How ‘Thriller’ affected our lives
Scott Bressler
Andrew Senter and Michelle Stein
How did it NOT affect our lives? Back in our younger years when I sported a Steve Perry-inspired mullet and Michelle had purple Liberty spiked hair, we were terribly lost and confused young children. Our lives were nonstop marathons of arena rock and Peter Gabriel videos. We were obviously miserable. Something needed to change.
The light at the end of the tunnel came one day when Michelle was hypnotized by MTV, back when they still played music. Our nonstop orgy of lameness was interrupted by the somewhat odd, but undeniably captivating voice of Michael Jackson and what we originally assumed was his extended family. We later realized they were zombies, as they were much more life-like than most of the Jacksons. Our lives were forever changed. For the next 15 years, we always wore our bright red leather coats everywhere. Not a day has gone by where the sweet sounds of “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” “Human Nature” and Paul McCartney selling his soul have not enriched our lives. Andrew started moonwalking wherever he went and Michelle proposed to Michael 17 times. Being presidents of his fan club, we had the opportunity to go to Neverland, meet Bubbles the chimp and ride the Ferris wheel. It broke down during our ride, and we were stuck for three days while police questioned Michael about his latest indiscretion. Disillusioned, we discovered a beautiful and emotionally stable young woman named Britney.
Stephanie Spera
Even though Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video is a little before my time and I’ve never actually sat through the whole thing, (unless you count those inmates in the Philippines doing it on YouTube), it helped me become who I am today. And by that, I mean, it provided Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo with the moves to semi-plausibly begin the whole everyone-knows-the-same-dance-at-the-party-and-is-willing-to-participate sequence in “13 Going on 30.” And I saw that.
Steve Hardy
I began to see Thriller in a new light last Sunday. Is the music catchy? Is the video stunning? Is the dance a benchmark of human achievement? Sure, yes and of course. However, in light of the Oscars, I have a newfound respect for the costume design wizard Deborah Landis and especially for the make-up artistry of Kevin Brennan. Twenty-five years after “Thriller,” it doesn’t take a genius to tell you that Michael Jackson spawned millions of musical and dancing imitators. As anyone who has ever clumsily shuffled through the dance can attest, none have matched the master’s accomplishment. However, after Amy Winehouse’s recent assault on the Grammys, it becomes clear that, this whole time, the most endearing component of the video was the zombie look. Now that the music industry has an undead for the 21st century (three if you believe that Iggy Pop and Keith Richards are actually alive), order has been restored. This is how I can justify Winehouse winning song of the year last Sunday, because it wasn’t really a vote for her music; it was for the nostalgic zombie we all missed but were too confused by the music and dance moves to realize it. And, in a way, that means we all won.
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