. I feel sad for Blanket.
— Jen