CNN offers comprehensive coverage of the life and death of Michael Jackson, for those interested in the topic.
Michael Jackson Dead At 50 – Special Reports from CNN.com.
I was a big fan of The Jackson Five as a little girl, so much so that I still remember all their names. I even remember their cartoon, though most people probably didn’t even know there was one (yeah, I know, I’m really showing my age by admitting that). At one point I couldn’t decide if I liked Michael Jackson or Donny Osmond the best, but truth be told, I had a big crush on both of them. I have always believed that Thriller was the greatest music video ever made.
Nowadays I am hardly a rabid Michael Jackson fan, though, and I’m not going to pretend otherwise just because he passed away. I still enjoy his music, though I don’t go out of my way to listen to it anymore, but through that music he brought a dimension to the lives of many, including me, which otherwise would not have existed at all. Michael Jackson broke through many, many boundaries; without him, I believe the world would be a very different place.
In fact, my own personal world is very different than what it otherwise might be, because of Michael Jackson. He is the reason why, though I grew up in an impoverished area of Appalachia where whites and blacks were still quite separate (and not at all equal), I never harbored any racial prejudice despite my upbringing. Long before he sang about it, Michael Jackson taught me that race is nothing but a skin color. I sincerely thank him for that.
At the same time, the sordid world of tabloid journalism would be quite different as well without Michael, Bubbles The Chimp, Michael’s (alleged) hyperbaric sleeping chamber, and the many allegations and accusations leveled against “Wacko Jacko” over the years. Supermarket tabloids like The National Enquirer managed to stay in business for decades because of Michael Jackson’s antics, and unfortunately, he never seemed to let them down. Despite what the younger generation seems to believe, sites like TMZ and Perez Hilton only built upon that sleazy tabloid style of celebrity “journalism”, they certainly didn’t invent it.
I can’t honestly say the world is a better place due to that particular contribution to pop culture, but I think the ever-eccentric Michael just viewed things differently than the average person, and never realized until it was too late what the press would do if they ever turned against him. And turn against him, they did.
Of course the most obvious subject for the press was Michael’s ever-changing facial appearance. His family teased him relentlessly about his nose when he was a child, from what I have read, and that may have been the catalyst for what appears to have been body dysmorphic disorder resulting in his many (eventually bizarre) plastic surgeries. Michael was very sick, in my opinion, but that can be explained by the fact that he led a life unlike anyone else on earth, from a very, very young age, and under threat of severe physical punishment if he failed to perform perfectly.
I therefore noted the changes in his appearance – after all, it was impossible not to notice them – and never believed it when said his skin color changed due to vitiligo, or that he hadn’t had a nose job. I do have eyes, after all, and I remembered very clearly what he looked like as a child, so I could see that his appearance had changed dramatically, and to a degree which would be impossible without extreme surgical intervention. However, I didn’t engage in the endless discussion and speculation on that subject. Michael Jackson was mentally ill, in my opinion, and therefore in desperate need of help and understanding, not public ridicule.
Unfortunately, when you are a star of his caliber, and when you have that kind of money, others only say what they think you want to hear. That extends to professionals as well, so if one doctor says no to plastic surgery, someone in Michael’s position can always find another one willing to say yes. Perhaps that even ultimately led to his untimely demise.
The other thing which stands out from Michael Jackson’s life are the child molestation accusations. For the record, as I stated publicly at the time of the accusations, I never believed Michael Jackson was molesting children. This opinion has absolutely nothing to do with my enjoyment of his music, and everything to do with the extremely unusual life he had led from a very tender age. In a nutshell, I think his maturity was severely stunted, to the point that he simply could not understand that, as an adult, he was held to a different set of rules. Watching the Martin Bashir documentary only reaffirmed that opinion.
I could be wrong in believing the accusations were false, but I don’t think so, and a jury didn’t think so either.
I did however, as a result of those accusations, learn to harbor a deep and abiding dislike for “journalist” Diane Diamond, then with CourtTV, who clearly enjoyed the power given her to destroy the life of another human being, based solely upon the word of someone who stood to gain great wealth from the accusation. Boundaries of responsible reporting were crossed again and again, as the accusations and eventual trial were covered. The media changed into something more closely resembling a tabloid, and thus became far more vicious and intrusive, almost overnight.
