
How Michael Jackson's tilt defied gravity - js2
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/22/health/michael-jackson-dance-moves/index.html
======
SmellyGeekBoy
What a strange title. It seems like a huge leap from the actual story of
"Michael Jackson had special boots and pretty good core strength" to "Michael
Jackson challenged our understanding of spine biomechanics"...

~~~
baal232
Playing devil's advocate here: Language has a use beyond matter-of-fact
descriptions. Sometimes, creative writing techniques are employed in
journalism, though rarely in hard news.

In other words, the headline is not meant to be taken literally.

------
downandout
This move is actually performed nightly in Michael Jackson One at Mandalay Bay
in Las Vegas. Here are several performers from that show doing it all at once:

[https://youtu.be/8Ttk-2W_PCI?t=2m](https://youtu.be/8Ttk-2W_PCI?t=2m)

~~~
abritinthebay
They do it well, but none quick as slickly and crisply as Jackson did
(especially the performers on the left side, for some strange reason). One of
the guys on the right really _nails_ it though, well done to him.

~~~
jasonkostempski
From your description, it sounds like the move looks better or worse from
different angles.

~~~
abritinthebay
If you watch the video you'll see what I mean - the left side (and some on the
right) just gets into position less smoothly and don't have the rigid straight
spine Jackson did for the move.

------
sdrothrock
The relevant patent:
[https://patents.google.com/patent/US5255452A/en](https://patents.google.com/patent/US5255452A/en)

------
tim333
I'm not sure I buy the articles hypothesis "that strength was in Michael
Jackson and his Achilles tendon"

as firstly all the backing dancers did it too and secondly as a skier, leaning
forward like that in ski boots is fairly easy - your weight is supported by
the front of the boot pushing up on your shin, not by the tendon. I imagine
that is what is going on here too - stiff boots.

~~~
bfuller
Michael Jackson may have popularized the move but it wasn't invented for him.
This article is rubbish. Its the boots.

~~~
Ntrails
I was under the impression he designed and patented the shoes specifically for
the video?

~~~
bfuller
He learned it from Marcel Marceau.

~~~
gamblor956
Marcel Marceau may have popularized the _moonwalk_ (moving backwards while
appearing to walk forwards) but not the leaning move, which Jackson invented.
Jackson is listed on the patent for the shoes necessary to pull off the lean.

------
tedeh
And the patent in action:
[https://youtu.be/pch3hoUtfJ0?t=45s](https://youtu.be/pch3hoUtfJ0?t=45s)

------
Dowwie
related video of a barrel organ playing "Smooth Criminal":
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ6aDLpWON8&t=107s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ6aDLpWON8&t=107s)

~~~
joshschreuder
This sent me down a massive rabbit hole of related videos.

I particularly liked this one of Rasputin played on a fairground organ:

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AeN-5PXaaQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AeN-5PXaaQ)

Which reminds me a lot of old video game music

------
matte_black
Why would smooth criminals even lean that way? Was this some kind of trend
back in those times taken to the extreme?

~~~
sdrothrock
I don't think the move is related to the lyrics any more than the moonwalk is
related to the lyrics of Billie Jean.

~~~
kaycebasques
If a criminal needs to show his smoothness, that move is a damn good one.

------
mark_edward
This link is broken?

~~~
js2
Is this any better? (PDF).

[http://thejns.org/doi/pdf/10.3171/2018.2.SPINE171443?downloa...](http://thejns.org/doi/pdf/10.3171/2018.2.SPINE171443?download=true)

~~~
bgdkbtv
Says "The requested article is not currently available on this site."

------
KasianFranks
Not for us who can break. How many 360's did any of you get on a headspin or
helicopter?

------
CyberDildonics
There's a fine line between internet nonsense and science.

