這麼多年我都把邁克爾·傑克遜（Michael Jackson）劃歸為這一範疇（與普通人不同的生活方式）。雖然我一如既往的愛著他的音樂，也認為他是一個偉大的表演者。但把這些都撇在一邊，我也一直像常人（意指對MJ生活上方式存在意見的人）一樣看待MJ，直到我看了這部電影之後，這部從MJ為倫敦演唱會做彩排的拍攝視頻中剪輯而來的電影《就是這樣》（This Is It）。
當有新聞稱救護車正趕往MJ在加州的住處時，我正在辦公室。最初我實在網絡上看見這些報道的，那時我還很無所謂。因為八卦離奇的新聞發生在MJ身上實在太正常不過。我根本沒想過MJ會離去。
那天晚上，我看到了MJ去世這條令人震驚的消息。我立刻就質問自己，為什麼當初聽到救護車事件時，沒有意識到悲劇的發生？幸運的是，我們不能總是把生活往壞的地方想。
顯而易見，MJ承受著很多痛苦，不論是因為事故留下的身體上的傷痛還是精神上為了迎合人們對他的贊美，努力保持著史上最偉大的藝人的地位所帶來的壓力和創傷，他的行為暴露了他的痛苦。
很不幸，MJ在50場門票告罄的倫敦演唱會即將開始前離去。他走後，有大量的猜測關于MJ當初是否真的為這耗力的演唱會做好準備。
我聽了所有的這些報道，看了所有的有關新聞。關於他是個藥物依賴者以及他根本無法表演這麼多耗力演出的報道傳播的很快。在看這部電影之前，我也相信著這些報道。
他是否準備在倫敦上演奇跡？你最好下注相信。他在《就是這樣》中的彩排——一些在他生前數周拍攝的視頻剪輯——表明他仍然熟稔自己的每一首歌，每一個歌詞。他出寶刀未老仍能向以前那樣移動，他也一如既往的獲得同事的愛與敬佩。他是邁克爾·傑克遜，是King Of Pop，並且顯然，他還是那樣令人震撼。
在彩排中有一個場景，MJ鼓勵一位年輕的女吉他手 Orianthi Panagaris，表演一段Solo，並對她說：“這正是你發光的時刻。”這是對MJ無私天性的一個無聲證明。
我為Jackson家族感到難過，特別是幾位孩子，但我同樣為那群將與MJ同臺表演的表演者難過——就像Orianthi Panagaris那些人。（意指他們失去了這個機會）
如果你是像我這樣的一個人，一個享受著MJ音樂，卻總是從負面角度看待他的人，那麼我建議你去看這部電影。恐怕，你也會像我一樣，在看完電影之後，將他的與現實法則格格不入的個性置之一邊，而只是銘記住他的真正的身份——我們生命中最偉大的藝人。
如果存在一個機會讓之發生的話（意指讓大家的觀念發生轉變的機會）——這就是了（一語雙關，意指觀看《就是這樣》就是這個機會）。
戈登·羅賓遜是羅賓遜傳媒公司（Robinson Media）的主席。
Gordon Robinson: New film makes it vividly clear -- Michael Jackson died
a great entertainer
Thursday, November 05, 2009 Have you ever found yourself judging a person just because he or she might be different from you? Maybe it was because they don’t dress like you or look the way you do. They might not talk the way we talk. Perhaps they just don’t fit into one’s own stereotype. Their hair might be too long, or they might have a tattoo or body piercings. Or possibly they’ve done things to themselves that we wouldn’t ever think of doing.
For too many years, I put Michael Jackson in that category. I always liked his music and thought of him as a great performer. But putting all that aside, I still thought of him as so many others do — that is, until I saw the newly released documentary, This Is It, drawn from rehearsals he was doing for his planned London tour.
I was in my office the day the news story broke about an ambulance pulling up to Michael Jackson’s California mansion. At first, when I learned about the story on the Internet, I was unmoved. Strange stories about Michael Jackson were all too common. The idea that he might have actually died never crossed my mind.
Later that evening, I learned the terrible news of his death. I immediately asked myself why I didn’t see this coming when I first heard about that ambulance. Fortunately, we don’t all go about life expecting the worst.
It’s obvious that he suffered from a lot of pain. Whether it was physical pain caused by an accident or mental trauma caused by the stress and anxiety of being the greatest entertainer this planet has ever seen, complete with all the accolades associated with that distinction, his actions certainly revealed his pain.
His death was untimely as he was about to embark on a London tour that included 50 sold-out performances. After his death, speculation swelled about whether he was ready for such an exhaustive undertaking.
I listened and read all the stories that the news media quickly released. Reports spread rapidly about his drug addiction and speculation that he was not capable of performing so many grueling shows. Before actually seeing the movie, I guessed the reports were accurate.
Was he going to perform a miracle in London ? You bet he was! His rehearsals in This Is It — cobbled together from footage shot just a few weeks before his death — showed he still knew the words to every song as well as all the notes. He showed he still had the moves and garnered love and respect from fellow performers. He was Michael Jackson, the King of Pop and clearly in charge.
In one scene during rehearsals, Michael encourages a young female guitarist named Orianthi Panagaris, performing a solo, to continue because “this is your time to shine.” It was one more quiet demonstration of his unselfish nature.
I feel bad for the Jackson family, especially his young children, but also for those dozens of performers about to take the stage alongside Michael — people like Orianthi.So if you are one of those people like me, someone who enjoyed Michael Jackson’s music but thought of him in a less than favorable light, I recommend you see this movie so that, perchance, like me, you can set aside any stereotype differences and remember him for what he really was — the greatest entertainer of our lifetime.
If there was ever an opportunity for this to happen — This Is It!
Gordon Robinson is president of Robinson Media,
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