Michael Jackson in Georgia

Since my arrival, I've been somewhat perplexed by the popularity (for lack of a better word) of Michael Jackson in Georgia. I'm not sure what to make of it, but he definitely is in the forefront of Georgian consciousness in way not seen in America. Being American, MJ has not been a part of my life for a long time, since about 1994 when all the scandals began. It is as though that part of his life never made it beyond the borders of the United States. However, I do have 1 song of his on my laptop: "Smooth Criminal."

My first encounter with Michael Jackson in Georgia came while riding down Rustaveli Avenue in Batumi in the family's Mercedes Benz SUV. My first host dad was in real estate and construction and was driving tell me what new hotels were going where. Then out of nowhere he says something which one of the cousins translated as the following:

"Charlotte, uncle wants to know if people in America think that Michael Jackson is really dead or if he is still alive."

'What...?' I thought, 'Is this serious?' It was. I had to try hard not to laugh, but everyone was looking at me waiting for a response. "Oh no! Everyone knows he is dead, but some people believe Elvis is alive." This answer seemed to satisfy host dad's curiosity, and he immediately resumed his discussion on Batumi construction and development.

MJ has been mentioned several times since then, and each time I am perplexed by the type of questions I am asked and the context in which these questions are asked. Often there is no reason that MJ should come up in conversation! He just does! Recently my translator from the University drove me home after our class. When he saw the neighbor’s house (which is even bigger than my house) he said, “Wow…does Michael Jackson live there?” I know he was joking, but part of me died. I thought my translator was cool, and could at least name a better celebrity. No, he used MJ as his go-to celebrity.