Dancing With the Elephant Round Table Discussion

Willa: A few weeks ago, Joie and I had a fascinating conversation with author Joe Vogel and investigative reporter Charles Thomson about Michael Jackson as a songwriter. That conversation focused on the musical aspects of his songwriting, so we decided to meet again to talk about Michael Jackson as a lyricist. However, when we sat down to talk, our discussion immediately took a left turn and developed in ways none of us had expected, but was very interesting to all of us. Here’s the discussion that followed … * * * Charles: Have you been watching the Michael Jackson Academia Project videos? They’re magnificent. Joe spoke in the last session about how Michael’s lyrics weren’t always as great as his compositions, but those videos make a very strong argument that his lyrics were actually a lot more insightful and astute than people gave him credit for – especially on the HIStory album. Joe: The HIStory album, I’ve argued for years, contains some of MJ’s boldest and strongest work. It’s both his most personal album and his most political. I should clarify, since you mentioned his lyrics: my case isn’t that Jackson’s lyrics aren’t “as great as his compositions.” My argument is that his lyrics are augmented by their vocal delivery, supplemented by his non-verbal vocalizations, and enhanced by how they are performed and represented visually. So I think for the many critics who dismiss Jackson as a songwriter, these aspects of his artistry/creative expression need to be taken into account. Now, regarding the MJAP videos, there are definitely things I like about what they’re doing. They take MJ’s work seriously, which is a good thing, and provide close readings of his work (I’d actually never heard the capitalist tycoon names mentioned in “Money”). They’re also quite well-made. However, for all the research that has clearly gone into them they do some things that are a bit confusing for an “academia project.” For example, they don’t attach their names to their work and from what I understand, aren’t affiliated with a university or academic organization. They also don’t cite sources that have already published the same information/interpretation in their videos, which is very important if it is going to be taken seriously outside the MJ fan community. Joie: I have to say that I agree with Joe on this point. I don’t understand why whoever is behind the MJAP videos seems reluctant to reveal themselves. It’s almost as if they’re hiding and I think Joe is correct in saying that they can’t really hope to be taken seriously outside of the MJ fan community if they’re unwilling to stand behind their work. Right now the videos, as great as they are, are really just preaching to the choir, so to speak. Joe: Also, I think in certain ways they lack context and nuance. For example, they make it seem like MJ was deeply entrenched in the Black Power movement of the 60s/70s. In one of the videos they imply that MJ was a member of, or in allegiance with the Black Panther Party; in another they quote Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam and a figure with an ideology far different than Michael’s. MJ believed deeply in social justice and equality, but never advocated Black supremacy, anti-semitism, or violence. Willa: That’s really interesting, Joe, because I don’t think those videos are saying that, and I don’t react to them that way at all. Maybe if the dominant narrative in the media was that Michael Jackson was an angry Black man, then I might agree that they portray him as too radical. But that isn’t the case. The dominant media image is that he was a deeply troubled Black man who was ashamed of his race – a shockingly false image. So I think they provide a much-needed counterweight. Joe: I think there’s some merit to that, Willa. Certainly there have been serious misunderstandings and false narratives about Jackson’s racial heritage and how that informs his identity and work. But for me, the counterweight shouldn’t be to present him as an ideologue who is aligned with Farrakhan and the Black Panthers. It should be to present him as a complex African American artist who refused to be boxed in, who constantly challenged, provoked and inspired us with his work. In certain ways, I feel the MJAP videos do that, and in certain ways they feel a bit simplistic and reductive to me. Willa: Wow, Joe, my response was just the opposite. I thought it was really interesting that the Academia Project showed the connections with Black Panther symbology and included the clip of Louis Farrakhan precisely because they are so different, or are perceived as being so ideologically different, from Michael Jackson. In other words, Louis Farrakhan and Michael Jackson are two important cultural figures typically placed at opposite ends of the spectrum: Farrakhan is portrayed as deeply divisive, a separatist, while Michael Jackson is portrayed as such an integrationist he actually wanted to be White. It’s a horrible distortion of who he was, but it’s out there. So to me, suggesting common ground between them really forces people to question their preconceived