中文來源：mjjcn.com 2007-12-09
文/Robin Givhan 譯/Pure Devil《華盛頓郵報》 流行明星Michael Jackson再次出現了。他已回到了錄音室。並且為了慶祝《Thriller》發行25周年，他上了《Ebony》雜志，在封面上安靜地凝視著讀者。而且，直言不諱地說，他看起來不像個令人毛骨悚然的蠢貨。
上次整個世界關注Michael Jackson的時候，還是在兩年多前的孌童案期間。遲到的他會穿著貌似來自“佩珀軍士”（編者注：披頭士《佩珀軍士孤獨之心俱樂部》專輯）的衣服心不在焉地走進法庭。他還戴著軍隊的臂章和勛章。有一天居然穿著睡衣。在被判無罪之後，他隱居到了中東，偶爾會出現在日本與尖叫的歌迷擺姿勢拍照，以此賺錢。
但是這次他在《Ebony》裏變化了。
他穿著白色燕尾服，純白的襯衣，脖子上系著金色的網狀領帶，胸前別著寶石和白金做成的化妝胸針。他看起來像是當代的流行明星，而不是80年代的遺物。
雜志裏面的照片更加引人入勝。在一張照片中，Jackson穿著銀色的金屬質地的牛仔褲，銀色的牛仔靴，發光的黑色齊膝禮服，在他衣服的翻領處還有無數寶石。他戴著黑色帽子，帽沿遮住他的一隻眼睛。照片既優雅又有動感。但是最棒的是，Jackson看起來就是他自己——那頭發，那臉龐，那舞者的身軀，那浮華的風格——但他也像個成年人了。更特別來說的話，就像是他自己的P.T. Barnum成人版。（P.T. Barnum，馬戲大王巴納姆，美國最早的娛樂大亨和奇觀創造者）。
這次在圖片和配合的故事中都沒有嘗試描述Michael財政情況，或回溯他的官司麻煩及令人好奇的怪癖。這不是《Ebony》的風格。取而代之的是，《Ebony》只慶祝了這個藝人賣出超過一億張的專輯，他的歌——無論是小樣、混音還是Jackson 5的小曲——或許儲存在世界上每一臺iPod中。
這批照片是Matthew Rolston兩個月前在布魯克林博物館拍攝的。拍攝之前，《Ebony》和Jackson的工作人員進行了8個月的協商。協商的內容包括一切事情，比如時間和誰來做Michael的頭發。大概12位工作人員陪同Michael拍攝了照片。（最後Michael自己的發型師做了他的頭發。）
Jackson自己提出在布魯克林博物館拍攝。他想在有藝術氛圍的環境下拍這組照片，《Ebony》的創意總監Cole Harriette說。有博物館當背景，Cole說，“我開始想到了‘永恆經典’。”她還說當工作人員讓Jackson看看照片的一些創意時，他戴上了老花鏡。這個動作讓她想到了，“他的音樂也許是永恆的，但是他已經是個成年人了。”所有照片的核心都是這一個問題：“一個成熟的偶像該看起來是什麼樣？”
Cole和她的同事一直在問同樣的問題，因為這個問題也和雜志相關。在雜志創辦人John H. Johnson於2005年去世之後，《Ebony》就在革新自己。 創辦於1945年，《Ebony》雜志已然是美國黑人的喉舌，並且在全美國各個家庭的咖啡桌上都佔有榮譽的地位。但是它也變得過于一成不變。它縱情於人物描寫，這是所有雜志的生命之泉，可是，《Ebony》總是專注於那些正在變老的明星，而這些名流卻與年輕讀者的喜好相去甚遠。而且，《Ebony》缺少生動的社論。它甚至很少自己拍攝封面照片，而是用那種像是歌迷俱樂部散佈的庫存照片。
《Ebony》存活了下來——但其他目標讀者也是黑人的雜志們也走到了競爭的位置——，主要原因是那些忠誠的爺爺奶奶輩讀者想讀那些歷史性的黑人故事，驕傲于曾與那些第一代黑人前輩並肩而行，並希望和自己的孩子和孫子輩分享這些里程碑。比起喜歡Kanye West的人，它更能迎合喜歡Bill Cosby的讀者。
Cole，一位作家和雜志產業的老將，在去年一月來到了《Ebony》雜志社。擁有145萬本發行量的《Ebony》雜志也承受著來自光輝歷史的重擔。“《Ebony》是世界上最大的黑人雜志。但是它也是一本迎合大眾興趣的雜志。它的讀者有爺爺奶奶，爸爸媽媽，孩子和孫子——你怎麼一次性迎合四代人的口味？”《Ebony》的變化不只是表面的。比如，變化還包括更加時尚和刺激的特寫。但是立即吸引人們眼球的是雜志的現代氣息。更加精美的外表給讀者的信號是《Ebony》再也不是原來的雜志了。《Ebony》也沒有完全放棄過去，它只是把自己放在了現在的大環境中。
