I don’t know that there will ever be a MJ stamp (probably not) but, like the Elvis stamp, we’d have some choices to make as a nation concerning “which Michael” we want to use as our eternal reminder of the man. Via mail.
So, who do you want to see?
Or, rather - how will you remember him?
How do I remember him? As #3.
How do I want to remember him? As #2.
I grew up in the '80s, and during the Thriller-era I loved his stuff. But in the later years it was hard to see past the freakshow-aspect to remember the person (or persona) from the early-to-mid-'80s. Now that he’s dead, I’d rather just forget everything from Bad onwards.
An alledged child molester? I know he wasn’t convicted but that’ll make for some interesting debate
How about one that shows about eight stages in his attempt to become white?
Or one with his arms around McCally Calkin?
yeah, I think that would make a good stamp.
I just can’t imagine licking him. I mean, ick.
Don’t worry, he’d probably be self-stick. Double ick.
Thanks. Thanks a lot. That just bought me another year on the couch.
Here are some Michael Jackson stamps already issued:
Since you need to be dead 10 years (minimum) before you get considered by the USPS, that’ll give the furor around his death plenty of time to die down. Given that, I think his stamp is inevitable, though it may take a while longer (Elvis’s stamp came out 16 years after his death) and will almost certainly be from his single career, pre-freakshow (essentially, “Thriller” era MJ).
The British Virgin Islands stamps shown were never released, as it was considered taboo to depict someone other than a member of the British royal family on a stamp of the UK or one of its territories. The St. Vincent stamp with the same design, issued in 1985, was one of the first instances of a living person appearing on a stamp worldwide. Depictions of living celebrities are popular with member nations of the New York-based Inter-Governmental Philatelic Corporation, of which St. Vincent is a member. IGPC stamps are usually made with collectors in mind and not actual postage for the nation in question, though they are considered official postage of that nation.
The USPS changed the guidelines last year so that you only need to be dead for five years before you appear on a stamp. The USPS’s stamp guidelines read that “[c]ommemorative stamps or postal stationery items honoring individuals usually will be issued on, or in conjunction with significant anniversaries of their birth,” so one would think that a Jackson stamp would be issued on the 60th anniversary of his birth in 2018 (or perhaps not- the Frank Sinatra stamp was issued on the 10th anniversary of his death, and the Bob Hope stamp- the first to be issued five years after the subject’s death- was issued on Bob Hope’s 106th birthday).
As for what Michael I would want to appear on a stamp: the “Smooth Criminal” Michael. For some reason, this is the image that comes to mind when I first think of Michael (perhaps because of his two Sega games based on the Moonwalker film, in which he is dressed like this). To me, this is the first image that comes to mind when I think of “Michael Jackson.” Although I’m sure the Thriller-era Michael is the one most loved by the public (maybe a stamp based on the album cover?) I wonder if this will go to a vote like they did with the Elvis stamp.
There is some sort of weird irony to Michael Jackson being on a stamp issued by anything Virgin even a British island. I’m just sure what it is yet.
That’s interesting and good to know, though the fact remains that it’s not just a matter of when he’s eligible–the people who decide the who and when also need to factor in all the other great American musicians who have yet to be recognized as well and have been dead for much longer. Some notable examples: Miles Davis, Marvin Gaye, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, Bill Evans, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles (who’s now eligible, based on the new rules), Jerry Garcia, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin. Heck, Aaron Copland doesn’t even have a stamp yet.
It’s not like the USPS makes a habit of issuing multiple singers/musicians a year. This year, for example, the only artist largely known for their musical contribution being recognized is Dinah Shore (as part of the TV’s Early Memories series). They do have to rotate with other entertainers (and other subjects in general), so even though Michael is eligible in 2014, I’d honestly be surprised if we saw something before 2020.
Al Sharpton is starting a campaign to get a Jackson stamp issued, though it seems unlikely that the USPS would break their five-year rule for Jackson.
IIRC, the only times they’ve ever made an exception to the waiting period (aside from ex-Presidents, who automatically get a stamp the calendar year following their death) were MLK Jr. and Walt Disney (I may be missing one other, but can’t remember offhand).