Joseph Merrick: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 22:47, 30 October 2006

Revision as of 03:51, 31 October 2006

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* [[Image:Michaeljacksonleavemealone.jpg|right|thumb|Michael Jackson dancing with a depiction of Merrick's skeleton in the video for "Leave Me Alone".]] In the mid-1980s, singer [[Michael Jackson]] attempted to purchase Merrick's remains from the London Hospital Medical College. A press release on [[May 29]] [[1987]] from Jackson's manager, [[Frank DiLeo]], stated that the singer "has a high degree of respect for the memory of Merrick. He has read and studied all material about the Elephant Man, and has visited the hospital in London twice to view Merrick's remains. His fascination with their historical significance increased with each visit, along with hopes to add them to his collection of rare and unusual memorabilia at his California compound." He went on to claim that Jackson had no intentions to exploit the remains for profit and only wished to treat them as art or antiques. Michael Jackson's offer of US $1 million was turned down. He later went on to extensively deny that he had tried to obtain the Elephant Man's bones. In [[1993]], during an interview at his [[Neverland Ranch]], he told [[Oprah Winfrey]] that it was "another stupid story. I love the story of the Elephant Man, he reminds me of me a lot, and I could relate to it, it made me cry because I saw myself in the story, but no I never asked for the... where am I going to put some bones? And why would I want some bones?"<ref>http://www.rotten.com/library/sideshow/elephant-man/</ref><ref>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,103448,00.html</ref><ref>http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1107191939457_102601139</ref> In a [[1989]] music video for the song "[[Leave Me Alone]]", Jackson could be seen dancing alongside a [[claymation]] version of the Elephant Man's Bones.<ref>http://www.fast-rewind.com/elephantman.htm</ref> This was most likely a self-parody, as other parts of the video dealt with how he felt he was unfairly portrayed by the press.

* Perhaps as a parody of this, American [[post-hardcore]] band [[The Fall of Troy]] have a song titled, "Wacko Jacko Steals The Elephant Man's Bones".

* The Canadian band [[Barenaked Ladies]] also makes a reference to the Michael Jackson incident in their song "[[If I hadHad a Million Dollars$1000000]]" with the line "If I had a million dollars, well I'd buy you John Merrick's remains, oh all of them crazy elephant bones"

* According to the band's story, [[deadboy and the Elephantmen]] frontman Dax Riggs found his faith in God's benevolence tested so much after viewing the Elephant Man documentary as a child, that he left his life with a devout [[Jehovah's Witness]] practicing family to live with his father. He later created the band, aptly named after his childhood catharsis.

* [[Heavy metal]] band [[Mastodon (band)|Mastodon]] have ended their past three albums with a track about the Elephant Man. [[Leviathan (album)|Leviathan]]'s "Joseph Merrick", [[Remission (Mastodon Album)|Remission]]'s, "Elephant Man", and [[Blood Mountain (album)|Blood Mountain]]'s "Pendulous Skin".