Cole製作的第一個封面是黑人總統競選人Barack和Michelle Obama夫婦。“我們想創造出一個總統的形象。我們不是想把封面弄得很俗麗，我們想讓封面具有偶像氣息——既美國化又有偶像氣質。”四月號的封面故事介紹了80歲的Harry Belafonte和35歲的Common。在內頁中，兩個人物談論了政治。“我們的封面人物都是工作和生活過了幾代人的時間。我們把包裝這些人，以讓他們看起來是當代的。”《Ebony》把同樣的原則用在了Jackson身上。他沒有穿某些時裝設計師精細打造的套裝和昂貴的領帶。如果他這樣穿著，會是一個轉型，但是那看起來就不是Jackson了。為了保持雜志的傳統，編輯們包裝著Michael和《Thriller》的傳奇——用溫暖的擁抱。他們也讓很世人很清楚地看到，《Ebony》雜志和Michael都沒有過時。
（邁克爾·傑克遜中國網 by Pure Devil 2007年12月9日）
上次整個世界關注Michael Jackson的時候，還是在兩年多前的孌童案期間。遲到的他會穿著貌似來自“佩珀軍士”（編者注：披頭士《佩珀軍士孤獨之心俱樂部》專輯）的衣服心不在焉地走進法庭。他還戴著軍隊的臂章和勛章。有一天居然穿著睡衣。在被判無罪之後，他隱居到了中東，偶爾會出現在日本與尖叫的歌迷擺姿勢拍照，以此賺錢。
但是這次他在《Ebony》裏變化了。
他穿著白色燕尾服，純白的襯衣，脖子上系著金色的網狀領帶，胸前別著寶石和白金做成的化妝胸針。他看起來像是當代的流行明星，而不是80年代的遺物。
雜志裏面的照片更加引人入勝。在一張照片中，Jackson穿著銀色的金屬質地的牛仔褲，銀色的牛仔靴，發光的黑色齊膝禮服，在他衣服的翻領處還有無數寶石。他戴著黑色帽子，帽沿遮住他的一隻眼睛。照片既優雅又有動感。但是最棒的是，Jackson看起來就是他自己——那頭發，那臉龐，那舞者的身軀，那浮華的風格——但他也像個成年人了。更特別來說的話，就像是他自己的P.T. Barnum成人版。（P.T. Barnum，馬戲大王巴納姆，美國最早的娛樂大亨和奇觀創造者）。
這次在圖片和配合的故事中都沒有嘗試描述Michael財政情況，或回溯他的官司麻煩及令人好奇的怪癖。這不是《Ebony》的風格。取而代之的是，《Ebony》只慶祝了這個藝人賣出超過一億張的專輯，他的歌——無論是小樣、混音還是Jackson 5的小曲——或許儲存在世界上每一臺iPod中。
這批照片是Matthew Rolston兩個月前在布魯克林博物館拍攝的。拍攝之前，《Ebony》和Jackson的工作人員進行了8個月的協商。協商的內容包括一切事情，比如時間和誰來做Michael的頭發。大概12位工作人員陪同Michael拍攝了照片。（最後Michael自己的發型師做了他的頭發。）
Jackson自己提出在布魯克林博物館拍攝。他想在有藝術氛圍的環境下拍這組照片，《Ebony》的創意總監Cole Harriette說。有博物館當背景，Cole說，“我開始想到了‘永恆經典’。”她還說當工作人員讓Jackson看看照片的一些創意時，他戴上了老花鏡。這個動作讓她想到了，“他的音樂也許是永恆的，但是他已經是個成年人了。”所有照片的核心都是這一個問題：“一個成熟的偶像該看起來是什麼樣？”
Cole和她的同事一直在問同樣的問題，因為這個問題也和雜志相關。在雜志創辦人John H. Johnson於2005年去世之後，《Ebony》就在革新自己。 創辦於1945年，《Ebony》雜志已然是美國黑人的喉舌，並且在全美國各個家庭的咖啡桌上都佔有榮譽的地位。但是它也變得過于一成不變。它縱情於人物描寫，這是所有雜志的生命之泉，可是，《Ebony》總是專注於那些正在變老的明星，而這些名流卻與年輕讀者的喜好相去甚遠。而且，《Ebony》缺少生動的社論。它甚至很少自己拍攝封面照片，而是用那種像是歌迷俱樂部散佈的庫存照片。
