At this level, I'm not sorry about Michael Jackson
I should probably wait a bit, but I won't. I liked much of Michael Jackson's music and thought that he was a terrific performer in his prime. I'm sorry for the loss of those things and I do find his death sad in that sense. I am, however, not going to mourn the guy. In fact, I'm glad he's dead.
Despite the not guilty verdict, I still believe that Michael Jackson was a child molester. No, he probably didn't lock his victims in a basement and rape them, but he was still a child molester who persuaded young boys to do things with him that they weren't old enough to consent to. In some ways, these are the worst because it's harder for the victim to make the separation between the seeming acts of “kindness/seduction” and the bits of the relationship that constitute molestation. The seduction just lengthens the pain and guilt for the victim. Maybe the King of Pop was some sort of boy at heart, maybe he was abused himself in some way that made his actions more compulsive than chosen, but he never openly repented and there was nothing to ever suggest that he ever stopped trying to do these things or sought treatment.
The fact that Michael Jackson was musically-talented makes no difference to me. In fact, it only made it possible for him to molest more boys than otherwise might have. He also may have done any number of other humanitarian acts, even ones that benefited children. Those were certainly good deeds and I won't question his motives for doing them. I also suppose that there's some possibility that his acts were misunderstood in some way and he wasn't actually molesting boys. If that's the case, I'll take this back.
That said, as a non-celebrity, I'll say on behalf of his likely dozens of victims and the families of those victims what the celebrities and media won't say. I'm glad he's dead. I hope it was painful. I won't mourn him and I'm glad he's not around to molest any more boys. I'm also not going to euphemize it by saying the guy was eccentric. If no one else is going to say or write it today, I will.
chancelucky
posted by Chancelucky @ 9:42 PM
15 Comments:
You know, I'm very torn on this. The entire internet seems to have a single feeling about him, but I am very mixed. I'm very compassionate for his crappy childhood but perhaps more so for his own children and those he may or may not have abused.
Yes, he was an amazing, prodigal talent, and no doubt abused and cheated of a proper childhood.
And I believe it's entirely possible for someone to abuse children out of a place of confusion, and to some extent, be unaware that what they're doing is abusive.
But I do think he was inappropriate with children, to whatever degree, and that's just sickening to me, and it changes my reaction to his passing.
Bella,
more or less exactly what I'm saying. I just don't think this aspect of who he was gets a day off just because he died.
I've never believed that he actually molested those children. I think he was so unhappy and messed up from not having a childhood of his own, that he could only relate to children, and liked having them around.
The fact that the parents of one of the kids settled for a wad of cash makes me suspicious too. If someone molested my kid, I don't care how much many they threw at me. I wouldn't take a payoff.
Beckeye,
we'll probably just have to disagree on this. Without all the celebrity trappings and the lavish gifts, the accounts I saw sounded exactly like mainstream child molesters. He might not have been "violent", but it's no less disturbed and no less harmful.
Thatdoesn't mean that I don't think the guy's life was sad or how got there wasn't sad.
Welcome back, CL. It is good to see you blogging again.
Your post has salient points, although I would argue a couple of things: one is that we don't know if he sought treatment or not about his emotional behavior towards children. I think your point is that publicly there was no expressed remorse. The second is that I am not certain I want Michael Jackson to be dead (although he is, obviously) but I might say from my own perspective that his death stunned me because of his age. I will be turning his age in a little over a week from now, and I see a mirror of mortality more than ever from his passing.
Benny,
nice to hear from you. I think I felt the "age" thing more with Farrah Fawcett. It brought home to me how long ago Charley's Angels and that Noxzema commercial were
I should say I don't know 100% if he did abuse kids or not, and certainly we can't rule out greedy people who just wanted his money. I'd rather believe that he didn't, of course.
In any case, I weep for his poor children, who legally have no mother, if memory serves. Will they inherit his $400 million in debt? And who will raise them and provide a stable loving home for them?
Bella,
I don't know anything 100% even about things I might have done or not done :}
People normally do not pay 22 million dollars to someone who makes a groundless accusation though. That one's well documented.
I'm another person that grew up with Michael Jackson, yet I can't bring myself to mourn him. By his own words and actions, regardless of court outcomes, I cannot have any respect or regard for him. No amount of charity or good works can undo the damage to children that he caused.
And yet, I feel for the people that truly mourn him. I've been in hospital waiting rooms the past few days, with the tv blaring. People were rapt, and more than a few had tears. As a people there is something cathartic about shared mourning.
I'm glad you're back, and wish I could have put the MK problem as well as you did.
I was surprised by the outpouring of people all around that suddenly began shouting their disbelief on the molestation issue while at the time many were convinced of his guilt. While I have no idea whether he did or not, a lot of people have less than ideal childhoods but still grow up to be people of conscience and stay on the right side of things. I excuse very little on circumstance. People always have choices.
...And I thought I had balls. LOL. Call em like ya see em, brother.
Thanks Antonia,
I do think a lot of the mourning is less about Michael Jackson to some happier time for him and us.
Dale,
I don't now that we always have choices,but we should at least act that way :}
Captain,
I was wondering if they were going to make Michael Jackson the next Bachelor. It would have gotten huge ratings. They could have brought Jason Mesnick back and....Oh geez, I probably shouldn't go there.
I would say I'd rather have listened to Michael Jackson sing on the show than Wes.
You go too easy on him. His charity was camouflage--when has an evil person ever declared himself publically? He was a pedaphile who ran to saudi in order to bugger boys on the sly when he could no longer get away with it in the USA.
As for all you people who praise his talent as objective fact while getting all gray and subjective when the molestation evidence is brought up, you are complicit in his abusive behavior because you provide the fake reality he needed to have the nerve to do what he did.
As for his talent:
A--Big deal. An entertainer's only purpose is to provide a little amusement for us when we're bored, just like a clown. His flashy clothes, silly hair, and insane behavior make him just that: A clown.
B--He was not an "artist" by any definition of the word. Having the genetic gift to carry a note, and the hard work put into the gift to master it, does not qualify him to be an artist. I offer as proof THE GLARING ABSCENCE OF ANY DEPTH, MEANING, OR POETIC SYMBOLISM IN ANY OF HIS LYRICS. None. Music about dancing and singing: entirely self-referencing with nothing to say. His songs are the equivalent of a poems about rhyming. Pointlessness. Decades of pointlessness.
A dazzling display of mediocrity for the mediocre. Simple rythms. Dull melodies. Meaningless lyrics. All combined to create endless variations of the same song with no further theme than "Shake your ass."
Clap, clap, clap...
So, for all of you who whine about the tragedy that was his life--examine your own role in it. You fed him billions of dollars so he could build an elaborate evasion of his own irredeemable evil. And you did it in exchange for some flashing lights and a justification for your desire to "Shake your ass" instead of introspecting.
Why?
Because you're stupid.
Anonymous,
I think he went to Bahrain not Saudi Arabia.
Leaving the US after the verdict didn't exactly seem like the sort of thing you do after you've been vindicated, but that may have had to do with his debts as much as the criminal stuff.
Wow, it is great to read a honest post that did not come from the media ! I have more of problem with media [at this time ] than with Jackson. No wonder most of the world hates Americans. If all they have is info from the press about Hollywood and DC, yes I can see why they would hate us.
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