Some are annoyed at my view that the lionization of Michael Jackson in recent days is obscene. That I should be more respectful to those fans weeping, wailing and gnashing their teeth as they moonwalk in front of Michael's childhood home. Nope. Not going to happen. I don't see how you get a 15 year Mulligan just because you were a good dancer. The basis for my condemnation stems from two articles in Vanity Fair a few years ago. Both written by Maureen Orth who is Tim Russert's widow. I was riveted and disgusted as I read them.
The first was Losing His Grip in 2003. Followed by Neverland's Lost Boys in 2004.
If you'd like to read them, I linked to them. If you don't have the time, let me give a few highlights of what was revealed.
* A $25 million dollar settlement was paid in 1994 to the young man that claimed he was molested. * MJ paid $150,000 to a witch doctor named Baba to kill Steven Spielberg, David Geffen and 23 others on his "hate list." The singer participated in a "blood bath" as part of the spell. Jacko hated Speilberg because he was not cast in Hook. Baba also sacrificed 42 cows to help kill those on the list.
* There was an elaborate alarm system rigged up so Michael was alerted if anyone came near his bedroom when he was entertaining young boys during sleepovers.
* MJ wears a prosthetic nose and had been bleaching his skin because he hated being black. Even using racial slurs to describe other black people.
* The singer fed children soda cans filled with wine. White wine was called "Jesus Juice," red wine was dubbed "Jesus blood."
* MJ showed children pornography.
* Young boys were allowed to sleep in his bed. And told "if you love me, you'll sleep in my bed." Young girls slept in another room.
There is also graphic accounts of what was going on with the lads that were molested. I'm not going to type those.
It's important to note, that as far as I know, Ms.Orth was never sued for libel or slander. That's why I think the way I do...
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I read the first one back when it came out. I can believe some of it - his skin did seem lighter, he obviously had plastic surgery, etc. That said, the bit about voodoo Doctors seemed out there, Orth didnt' persuade me that that really happened. Did she even have on the record sources?
Anyway, while VF is on the radar, when I checked out the page they had a picture of JFK and his wife from like 50 years ago. Really? And people wonder why journalism is dying? The message I generally get from VF is - here are the beautiful people, don't you wish you owned a yacht.
BTW, if you had a zillion bucks, would you have a pet monkey? Like MJ said, it needs to start with the man in the mirror.
Johnny Wright....YOU have "Cojones" my friend. You catch hell, but, you keep true to your opinions. Kudos!
You don't happen to ride a Harley, do you?
If not, you should....I'd ride with you.
Hmm. I had never even though of the libel/slander thing... You make a very good point.
If you guys didn't realize, it's extremely hard for someone to sue for libel and slander. Don't you think its odd how all those stupid tabloids are rarely sued? (That's America and its free speech!)
I just know 'll get crap for my name, but what the hey.
In a court of law, MJ was acquitted in one molestation trial. And he would not have been the first innocent to pay up to end a trial. Many other have. A payout foes not automatically = guilty.
Was he? I don't know to be honest. If he WAS... would I as a parent take a buyout instead of persecuting the monster that scarred my kid for life?
A lot of the stuff published does indeed read like made-up material and is very hard to believe. As for suing for slander, that may be an American knee-jerk reaction to ANYTHING, but some people just do not care. Especially if they feel it is not worth the publicity it would get IF they sued instead of just letting something rot.
Case in point: I never even heard of anything concerning a witch doctor. If he had sued, I am sure it would have been all over the press, heh.
Of course I do not know if you would like to have different viewpoints here at all, this is your corner of the internet and I am a guest.
But I would like to invite seeing more then one choice piece of article. The more angles one can see, the better one can think for themselves.
Me? Unlike feeling sorry for a money, I do feel for the children he left behind. They are in a fragile age to be torn from all they know, even if that was wrapped in chaos.
I'm sorry. But things are never that simple to just nod to.
If he's taking the amount of drugs and liquor that second article begins to describe, I'm pretty sure why he never moved for libel, true or not. I get the sense that he had so many issues that dragging them all in front of a court, one by one, to file a libel charge would have done so much more damage to him than an article full of things that might or might not be true. I'm sure it was either easier to just let the thing go than to contest every point. I'm also not sure, if he was that high constantly, that his reputation was really of the utmost importance to him.
Wow, she wasn't sued for slander. Well, how many journalists printed ridiculous accusations against Michael Jackson time and time again? There's no way he could have actioned every slander against his name. Especially in light of the sexual allegations made against him, and the media coverage that encountered.
These articles sound ridiculous. Michael Jackson was raised as a strict Jehovah's Witness and has spoken time and time again about his unwavering faith. Voodoo just doesn't seem to mesh.
