Michael Jackson is the greatest. This is not up for discussion.
In a week that marks what would have been the King’s 59th birthday and the 30th anniversary of the iconic ‘Bad’ album, the ESSENCE office has been buzzing for days about our favorite MJ moments. While the majority of those come from epic videos, our over-watched Moonwalker VHS, and songs that are literally the soundtrack to our childhood, many also remarked that the King’s facial expressions were pure gold.
We thought about this. And looked at our most recently used gifs. And sure enough:
So in the spirit of the greatest to ever do it, we gathered the best Michael Jackson gifs for any situation in life. Trust us. You need these in your arsenal.
When the tea is just too hot:
When you totally agree with something (Neo-Nazis going to jail for assaulting anti-racism protesters?) or when the song is just damn good:
When you want to seduce bae:
When you remember you’re the sh*t:
And when your friend asks you if you’re ready to go (bonus if you came to slay):
A perfect response for when someone is taking way too long:
And when you want someone to shut the hell up:
Discussing the fall of capitalism and state sanctioned violence against Black people in your group chat?
Enter a perfect response when you have to tell your friend to chill:
This. For so many responses. This:
When you need to calmly escort yourself out of a conversation:
When you have to break the news that ‘it’s a no for me, dawg:’
When someone asks you if you know how to dance:
When you are trying to express the speed at which you take off your clothes when you get home from work:
When you enter the group chat after being away for a while:
When you vow to dismantle the prison industrial system and the school-to-prison pipeline:
When things get…awkward:
And when your edges are laid:
When bae says pizza is for dinner:
And finally, your new replacement for any “yasss girl” gif you might feel tempted to share:
Michael. We miss you. We love you. Thank you for still being a part of our lives.