XVII Michael Jackson and the star’s „making of“ as a piece of Art

Behind the scenes? Jackson’s manager DiLeo is pushing the star to perform. Movie MOONWALKER, 1988. source

In Michael Jackson’s 1988 film MOONWALKER, he features a manager as an antagonist and gives him not only the name „Frankie LiDeo,“ but also the nickname „Mr. BIG.“ This is a reference to Jackson’s actual manager in the real world of 1988: the little Frank DiLeo.
As Jackson’s film MOONWALKER approaches the end, Jackson guides us one last time through this industrial, dark system behind the glittering facade of the entertainment industry. In MOONWALKER, his real manager Frank DiLeo is actually waiting for Jackson backstage, managing Jackson here as well and pressing him to perform just as the character Mr. BIG had previously pushed Jackson into the arena.

1988. Backstage in MOONWALKER: The „making-of“ of the star Michael Jackson behind the scenes as a film within a film. source

The manager’s pressing in MOONWALKER is followed by the staging of the star’s „making-of“ for the final number COME TOGETHER. Jackson thereby shows a kind of film within a film, in which an army of employees prepares the star’s last performance behind the scenes.

The star’s making of during the DANGEROUS world tour DANGEROUS world tour 1992/1993 source

For the DANGEROUS world tour, Michael Jackson presents the making-of on stage in perfection: at the end of MAN IN THE MIRROR and at the end of the concerts, the entertainer revealed his entire crew that made his performance possible. Jackson turned the „making-of“ into a show. In the Jackson Art.

1993. Backstage in WHO IS IT. The „making of“ the prostitute behind the scenes. source

Jackson presents a repetitive behind-the-scenes „making-of“ in the 1993 short film WHO IS IT. ¹

In WHO IS IT, the star who rushes from performance to performance is not Michael Jackson, but a woman. She is on tour, so to speak. The star is a whore.
The whore is marketed by pimps. Politely pronounced managers. Dozens set the stage for the star behind the scenes. In the same aRt, Jackson showed us how the star „Michael Jackson“ was „made of“ behind the scenes in MOONWALKER in 1988.

The star is a whore in 1991’s WHO IS IT and is managed by a man and a woman. A parental couple, at least symbolically. Both of them market the star from one performance to the next and count the suitcases full of money behind the scenes. Money, management, timing and perfection play a big role.
Jackson had already shown us the same image of the exploitative manager/parent couple in 1983, when he named the short film Say, Say, Say. The role of Jackson’s manager/father was played by Paul McCartney at that time. McCartney counted the dollars Jackson had earned him with his performance.
So how much Michael Jackson is in the whore in WHO IS IT?

The „Making of“ the star 1995, HIStory-Teaser. source

In 1995, Michael Jackson released the short film HIStory-Teaser to promote his album of the same name. The film is a gigantic „Making-of „. Of the star.

Michael Jackson’s „making of“ became at some point part of the show source

Starting in the 1990s, Jackson made the „making-of“ of himself an integral part of his show. No longer behind the scenes, but in the spotlight of the stage.

„You’re part of my show now, Bush.“

Michael Jackson. ²

The fatal end of the 1993 star in Jackson’s WHO IS IT source

In WHO IS IT 1993, a funeral seems to be the last making of the star. Jackson shows the last picture of the star. Surrounded by the entire production team.

The question is: Who is it? Which star is this actually, whose life ended in the industry?