ideas about both. But showing they share some common ground doesn’t mean they’re identical. I can’t imagine anyone mistaking Michael Jackson for Louis Farrakhan. I just don’t see that. Charles: I think that if you listen to a song like “They Don’t Care About Us,” Michael discusses race in a clear ‘them and us’ sense. It’s right there in the title. He is juxtaposing ‘us’ – the subordinates – with ‘they’ – the establishment. He makes clear that the ‘us’ are racial minorities through other lyrics in the track. “Black man, blackmail / Throw the brother in jail.” “I’m tired of being a victim of shame / You’re throwing me in a class with a bad name.” The use of the police radio message about the young Black man killed by police in a case of mistaken identity reinforces this position. Then you look at the two videos which accompanied the song. The prison version shows the inmates to be almost unanimously Black. There are images of the KKK. In the Brazil version, he goosesteps and gives a Nazi salute. He stands on a balcony delivering a song based in part on Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have A Dream speech.’ There is little room for any interpretation besides that Jackson is railing against racism and identifying himself as a Black man and therefore a victim. He reiterated this belief quite often in later years. There was the summit with Al Sharpton in 2002, where he slammed the music industry for ripping off Black artists and the media for attributing their innovations to their White contemporaries. Then there was the Jesse Jackson interview where he spoke very eloquently about the Jack Johnson story and compared himself to other Black luminaries who had been targeted by the establishment. At the very least, I’d say Michael Jackson demonstrated conflicting ideologies on race. On the one hand, he spoke often about being ‘colour blind’ or wanting people of all races to come together. On the other, a lot of his music and his public speeches and interviews after the 1993 allegations demonstrated a deep belief that racism was very much alive and that he was a victim of it. He seemed to become more ‘militant’ after the 1993 allegations. His music spoke of police brutality, being targeted by the FBI, his prosecutor being aligned with the KKK, the media ‘lying to shame the race’. During his trial and even at the This Is It concert announcement, he would give the Black power salute. He surrounded himself with the Nation of Islam – led by Farrakhan. I think it’s very difficult to dismiss the MJAP’s conclusions on this basis. I would also disagree with the comment that they don’t reference their work. Most of it seems to come from books, which they name explicitly in the videos. Joe: I’ll explain what I mean by not referencing their work. If they say that MJ’s Earth Song video was inspired by a Soviet propaganda film that looks somewhat similar, as a researcher, I just want to be able to look at where they discovered that information. Did it come from an interview? Did they have access to his archives? Or is it an educated guess based on other information? (The Triumph of the Will connection is more obvious.) Charles: The similarities are so striking that I’d be floored if it turned out it wasn’t an influence. Michael is dead now so it’s most likely we’ll never know for sure, but if the Earth Song video and concert performances weren’t based on that Soviet film, it’s one eerie coincidence. Joe: There are some striking similarities, but I’d say it’s about 50/50. Michael had a huge video archive and a personal archivist though, so it would certainly be possible to try to verify something like that. One more example about citing: much of what they explore in “Black or White” has been written about before (by Armond White, myself and others). So it would be customary in academia to credit ideas that have already been established so you aren’t charged with plagiarism. Of course, if these videos are primarily intended as “fan videos” these criticisms are less relevant. Now let me go back, Charles, to the point you made about MJ engaging with race/racism: I don’t disagree with the fact that Jackson became more politically radical and outspoken in his later career. There is no question that he was fighting against institutional racism and oppression/injustice in general. Where I disagree with MJAP (and you) is in the literalness of interpretation. For example, I see him morphing into a black panther as symbolic, not that he was secretly attending Black Panther meetings and sending out discrete codes to a specific political group. Similarly, with “They Don’t Care About Us,” I think he is identifying with the oppressed and speaking truth to power regardless of skin color or nationality. It is radical, but it has nothing to do with Nation of Islam or Louis Farrakhan (a man known for being racist, homophobic, anti-semitic, and many believe, partially responsible for the assassination of Malcolm X). Like I said at the top, I think there is a lot to like about these videos – I think they have a lot of potential – but especially to reach outside the fan base (if that’s the goal) I