Michael Jackson's Influence On The Renaissance Faire

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Unknown to many, the Renaissance Pleasure Faire formed large ripples on 1960s pop culture and fashion trends at the time. To effectively recreate the 15th-century environment, a majority of entertainment was done through theater; mime shows and plays were most common. In particular was a mime show performed by Rob Shields, an LA dancer. Michael Jackson went to his mime show as a young adult, these shows inspired him to develop his military jacket and white glove wardrobe and his most famous dance moves: the robot and the moonwalk. “Jackson stated that he learned his robot moves from studying Shields… From Shields, Jackson also took his propensity to wear military-style jackets… and sparkling white gloves” (Rubin 166). As Michael Jackson drew more attention, many performances became an anachronism within the faire; one performer jokingly put it as “Ye olde Michael Jackson”. These influences in Jackson’s apparel and repertoire made him an international household name and one of the most successful entertainers of all time. On top of entertainment, apparel was the largest aspect of immersion at the Renaissance Faire; both visitors and performers were in costume. The Pattersons encouraged DIT (Do-It-Thyself) clothing, commonly made from repurposed clothing and …show more content…

In the United States, it was the low-key rise of American conservatism; liberalism was considered the norm at the time and conservatives were put down for thinking otherwise. In the late 1950s and early 1960s conservatives were widely dismissed as "kooks" and "crackpots" with no hope of winning political power… at this time liberalism is not only the dominant but even the sole intellectual tradition… the right was not a serious, long-term political movement but rather a transitory phenomenon led by irrational, paranoid people who were angry at the changes taking place in America.