How Do You Confuse Marlon Jackson with Jermaine Jackson?

Hey Y’all.

I know I haven’t blogged in a long time, and that’s due to me have another engagements on my time. But I had a conversation today that was just too strange to ignore.

I was in dialysis today and I getting off the machine, you know, getting ready to go on home and was chatting with one of the nurses about Michael Jackson. I’m always talking about Michael--he’s my favorite topic.

So, we’re talking and I mentioned something abut Michael’s brother Marlon. And the nurse came back and said “Oh yeah, I don’t like him--he talks too much.”

It took a second for me to realize she didn’t mean Marlon, but Michael’s other brother Jermaine. Yes, Jermaine does speak a lot. But I just wonder how she could confuse them. As opposed to stereotype, NO, not all Black men look alike.

Yes, since Marlon and Jermaine are brothers, they do share similar facial structures, but really, I find Marlon far better looking that Jermaine.

Marlon had remarkably smooth skin for his age--he’s 55-- just always looks very well put together whenever I see him. He’s always dressed sedately, in a suit or dressy casuals like khakis. I think he’s handsome with his bigger lips and the mustache that frames them perfectly. He’s an attractive man.

And then there’s Jermaine.

Now let me say I do respect Jermaine as a performer, he’s got a handful of pretty good songs that I do like and he is Michael Jackson’s brother, so that warrants my respect with him simply being related to Michael.

But I am not really a fan of Jermaine’s looks and have never really liked his appearance. I find his skin texture a bit coarse and rough, like perhaps he had a mishap with a chemical peel or something. His skin wasn’t always like that. I saw in his younger years, his face was as smooth as Marlon’s. It’s only in recent years it’s appeared like that. And since Jermaine has never addressed it in the media--though that motor mouth has covered every other topic under the sun--I can only speculate at what he’d done, or what had been done to him. I’m not saying anything for definite, because I’ve never personally met Jermaine, nor have I seen him in person. (And I’m sure if I tried to touch his face, I’d get a fist to mine. I don’t need that, I compete in pageants and need my face.)

Don’t get me started on Jermaine’s hair. I don’t know what’s happening there. it’s like the KFC recipe, it’s a secret that’s guarded to the death. I don’t know what that is on Jermaine’s head. I mean, I know it’s hair, duh, but really I don’t know what’s been done to it. My guess is, it’s permed and molded into that flat top shape where it must gelled in place. And it has changed colors. I’ve seen it tinted a steely grey and then other times it has been black. I’m not color blind, so I’ll throw the hat in the ring and say it might be colored. I don’t care really. I mean Jermaine’s a grown-ass man and if he wants to dye his hair, go ahead.

And to be honest, really, Jermaine Jackson is not ugly. He’s not ugly at all. It’s just his skin is, well, different frankly.

But Michael’s skin was different, and I thought he was the sexiest thing to sprout legs and walk the earth.

Jermaine just isn’t my preference, and I’m sure I’m not his preference for a woman.

By comparison, Marlon’s hair is more natural. They both basically have the same shape--a flat top, but Marlon’s is a normal, natural African-American texture. Hell, he’s even thinning on top--which is normal given his age.

Marlon looks so good, I NEVER noticed his balding (not bald, cause it’s not completely bare yet!) until I was watching the Jackson’s reality show. Marlon was on an elevator and for some reason they shot above him and you could see the spot plain as day. I just like, whatever. He’s good looking, I don’t give a damn. If he wanted he could shave himself bald like Randy. And I have to admit Randy Jackson looks good with a bald head.

Now back on Marlon and Jermaine. Both are built differently. Jermaine is several inches taller than Marlon, as Marlon is the shortest member of the Jacksons. Marlon has more booty than Jermaine. (I like booties, I looked! Hard to miss when both are wearing spandex!) Jermaine, I think has more of a tummy, but all of the Jacksons have tummies. All are in their 50s and the oldest Jackie is in his 60s. Another natural part of life for older men.

But really, it was just something that stuck out to me. Confusing the two of them.

If I saw Jermaine on the street, I’d stop traffic running for his autograph. If I saw Marlon it would be the same. I’d be happy to see them, shake their hands, take a picture with them. I wouldn’t confuse them. I couldn’t confuse them.

They’re two individuals and I like them both. I make fun of Jermaine occasionally, but I do really like them both.