think they could benefit from some nuance. Joie: Again, I completely agree with Joe here; I think the first MJAP video took a huge leap in suggesting that Michael was a member of, or at least in total support of both the Black Panther Party and Mr. Farrakhan simply because he morphed into a panther at the end of the “Black or White” video. And in “They Don’t Care About Us,” he is definitely “identifying with the oppressed,” as Joe put it, but ‘the oppressed’ come in many colors. As Willa and I discussed in our conversation about “They Don’t Care About Us,” this song/short film(s) is not simply a Black or White issue. It’s dealing with much more than that – poverty, the abuse of human rights, and yes, racism. And he did become much more outspoken on issues of race after 1993 and I agree that he felt very much victimized by the system. How could he not? But I don’t believe that it reveals some hidden connection to the Nation of Islam or Louis Farrakhan. Willa: But are these videos saying that? I don’t think so. They include a clip of Farrakhan on the Arsenio Hall show saying, “Michael is becoming politically mature. And he wants to use his political maturity, along with his wealth, to aid his people.” That’s it. To me, that shows that Louis Farrakhan has an opinion – a positive opinion – about Michael Jackson’s work and activism, but it doesn’t suggest anything more than that. And I don’t think they are suggesting “he was secretly attending Black Panther meetings,” as you mentioned, Joe, or anything like that. I didn’t get that from the videos at all. To me, Michael Jackson’s work is this incredible tapestry that weaves together threads from many different sources. And the first Academia Project video highlights some of the Black Panther imagery in his work and traces a few of those threads. I thought that was fascinating, and it helped me appreciate a part of the tapestry I hadn’t focused on before. But I never thought they were saying he was literally a Black Panther. I just don’t see that. Joie: No, I’m not saying these videos are suggesting that. I don’t think that. I’m simply disagreeing with Charles’ assessment that the MJAP’s conclusions on this matter are difficult to dismiss. That said, I do agree that the videos are really wonderful in their own way. They are very well researched and well thought out. Whoever is behind them has obviously put a great deal of time and effort into creating them and they could have a lot of potential if they were reaching the right people. Right now, they are limited to making the rounds of the MJ fan community, which is fine as there are still a lot of fans out there – especially the new fans – who maybe aren’t aware of the extent of what Michael went through and how biased the media coverage was. But in order to be really effective in changing the conversation about him, the videos need to reach a wider, more mainstream audience. Joe: These are very good points, Joie. I think, what I hope at least, are my constructive criticisms stem from exactly what you’re talking about: becoming more credible so they can reach a broader audience. In fact, I think this third video they did was by far their best effort. So let me go back quickly to something Willa said. You mentioned that the Farrakhan quote is interesting because it speaks positively about Michael’s work and activism. I actually agree (mostly) with what Farrakhan is saying in this clip. But for me, again, it’s about credibility. Using Farrakhan to establish a point will actually work the opposite direction for 99% of people. With the Black Panther stuff, I would personally just like to see more nuanced interpretation so its taken seriously in an academic context. I think they provide much more compelling interpretation when they write about how Jackson is reversing certain symbolism to opposite ends (a la the HIStory teaser and Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will). Joie: I agree completely with what you just said about Farrakhan and credibility. The fact is, the very sight of him turns a lot of people off and using him to establish a point or to try and persuade others to your point of view is risky and could be counterproductive. Willa: He is really polarizing, and I understand what you and Joe are saying, Joie. But as I said before, I think it’s really interesting and worthwhile to juxtapose Michael Jackson and Louis Farrakhan precisely because they are so different. It’s like seeing Michael Jackson on the steps of the White House with Ronald Reagan. My response is always, Wow, what a contrast! Yet they shared some common ground. That image doesn’t lead me to assume that Michael Jackson is a closet conservative and secretly funneling money to the Republican Party. Not at all. And I don’t think that about Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam either. It’s true that Louis Farrakhan has said some things I strongly disagree with. So did Ronald Reagan, for that matter. But I don’t think the answer is to try to stuff Farrakhan in a box in the closet and pretend he doesn’t exist. Instead, I think he should be one of a collage of people who supported