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Friday night(Nov.11, 2015), WIFE and I put on our fancy clothes and headed to the Chicago Theatre (awesome venue BTW) to see Janet Jackson in Unbreakable concert. To be honest we weren’t sure what to expect, when I think of Janet Jackson, I think of Rhythm Nation and a massive stadium, not the Chicago Theater. Was it “Janet Jackson, a night of poetry?” and I didn’t read the tickets right.
To our pleasant surprise, when the lights went down and the music cranked up, there “she” was “Miss Jackson,” front and center and ready to put on a show. Janet did not disappoint, but she did in fact slow down.
The last time I saw Janet Jackson was in 2002, during her “Live from Hawaii” special on HBO. If you remember Janet was in rare form, ripped like a race horse, dancing and singing her way across the stage like a woman on fire. She was for lack of a better term “hot.”
Now 13 years later, Janet is still beautiful, but more like a “hot aunt” who you look at and think “man she musta been really good looking back in the day.”
FEMINISTS RELAX I HAVE A POINT TO MAKE!
All of that being said, what Janet looks like, the kind of shape she is in now to over a decade ago, where she performed, didn’t matter a hill of beans, because Janet Jackson possesses class, creativity and a passion that only comes with a life long of experience and a confidence in her self. It wasn’t “Miley or Taylor #hot” it was sexy and #strong.
It made me think of the massive hunger for brands to connect with millennial’s and the global hunger to be “relevant” (a phrase that makes me want to rage vomit) with the 20-35 bearded, skinny jeans, Snap Chat generation. Watch a commercial, sit in on a corporate, strategic, PR, advertising, planning session and the desperation to be a part of this generation has become a singular obsession, bordering on ridiculous.
Everyone under 35, cool and “relevant” everyone over 35- Viagra commercials and feminine diapers! I am not there yet! Neither is Janet. Insert angry face emoticon (the millennial Ebonics).
At one point Janet stood on stage and simply looked at the audience, staring out into the crowd, without saying a word, she had complete control of the sold out theater. No synthesized voice, no white boys with dreadlocks singing reggae, no dry humping a wrecking ball, just 100% control, style and class, cultivated to a razor sharpness.
While Janet may have never been in re-hab or made a sex tape (I really researched this one) she does have a career that has spanned four decades and her 3.2 million Twitter followers would argue the relevance of 49 year old Jackson and her ability to take “control.”
Millennial’s, brands, corporate mukety mucks take note!!! Believe it or not, “old people” actually have something to say, share and add to this world, it’s called, experience.
“Experience” is something that comes from, experiencing “things” not just planting yourself in front of a screen, rolling your eyes and complaining about what you don’t have, while making fish lips and “liking” the latest Hemp flavored, char-smoke, cask conditioned IPA.
Generation X and other old folks, while imperfect in many ways, never got “participation awards,” or sat in front of screens obsessing over if strangers will “Like” their latest YouTube video.
We have become so obsessed with “Likes” yes, the idea of a stranger hitting a button that literally says “Like. ” We now pay people to actually “Like” things that are on a computer, written by people in an office or basement or cigar shop (in this instance). What?
Janet, Bruce, Bono, Barak Neil deGrasse, Picasso, BB and hundreds of others actually went out, worked, succeeded, failed, lost and came back to fight again. Jackie Robinson had zero tats, zero “likes” and zero followers. He was called the “N” word, had his life threatened, and told to quit by his teammates, yet he never popped an anxiety pill, angry Tweeted or ran to HR because he wasn’t being utilized to his potential. Nope, Jackie Robinson stood up in the ring of fire, threw his shoulders back, held his chin high and believed in his ability to fight for his dream.
You’re welcome Kanye (38 years old BTW).
Okay, I am ranting. Hopefully you get the point. Every generation is flawed, we all get kicked to the corner for the next shiny penny of youth, but it doesn’t make it right. Some choose to lay down, put on dad jeans and give up. Others do what Janet Jackson did, sing and dance her as$ off while have a blast doing it. There are, believe it or not people over 35 who create, innovate and do things everyday that make our world “relevant.”
Neil Armstrong walked on the moon at the age of 39. If it was up to the “brand world” he would have been too old and they would have replaced him with YouTube sensation Bethany Mota, because more people will watch! BTW- 600 Million people watched the lunar landing! Beat that “Beebs!”
The name of her new album or CD or download or whatever the hell you call it now is “Unbreakable” and it’s appropriate for this experienced performer who has also stood up in the ring of fire and made an impact for generations. No whinging, no complaining, just pure talent and passion.
As I watched Janet on stage, her waist size may be a little larger and her moves a little slower, but it doesn’t matter, she hasn’t lost an ounce of passion or style. I thought about the group of whiny millennial’s I have had the “pleasure” of working with recently. I wish they could have all been there to see how something as simple as experience can bring people to their feet and put a smile on thousands of faces at the same time. I thought about an angry tweet to them or an Instagram slam, instead, I pulled up my low rise 7 jeans, cuz. that’s all they sell now, grabbed my wife and danced my as$ off.
Janet has left Chicago, but her tour goes on. If you’re looking for a great night and an amazing performance, click here.
