Michael Jackson’s Psychobiography

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Five Factor Model (FFM)
Object Relations Theory
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Michael Jackson is arguably the greatest musician. Born in August 1958, Michael was the eighth child in a working-class, African-American family (Pratt, 2010). He was born in Gary, Indiana, but until his death, in June 2009, Michael lived in California. Michael entertained thousands of fans his entire life. However, after his success, and his early thrust into the limelight, people often talked about his quirky behaviors. In fact, analysts connected his quirky behaviors to his life troubles and early death.

To understand Michael (as a person and an entertainer), it is important to go beyond his successes and explore the nature of his life from childhood. As a psychobiography of the entertainer, this paper uses the five-factor model (FFM), object relations theory, and the narcissistic personality disorder to explain his psychological development. Unlimited by aspects of his psychology and behaviors, this paper shows that Michael’s childhood was unlike other children.

Through the object relations theory, this paper shows that, Michael’s physical and emotional abuses (as a child) inhibited his ability to live a “normal” life. Consequently, he developed different personality types that suited his onstage and offstage images. However, even in his adult life, Michael was unable to cope with his fractured personality. Therefore, he resorted to using drugs and developed “questionable private behaviors” that could have contributed to his death.

Five Factor Model (FFM)

The FFM theory stipulates that the personalities of most people fall within a continuum of five personality types – neuroticism, extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness (McCrae & Allik 2002). Michael’s personality fit most (if not all) of the five personality types stated above. Pratt (2010) affirms that Michael manifested different personalities. For example, offstage, he was private and “reserved”. However, onstage, he was very vibrant and entertaining. Indeed, Michael’s was unable to relate to people offstage. Pratt (2010) says that Michael was uncomfortable with cameras following him offstage. Similarly, he often had trouble sustaining eye contact with an unfamiliar person. These personality characteristics explain why Michael could be overly animated and overly “reserved” (in one conversation). These two dimensions of his personality fit the extroversion and neuroticism personality traits.

A deeper investigation of Michael’s neurotic personality affirms his emotional instability, anxiety, and sadness (offstage). For example, in several interviews, Michael almost cried when he talked about his childhood (through his father’s abusive ways) (Brunner, 2013).

Several commentators also talked about his “soft” and childlike voice as uncommon for his age. In the same analytical framework, Michael also exhibited signs of agreeableness because he was also kind and affectionate. He mainly exhibited these attributes in his philanthropy ventures. Similarly, he was affectionate with small children. For example, he allowed underprivileged children to play in his ranch. He also gave gifts to such children and sometimes, paid for the upkeep. While it is common for people to exhibit multiple personalities, Michael’s personalities were often escapist. In fact, he was a self-professed “fantasy fanatic.” Overall, although the FFM theory explains Michael’s multiple personalities, its limited scope (five personalities) and its empirical framework (not based on any theory) explains its main weaknesses.

Object Relations Theory

The object relations theory is an offshoot of the psychoanalytic theory that presents people as “objects” that influence personality development (Goldstein, 2010). This theory also explains interpersonal disturbances (particularly, within the family) that affect people’s psychological development. Similarly, the theory explains the role of mental processes in determining how people relate to one another (Goldstein, 2010).

The object relations theory partly explains Michael’s psychological development through his experiences with his family. For example, the object relations theory shows that Michael’s father had a more significant role to play in his personality development than his brothers did. Indeed, as shown in this section of the paper, Michael’s father significantly influenced Michael’s self-image and personal confidence. Similarly, the object relations theory shows that Michael’s father also had a role to play in shaping his son’s sexuality. However, his brothers had a greater role in the same.

Sexuality

The object relations theory shows that Michaels’s childhood experiences greatly affected his unconscious predictions and social behaviors. For example, Michael’s sexuality was a common topic for public debate. Some people considered him a pedophile, while others considered him a homosexual. However, a deeper insight into his childhood experiences shows that he had trouble relating with women because he was sexually inexperienced. In fact, his first sexual experience occurred from observing his brothers’ sexual behaviors (Pratt, 2010). They often slept with multiple women, when he was in the room (some biographers also mention incidents where Michael heard his father having sex) (Pratt, 2010).

