Michael Jackson Needs To Gain Weight... Or Else!

By Alex Gonzalez

Michael Jackson has been known to be many things, from weird to talented, psycho to kindhearted, and eccentric to electrifying. Now he's going to have to go from painfully underweight to somewhat fit in only a couple of months. Remember, he has 50 shows in London to get ready for starting July 8 and ending July 24. If he is not in condition to perform up to a certain standard, the show might not go on. That would be terrible for the people who flooded the phones with calls and the box office for tickets to his shows.

While Michael Jackson always seemed to be puny and concerned about his appearance since childhood, concerns about his weight didn't really begin to surface publicly until the rumor mill went crazy with stories and innuendo about him in the mid to late 1980s. By most accounts, he stopped eating right, stopped going outside, took painkillers, and became weirder as time progressed. I'm not going to list the countless oddities in his life since then, but it remains to be seen how Michael Jackson will approach the news to this.

Promoters AEG Live last night insisted Michael is "extremely fit" and looking forward to his shows. However, privately there are fears he may not be able to keep up with the grueling dance routines. He is in Los Angeles preparing for the shows, but at 50 years old, can he really put together the dance moves that made him legendary? The late great James Brown was able to rock a show with his dancing all the way up to his death, but James Brown earned the nickname "The hardest working man in show business." Michael goes through long droughts of inactivity, so when you combine that with his gaunt appearance, you can understand the concerns about his health and ability to perform.

A source said, "There are concerns Michael is too frail. He has been ordered to eat more but he refuses to and eats like a bird."

This is the stuff reality shows are made of, people. I suggest that there be a show updating us on Michael Jackson's struggle to make weight. Do you know what kind of ratings that show would do? Think about it. Michael Jackson would be walking around in his doctor's mask, now also a good protector against swine flu amongst other things, agonizing over whether he can actually finish the mandated Chinese food buffet and then having to submit his weight every week. It would be a major hit. Too bad these channels will not pick up on a suggestion like this.

Do you think Michael Jackson will gain the necessary weight to perform effectively? Assuming he gains it, can he give the fans glimpses of what he once was as a performer? Drop us a comment with your thoughts.