I'd also like to point out in regards to the first accusation of molestation that had my child been molested, truly, $25 million wouldn't silence me. I would not stop until I'd put the offender into prison. In regards to the second, who lets their child sleep over at a grown man's house who has been accused of child molestation? Perhaps a $25 million settlement was an incentive.
I'm not saying he was a normal guy, and you're welcome to your opinions, but Vanity Fair is a magazine, not a reputable news source. I used to respect this website but this article and your opinions seem baseless and bigoted, posted for shock value due to their insensitivity - much like the articles you've cited.
I always have a respect for people that have no problem slaying sacred cows, no pun intended. In this case it's the idea that just because someone died we must reserve ourselves to saying nice things. It's dishonest, and props JW for flushing the status quo.
Personally I try hard to separate the art from the artist.
In this case it's easy.
The creepy cunt is dead and all of his great music lives on.
Teresia, no kidding, we welcome your opinion even it differs with mine.
Oh, there was some questions in here.
If I was rich, E, I would be very tempted to have a pet monkey. Probably a capuchin.
I don't have a Harley, Effen, though I do want to learn to ride. My Dad has one. I actually would like to get a Triumph or an Indian. Thanks for the invite though, pally.
And Diantha, thanks for your view. However, Vanity Fair is not a tabloid. Maureen Orth is a well respected journalist.
MJ was raised strict Jehovah Witness?
Many strict Jews, Catholics, Scientologists still fuck kids.
Once you have unrelated little boys sleeping with you, (which isn't VF BS. It's on record) you are officially a creepy cunt.
Whether or not MJ actually fucked the kids is irrelevant. He exploited them for his own game. 45 year old men don't do that in our society. Those that do live and die as creepy cunts.
Chad is just dropping C-bombs like they're hot.
Standard vernacular here. Isn't it past your bedtime?
I've been up for a while. I don't sleep well.
I'm not sure why everyone keeps saying "but he was acquiited at trial" as some kind of proof of innocence. No-one makes that accusation about OJ, and honestly, from all outward signs of their public, OJ struck me as less of a murderer than MJ did of having inappropriate relationships with children.
With regard to the parents screaming about the molestation rather than pursuing legal remedy, you have to remember these were pretty bad parents for this simple fact - no sensible parent, and I mean NO sensible parent, lets their young son sleep over in the room of another man unsupervised while they stay in the guesthouse, no matter who the hell it is. Especially someone who's paid $25m to shut another accuser up.
I hear you. The untimely death of such a legend has left us all making sacrifices.
For the simple fact that they pimped out their own kids.
Excellent point Scaramouch
Jacko works his magic in the bedroom, kids come home and parents put them into the best therapy to nullify their guilt.
It's almost like MJ found fulfillment out of doing to others what was done to him.
Pimpin' kids aint easy but its necessary for some soulless cunts
Yeah, it is so freaking impossible for millionaires to get a settlement for libel that you can't believe anything you read.
Just ask Roman Polanski. Oh wait, not him. He won his case against VF.
Just ask Teri Hatcher. Oh wait, she won too.
Just ask David Hasselhoff. Er, wait...
Just ask Nick Cage in his case against Kathleen Turne--
Oh forget it.
Jacko's obviously innocent, or people wouldn't pretend he was!
"It's almost like MJ found fulfillment out of doing to others what was done to him."
Well, the way it works is this.... If you're the molestee, you find yourself in a situation where you're powerless, frightened, etc... You then find a catharsis in assuming the role of the molestor because that is the role of the powerful. You shield yourself from the guilt of being the molestor by telling yourself over and over again that you're only doing to them what was done to you and you turned out OK.
We learn power roles from our parents, and from that derive a template of how you should act when you're in power. Noone ever realizes just how f-ed up they are, and so everyone says "My parents did X, and I turned out OK." It is probably magnified in MJ's case because he could afford an army of sycophants that would constantly reassure him that he was just fine.
For that reason, MJ probably had a lot of reasons why he found "Real People" hard to deal with. A life of being insulated from criticism of any sort... I'm thinking that would make it difficult to have a relationship with a real person. Children provided pure idolatry and a worship of the famous guy with his fancy toys.
There but for the grace of God go all of us.
Sorry you didn't sleep well, Johnny, and thanks for giving all sides a listen. :)
No Mulligans. Have a seat over there, MJ...IN HELL.
Fans, cry me a river.
When I saw the Martin Bashir interviews, before the second round of allegations, I could tell the kid was a liar. He was kissing MJ on the cheek and volunteering all this info about sleeping in his bed. MJ who was sitting next to him had to correct him and say, "yeah but I slept on the floor" and the kid's face sunk like the gig was up. Go back and watch it, you'll see.