Michael Jackson in some way. I think it’s incredible that one person appealed to both Ronald Reagan and Louis Farrakhan, Nelson Mandela and Elizabeth Taylor, fans from the U.S. to Japan, Africa to Ireland. That’s wonderful to me. Charles: I don’t think the MJAP videos in any way imply that Michael Jackson was secretly attending Black Panther meetings or anything of that nature. I think they just demonstrate that his work, even prior to the allegations, was laced with political and racial commentary which was completely ignored by the critics. Willa: Exactly. Charles: I agree that using Farrakhan as a source is not going to win anybody over because the man has shown himself repeatedly to be a racist and a loon. I remember being very alarmed a while back to see fans passing around an hour or more of Farrakhan ‘preaching’ about Michael Jackson in church. During the sermon, he interpreted “They Don’t Care About Us” as a targeted assault on Jewish people and praised Michael for having the balls to express his anti-Semitic beliefs. But Farrakhan is just one of many sources used to support the point being made by the MJAP creators and I certainly agree with him that Michael Jackson’s treatment was at least partly racially motivated. If the whole thing hinged on Farrakhan, it’d be another matter – but that’s not the case. I also disagree that the lyrics to TDCAU aren’t about any specific race. The line, “Black man, blackmail (black male) / Throw the brother in jail” is pretty blunt, especially in tandem with the police radio message at the beginning of the track and comments throughout the rest of the album, such as “In the hood / Frame him if you could… In the black / Stab him in the back / In the face / To lie and shame the race.” Willa: But in the videos – the prison version, especially – the visuals complicate those lyrics. Most of the prisoners are Black, but some are White or American Indian or some other minority. Most of the guards are White, but several are Black. And I’m really struck by the fact that when he gets angry and shoves aside a guard’s billy club, that guard is Black. What that says to me is that while he’s fighting racism, as you say, it’s institutional racism, and he opposes anyone who supports that institutional racism, regardless of whether that individual is White or Black. He’s evaluating people by their beliefs and actions, not their skin color, and that’s a message he consistently expressed throughout his life. There are also newsreel-type visuals of some fairly horrific violence – so horrific MTV refused to show this version before 9 at night. And while many of those scenes focus on images of the Ku Klux Klan or White-on-Black racial violence, there are also scenes of a White truck driver being severely beaten by young Black men during the Rodney King riots. And some of the most graphic scenes are war footage from Southeast Asia. So again, he’s fighting racism, but not in a simplistic Black versus White sort of way. And I don’t think the lyrics are a simplistic Black versus White either. Here are those notorious lyrics that were so badly misinterpreted by a few outspoken people like Stephen Spielberg and Louis Farrakhan (speaking of strange bedfellows): Beat me, hate me You can never break me Will me, thrill me You can never kill me Jew me, sue me Everybody do me Kick me, kike me Don’t you black or white me He’s clearly fighting anti-Semitism in these lyrics, I believe, which is why it’s so galling that he was charged with anti-Semitism because of them. So this isn’t just about race. And when identifying leaders in the fight for justice, he says, “if Roosevelt was living / He wouldn’t let this be.” The next time he sings this verse, he replaces “Roosevelt” with “Martin Luther,” suggesting that the torch of civil rights was carried and passed on by many hands, including Franklin Delano Roosevelt as well as Martin Luther King, Jr. So I think it’s an oversimplification to reduce this work down to simply Us versus Them. As Michael Jackson himself says, “Don’t you black or white me.” Joe: Exactly, Willa. This is what I think is so important: Michael’s creative life and work, to me, is about getting beyond these air-tight oppositions. He always provides these shifting tensions. He was constantly pushing his audience, even in his protest songs, to consider the various faces cruelty, bigotry and injustice can take. He wasn’t calling for “black power” to replace “white power.” That’s the way the Bush’s and Farrakhan’s see the world. Us versus them. White versus Black. Christians versus Muslims. It’s more complex than that. Malcolm X began to realize that in his final years; MLK knew it; Michael Jackson knew it. He knew the history of White supremacy in America. He also knew about other forms of bigotry and cruelty, whether because of appearance, gender, sexuality, class, religion, illness or any other difference. But he fought such discrimination with rich, complex, syncretic art, not ideological dogma. Joie: And Willa and I just want to point out that you can find a link to the MJ Academia Project videos in our Reading Room. But for now, you can just click here.