However, I never depend upon the media to tell me what I should think about anything, so I sought to find out for myself. The first accuser’s affidavit simply did not ring at all true to me; I got the distinct impression that they mixed truth with sick fantasy, to create an allegation of child molestation. The second accuser’s mother was known for suing everyone in sight, and both had lied under oath before, so they simply were not credible. The fact that he settled with the first boy does not necessarily mean he was guilty either. He was a mega-celebrity, the biggest recording artist in the world, and many times people in his position will settle out of court, rather than have everything they have worked for destroyed by a single false allegation. This is especially true when he had no way of proving his innocence. If you or I had the kind of money Michael Jackson had, we might do the same thing if faced with those same circumstances.
The question in my mind is (and always has been): What kind of parent would ever allow their child to spend such an inordinate amount of private time with a grown man who was obviously, at best, highly eccentric? As a mother, I would never have allowed that, and I don’t care who the adult may have been, or how much money he may have had. It simply would never have happened.
Since it was grossly irresponsible parenting in the first place, there is no reason to believe those same parents would not also be irresponsible enough to lodge false accusations and even coach their child, in order to make millions off their son’s relationship with Michael. The first accuser’s dad was a lawyer, and he walked away with an astonishing $15 million, but no criminal charges were even brought because they refused to cooperate with the police after they got the money. What does that tell you about the truthfulness of the accusation? The second accuser’s mother sought an attorney to file a civil suit before even going to police, which speaks volumes as well.
Would you tell a lie, if that lie would pay off to the tune of $15 million? Would you let a child molester walk free to molest again and again, if you truly believed they had molested your child? Think about it.
All in all, the media circus revolving around Michael Jackson’s death is much stranger than anything Michael could ever have done in life. Not only did the worldwide web almost get shut down by the news, as website after website – from Google to Twitter – became overloaded with hits, but the mainstream media has covered his death nearly to the exclusion of all other news. Even the network national news covered Michael’s death for most of its newscast, though they had nothing of value to add to what had already been said elsewhere.
Those who demonized Michael in life are coming together to mourn him in death. HLN has turned into the “All Michael Jackson, all the time” channel, and even their infamous Nancy Grace Show – which spent an inordinate amount of time crucifying Michael in the court of public opinion, long before the molestation case ever even got near a jury, and who continued to do so even after his acquittal – has jumped on the “Remembering Michael Jackson” bandwagon, in a shameless quest for ratings. I just hope fans watching that coverage are aware that these are the very same people who played a crucial role in destroying their music idol’s life and reputation when he was still alive.
So, what happened to cause Michael’s sudden unexpected death? Since the autopsy was inconclusive, I think it’s reasonable to assume his death was drug-related, especially since police impounded his doctor’s car in the belief it may contain evidence, and especially since the Jackson family attorney says that he warned about that very possibility long ago. I personally suspected that his death was drug-related when the news first broke that he had suffered cardiac arrest, since a cardiac arrest and a heart attack are two different things, and since he was only 50 years old. What I find extremely unusual about this situation is that a physician was actually there with him, so a lethal drug overdose should not have even been a possibility. I therefore look forward to more news on that front.
As a mother I very much feel for Michael’s three children, who have lived an incredibly sheltered (and more than a little strange) life as a result of their father’s eccentricities and his fame, as well as his infamy. This is going to be terribly difficult for them, as they adjust to an entirely new life without their only parent. At the same time, they will be embraced by the world now, in a way they would never have experienced when their father was alive. I attribute that to what I call “Sins Of The Father Syndrome”, and it is, quite sadly, a phenomenon which is not unusual even among those who are neither wealthy nor famous. It’s just too bad that no one was willing to forgive Michael Jackson of his perceived sins when he was still here to enjoy that himself.
Rest in peace, Michael. I sincerely hope you have finally found the peace you were never able to find in this world.
Kelly Taylor
KaTsMeO RT @tweetmeme Jordan Chandler admits he lied about Michael Jackson « Awkward Thoughts http://bit.ly/y9IpL (via @zenanour)
I do not believe that the alleged statement was actually made by the young man in question. Mysteriously (or not so mysteriously, depending upon how one views it), no one claims to have actually spoken to him personally. Instead, they claim it was a tape-recorded statement, which means that, even if the tape exists (which is doubtful), no one knows who made it.
