Honoring Michael Jackson with a subway station? Not a ‘Bad’ idea

by Jeffery Racheff

Two months after the iconic singer’s tragic death, the party celebrating Michael Jackson rages on. Fans are crafting homemade “Thriller” dance videos, major studios are planning films of unreleased concert footage, and cities are staging day-long Jackson-themed jubilations. In Malaysia, they even have Michael Jackson tigers. So if there ever was a time to name something after the late King of Pop, now’s the time to do it. Unless, of course, it’s a subway station. According to New York City transit officials, the junction where Jackson’s music video “Bad” was filmed will not be allowed to change its name in his honor.

In 1987, the Hoyt-Schermerhorn subway station, a moderately busy stop in downtown Brooklyn, received a visit from MJ, director Martin Scorsese and a merry band of dancers and roller-skaters. There they shot “Bad,” a glorious tough guy street dance-off complete with multizippered jackets, steam-blown hair and an endless barrage of Jackson’s trademark hip gyrations. It’s basically a plea against violence, with Jackson and his gang choosing to twirl and grab their groins rather than duke it out. Needless to say this proved overwhelming for the violent hoodlums, and they ran off defeated. Michael was victorious, and the battle-ground was hallowed.

Now, after his death this past June, fans are trying to rename this holy Hoyt-Schermerhorn after Jackson. According to one key supporter, City Councilwoman Letitia James, “his visit and moonwalk at this station was a huge deal not only for Brooklyn, but all of New York in the ’80s.” But there’s just one problem – New York Transit Authority prohibits plaques and memorials from being set up in stations. They are more than happy to accommodate sponsorship deals, but memorials aren’t part of the plan. Those don’t bring in revenue.

In other words if fans want a Jackson station, they’ll have to foot the bill. Which shouldn’t be that hard, right? With all the fans and potential donors, a decent sized pool to fund the renaming of the station could be created fairly easy. People could chip in money and turn Hoyt-Schermerhorn into a virtual underground Michael Jackson museum, with murals and glass cases filled with sequined gloves and little floor tiles that light up when you step on them. There would also be tourists, with money, both words that have to prick up the ears of transit officials.

Unfortunately, one of the biggest problems with naming bus stops or subway stations after people is the confusion it creates for riders. Hoyt-Schermerhorn station is named so because it sits directly beneath the intersection of Hoyt street and Schermerhorn street. If renamed “Michael Jackson Station” it could create a black hole for confused commuters.

There is also the possibility of a public backlash. Jackson’s erratic personal life was fodder for intense speculation and criticism, and many people found his relationships with young children more than off-putting. At the Iowa state fair this summer, organizers wanted to honor the singer by crafting a life-size statue of him made entirely out of butter. But in an online poll voters nixed the idea, expressing concern over allegations of child molestation made against him in the mid ’90s. Consequently, the buttery King of Pop wasn’t invited to the party and instead is currently moonwalking in a Des Moines freezer.

But that’s Des Moines and this is New York, where people are not likely to get lost in their own subways let alone become offended by statues made out of butter. Yes, Jackson had more than his share of scandals, imperfections and eccentricities, but the sheer impact of his star power would bring a fresh interest in this part of Brooklyn. The impersonators and performers alone would warrant a trip. So unless he turns out to be a Red Sox fan or something, Michael Jackson will most likely get his subway station. And we can all moonwalk on the platform in his honor.