Pratt (2010) says his early thrust to fame affected his perspective on sexuality because he became an overnight sex symbol to millions of women, around the world. However, he could not exert the same power on them, practically. Pratt (2010) says women often intimidated Michael, the same way his father intimidated him. This analogy explains why he often found solace among young boys because they did not perceive him as an entertainer, but as a person.

Self-image

The influence of Michael’s father on his son’s personality development highlights the greatest role of the object relations theory in explaining Michael’s personality. For example, many people often perceived Michael’s family history as a success story because they overcome several hardships to succeed. People also saw Michael’s large family as a significant support pillar in his life. However, after an interview with Oprah Winfrey, in February 1993, Michael revealed that this was not the case (Brunner, 2013).

Particularly, he highlighted his father’s role in shaping his fears in life. His admission showed that although Michael’s father instilled a high level of discipline in his professional career, he fractured his son’s personality and self-image. Here, it is important to highlight the role of Michael’s father in shaping his son’s self-image because Michael’s “failed” plastic surgeries stem from this experience. For example, Michael’s father often teased him for having a “big nose.” Using derogatory names to refer to Michael’s physical appearance later affected him in different ways. For example, when Michael became famous, his looks changed, dramatically. Particularly, the shape of his nose changed. Later, he changed his skin tone.

Brunner (2013) believes that Michael got these surgeries to distant his self-image from his father’s image. For example, he changed his nose shape to feel better about himself and to distant his adult image from his childhood image.

During Michael’s child sexual abuse trial, Stan Katz analyzed Michael’s mental health (with regards to his physical appearance) and revealed that, as an adult, Michael was still a regressed ten-year old who did not have a proper understanding of how his physical image should look like (Pratt, 2010). Moreover, he did not understand how the public perceived him, or the impact of his extensive surgeries on his public image (Pratt, 2010). However, Michael understood what image he did not want to have. He did not want to relive his father’s image of him. He wanted to run away from his father and his paternal identity (as an adult).

Comprehensively, Michael’s physical changes show the influence of the object relation theory on the development of his self-worth. For example, the object relations theory explains that young children often compartmentalize childhood experiences by their functions. Eventually, these pieces become whole objects that influence a person’s tolerance, or ambiguity, regarding an issue (self-image). However, the greatest weakness of this theory is its inability account for good object relations (like the positive effects of Michael’s family on his psychological development).

Personal Confidence and Security

The physical and emotional abuse that Michael’s father inflicted on his son also affected Michael’s personal confidence and security. The interview with Oprah Winfrey revealed that Michael often felt lonely, even when around people (Brunner, 2013). For example, he narrated countless episodes when he looked across the family backyard and saw other children playing and felt sad for not participating in the same experiences. This feeling contributed to his loneliness. Michael’s father played a significant role in nurturing these feelings because he created a life that isolated his son from the world (at least during his childhood).

Michael’s father also played a significant role in shaping his son’s sense of security. On different occasions, Michael narrated how his father would sneak into his room (late into the night) and scare him for leaving the windows unlocked (Pratt, 2010). From such experiences, Michael became very frightened of the night. Moreover, he started having nightmares and became afraid to sleep. Based on these experiences, unsurprisingly, Michael started to take sleeping pills to enable him sleep at night (as an adult). Fuelled by a gruesome work schedule, Michael became addicted to painkillers and sleeping pills that could have contributed to his death.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Indisputably, Michael’s fans often adored him. The shouts, screams, and euphoria that characterized his performances affirm this fact. Sometimes, Michael used to bask in this glory. For example, he could stand on stage for three minutes (thereabout) and watch the crowd scream his name. He understood his power to influence the crowd and never hesitated to exploit it during his performances. This action draws attention to his NPD. Brunner (2013) says victims of NPD often have similar characteristics by projecting superiority and demanding special treatment for their talents. Michael’s momentary motionless and speechless appearances in his shows (as the fans screamed and idolized him) fit this description. For example, in a 1992 concert in Budapest, Michael stood for almost three minutes looking at a frenzied crowd that screamed his name. Partly, this action affirms the need to fuel his NPD.