What stood out the most, however, is that this young man lived and was educated in the United States, yet whoever made that statement clearly does not speak English as their first language.
For those reasons, among others, I believe the alleged admission of lying is a hoax, I don’t think any reasonable person would believe it was authentic, and I don’t think a judge would see the humor in it at all. For that reason, if that’s your blog, I’d remove the post before I got hit with a libel suit by that young man.
You can go ahead and remove my comment.
Rip Jackson – i think none of the allegations were true – as in many a case the rich are going to get targeted for their money in any way people can think up.
I APPLAUD your article and sentiments. You speak the truth. I watched the Martin Bashir interview and, like you, I came away with the absolute definite understanding that Michael Jackson was extremely immature. And he could be with all his money. I saw that he lied about his numerous surgeries and other things.
I think your article is great. Now he was a talent, but also a mentally deranged individual. I was sickened to see the part on the interview when he went into that Las Vegas shop and practicall bought everything on sight. I think Michael Jackson was the most immature person personified.
Thank you very much, Scott. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Hey, I too think the allegations were a load of bull. MJ was so eccentric and just “different” in so many ways as well as generous and vulnerable (IMO) that it was only a matter of time before someone tried to cash in on it.
Here is a well thought out website going into the details of the MJ “child molestation accusation saga” from start to finish: http://whoismichael.com/index.htm
As for the vitiligo, he did, in fact have vitiligo. I know this because I’ve seen many concert photo stills where he’s on stage, and the sweat and heat of the lights has caused some of the makeup to fade. He was clearly afflicted with the disorder. His makeup artist of over 20 years has also corroborated the vitiligo story on video. (Plus I really don’t think MJ would lie about having an illness that is just so upsetting to people who have it.)
Obviously with vitiligo his skin wouldn’t have a perfect even tone. I know he wore makeup for a really long time (because of all the photo stills where you can see the vitiligo over several years of his career), though he could have bleached it toward the very end. The vitiligo also goes along with the umbrella and full covering clothing he wears outside in daylight because of the extreme risk for skin cancer.
The thing that puzzles me the most about MJ is that he lied about how much plastic surgery he had, consistently and repeatedly. It’s incredibly obvious he’s had a LOT of work done, not just the two nose jobs he admits to. I believe MJ had Body Dysmorphic Disorder which led to so much plastic surgery (Personally I thought he looked good even as late as 2001 but whatever happened between 2001 and his trial was “too much” Though part of it could have been stress and weight loss as well.)
I wonder if the BDD could have made him be in an extreme enough denial about it to lie about the number of surgeries? He seemed generally honest and decent in all other areas, so it seems bizarre that he would lie about something so blatantly refutable unless that is a part of the illness.
I think it’s also likely that the vitiligo helped contribute to the BDD.
RX drugs could have led to his death, as could the BDD cause of all the surgeries, as well as not eating enough. All three factors contribute to a weaker heart. I wish someone had gotten to him earlier (Preferably around the “Bad” era) and gotten him into treatment for BDD, he might still be with us then.
I believe that Michael Jackson had plastic surgery, i just don’t believe it was as extensive as some have claimed. Reason is, he looked a lot like LaToya, and as far as i know, no one claimed they were both having identical work done.
I believe LaToya also had a lot of plastic surgery done, and so do a lot of other people, because she looked nothing like that when she was a kid either.
I also Believe that LaToya had a lot of plastic surgery done on her. Why would she look like that if she didn’t?
Well now that his dermatoligist has confirmed on Larry King Live that he did in fact have vitiligo, hopefully all the cruel naysayers can reflect on what it would be like for you to go through something like that while being ridiculed by the world.
Another thing, with or without plastic surgery no one over the age of 50 looks like they did as a child. MJ had 2 nose jobs and a cleft put in his chin. First nose job was due to an accident on stage where he broke his nose. That nose is the one from Thriller era. The second nose job and cleft appeared with Bad. The rest of the changes you are so convinced you see – fed by tabloid lies – are due to losing all the pigment in his skin and aging 20+ years. Look at a pic from Bad and compare to the last rehearsal – same face just OLDER.
Common sense should tell you that anyone who had all the surgeries the tabloids claimed would not have had the facial mobility he had.
