Bon Voyage MJ

So after a couple of days after he's gone, its sinking in and the disbelief has given way to acceptance. Acceptance of the fact that one of the largest & the most influential artists of all times has boarded for a never ending exciting journey ahead.

The news broke while I was driving to my office along with my wife, and no sooner we heard it, we could not stop those tears from rolling down, both of us. Reached office dazed in disbelief and spent the entire day listening to his music, watching his videos, reading about him. Had memories of my experiences in life listening to MJ, grew up on his music. I distinctly remember one of the first English music tapes I had was Thriller & Bad when I was around 9 yrs old. Since then I have always followed his music, danced to it, sang it, head-banged and enjoyed every bit of it.

I think of him as one of the most influential musicians of our times, he is probably the only artist who could have Eddie Van Halen playing a guitar solo in 'Beat It', Slash at the peak of his career playing guitar solos in 'Give in to me', Prince writing the lyrics on so many of his songs, and the whole list of the who's who of the 80's music gathered for 'We are the World'. I am sure that no one other than MJ could pull it off. One of the very few talented people the world has seen who can sing & dance simultaneously. There is enough dope on him published all over and one could go on and on about MJ the great. The fact that Twitter crashed, the mighty Google had to shut down its service for almost half hour and the internet gone slow, says it all.

What surprised me was a reaction of a few people at his death. As a tribute to MJ, VH1 was airing videos in the night and I sent a text to most of my friends about it. A few strange texts I got in return got me thinking. One of the texts read 'Please spare me' while the other read ' What tribute, he was a pedophile. Good riddance to bad rubbish'

It proves that one wrong deed can wipe off hundred good deeds. For all the great music he created, all the chart busters, all the millions of copies of albums sold, all the cult that he was, it took just one wrong deed to wipe it all off, or did it? I pondered over this question and it took me back in time to my childhood. As a child I was once accused of stealing a spoon from one of my friends place. The word spread faster than I thought. Soon all the eyes looked at me with suspicion, my friends deserted me and life seemed miserable. I felt lonely, so lonely I have no words to explain that feeling, the feeling of labeled a thief. And when it for something you have not done it hurts you, leaves you speechless. I came over that feeling over a period of time and life was back to normal. That was me, a normal child accused of stealing a spoon. Think of it and you realize, a superstar that MJ was and the accusations that were put on him and all the media over the world that wrote about it, I am not surprised that people still hold it against him. And I can imagine how lonely he must have felt. I read MJ saying that he was one of the most lonely person on earth.

Now that he has gone on an eternal journey and left us with a huge repertoire of the some of the masterpieces of music, I just hope that we remember him for all the good things he got to our world. All the social issues right from Racism to Aids to Environment that he touched upon through his songs & music. And forget the few mistakes he ever made. Let's together ensure he does not remain lonely through the rest of his journey.

Bon Voyage Michael Jackson. RIP.

Sleaze & Sexual Preferences

It took me a while before I could write a new post. I think the recession is for real, and nothing else could have excited me enough to write the next post. Sex can get you up, literally. And for what Shiney has done or not done, I think has a point or two to ponder upon.

India the land of Kamasutra and one of the oldest known countries acknowledging and celebrating sex in one's life is at the bottom heap of sexually pleased people. Irony indeed, but go to think of it and from the Kamasutra era and today a lot has changed, a lot. While we think over the SOP story (yes SOP & not SOB) of Shiney and his maid, this thing about SOP (will be elaborated later in the post) comes to the forefront.

Let's look at this carefully, SEX is a TABOO in India, even while I write this post I am actually looking around worried if any of my female colleagues would get a glimpse of me writing a post on Sleaze & Sex and tag me a sexual maniac. Nevertheless the point here is that since a child I have observed people discussing anything remotely close to sex in a hush-hush. My parents, relatives & every one else I grew up with would hush-hush all matters relating to sex to the extent of even flipping news channels reporting a rape case. The fact that I came from a middle class educated metropolitan family makes me wonder about the child bought up in villages. His ideology about sex and what sex construes to him is a mystery to me.

A broader look at reported sexual crimes in our country, will get to fore the fact that the strata which is largely involved in such crimes are people at the bottom of the income pyramid followed by ironically those in the top. The middle order just manages to lead a fairly less scandalous life.

Now lets visualize this, a lower income person staying in a 10 x 10 feet house loaded with kids, parents and some times relatives in transit, has remotely no possibility of sneaking in a sexual rendezvous with his or her beloved. How about a vacation then, vacation what does that spell like ? Haven't been able to visit the adjacent city for years now. So thats where it all ends up. Sex is that thing that the rich do, it's not for us, we had enough of it and the proof of it are our two, three kids. End of story for the ones at the bottom. All they are left with sexual flings in the crowded buses or trains with unknown strangers. Could well spill over to a rape or molestation as well sometimes.

Now the ones at the top of the income pyramid have everything that money can buy. Sex is a commodity for them. Can be bought off the shelf. It's easy come and easy go. The only two things that can spoil the party for them are, what if I just get caught making it out with a another lady / man / prostitute especially those who have any kind of societal recognition be it actors, politicians, bureaucrats, have this playing on the back of their mind, always. So though I can buy it, I refrain. And the second put off is the fact that you loose the sheen of something that is so easy to do. You have always bought or influenced sex through the power of your money, now its lost its excitement. I am over it. So I get into sexual experimentations which could spill over to a rape or molestation.

And the ones in the middle lead a lack lust-re sexual life. Maybe with a few sexual bouts outside commitments but cannot really afford to go over board on any thing. Have a family to take care of, EMI's to pay, fees to be paid, sex can come later. Lead a balanced sexual life & thats about it.

After all has been spoken & discussed its time to figure out what SOP is, Sexually Oppressed Personality, yes thats what it is. India can be largely categorized as a country crowded by sexually oppressed personalities. Though we might be slightly better off compared to the Afghanistan of the worlds but what the heck. For the country which has Kamasutra to its credit I think we can be much better off, sexually.

Introducing sex education in schools & colleges will help break the ice and should be supported thoroughly by us. And as responsible parents I think it's our duty to responsibly discuss matters related to sex with our kids and save them from becoming SOP's going ahead.

After all Bhagwan Rajneesh died advocating a more open attitude towards sexuality. In the case of sexual feelings, Osho believed that repression only makes these feelings re-emerge in another guise, and the final result was a society that was obsessed with sex. Instead of suppressing, Osho argued, people should trust and accept themselves unconditionally. " We have been repressing anger, greed, sex. And that's why every human being is stinking. Let it become manure and you will have great flowers blossoming in you".

With this quote I end this discourse ;)