《Ebony》存活了下來——但其他目標讀者也是黑人的雜志們也走到了競爭的位置——，主要原因是那些忠誠的爺爺奶奶輩讀者想讀那些歷史性的黑人故事，驕傲于曾與那些第一代黑人前輩並肩而行，並希望和自己的孩子和孫子輩分享這些里程碑。比起喜歡Kanye West的人，它更能迎合喜歡Bill Cosby的讀者。
Cole，一位作家和雜志產業的老將，在去年一月來到了《Ebony》雜志社。擁有145萬本發行量的《Ebony》雜志也承受著來自光輝歷史的重擔。“《Ebony》是世界上最大的黑人雜志。但是它也是一本迎合大眾興趣的雜志。它的讀者有爺爺奶奶，爸爸媽媽，孩子和孫子——你怎麼一次性迎合四代人的口味？”《Ebony》的變化不只是表面的。比如，變化還包括更加時尚和刺激的特寫。但是立即吸引人們眼球的是雜志的現代氣息。更加精美的外表給讀者的信號是《Ebony》再也不是原來的雜志了。《Ebony》也沒有完全放棄過去，它只是把自己放在了現在的大環境中。
Cole製作的第一個封面是黑人總統競選人Barack和Michelle Obama夫婦。“我們想創造出一個總統的形象。我們不是想把封面弄得很俗麗，我們想讓封面具有偶像氣息——既美國化又有偶像氣質。”四月號的封面故事介紹了80歲的Harry Belafonte和35歲的Common。在內頁中，兩個人物談論了政治。“我們的封面人物都是工作和生活過了幾代人的時間。我們把包裝這些人，以讓他們看起來是當代的。”《Ebony》把同樣的原則用在了Jackson身上。他沒有穿某些時裝設計師精細打造的套裝和昂貴的領帶。如果他這樣穿著，會是一個轉型，但是那看起來就不是Jackson了。為了保持雜志的傳統，編輯們包裝著Michael和《Thriller》的傳奇——用溫暖的擁抱。他們也讓很世人很清楚地看到，《Ebony》雜志和Michael都沒有過時。
（邁克爾·傑克遜中國網 by Pure Devil 2007年12月9日）
A Makeover for Jackson and Shades of Change for Ebony
By Robin Givhan
Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, December 2, 2007; Page M01
Pop star Michael Jackson has resurfaced. He has returned to the recording studio. And in celebration of the 25th anniversary of "Thriller," he gazes placidly from the December cover of Ebony magazine. And, to be blunt, he does not look like a creepy goofball. When the world last had a long, hard look at Jackson more than two years ago, he was on trial for child molestation. He would shuffle into court late and distracted, wearing suits that looked like they had been lifted from Sgt. Pepper, militaristic armbands and medallions and, on one day, pajamas. After he was acquitted he disappeared to the Middle East, only occasionally emerging to make a few bucks by posing in photo ops with screaming fans in Japan .
