Michael Jackson is widely known as the King of Pop.
Despite having passed away 15 years ago today (June 25) at just 50-years-old, the eccentric musician and electric performer still has a special place in many fans’ hearts.
So, you would think Michael Jackson would have fitting memorials across the globe to celebrate his cultural impact on the world, right?
READ MORE: ‘I went to Eras Tour but never listened to a Taylor Swift album before – it was like a cult’
Check out the latest Exclusives from Daily Star
Although the late performer has his Hollywood Walk of Fame star and a questionable wax work in the notoriously bad Krakow museum, there’s one little known memorial that fans flock thousands of miles for each year.
(Image: Getty Images)
Some call it the “hidden gem” of the city it lives in. However, the landmark in a European capital has been penned as a “misbegotten mess” by other die-hard MJ followers.
On Google reviews, one blasted: “Michael deserves better, and quite frankly, the tree also deserves better. How do we improve this misbegotten mess?”
Surely this can’t be the case for the much-loved, yet equally controversial, King of Pop?
So, to see for myself, I decided to make the pilgrimage to the official ‘Michael Jackson memorial tree’ to see if it’s a worthy remembrance site for Michael Jackson.
Well for one, I didn’t even know it was there when I walked pass a random park in Budapest, Hungary, on my weekend visit to the city.
(Image: Supplied)
When I looked at the map of the park I noticed the ‘Michael Jackson Memorial Tree’ name marked with an illustration of a tree with MJ as the trunk…
This automatically made me think I would soon be gazing upon a spectacle like no other. Is this tree carved into the shape of his iconic toe elevation dance move?
And was the reviewer on Google just being harsh?
Though looking around the rectangular park boxed in by traffic and trams, the most significant thing in it is the ferris wheel and grand looking water fountain in the middle.
For something that appears to be impressive of the map, it didn’t gage the same impression when I came face to face with just a tree – a tree with different formations of Michael Jackson on.
(Image: Supplied)
When I say ‘just’ a tree, I mean that. It’s inconspicuous and perhaps on the thin side – but I’m certainly not going to start trunk-shaming trees.
Although, I did expect it have a lot more curves and edges judging by the map’s illustration of the ‘monument’ – no wonder I couldn’t find it at first.
Instead, the thin leafless tree was plastered with mostly printed pictures on A4 pieces of paper that fans had most likely copied and pasted from Google Images into a Word Doc.
Some photos pictured Michael in his most recognisable outfits – most notably his Thriller jacket. More randomly, others were anime renditions of the late popstar and one fan even went through the trouble of drawing their idol.
If you thought anime Michael Jackson was odd, then I’d like to bring your attention to the teddy bear nailed to the tree in a plastic bag.
(Image: Supplied)
Let’s hope that the concept of sentiment toys in Toy Story is not real – otherwise this was a tragic reality for this stuffed bear.
And an even more tragic reality for the legacy of Michael Jackson, though allegations against him have already tainted that.
As the saying goes, ‘one day you’re the star of the show and the next you’re nothing but a random anaemic looking tree’.
The Michael Jackson Memorial Tree might not do him or his legacy any favours, but it is quite funny – and free – if you’re wanting something to do in Budapest.
So why has this random tree been singled out of all every trees in Budapest, Europe and the entire world?
Well, apparently, Michael Jackson often checked into the Kempinski Hotel which is across from the park.
When MJ graced the Hungarian capital, fans would after swarm the green in hopes that they would catch sight of their idol.
And when he died 15 years ago, his most loyal supporters decided to make it into a makeshift memorial – it’s been that way ever since
Whenever the singer was in town, fans would gather in the park across from the hotel, trying to simply catch a glimpse of the famous pop star.
And every year on his birthday in August, fans gather to sing and dance to the singer’s biggest hits.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
