i’ve always been a huge fan of michael jackson, even when he turned white and sorta whacko, just because at his peak he was so f*cking sensational — the greatest entertainer yet that this planet has ever seen, bar none. when he died and his music videos were all over cable tv and the internet, i was only too happy to wallow and be dazzled anew by michael’s magic.
not that i could forever ignore the usual bad press that he continues to get from big bad media with small minds that just can’t get over the cosmetic changes — as if michael were the only one — or the drugs, or the sexual ambivalence — as if, as if — and of course the child molestation allegations — never giving him the benefit of the doubt, guilty until proven innocent.
the pedophile tag broke michael’s spirit.
MJ’s career saw his thrilling and spectacular rise from the Jackson 5 stardom in the 1970s to cultural mega icon in the 1980s. The two decades that followed were not as bright as they proved to be a disaster for his personal life and public image. In the 1990s, while he was no longer as big a cultural force as in his “Thriller” days, he did continue to sp(in) out hit singles and albums; however, a child molestation charge in 1993 marked his gradual falling out with the American audience appalled by his supposed indiscretion with minors in his Neverland ranch in California.He reportedly agreed to a settlement initiated by the father of the alleged victim to a whooping tune of over $20 million. Ten years later, he faced another child molestation charge, this time brought to court but which ended up in the singer’s acquittal. The stress he suffered from the trial and the negative publicity the 2003 accusations brought forth reportedly got MJ hooked on prescription drugs.
but what if none of it was true? what if the boys just made it up?
Since Jackson’s passing the Internet has been all a-buzz with reports that Jordan Chandler, the boy who accused Jackson of molestation in 1993, has recanted his story for the second time and is seeking forgiveness for the allegations he made against Jackson. Curiously, this latest developmenthas yet to be confirmed or denied by any major U.S. news organization. The lack of mainstream media scrutiny has fueled speculation about the media’s lack of motivation to publicize the story. “If the media discloses that the accuser lied about being molested, it clears Michael’s reputation. If the charges are removed from his public record, Michael Jackson will achieve a level of martyrdom that no other person has achieved”, that’s a widely voiced response to the quiet storm brewing online and in the streets.
can’t help wondering how it might have changed things for michael, and the world, if those malicious charges had never been raised against him, or if the media had been less credulous, less eager to believe the worst, never mind sales and ratings. maybe michael would still be around.
Pinag-iisipan ko pa kung susulat ako tungkol kay MJ, at kung paano.
Pero naiinis talaga ako sa Yahoo! Laging mga haggard na maputing mukha ni MJ ang ipinapakita.
Feeling ko, noong Obama-Hillary pa, Hillary talaga ang Yahoo!
haha teo ;) wag na pagisipan, just do it, ika nga. i know what you mean, i hate those pictures too, eh ang dami namang iba na ang ganda niya, parang babaeng lalaki ;)) lalaking babae? androgyne na nga!
Nice, personal essay on the King of Pop, Angela.
Salamat sa quote. And that “spurn” was supposed to be “turn.” Good thing you saw it.
Nakita mo na siguro yung CNN “ghost” video. I decided to embed it sa MJ article ko.
hi jesusa ;) “turn”! why didnt i think of that! anyway, your essay is impressive, truly comprehensive, complete with references. and yes i saw that ghost video and i’m not surprised that it seems “real,” as in not staged by some nitwit. happens with sudden deaths, i hear…
If that video was all genuine, tingin ko lang na sadyang nagpaparamdam si Michael. I mean, CNN lang kaya nag.cover ng Neverland after his death? With CNN’s credibility amidst digital technology possibilities (hoaxes included), baka kaya pinili ni MJ ang CNN para magparamdam sa mga fans niya sa buong mundo. Mahirap nga namang i.dismiss kc CNN. And the perfect timing of his walk across!
“nagparamdam” expresses it so well, so pinoy ;) oo nga, cnn was the perfect choice for a final goodbye to the world. sana nagmoonwalk na rin siya para walang duda hehe
Its Michael Jackson left and right
Its Michael Jackson right and left
An almost forgotten man
Why oh why the hossanas
kept coming in
when he can no longer hear ’em
to share the fun.
What good are
the words of praise now
When he is already
six feet under the ground.
yeah, it happens all the time, kung kelan wala na, which is so sad.
Why all the word of praise now? Because he deserves those tributes. People aren’t dumb, they know he is dead and buried. That isn’t the point. The point is he made a difference in their lives and they loved him. Like family, and when family passes you give them an eulogy. He lives on in the hearts of his fans. Besides which, he was highly praised by his fans when he was living, but they could barely be heard over the drone of the media-loid. Which includes mainstream media. It may as you imply make a differnce to him now, but it does to his children.