Documentary about Michael Jackson trufans: "We Are The Children"
Filmmaker Dianna Dilworth emailed me last week with a link to her documentary about hardcore Michael Jackson fans like the fellow above: We are the Children.
"It's a look at the lives of the fans during the trail a few years back," she says -- specifically, trufans out showing support for their idol during the pop star's 2004-05 trial on child molestation charges.
As folks who follow me on Twitter already know, I find the cable news MJ-death-marathon spectacle to be a sad reminder of the state of -- well, the pathetic state of American cable news. I mean, what was that? Nine days of wall to wall "Michael Jackson: STILL DEAD"?
But thoughtful works like Dilworth's film, works that examine the lives of the "happy mutants" who are utterly devoted to this pop culture figure, I find fascinating. Do yourself a favor today: turn off the TV, stream this instead.
You can view Diana's film online for free at SnagFilms, a new ad supported film content site (Flash embed).
Or, you can buy a DVD here.
the latest
latest episodes
Fandom subcultures are by far my favorite things in the world. They're fascinating - particularly the even more segmented subcultures that develop within them (like "trufans"). Thanks for the tip!
Paraphrasing Triump the Insult Comic Dog: "On a scale of one to ten, how old is MJ's latest boyfriend?"
#2 beat me to Triumph The Insult Dog. Classic!
Wow. These true believers come off kooky, but— and I'm suppressing judgment fully all the way through— they are shining examples of the power of someone like Michael Jackson. There's nothing slick or shiny at all about these people, they just vibrate accordingly, and it's awesome. Trusting a filmmaker can be an amazing thing!