Michael Jackson

[Kaci]

Did anyone see the interview with MJ or even seen bits on the news!?

At first I just thought, ok, he looks wierd but seems quite a nice guy. Then we saw his 12 year old best friend. It appears he thinks he is giving his children everything they need, like a fair ground with every possible ride, but he doesn't seem to realise they are missing the real things they need like a mother or just a secure family environment.

And what happens when little Paris gets scared at night wants to go into his daddys bed, but can't because some other child is in there!

[Phil Tanner]

I was flicking through the channels yesterday and there was a travelogue which cut to scenes of a dead whale being sliced up - yeugh, couldn't bear to look at it, looked away involuntarily.

Five minutes later, landed on a trailer for the Michael Jackson interview - full-face shot of him with inch-deep makeup and three-day growth. Exactly the same reaction - too horrible to look at.

If he ever turns up at your meet with a video camera, make sure he registers it! :)

[chris_lamb]

It is very easy to condemn him while knowing little or nothing about him.

If anyone turns up at your meet with a video camera I would hope that you would make sure they register.

[Phil Tanner]

Sense of humour bypass alert, of course we get people to register!

Facts are this is a man who likes sharing his bed with other people's children. In what circumstances should that NOT be condemned?

[Bazza]

I was told about this and was going to video it as I was out. Unfortunately my shocking memory let me down once again so I missed it. Sounded interesting though....

[chris_lamb]

Originally posted by Phil Tanner
Facts are this is a man who likes sharing his bed with other people's children. In what circumstances should that NOT be condemned?

I got the impression from a BBC news article that he did not share his bed, but that he let children sleep in his bed while he was on the floor.

If I were to tell you that I spend my weekends watching children swimming would that not sound a little suspect? Without all the information about the situation it is impossible to make a judgment.

[Phil Tanner]

But "all the information" includes the fact that a boy accused him of abuse a few years ago and he settled out of court.

Yes, I also spend many of my Saturdays watching kids swim. But when the next obvious question comes, "And...?", I have a valid explanation, and I'm sure you do too.

When Michael Jackson is asked "And...?", he presumably goes on to say it's all entirely innocent. But why believe this if he simultaneously denies having had plastic surgery?

Imagine he's not a fabulously wealthy megastar, but a 40-ish adult with whom you are acquainted who has a house stacked with things kids find interesting. He also says he likes to share a bedroom with a child and would like yours to come round for an entirely innocent sleepover. What answer?

[chris_lamb]

I am not saying that there is nothing wrong, or that he is innocent. I just do not think that we are in a position to make judgments. "Megastar accused of child abuse" makes good headlines and hence the media is quite happy to provide us with evidence of it. This does not mean that he necessairly has done anything wrong. Perhaps it is entirely innocent. We will probably never know.

The hypothetical question you pose is impossible to answer - I would not let someone I was just 'aquanited' with look after my child*. If I actually knew them then I would be in a position to answer.



* Assuming that they are not being vouched for by some reputable organisation

[Phil Tanner]

About 15 years ago we were on holiday in America and in one of the movie theme parks, can't remember if it was Disney or Universal, they were showing a new Jackson video. He was probably at the height of his powers then and an MC whipped the crowd up in advance. When he appeared on screen the audience went absolutely bananas - screaming, yelling, woo-woo-woo, the lot, adults as well as kids. Just for a film! Couldn't believe how easily manipulated they were. He can dance, but that's about it.

[Chris]

Originally posted by Phil Tanner
About 15 years ago we were on holiday in America and in one of the movie theme parks, can't remember if it was Disney or Universal, they were showing a new Jackson video. He was probably at the height of his powers then and an MC whipped the crowd up in advance. When he appeared on screen the audience went absolutely bananas - screaming, yelling, woo-woo-woo, the lot, adults as well as kids. Just for a film! Couldn't believe how easily manipulated they were. He can dance, but that's about it.

I have to say he is one of the foremost recording artists and entertainers of the last 20/30 years. He is immensely talented and hugely successful.

Doesn't make him any less of a freak though :rolleyes:

[bobby]

Before the interview I believed MJ to have a strange obsession with children, but now what I would say is that a lot of his problems seem to have come from his lack of a decent childhood - the problems he had with his father . He appears to me to still be a child regardless of his age now. He seemed very at home with the children (on a child's level) and in my opinion doesn't want to grow up. I didn't see him as a child abuser at all. Regarding his own children (if that is even true - genetics are not my forte but I thought black and black made black) and his plastic surgery - that is a different matter entirely.

[bobby]

I did laugh at the shopkeeper in Las Vegas as he kept following MJ around with the $ signs in his eyes - what a LOVELY shop it was!