Michael’s demand for undivided attention and commitment to work (among his employees) also affirm his NPD. Brunner (2013) says people with NPD often expect great dedication from those around them. Sometimes, such people overlook the personal concerns of their subjects to be perfect. In the movie, This Is It, Michael overworked himself and those around him (Brunner, 2013). For example, he often demanded his instrumentalist to hit a particular note that he desired. Often, he would dwell on the subject until the person met his needs. He also demanded the same perfection from his dancers and singers (with the same zeal).

This demand prompted many of his colleagues to comment about the endless work hours that they would spend perfecting a routine or musical piece (Brunner, 2013). They understood Michael’s need for dedication.

Michael’s personality fits the feud’s view of narcissism (through the classical analytic theory) (Brunner, 2013). Particularly, Michael NPD fits Feud’s definition of the ego ideal (Brunner, 2013). For example, as shown in this paper, Michael knew that he had an extraordinary talent and leveraged it in his concerts. Similarly, he often exhibited a rare charm in his public life that complemented this talent. However, after considering the influence of his troubled childhood, it is crucial to mention that he used his ego ideal to hide his fractured personality. This fact shows the challenges of managing emotionally fractured people, such as Michael.

Particularly, this difficulty manifests after consulting the DSM-IV framework. For example, the DSM-IV framework affirms the probability of diagnosing Michael with multiple personality disorders (Livesley, 1995). This possibility affirms the views of Ronningstam (2005) when he affirms the presence of multiple behaviors among narcissistic persons. Livesley (1995) also holds the same view when she says NPD often overlaps with multiple personality disorders.

Conclusion

This paper sought to investigate Michael Jackson’s personality development, from a psychoanalytical perspective. This paper used the object relations theory to explain the influence of Michael’s family members on his personality development. It shows that Michael’s experiences with his father played a significant role in influencing his self-worth, personal security, and confidence.

His brothers also played a significant role in influencing his “questionable” sexuality. Although these analyses show that Michael had a fractured personality, the FFM showed that he exhibited different personalities. In fact, he could exhibit characteristics of all the five types of personalities outlined in the model. The NPD overlaps with this analysis because it also reinforces Michael’s multiple personalities. However, the theory mostly highlights Michael’s “vibrant” side because it shows how Michael understood his self-worth and used it to influence thousands of fans around the world. Nonetheless, Michael died a sad and lonely person. Off-camera, he was unable to be like “ordinary” people.

The unlimited media scrutiny and the negative criticism of his private life (in the tabloids) also contributed to his inability to live a “normal” life. In fact, it is difficult for ordinary people to understand the influence that excessive public scrutiny would have on his life. Overall, the media influence and his failure to overcome the negative influences of his childhood contributed to his troubled life. However, he remains an iconic entertainment figure of the 20^th and 21^st centuries.

References

Brunner, S. (2013). Michael Jackson: Was He the Man in the Mirror? Journal of Integrated Studies, 4(1), 1-13. Web.

Goldstein, E. (2010). Object Relations Theory and Self Psychology in Soc. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster. Web.

Livesley, W.J. (1995). The DSM-IV personality disorders. New York, NY: The Guilford Press. Web.

McCrae, R., & Allik, I. (2002). The Five-Factor Model of Personality Across Cultures. New York, NY: Springer. Web.

Pratt, M. (2010). Michael Jackson: King of Pop. New York, NY: ABDO. Web.

Ronningstam, E. (2005). Identifying and understanding the narcissistic personality. Oxford, UK: Oxford Press. Web.

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