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.



Working on My Writing.

Hey Y'all.

I know I haven't posted a blog in a while, and I'd like to apologize for that. I am currently in the middle of several writing projects--short stories, novels--and it does take me away from my blog that I love so much. But I am thinking of new topics and things to blog about. And more is coming.

Thanks for being patient,

Tiffeny.

A Day In The Life...

As many of you may know, I have been on dialysis almost three years now. And one of the very first things the doctors and nurses told me when I started dialysis, was that the treatment would provide me with “a better quality of life”.

Almost three years later, I have found that to be an out and out LIE.

Before dialysis, I had some semblance of a life. But now, I really don’t.

I used to go out to the mall and out to places to eat and out to movies and I had a group of friends I used to hang out with.

Now, all but one of my friends have moved away and I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before the last one takes off too. They all have lives and things to do and I have nothing at all to fill my day.

My typical day now--when I don’t go to dialysis--usually starts around 10 am when I get up. (there are some days I stay in bed until the afternoon if dialysis really drained me)

Then I spend the next 12 or 15 hours on my laptop computer, writing or looking on the internet or chatting.

Somewhere along the way, I might eat something for lunch and dinner and then it’s time to go to bed again and go back to dialysis in the morning.

And that’s my entire day. I don’t really go anywhere or go see people.

Because why would I bore someone with talking about else dialysis or Michael Jackson. I don’t really have anything else to talk about because I don’t do anything else worth talking about.

I know people could ask why I don’;t go to school or work. I can’t.

With dialysis, there’s no telling how I’ll feel from day to day. Some days I feel just fine, almost like I was really well and other days, I simply cannot move out of the bed. And I know it would be a waste of everyone’s time and money for me to try to go to college when I wouldn’t be able to sit in class or pay attention. I can;’t take that spot from an able bodied person.

There’s just days where I sit and really, honestly in my heart regret I started dialysis. There’s never a day that I’m thankful I took it or am on it. I’m never glad that I’m on dialysis. I am always, always, ALWAYS regretful I started it.

To be truthful the only reason I started it was because my dad promised to get me a ticket to see Michael Jackson on his This Is It tours.

Had I known Michael was going to croak just 2 months later-just long enough for me to get tangled in all this mess--I would NEVER have done it.

Never, never take dialysis. You’ll be so miserable on it. If you have a choice, you’d rather die. Trust me, you would. Because you’ll live and see life passing you by. That’s all I see, life passing me by.

I’m 25 years old and feel like I’m 75, like I’m at the end of my life span not the beginning of it.

And that’s an awful feeling to have every single day of your life. I do.

Not Doing Much...

Hey Y'all!

I know I haven't posted in a while and I'm sorry for that. In between dialysis, and working on my various stories that I like writing, I haven't found time to do much else.

Well that's not entirely true. Last week I went to a sushi house with my friend Ebonie and damn near killed myself when I tried wasabi for the first--and last--time. It felt like my entire face had been set on fire and I swear that is the only time a meal has made me cry! Ha-ha!!!!


That ish is dangerous!

But I do plan to do more, and blog more about it.

Marlon Jackson--the Panther!

Hey Y'all!



These damn Jacksons!
Man, I am telling you, I don't know what it is with me. I love Michael, that literally goes without saying, but over the years, I've found that I'v e had a crush on almost all of Michael's brothers, even Jermaine, at some point in time. But I notice that I keep coming back to Marlon.

Now yes, I realize he's 54 years old. And yes, his three kids are all OLDER than me. And YES, he's been married longer than I've been alive.
I se that and I totally get it.

But damnit, he's still so cute!
Before I was 12, I didn't even know Marlon existed. Like I didn't know Michael Jackson had brothers or anything about the Jackson 5 really.
Then I rented "Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues" and there was a very short segment where Marlon was speaking and I remember I was floored.

That was my expression wh en I saw him. Looking very similar to the Thriller MJ--the doc was made in the 80s--but not quite with his mustache and fuller lips.

I've always been a lips girl and I loved Marlon's big lips and smile. He was charming and I liked how funny he was. Michael always came across as so shy and Marlon seemed the opposite. And through Michael, I learned more about Marlon and how cool he was.
Around the same time Michael's Bad album dropped, Marlon dropped his only solo album to date--Baby Tonight.
Now for years I hadheard stories that the album was awful that Marlon couldn't sing or dance and was a shell and imitaiton of his brother. I had even heard that Latoya laughed at it the first time she heard the record.
All sorts of things. So when I had the chance to actually listen to Marlon I kind of feared the worst.