I dunno, Tracy. I love MJ as much as anyone, but I think it’s clear he’s had more plastic surgery than that.
Not just a cleft, but his chin has completely changed shape. And he was always thin, so weight loss can’t account for how his cheekbones changed over the years.
Nor does aging account for all of that.
MJ, IMO lied about how much plastic surgery he had. I have watched him in MANY interviews, and I’ve seen MANY photographs, and as much as I love MJ, I cannot be blind to the fact that he’s had at least 10 surgeries.
I believe that surgeries (however many MJ had which really did not, does not matter to me at all) were to just splurge on himself, like you or I would buy something nice for ourselves after a nice pay cheque. He had all kinds of money to spend, it was his body and his own business to keep. He may have had to lie about some of them, but that is part of showbiz. How many celebs would actually admit to those? It’s no different than those models, actresses & singers with nice bodies that we so admire because they’ve had liposuction and implants to make them look younger and shapely. I just want to keep remembering him as the icon, my superstar forever, regardless of everything that he may have done or what people still acuse him of.
“Ever eccentric,” “strange,” “freak,” “weirdo.” Will it never end? Did any of you EVER spend time with Michael Jackson? If you had, you would agree with many who actually had the pleasure and privilege to spend time with him that he was more normal than many artists they knew. If being one of the world’s most prolific humanitarians, if being a perfectionist at your craft, if spreading love and hope and peace and joy WHEREVER you went is “ever eccentric,” then show me how to become “strange” and “freaky” and “weird” just like Mike. I wanna be like Mike! Pleeeeze! The poor man, despite being hounded WHEREVER he went on the entire planet, no matter how remote, was longsuffering in the extreme and never had an unkind word to say about anyone but the FREAKY members of the press who, not having a life of their own, made entire careers (Diane Dimond, Nancy Grace) out of harrassing Michael Jackson. Good lord. There are only two people in this world: Michael Jackson admirers and losers. Losers are people who constantly qualify their admiration by beginning articles with “Michael Jackson’s strange life, even stranger death, blah blah blah.” If you think Michael Jackson’s life was strange, you need a new definition for strange. When you love and/or admire someone, you love/admire them in totality, not in spite of anything–especially perceptions that were force fed you by a cruel, inhumane and judgmental mainstream media that was INFECTED, like a virus or pus-filled wound, by mainstream media. Please get your priorities straight, disavow yourself of “freak,” “weird” or “strange” where Michael Jackson was concerned, and learn to love your own inner freak. You’ll love more unconditionally and feel better, too.
I wish Michael had felt all of this love and support when he was living. Maybe things would have been different if someone would have given him the help he needed at an early age.
Since his passing I feel we should be more loving and understanding of the people who seem “a little different”
then the rest.
God Bless You Michael. I pray you are in heaven with all of the angels watching over you.
Love you more Mike!!
Layla, how do you know he didn’t feel “all of this love and support when he was living?” He has always said he loves, loves, loves his fans. He had extraordinarily, uncommonly loyal fans. It was the media that tortured him without respite. It’s still fans–I prefer to call them admirers–who are loving and supporting him now, and they never stopped. YOU may be late to the Michael Jackson Love Fest, but millions and millions around the world were not.
When I said I wish Michael could have felt love and support I meant that I hope Michael could some how see from heaven that many people loved and respected him.
Not just from his fans but from everyone who now knows just what we have lost.
Everyone? Michael Jackson has just as many haters as he ever had–all of them influenced by Medialoid’s biased and irresponsible reporting about him over a 20 year period. We’re working to fix this. Join the momentum at http://www.mjtruthnow.com (site still under construction).
I will join!!
MJ did have vitiligo so I guess you are totally wrong about that and the guy was no freak either. He was also entitled to spend his hard earned money the way he wanted to, it is nobody’s business. He donated enough of it to charity but then we never get any reports on that do we?? Shame on all who have jumped on that bandwagon of criticizing all aspects of the guy’s life. We have no comprehension of the pressure on the man on a daily basis. For the two greedy families who were too lazy to work and so invented vile rubbish about him, what goes around comes back around. That goes to Tom, martin,diane,nancy, diane and all the others in the media aswell.
As for the plastic surgery I cannot understand why his name was always mentioned before the likes of Joan rivers,etc. Totally pathetic!
RIP! MJ.