Of course, at that time, I still thought he was guilty from the first trial so I assumed he was boinking all those boys. But now even the first kid came out and said he was lying to extort money from MJ:
"Finally, Jordan Chandler admits he lied about Michael Jackson of indecency, which became the pilot to the court case against the “King of Pop”. Jordan Chandler the child that accused Michael for misbehaving with him finally came forward to tell that the case was based on lies. Evan Chandler was the father of the kid, he never approved the friendship between Jordan and Michael Jackson, and he is the one who accused “King of Pop” for having an unnatural relationship with his son."
So really the only two allegations of child abuse where both admitted to be lies. Who's to say he ever did anything inappropriate with kids. And I'm not even a fan, I'm just a rational person. Yes he's weird, no I wouldn't want my little boy over there, but I just don't think there's enough evidence to "cast him to hell" just yet.
Great points Johnny boy, Ive never liked the guy, I don't understand how people can look past the fact that he molested kids, people like him should be shot on the spot.
People are saying "you need to separate the artist from his work." I am. The music still lives on. And the bad guy is dead. I still like the Thriller video.
We're not talking about just a drug user or a philanderer or any number of perceived sins of other celebrities. You can accept the fact the JKF was good leader that had a questionable definition of morality. Or that Hendrix was an incredible guitarist that was consumed by drug use. This involved the abuse of children. That's what I can't get past. I'm not being nasty about this. Just calling balls and strikes as I see them.
I'm taking hyperbaric chamber off my Amazon wish list. Those things obviously dont' work.
Totally agree.
To paraphrase Yeats...
The boys was a paedo.
Sorry, I mean you cannot separate the dancer from the dance.
Well now we can get back to focusing on Tito Jackson again.
I just finished reading all of the Vanity Fair articles and feel sick to my stomach. If Michael Jackson did even half of the stuff he was accused of doing, he was a sick and evil man. Having been a huge, obsessed fan back in the day, I did not want to believe that any of this could be true..But I think it is now.. I feel really sad and angry at the lives that he destroyed and the arrogance he showed while doing it. Dare I say it, I am not unhappy that he's gone if it means he can't hurt any more little boys. What I think is just as criminal are the vast numbers of people who knew what was going on and did nothing to stop it because it was Michael Jackson. I hold them as responsible because any one of them could have stopped kids from being hurt.
When my children sometimes ask me if monsters really exist, I tell them that the only monsters in this world are bad people..Michael Jackson and his people are monsters. Plain and simple.
I just received my People magazine in the mail today and MJ is plastered all over it and I feel like taking it into the backyard and burning it.
Cindy is wise...
Have you seen the cover of OK! Magazine? It has what they claim is Jacko's last picture dying on a stretcher.
On a lighter note, anyone remember Eddie Murphy's impersonation of MJ in Delerious (sp)? "Tito, get me some tissue." That shit was funny.
Hi, Where are you from? Is it a secret? :)
I understand the lady is a respected journalist but don't you think that this might have been a biased report to sell more magazines? A story of voodoo and things like that is exactly the kind of morbid things people like to read to validate their "opinions" Do you honestly believe that journalists don't lie? Case in point Stephen Glass.
As for the man himself, he was indeed deeply troubled but he did do great thing both as an artist and humanitarian
I appreciate other views on this, I really do. But, go to the Smoking Gun and read the court documents and then decide if MJ was still innocent. I'll bet my bubble gum you won't buy his story.
Wow... Well, the only thing that seems to have been established beyond doubt is that raising the topic of MJ is incredibly emotive.
After reading the articles provided I feel like the only thing I'm certain of is that we're never going to know what really happened. I think that calling anyone evil is useless and pointless. People can do horrible things and make terrible decisions but evil is a truly awful word. Being human is about both our beauty and our darkness. They are inextricably interlinked (MJ being possibly a prime example of this). There isn't one of us that can claim perfection with a straight face. Whilst I'm not saying that I think it's ok to abuse anyone (or anything for that matter) I'm just asking that we step back and acknowledge that most abusers have had to go through their own horrors in order to end up in that position themselves. It doesn't absolve responsibility but it should allow for a degree of compassion.
I wonder about responsibility. MJ was clearly responsible for his actions but we also have to ask about the responsibility of all the people surrounding him. After all, if they knew something as damaging as abuse was taking place, didn't they have a responsibility to take action? Would that lack of action constitute 'evil' as well? This raises the question of societal responsibility. If we live in a world where we've become so blinded by money and material possessions that we're prepared to turn a blind eye to the abuse of children then what does that say about us?
Lastly, and then I'll shut up I promise. I just feel that given that he's dead and gone now, I'm leaving it up to the universe. I'd like to believe that everything gets sorted out for some reason in some way. I'm sure that if there is a guiding force or god or whatever out there then this is all going to be resolved, regardless of whether I understand, or even know about, that resolution or not.