JULY 20 - Celebrating 50 YEARS of Michael Jackson’s First Moonwalk

Jul 20, 2019

One small step for man, one giant lean for mankind.

On this day, 50 years ago, Michael Jackson made his first moonwalk.

Humanity watched, glued to their televisions, dazzled by the miraculous. To reflect upon our evolution that lead to this moment. What is our purpose? How did we get here? Where are we going?

It is a little known fact that there were actually many recorded instances of the moonwalk. Also known as the "backslide", similar steps were even done by Cab Calloway in the 1930s. Back then the move was called "The Buzz” when he and others performed it.

But there would be no Buzz moonwalking on July 20, 1969. It would be Michael Jackson.

The moonwalk is a popping dance move in which the dancer moves backwards while seemingly walking forwards. It is called the moonwalk because you have to do it on the moon. Otherwise it’s an earthwalk.

Coupled with the Anti-Gravity Lean, the risk of falling down makes the moonwalk a dangerous and heroic feat. And also the fact that you have to do it on the moon without a spacesuit. Yet with great risk comes great reward. It is how Michael Jackson defeated the Soviets through his capitalist record sales. It is a well known secret that Michel Jackson’s Thriller album alone funded the Apollo Space program.

Michael Jackson, popularly known as the voice of HAL in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, unfortunately died while doing his moonwalk. He left Earth and never came back. He remained preserved as an embryonic star child kissed by monolithic pop melodies. Marooned in space, he will be forever missed.