R Kelly is One Mellow Dude

R Kelly - one sexy MF. 

If someone had told me in 1995 that in 2012 I'd be listening obsessively to R. Kelly's R.Kelly album I would have begged them: "Shoot me now." Okay, so I'm not exactly blogging about a recent release here but the impetus for my research was that MJ's music led me onto looking at those who had influenced him, those who he influenced and those he worked with.

But it's a real grower. The thing I like about it is that the vibe remains pretty much the same throughout. That might sound boring but it isn't at all - it makes it a truly cohesive album. It's like bathing in warm molasses.

The production on it is phenomenal, his voice is warm, clear and seductive, and the beats are very, very mellow. Like Marvin Gaye before him, Kelly melds sex and spirituality (he was brought up as a gospel singer). He's also mad as two balloons, as evidenced with lyrics such as, "even the statue of Liberty wants to bump and grind"; "you remind me of my jeep - I want to ride it."

So check out Robert Sylvester Kelly if you have not already done so (and most people have at some point without realising it for he penned Michael Jackson's 'You Are Not Alone', the first single to ever debut at number one in the charts in both the UK and US simultaneously.)
 

Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: A Track-By-Track Guide

Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: A Track-By-Track Guide

The Chambers Borthers

Today I have been listening to the song 'Time Has Come Today' (1968) by The Chambers Brothers. This is one weird song! It's last 11 minutes for a start off and, according to Wikipedia, the  group was "part of the wave of new music that integrated American blues and gospel traditions with modern psychedelic and rock elements." 


Wiki adds: "Based on their Southern [US] roots, the brothers brought a raw authenticity to their recordings and live performances that was missing from many other acts of that era. Their music has been kept alive through heavy use in film soundtracks."

Notsensibles T-Shirt is A Little Too Tight - But It's a Good One

For Paul and Juli and other people linked with or supporters of this Burnley band - Notsensibles - whose wonderful 'I'm in Love With Margaret Thatcher' song features in the Meryl Streep as Thatcher film IRON LADY. Do you remember how they used to call her 'Thatchos' on Spitting Image?

This T-Shirt is a Lady Fit size. Guess I am no lady then!

The Cosmic Fingers New Album Launch 8 March 2012

'There is No 'F' in Point' - The Cosmic Fingers. Artwork sample. Band pics by Andy Theobald. 

Album launch at The Bobbin, Lancaster, Thursday 8 March 2012. PR by me. 

Find The Cosmic Fingers on Facebook.  

Quite a neat album title as, indeed, there is no 'f' in the word 'point.' Contains some top comedy tracks including the vasectomy-inspired 'Chop Chop', the sexual-success-turns-to-escape 'Go Ahead Punk and Make My Day' and the unforgettable 'Weapons of Mass Distraction'. 

Been hanging out at two good live music venues in recent months in the city of Lancaster (UK not US) - The Bobbin (see above plug) is one of them and The Yorkshire House the other. Thriving band scene here, locally speaking. We don't seem to attract big names though despite the fact that the university has the capacity with The Great Hall... There were a few 'stars' on in my student days;I saw New Order and Echo & the Bunnymen there. 

More punk, Cosmic Fingers and other-related muso stuff coming up in future posts. 

Miriam Margolyes Opens New Hannah Frank Exhibition at Royal Glasgow Institute... from Australia!

PRESS RELEASE

COMING HOME: ART OF HANNAH FRANK RETURNS TO HER ‘NATIVE HEATH’

Miriam Margolyes with Hannah Frank on the artist's 100th birthday in 2008. Pic: Kush Budda

The work of Glasgow artist Hannah Frank makes a celebratory return to the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts this Spring.

Entitled ‘Spring Frieze: Hannah Frank – 75 Years a Glasgow Artist’, the new exhibition comprises original drawings and sketches, bronze and plaster sculptures and reproduction prints. Hannah has had a long relationship with the RGI, having exhibited there throughout her career. This exhibition is the third solo show she has had there.

Actress Miriam Margolyes, best known for her role as Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter movies, will send a video message of support to the exhibition, opening on 8 March, from Sydney, Australia, where she is touring a one-woman show called Dickens’ Women. Ms Margolyes has been a fan of Hannah Frank’s work for many years and attended the artist’s 100^th birthday lunch in August 2008. Hannah Frank died four months later.

The exhibition title comes from Hannah’s drawing ‘Spring Frieze’ from 1945 and symbolises the rebirth of interest in Hannah Frank’s work over the last decade. Hannah’s art has been exhibited across the UK and in the United States and many Hannah Frank-related projects have been launched. These include the publication of two books; a DVD by an award-winning film maker; a national poetry competition, with prize-giving at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, and the setting up of the Hannah Frank and Lionel Levy archive at the Scottish Jewish Archives Centre.