AND GOT THE OPPOSITE.

Marlon's sound was of the era, dance-pop/R&B with a nuance of New Jack Swing. I really liked it and right now I'm in negotiations to get a copy of the album for myself.
Then I looked into his performances. His style of dance is different from Michael and I like that. To see something different. Marlon won't be moonwalking anytime soon and I like that.
He's his own talent. Great singing, great dancing. He's aged very well.



He looks ten years younger than his true age to me. And he's always so happy looking and smiling. I like that.
So many stars now are sullen and mean looking.
Marlon seems to stay pleasant to me.

I really have nothing but nice things to say about him.
I just really like him and finding perfomances by him and with the Jacksons. He's enjoyable to me, and I wish he could get more recognition besides being Michael's big brother.

My friends and I playfully call Marlon a panther--the male equivalent of a cougar--because well he kind of it.

He's "older" he's very good looking and magnetic.

And really ALL men should be like that.
I just wanted to say.

My Christmas...

Hey Y'all!

I hope you all had a better Christmas than I did because it was a complete disaster here and I really hated it. Everything went wrong from the meal to the gifts and everything.

I'm so glad it's all over. And next year, I'm gonna spend all my money on MJ like I should have done.

Sexy MJ Pictures--THRILLER!

Hey Y'all!

In an earlier post, I showed off some of the pictures of MJ from the HIStory era that I thought were smoking hot. And now I'm back with some from an earlier time--THRILLER!

Now Thriller, unfortunately, was a little before my time, but as a Michael Jackson fan, I have a deep love and appreciation for the album, though BAD is my fave MJ album. And as an 80s fanatic, I loved the style and how cute Michael looked and just used to dream of him as a kid. He was so beautiful. The only thing I hate is that people think Michael looked ugly as he got older and his appearance changed and I DON'T. I love and adore Michael at all aspects of his life, from when he was a kid, to an acne-riddled teen to a grown man. Okay, enough chit-chat. I'll make with the pictures.



I'd have to be a damned fool to not include a picture of Michael from when he won he record breaking EIGHT grammy awards in 1984, Before MJ, I never knew what a Grammy was. And now, well with him gone, I don't care about the show either. But for 16 years in the middle, I cared and always cheered when he won, one. This outfit is stunning and the colors are so complimentary to Michael. It is teal, and I don't see Michael in teal often. He also wore this jacket to the White House to meet Ronald Reagan the same year.



Michael at the 1984 American Music Awards. This look is so special because it's one of the rare times you see Michael with BLACK glove instead of a white one. I heard he had a bunch of different colored gloves made up, but ultimately settled on the white one that's synonymous with his Billie Jean performance.



I am obsessed with this jacket. Hands down one of my top Michael Jackson looks in his LIFETIME. I remember my jaw just hanging in awe when I first saw this jacket. And it is the only piece of Michael Jackson owned memorobilia that I actually tried to buy when it went to auction. The jacket was 12 thousand dollars and I literally scrambled trying to find things to pawn and sell. If my father had let me see his damn car....I might own that coat. But I love it for how intricate it is. Michael always seemed to wear works of art. And that piece is a 50 pound jacket, nearly half Michael total body weight.
So sexy I could scream!


This is actually on the inside of the gatefold Thriller album and I really think it should have been the cover. It just smolders with sexuality and the innocence that was Michael Jackson at the age of 23. Travolta may have started the white suit, but Michael made it something special.



It;s remarkable to me how Michael's most iconic look--the Billie Jean ensemble--was basically made of a bunch of recycled garments. His sequinned jacket belonged to his mother, his shiny shirt had been worn in 1981 on a special with Diana Ross. The glove had debuted on the 1981 Triumph tour, along with the socks I beleive and who knew how old the loafers were.  But it all combined together to look perfect and gorgeous and I swear when I first saw it I thought it was all brand new. And it kinda was. And it was just a watershed moment in human history. A star was created.
Michael Jackson.

Well, that's enough for now...more next time! LOL!