Michael Jackson's New Video Proves That "It" Is Never Over

If time has told us anything, it's that we cannot let things go quietly into the night. When I was born, my grandparents were still talking about Elvis, Marilyn Monroe and John F. Kennedy endlessly. Mini-shrines populated the homes of the elderly, related and otherwise. It took me until I was about 10 years old to understand what these people meant to that generation. It wasn't until Gen X lost Tupac, JFK Jr. and Princess Di seemingly all in one moment that I understood how much you mourn your idols.

It's been six months, but you can't expect the discussion of Michael Jackson's death to just stop. It lives ... on and on and on. Now, months after his concert documentary This Is It was released in theaters to worldwide critical and commercial acclaim, comes a video of the song "This Is It," directed by Spike Lee.

The clip starts in Gary, Indiana, the steel town where Jackson was born, taking us down a memory lane fans have visited many, many times before. Lee's direction is not designed to focus on what we already know: Michael Jackson was the biggest pop star in the world. It's more of a reminder of what it meant for the people most important to him beyond his family: his fans. It's the fans who take center stage during much of the video, as his direction really illustrates their passion.

Whether Michael is seen strutting across a stage in Germany, just simply flashing a shimmering glove that sends a group of girls into a frenzy, or if it's the aftermath of his death, his music pounding from speakers at makeshift memorials around the world, whatever your thoughts are about the late King of Pop, it's clear he made an indelible impact on popular culture, history and the world.

Michael Jackson - This Is It - Directed by Spike Lee from 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks on Vimeo

Photo courtesy of pixelparfait, via Flickr