Trapped: Michael Jackson and the Crossover Dream
Poor Michael Jackson. Less than two years after reaching megastardom, he is almost passe, the victim of media overexposure and his own poor judgment. Marsh pulls no punches in this first book-length critical look at the Jackson phenomenon. He sees Jackson as a Peter Pan figure, afraid of responsibility, trapped inside a self-created fantasy world where he struggles to remain free from such adult realities as sex, politics, and race. Marsh argues that Jackson's efforts to avoid controversy while living inside a child-like cocoon are doomed. As evidence he cites accounts of nasty family squabbles, the botched Victory tour, and the disastrous press conference to deny charges Jackson is gay. Jackson appears to be the latest in a line of American pop cultural heroes who start to self-destruct at what should be the moment of greatest triumph. A sad, fascinating story and a good selection for public libraries. Thomas Jewell, Waltham P.L., Mass.Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.