Ed Siegel’s profile of Michael Jackson is interesting and well crafted. It doesn’t become the garish piece on Jackson that it could have easily been, but instead seeks out an answer to how “the Prince of Pop became the King of Fools”. Siegel is sympathetic to Jackson who was never “prepared to be a player in the media universe.” He compares him to other icons whose personal lives have imploded, and then he transitions into an examination of our obsession with celebrities.
The profile starts with an illuminating lede about Jackson’s interest in the Elephant Man. Siegel immediately sets the tone and discusses Jackson’s erratic behavior early in the article. He knows that he must include coverage of the recent controversies, but by getting it out of the way first he frees himself to make broader points with his piece. This is a good model for any critical celebrity profile. The thoughts flow well and the transitions between paragraphs are smooth. It succeeds at saying something new about Jackson who has been a media event for a long time.
1 comment:
i really liked this piece too, especially how siegel was able to blend the information about jackson with his commentary on out culture as a whole. it was interesting to me how he seemed sympathetic with jackson and his current sitation. good job analyzing the article!
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