Michael Jackson's Thriller jacket
The red jacket worn by Michael Jackson in the Michael Jackson's Thriller video in 1983 has been referred to as the Thriller jacket. Designed by Deborah Nadoolman Landis, the candy-apple-red jacket, with black strips, was noted for its many zips, its "M" logo and Star Trek-esque angular, rigid shoulder design. The jacket became the "hottest outerwear fad of the mid-1980s" and was widely emulated.[1] Because counterfeit copies of the jacket could sell at over $500, in 1984 Jackson filed a lawsuit in New York City to prevent unauthorized copies of the jacket and his other merchandise.[2] On June 27, 2011, the jacket sold for $1.8 million at Julien's Auctions.[3] The buyer, Milton Verret, described the jacket as "the greatest piece of rock and roll memorabilia in history".[4][5]
Design[edit]
The jacket was designed by Deborah Nadoolman Landis. She had also designed Indiana Jones's jacket in Raiders of the Lost Ark, among other things.[6][7][8] The red jacket was noted for its V shaped black stripes, the unusual style of the front buttons, and the angular, rigid shoulders protruding out over the tops of the arms.[9][10] Landis stated that she specifically designed the jacket to help Jackson appear more "virile".[11][12]
Christine Gledhill in her book Stardom: Industry of Desire (1991) discusses Jackson's overall style in Thriller as follows: "In 'Thriller', Michael's outfit and its stylistic features – the wet-look hairstyle, the ankle-cut jeans and the letter 'M' emblazoned on his jacket – reinforce this meta-textual superimposition of role. If Michael, as the male protagonist, is both boyfriend and star, his female counterpart in the equation of 'romance' is both the girlfriend and at this meta-textual level, the fans."[13]
Fashion designer Zaldy was responsible for a redesigned version of the jacket for the cancelled This Is It concerts. It had an imitation of blood on its shoulders, and on the inside a stamp resembling the feline beast Jackson turns into in the video.[14]
Reception[edit]
The jacket became the "hottest outerwear fad of the mid-1980s" and was widely emulated. It is sometimes emulated by celebrities today such as Chris Brown and Kanye West.[1][15] It also became one of the most sought after by many people and the epitome of the 1980s teen cool.[16][17] The jacket he wore in the Thriller video, along with a copy of the black and white leather jacket he wore in one of the Pepsi commercials and in the dance rehearsal portions behinds the scenes of The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller, are among his best-selling jackets.[18] Expensive counterfeits were mass-produced and often sold for over $500 to people thinking they were getting the real thing.[19] Because of this mass counterfeiting and the profits it earned, in 1984 Jackson filed a lawsuit in New York City to prevent unauthorized copies of the jacket and his other merchandise.[2]
Leaving Neverland[edit]
At the end of documentary Leaving Neverland accuser Wade Robson was shown standing next to a bonfire, burning various pieces of memorabilia including Jackson’s Thriller jacket. Some spectators claimed it was not a genuine one, but Robson and director Dan Reed repeatedly refuted the claims.[20][21][22]
According to Julien’s Auctions, in 2011 Robson sold one of Jackson's sequined gloves and a jacket from "Thriller" for $31,250 and $49,920 respectively. The auction house verified the sale on Twitter in response to critics of Robson, who accused him of participating in the documentary for financial gain.[23][24]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Mansour, David (1 June 2005). From Abba to Zoom: a pop culture encyclopedia of the late 20th century. Andrews McMeel Publishing. p. 487. ISBN 978-0-7407-5118-9. Retrieved 16 May 2011. Search this book on
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Campbell, Lisa D. (March 1993). Michael Jackson: the king of pop. Branden Books. p. 101. ISBN 9780828319577. Retrieved 16 May 2011. Search this book on
- ↑ Perpetua, Matthew; Perpetua, Matthew (27 June 2011). "'Thriller' Jacket Brings in $1.8 Million".
- ↑ "Michael Jackson's Thriller jacket sells for $1.8m at auction". BBC News. 27 June 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
- ↑ "Michael Jackson's "Thriller" jacket up for auction". 6 June 2011 – via www.reuters.com.
- ↑ Goode, Lauren (30 June 2009). "Deborah Landis, Designer of the Red Jacket Michael Jackson Wore in "Thriller"".
- ↑ Communications, Emmis (April 1985). Texas Monthly. Emmis Communications. p. 176. ISSN 0148-7736. Retrieved 16 May 2011. Search this book on
- ↑ Landis, John (31 August 2017). "John Landis on the making of Michael Jackson's Thriller: 'I was adamant he couldn't look too hideous'" – via www.theguardian.com.
- ↑ Williams, Russell (June 2003). Reborn Again. Xulon Press. p. 37. ISBN 978-1-59160-675-8. Retrieved 16 May 2011. Search this book on
- ↑ Gautier, Yves (3 May 2010). Michael Jackson, Backdoor to Neverland: Exposing the King of Pop's Secret Mindsets. Yves GAUTIER. p. 81. ISBN 978-1-4528-1576-3. Retrieved 16 May 2011. Search this book on
- ↑ Lauren Goode (June 30, 2009). "Deborah Landis, Designer of the Red Jacket Michael Jackson Wore in "Thriller"". Wall Street Journal. Speakeasy. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
At the time, she says, the 25-year-old Jackson weighed only 99 lbs, with a 26-inch waist ("exactly the same height and weight as Fred Astaire"), and one of the challenges she faced was making the performer appear more "virile."
- ↑ https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/buying/how-michael-jacksons-thriller-jacket-came-to-be/vp-AAv7UYN
- ↑ Gledhill, Christine (1991). Stardom: industry of desire. Routledge. p. 309. ISBN 978-0-415-05217-7. Retrieved 16 May 2011. Search this book on
- ↑ The Gloved One (Documentary)
|format=requires|url=(help). Michael Jackson's This Is It DVD: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. 2010. - ↑ International textiles. International textiles. 2001. p. 185. Retrieved 16 May 2011. Search this book on
- ↑ Men's Health. Rodale, Inc. March 2006. p. 9. ISSN 1054-4836. Retrieved 16 May 2011. Search this book on
- ↑ English journal. National Council of Teachers of English. 1994. p. 59. Retrieved 16 May 2011. Search this book on
- ↑ Campbell, Lisa D. (March 1993). Michael Jackson: the king of pop. Branden Books. p. 101. ISBN 978-0-8283-1957-7. Retrieved 16 May 2011. Search this book on
- ↑ Hadden, Briton; Luce, Henry Robinson (1984). Time. Time Inc. p. 152. Retrieved 16 May 2011. Search this book on
- ↑ Daly, Rhian (5 March 2019). "Wade Robson clarifies whether he burned Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' jacket". NME.
- ↑ Nast, Condé. "Leaving Neverland: What Was Wade Robson Burning in the End-Credits Sequence?". Vanity Fair.
- ↑ "Wade Robson Speaks Out on Burning His Michael Jackson 'Thriller'-Style Jacket in Leaving Neverland". PEOPLE.com.
- ↑ https://slate.com/culture/2019/03/michael-jackson-jacket-gloves-burned-leaving-neverland.html
- ↑ "Michael Jackson Accuser Tried to Sell Memorabilia Anonymously". The Blast. 25 February 2019.
This article "Michael Jackson's Thriller jacket" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Michael Jackson's Thriller jacket. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