There will also be a screening of a film about Hannah Frank during the exhibition and also a discussion called ‘Being Jewish in Scotland’.

Hannah was truly a daughter of Glasgow. Her father, Charles Frank, opened his camera shop in Saltmarket on 23 August 1908, the day of Hannah’s birth. The shop was a success and the family

prospered.

She showed early promise as an artist.  Family friend, artist John Quinton Pringle, recommended that Hannah attend evening classes at the Glasgow School of Art but also study for a career at Glasgow University.  This is what she did, graduating with an MA in English and Latin in 1930, continuing with evening classes at the Glasgow School of Art throughout this time and for many decades.

She produced her trademark black and white drawings from the age of 17 in 1925, and between 1927 and 1932 the GUM, the Glasgow University Magazine, rarely came out without a drawing by 'Al Aaraaf', her chosen pen name.

Many of the drawings express a pensive melancholy but after her marriage to Lionel Levy in 1939 they become filled with sunshine and youthful exuberance.Hannah continued to produce drawings until 1952, and also illustrated posters and leaflets for many Glasgow Jewish organisations.

She then turned to sculpture, working with Benno Schotz at the Glasgow School of Art. Apart from the frequent inclusion of her work at the RGI her drawings and bronzes were also in the Royal Academy and the Royal Scottish Academy. 

Curator of the RGI Kelly Gallery, Lynne Mackenzie said: "We are delighted to be hosting this exhibition of Hannah's work and it seems fitting that our gallery is less than a mile away from where she studied at the Glasgow School of Art. Hannah was a keen supporter of the RGI and between the years 1930 and 1989 showed over 60 works at our annual exhibition which is the highlight of our year and held in great public affection."

Head, 1954

Hannah Frank produced sculpture into her early 90s. In 2002 she and her husband moved to Westacres Care Home, Newton Mearns.  Lionel died in 2003.  Hannah’s work continues to be displayed in the public areas of Westacres in alcoves which seem to have been built for the purpose.

Hannah’s aim was, in the words of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, to 'leave footprints on the sands of time', and while she was delighted to have her work celebrated elsewhere, her dream was to be recognised in her ‘native heath’ – Glasgow.

In 2009 she became the first person ever to receive a posthumous honorary doctorate from Glasgow University.  She was also honoured with a posthumous Lord Provost’s Award from Glasgow City Council for her special contribution to the visual arts through drawing and sculpture. 

Exhibition

Spring Frieze: Hannah Frank – 75 Years a Glasgow Artist, Royal Glasgow Institute, Kelly Gallery, 118 Douglas Street, Glasgow. Tel: 0141 248 6386. 6 March – 17 March 2012. Tuesday - Friday 10.30am - 5pm;
Saturday 10.30am - 3pm. Sunday – Closed.

Events
Friday 16 March
Hannah Frank - The Spark Divine  Film screening - 12.30pm
A short film about Hannah Frank's work followed by a talk by Hannah's niece, Fiona Frank, on Hannah's life in the Glasgow Jewish community.

Being Jewish in Scotland Discussion 1.30pm

After the film,  a discussion on Being Jewish in Scotland. This is a Scottish government funded project which is being carried out by the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities (SCoJeC) and aims to hear the experiences of Jewish people throughout Scotland. For more information on this project see http://www.scojec.org/ Tel: 0141 638 6411 or  07779 206 522.      

www.hannahfrank.org.uk

ends

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The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts (Charity No SC044650)

It may have been founded back in 1861 but the RGI is forward thinking in promoting and encouraging Scotland's contemporary art and artists. 

The RGI’s first annual exhibition in 1861 at the McLellan Galleries attracted a huge number of submissions and over 39,000 visitors, many on ‘Working Men’s Tickets’. 

The RGI continues to host this major annual exhibition at the Mitchell Library, which offers awards to selected artists, including several expressly aimed at young painters and sculptors, or first time exhibitors.

The RGI’s Kelly Gallery hosts a full programme of exhibitions, talks and events.