But he has been transformed in Ebony. He is wearing white tails and a plain white shirt. A gold mesh bow tie hangs, undone, around his neck, and a large diamond-and-white-gold floral brooch serves as a million-dollar boutonniere. He looks like a contemporary pop star, rather than a relic from the '80s. The photographs inside are even more compelling. In one, Jackson is wearing silver metallic jeans, silver reptile cowboy booties, a long black iridescent frock coat, copious diamonds on his lapel and a black top hat, the brim of which he is tugging down over one eye. The photograph is graceful and dynamic. But what is most fascinating is that Jackson looks like himself -- that hair, that face, that dancer's body, that flamboyant style -- but he also looks like a grown-up. Or more specifically, like a grown-up version of his P.T. Barnum self.
There is no attempt, either in the images or in the accompanying story, to address his financial situation or to backtrack over his legal problems or curious proclivities. That is not Ebony's style. Instead, it is purely a celebration of the performer, the fact that "Thriller" has sold more than 100 million copies and that some version of a Jackson song -- a sample, a remake, a Jackson 5 ditty -- probably is on every iPod in the world. The photos, by Matthew Rolston, were taken at the Brooklyn Museum about two months ago, following about eight months of negotiations with Jackson 's people -- about a dozen of whom accompanied him to the shoot -- regarding everything from timing to who would do his hair. (His personal hairstylist did.)
It was Jackson who proposed the location. He wanted to be in the company of art, says Harriette Cole, Ebony's creative director. With the museum as the backdrop, Cole says, "I started thinking 'timeless.' " She also noted that when Jackson was asked to review some ideas for the shoot, he slipped on a pair of reading glasses, a gesture that reminded her that "his music may be timeless, but he's a grown man." At the heart of the shoot was a singular question: "What does a mature icon look like?" Cole and her colleagues have been asking that same question as it relates to the magazine. Since the death of its founder, John H. Johnson, in 2005, Ebony has been in a process of reinvention. Founded in 1945, Ebony became a dominant voice among African Americans and occupied a place of honor on coffee tables in homes across the country. But it also became staid. It indulged in the gushing profiles that are the lifeblood of so many magazines but focused on aging celebrities who had little relevance to younger readers. Mostly, Ebony lacked a lively editorial voice. It rarely even photographed its own covers, instead using the sort of stock images that might be distributed by a fan club.
Ebony survived -- as other magazines aimed at African Americans came to the fore -- in large part because of the loyal grandparents who wanted to read about the homecoming queens from historically black colleges, who took pride in staying abreast of the first black this or that and who made a point of sharing those milestones with their children and grandchildren. It appealed to those who were more interested in Bill Cosby than Kanye West. Cole, an author and veteran of the magazine industry, arrived last January. Ebony, with a circulation of 1.45 million, bore the burden of its significant history. "Ebony is the largest black magazine in the world. But it's also a general interest magazine. You have grandmothers, mothers, daughters and granddaughters -- how do you appeal to four generations at one time?" Ebony's changes have been more than aesthetic.
There are more timely and provocative features, for instance. But it's the contemporary gleam of the magazine that is most immediately noticeable. The more refined look sends the strongest signal that all is not as it once was. The past has not been completely dismissed, it simply is being placed in the context of the present day. The first cover Cole worked on was of Barack and Michelle Obama. "We wanted to create a presidential image. It wasn't meant to be flashy. It was to be iconic -- American and iconic." An April cover story featured Harry Belafonte, 80, and Common, 35. On the inside pages, the two talk politics. "We want people whose lives and work cross generations. And we style them so they look contemporary."
It's the same principle that Ebony has applied to Jackson . He was not asked to wear some designer's slim-cut business suit and expensive tie. That would have been a transformation, but it would not have been Jackson . In keeping with the magazine's tradition, the editors wrap Jackson -- and the "Thriller" legacy -- in a warm embrace. And they make a persuasive argument that the pop star and the magazine can both continue to be relevant.
By Robin Givhan
Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, December 2, 2007; Page M01
Pop star Michael Jackson has resurfaced. He has returned to the recording studio. And in celebration of the 25th anniversary of "Thriller," he gazes placidly from the December cover of Ebony magazine. And, to be blunt, he does not look like a creepy goofball. When the world last had a long, hard look at Jackson more than two years ago, he was on trial for child molestation. He would shuffle into court late and distracted, wearing suits that looked like they had been lifted from Sgt. Pepper, militaristic armbands and medallions and, on one day, pajamas. After he was acquitted he disappeared to the Middle East, only occasionally emerging to make a few bucks by posing in photo ops with screaming fans in Japan .
