At The Crossroads - Janet Jackson

Ebony, Nov, 2000 by Lynn Norment

SHE has come a long way from modest beginnings in Gary, Ind., but at age 34, Janet Jackson has a lot of living to do yet. Having established herself as the world-renowned princess of pop music, in addition to making strides as an actress, one would think there is not much left on her to-do list. But the possibilities are endless.

About a year ago it was revealed that the vivacious entertainer who has sold more than 45 million records is divorcing longtime romantic and creative partner Rene Elizondo. Most people didn't know or believe that she was even married.

On the cusp of a new millennium, Janet is at the crossroads of her life and her career. Looking back, she has much of which to be proud. Looking forward, she has much to accomplish.

It is apparent that she wants to continue to make music that will keep her youthful fans on the dance floor and her more mature followers in a romantic mood, but she also wants to devote more time and energy to a film career. That became apparent when she interrupted work on her new recording to pursue the role of the girlfriend opposite Eddie Murphy in Nutty Professor II: The Klumps.

There is much speculation about where Janet can go now, what she can and will do. While some might have thought she would be depressed and reclusive after it was revealed that she and Elizondo had parted ways, she has been as publicly visible and career active as ever. It seems that Miss Janet, the youngest of the famous and talented Jackson family, is not mourning the death of her marriage. In fact, she is dating (for the first time in her life, she says), taking on new projects and moving ahead with the speed and dexterity of her dazzling dance moves. On national television she told the world that she is "very happy" without Elizondo.

In recent months, she had gotten a lot of positive press in regards to her portrayal of a down-to-earth science teacher in Nutty Professor II. There are reports that she's "nesting" in her recently purchased New York apartment overlooking Central Park, when in fact she says she moved to New York so that she can take acting lessons. And there are reports that she is closer than ever to sister LaToya, who herself went through a marital breakup in recent years. For years LaToya, 10 years older than Janet, was estranged from Janet and the family in general during her marriage to Jack Gordon, who was her business manager.

Some in the industry think that Janet is focused and poised to make an even greater impact in the entertainment business, if that is possible considering her accomplishments to date. "Janet has the potential to be more popular than ever," says Qadree El-Amin, her former personal manager. "She has a sparkling smile. She is a beautiful, intelligent African-American woman. She's a seasoned artist who appeals to everybody ... She's single and available now. She's in great demand. White guys love her. Black guys love her. She really hasn't maximized herself yet. This is a turning point. She will be as big as Michael when he did Thriller."

El-Amin, who has shepherded the career success of Boyz II Men and who worked with Janet in 1996, goes on to say that Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera pattern their performances after Janet's proven dance-diva persona. "But Janet is the one that everybody wants to be," he says. "She's bigger than Barbra Streisand because Streisand can't appeal to the street crowd, as Janet does. But Streisand's rich, elite crowd loves Janet Jackson."

Janet has been a darling of the media since she started acting as a child in television shows such as Good Times, Different Strokes and Fame. There was a brief interruption in her career when at age 18 she eloped and married James DeBarge. The marriage was annulled after a few months.

While a teen, she released two recordings, Janet Jackson (1982) and Dream Street (1984) to less-than-critical acclaim, but in 1986 she hit the jackpot with Control. It marked Jackson's decision to take charge of her life and career and to step out of the shadow of her family and especially brother Michael's phenomenal success. She wrote songs about her feelings and experiences, and Control sold more than 8 million copies.

She followed up with Rhythm Nation 1814 in 1989, and her black-and-white video for the single "Love Will Never Do" marked another milestone. Artsy and sensuous, it showed the previously shy little Janet in a whole new light. She was a woman, she had a great body and she was showing it off. By the time her next album, janet., was released in 1993, she had totally transformed into a sex goddess. The recording celebrated love and lust, while the videos celebrated Janet's new body. She had started working out and had lost quite a few pounds. In an EBONY interview, she said that she "changed" during the filming of Poetic Justice, the 1993 gritty, urban drama in which she co-starred with the late Tupac Shakur. She made the film between the two recordings. "The film changed me a great deal," she said. "It opened me up more to not being as shy."