The 6th North Lancashire Soul Festival

• • Friday, 25 May 2012 at 12:00 until Monday, 28 May 2012 at 01:00

• The 6th North Lancs Soul Festival will take place on the weekend of the 25th, 26th & 27th May 2012 in Morecambe, Lancashire. Festival Programme Friday 25th May - Welcome Party *Smokey O'Connor's "Temple of Soul"* Lower Temple - 12noon to 2am - 70's through to Y2K Higher Temple - 7pm to 2am - Northern Soul Night Saturday 26th May – “Celebration Saturday” *Morecambe Superbowl* The NLSF Soul Bowl 2012 - 11am to 2pm The NLSF Soulbowl will provide a soul sound backdrop as teams fight for the 2012 Ten Pin Soulbowl, or otherwise described as a bit of 10 pin fun with lunchtime refreshments and some top sounds. Team's of between 4-6 to a lane - £28 per lane for 4 people - 20 lanes in total - Additional team members can be added to a lane for £7 per person. Lanes can be reserved by Team Captains with a £10 deposit; Lane reservations are being taken on a first come first served basis so ensure you're in the chase for a prize and reserve your lane now with a £10 deposit via Morecambe Superbowl. Extra kudos will be awarded for interesting and creative team names. For Team Reservations - Call (01524) 400974 *The Platform Arena* NLSF Classic Sunshine Soul "Live"; 1.00pm to 5.00pm Live music accompanied by Festival DJ's, stalls & community presentations *The Apollo Cinema (TBC)* 16:00 soul showing of Standing in the Shadows of Motown -- The Funk Brothers Best Non-Fiction Film Winner 2002 New York Film Critics Circle, 2003 GRAMMY AWARD WINNER for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance: "What's Going On," Chaka Khan & The Funk Brothers also Best Compilation Soundtrack Album *The Platform* Clem Curtis & The Foundations Live; 7.30pm doors, Tickets £15.00, Box Office online via - Online Bookings or (Tel 01524 582803) In conjunction with the NLSF The Platform present Clem Curtis & The Foundations Live supported by Festival DJ's *Smokey O'Connor's "Temple of Soul"* Lower Temple - 7pm to 3am - 70's through to Y2K; Central Temple - 7pm to 3am - Collectors Soul Higher Temple – 7pm – 3am - Soulful House & Dance *Sunday 27th May – “Sunday Special”* The Midland Hotel (TBC) NLSF Radio Live with special guests; 12noon to 2pm NLSF music & chat broadcast live on Radio Lancashire & the Web from the Rotunda Bar and outdoor terrace at the iconic Midland Hotel *Smokey O'Connor's "Temple of Soul"* Lower Temple - 3pm to 1am - 70's through to Y2K Central Temple - 3pm to 1am - 60's, Oldies & Northern Soul To keep in the know and to have a look back over previous festivals, visit.... www.northlancssoulfestival.co.uk/ http://www.facebook.com/NorthLancsSoulFestival

OJ Simpson and the Media

I have scant knowledge of the O J Simpson case, (although Ishmael Reed writes about it eloquently in Mixing it Up)  and, frankly, not that much interest in it. I'm a UK citizen with no knowledge of American sports. However, these pictures certainly give one pause for thought. See how the media uses Photoshop to convey a message. Both pics are the same mug shot but the Time magazine one is from before O J was acquitted.

Note how his skin has been darkened. Dark = evil = the devil etc. Mmmm...

Interesting Photo Composites from Vindicating Michael Blog

As you know I try to be objective on this blog (well, as much as I can be, being a fan an' all) but I came across these images from a blog called Vindicating Michael. I find the tone of some of the writings that are pro-Michael rather saccharine - even the Dancing with the Elephant one - but they can be worth a read. 

These Vindicating Michael bloggers are not denying that Jackson had cosmetic surgery but they are trying to show that much of the change was to do with skin tone, hair and make up. Personally I think he had a lot of surgery but that in later years much of it was stuff like fillers, plucked eyebrows, possibly permanent make-up (tattoos), lightened skin through vitiligo, the cream he used for it and pancake make up. Hew seemed to have a lot done to his cheekbones too. 

Have a look at these pics and see what you think.  

Which is the earlier picture of MJ? The one on the left or the one on the right? Yep, it's the one on the right. That is from 1996. (The military jacket is the clue - HIStory)The yellow shirt picture is from 2005. 

 This one shows more contrast but the basic features remain the same apart from the jawline and the nose and the lightened skin. Left is from the early 1980s. Right-hand side pic is from1988, the Bad tour. 

Left, 2007, from the Ebony photo shoot. Right, Bad tour, 1988.