[otter cub]

What really worries me is that he doesn't think he is doing anything wrong by letting these children sleep in his bed, he says he's just sharing love.
In this day and age you'd have thought he'd have been a little bit more careful with what he said.
Anyway what i can't understand is why he let them interview him in the first place. He always claims to be such a quiet family person.

[Dreama]

He is talented and somewhat misunderstood, and his childhood I believe has caused some great mental disturbance. I sympathise with him in some ways but in his other ways I disagree with what he does, however, I do still believe that there is some kind of mental scar left from his childhood which he didnt properly have and hes never stopped trying to get what he missed. I dont like to hear accusations flying around about these sensitive issues, they are his business and the business of the children around hims parents, if hes a liar theyll get burned and they are daft for taking these risks. But please can we talk about something else because no-one will ever truely agree or understand him.

[Kaci]

i just think it is scary how much he is getting away with because he is successful and loaded. I just feel sorry for his children.He may say he doesn't share a bed with his best friend, although he also said he has only had his nose done!

[Aussiebabe]

I assigned to the MJ's a freak club before I saw this program but am now of the idea that he is much more normal that I ever thought before (especially considering the actions of his Dad plus mega star at 12), but with a few problems which may need to be addressed. The children in his room incident (and both he and the kid sounded very believable when they spoke of him trying to get comfortable on the floor so just 'cos the kid slept in his bed perhaps we shouldn't assume MJ was in there at the same time) sounds horrific out of context, but going on his general demeanor - climbing trees, loving snow cones & fairground rides, love of Peter Pan, I reckon his serious issue is in not wanting to grow up and I got the impression his sleepovers were exactly that - sound a lot like he just wants to have a sleep over like we all did as kids.

I agree with KC that it seems like his kids miss out however, but at the end of the day if many stars kids got scared in the middle of the night do you really think they'd go running to mum & dad - this is what these people employ a nanny (and often more like an army of staff) to do!!!

I think his actions are careless in todays society where you have to be so careful to to be seen to abuse your position with kids, but he talks sense when he says wasn't it better before the era of law suits when innocent people didn't have to be on their guard incase actions are misconstrued? I am however well aware that this time was better for innocent people, but also better for those who did abuse kids 'cos they were more likely to get away with it, so maybe he is idealistic but it's still a nice ideal.

[swimmer]

QUOTE: we shouldn't assume MJ was in there at the same time

not at the same time as him, but he did admit to sleeping int he bed with children - reading them a story, playing soft music and having milk and cookies together in the bed.

[Phil Tanner]

I may have been the last to catch on to this, but I read a comment elsewhere that if you look at the images of Peter Pan around MJ's house and look at what he's had done to his face, it's not that he wants to be white but that he is so obsessed with Peter Pan he has got surgeons to try and turn him into him. Which is pretty darn sad when he was such a good-looking young man c. 20 years ago.

Haven't managed to copy and paste, but go to

http://kebeck.com/sys-tmpl/nss-folder/disney/44351.jpg

to see what I mean.

[swimmer]

i think he looks like diana ross, and i heard somehwhere that he was trying to look like her

[swimusa]

Originally posted by swimmer
i think he looks like diana ross, and i heard somehwhere that he was trying to look like her

Yeah, but she's black, and looks balck...he's definitely not going that route. Some people are weird...he is one of them.

[violet]

i'm just immensely sad for the man.

he used to be a such a great talent back in the thriller/off the wall days...and to look him today is like a car wreck - you know it's awful but you can't look away. his music has plummeted severely in terms of quality...all because with every album he's done after 1982, the main priority was to top thriller in sales. he'll never top thriller - that album was such a huge once in a lifetime phenomenon.

i do not think mj is capable of molesting children - i even doubt he's had a sexual thought in his entire life to be honest. his heart seem to be in the right place (regarding child friends and his own kiddies) but how can someone who is still a child themselves (albeit a 12 year old in a 44 year old's body) be able to raise children? and why doesn't anyone in his inner circle look past the monetary rewards of keeping quiet, and actually try to help the man? he desperately needs help and proper support - not ridicule and mockery - and certainly not indulging him by letting him continue on the way he is.

[Phil Tanner]

An American web site posts facsimiles of documents casting interesting light on things the public doesn't usually get to see, sent to them by whistleblowers. I won't post the name or URL here for obvious reasons below. Often these are just eyebrow-raising - e.g. lists of bands' Spinal Tap-like demands to concert promoters for backstage luxuries - but sometimes they are a bit chilling. They have obtained what appears to be a genuine witness statement from the boy Jackson settled with out of court. This leaves no doubt whatsoever that he is a child molester.

[matt]

Just a little addition to the thread - his Number Ones album is pretty good if I do say so for myself. I recommend it and before you ask I don't work for him or any record company etc. THAT WAS IN A NON-DODGY WAY OK

Also can we not refer to him as MJ please.

[matt]

I was just wondering what is currently happening to him?