Music season continues
Parkpop, Den Haag, is one of the largest free music festivals in Europe (according to their website, and I don't see any reason as to why they would lie about it). Nevertheless, there were a reported 275,000 people who went. I thought I wouldn't be the only one. How could I be? It turns out I was.
I had decided to un-retire my Michael Jackson costume as a final tribute. It seemed fitting. I had added a pair of aviator glasses to the costume to furthe conceal my non-MJ face-area features. So, quite a few people recognised MJ and said something unwitty ("hee hee", "Oh mijn God, He's alive" etc.) I was entertained. At one stage, a guy politely asked if he could take a photo of me. Sure. Another few people pulled out their cellphones and snapped a pic. Then a guy asked me, "Why, actually, are you doing this?" You know, I didn't know.
So, I was watching a band play, and i heard a guy screaming "Michael Jackson!". I was getting used to it, but he kneeled down next to me, and I saw his mask. It was a creepy caricature rubber MJ mask with wig. I was so excited. I needed a photo of us together. That would be hilarious. However, he took off the mask, and told me to put it on. Oh man, this was fabulous. I suddenly realised that everybody around me started pointing, staring and taking photos. People came up to pose with me. It was crazy. Then the guy told me that I could keep the mask. It's yours, he said. Wow, I had the perfect costume. This was the best idea I have ever had.
I don't have good photos and videos myself, but in time, I will try and retrieve some. It was, however, extremely hot under the mask and jacket, and I wanted to watch the next act without getting mugged by strangers. After the first act finished and said "R.I.P Michael Jackson", I danced around and the mask came off.
A few hours later, I re-donned the mask while some really groovy gypsy music was playing. This time, the reaction was insane. Seconds after the mask was on, I looked around. Through the eyeholes, I panned 360 degrees around me. Everyone was staring, laughing and taking photos of me. I had people lining up for photos, screaming like only MJ fans could, telling me to do the moonwalk (I can't). At one stage, a group of ten 13-year olds spotted me, screamed, and swarmed me. I wanted to do a cool MJ-pose, and I was about to do the classic crotch-grab... Bad idea. Abort! Abort! I remembered who I was just on time. Ooh. that was close. But then, he only liked boys, so it would have been okay.
After maybe five minutes, a wanted to leave the mayhem, when a bikini-clad hippy bear-hugged me and begged me to dance with her. I pranced for a second, kept walking, and tore the mask off Mission: Impossible-stlye. This was fucking insane. I started to understand how his life was. And if this is the reaction a fake MJ gets and exhausted me after five minutes, then it is absolutely amazing that Michael Jackson lived to see his 50th birthday.
I was actually scared to put the mask on again after that (especially since I got separated from my large group of friends). So I was just holding the mask as I watched the acts perform. Near the end of the night, I got another tap on my shoulder. A lady asked me in a very proper English accent: "Are you going to put this mask on? It's just that, I'm an awfully big Michael Jackson fan. I can't believe he is dead, and would do anything to have a photo with him." I told her, 'look, if I put this on, people will go insane. You know how dangerous it is'. But her friend, begged me further in a cockney accent. I didn't make them do "anything" for me, it was enough just to make the cockney stop.
It was then that I finally accepted the death of MJ. The grieving period was over, and I am boldly stepping out into the post MJ-era. I was worried that people would think I was mocking him, and that someone would take offense and beat me up. (One group of guys were angry that I couldn't do the moonwalk). But somehow, as the English lady showed me, I was doing a good thing; making people happy. And in the end, that was what Michael Jackson wanted. A talkative/drunk guy at the train station said to me, 'I'm not a fan by any means, but you can say what you want, there isn't one person around who, when alone by themself, hasn't done a "hee hee" [said as he grabbed his balls]'. While I wouldn't say it in those exact terms, I do agree. And today, I fulfilled a large quota of "hee hee"'s.
It was a great idea and a great day. For a day, I was King of Parkpop. Now, Halloween can't come soon enough.
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