But he has been transformed in Ebony. He is wearing white tails and a plain white shirt. A gold mesh bow tie hangs, undone, around his neck, and a large diamond-and-white-gold floral brooch serves as a million-dollar boutonniere. He looks like a contemporary pop star, rather than a relic from the '80s. The photographs inside are even more compelling. In one, Jackson is wearing silver metallic jeans, silver reptile cowboy booties, a long black iridescent frock coat, copious diamonds on his lapel and a black top hat, the brim of which he is tugging down over one eye. The photograph is graceful and dynamic. But what is most fascinating is that Jackson looks like himself -- that hair, that face, that dancer's body, that flamboyant style -- but he also looks like a grown-up. Or more specifically, like a grown-up version of his P.T. Barnum self.
There is no attempt, either in the images or in the accompanying story, to address his financial situation or to backtrack over his legal problems or curious proclivities. That is not Ebony's style. Instead, it is purely a celebration of the performer, the fact that "Thriller" has sold more than 100 million copies and that some version of a Jackson song -- a sample, a remake, a Jackson 5 ditty -- probably is on every iPod in the world. The photos, by Matthew Rolston, were taken at the Brooklyn Museum about two months ago, following about eight months of negotiations with Jackson 's people -- about a dozen of whom accompanied him to the shoot -- regarding everything from timing to who would do his hair. (His personal hairstylist did.)
It was Jackson who proposed the location. He wanted to be in the company of art, says Harriette Cole, Ebony's creative director. With the museum as the backdrop, Cole says, "I started thinking 'timeless.' " She also noted that when Jackson was asked to review some ideas for the shoot, he slipped on a pair of reading glasses, a gesture that reminded her that "his music may be timeless, but he's a grown man." At the heart of the shoot was a singular question: "What does a mature icon look like?" Cole and her colleagues have been asking that same question as it relates to the magazine. Since the death of its founder, John H. Johnson, in 2005, Ebony has been in a process of reinvention. Founded in 1945, Ebony became a dominant voice among African Americans and occupied a place of honor on coffee tables in homes across the country. But it also became staid. It indulged in the gushing profiles that are the lifeblood of so many magazines but focused on aging celebrities who had little relevance to younger readers. Mostly, Ebony lacked a lively editorial voice. It rarely even photographed its own covers, instead using the sort of stock images that might be distributed by a fan club.
Ebony survived -- as other magazines aimed at African Americans came to the fore -- in large part because of the loyal grandparents who wanted to read about the homecoming queens from historically black colleges, who took pride in staying abreast of the first black this or that and who made a point of sharing those milestones with their children and grandchildren. It appealed to those who were more interested in Bill Cosby than Kanye West. Cole, an author and veteran of the magazine industry, arrived last January. Ebony, with a circulation of 1.45 million, bore the burden of its significant history. "Ebony is the largest black magazine in the world. But it's also a general interest magazine. You have grandmothers, mothers, daughters and granddaughters -- how do you appeal to four generations at one time?" Ebony's changes have been more than aesthetic.
There are more timely and provocative features, for instance. But it's the contemporary gleam of the magazine that is most immediately noticeable. The more refined look sends the strongest signal that all is not as it once was. The past has not been completely dismissed, it simply is being placed in the context of the present day. The first cover Cole worked on was of Barack and Michelle Obama. "We wanted to create a presidential image. It wasn't meant to be flashy. It was to be iconic -- American and iconic." An April cover story featured Harry Belafonte, 80, and Common, 35. On the inside pages, the two talk politics. "We want people whose lives and work cross generations. And we style them so they look contemporary."
It's the same principle that Ebony has applied to Jackson . He was not asked to wear some designer's slim-cut business suit and expensive tie. That would have been a transformation, but it would not have been Jackson . In keeping with the magazine's tradition, the editors wrap Jackson -- and the "Thriller" legacy -- in a warm embrace. And they make a persuasive argument that the pop star and the magazine can both continue to be relevant.
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