Inside the Michael Jackson legacy industrial complex

The Jackson family and estate have joined forces to give us another biopic of Michael Jackson's life. Michael doesn't tell us anything new about the King of Pop, but it has had the biggest opening weekend of a music biopic ever. From Whitney Houston to Freddie Mercury, why do these posthumous biopics always seem to fall flat, and what do decades of Jackson family drama say about how we reckon with the complicated figures in pop culture and our own lives? Brittany talks with Aisha Harris, critic and co-host of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, to find out. Want more deep dives on the legacies of pop culture icons? Check out these episodes: Jesse Jackson & the end of the civil rights superhero Marilyn Monroe was more than just 'Blonde' Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus. Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluse For handpicked podcast recommendations every week,

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Inside the Michael Jackson legacy industrial complex is an episode from It's Been a Minute by NPR.

This episode is 26:13 long.

This episode was published on May 1, 2026.

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