bb993tt

or, .......... Brubeck?

dcdude

I was trying to come up with a conclusion statement about his whole life, and I think you've mostly got it there. In terms of success, wealth, eccentricity, and isolation, Howard Hughes comes to mind.

I think his whole child-like existence started to unravel when his legal problems started. Selling the ranch had to be a huge setback. I just heard this morning that demmoral and morphine abuse may have started back when his head was burned in a Pepsi TV ad. I think he was living in a rented house there at the end.

Keeping all this in mind, can anyone be totally surprised at this news?

JasonF

or,...........Yoko? Oops, nevermind

Ed Burdell

After seeing parts of the Diane Sawyer and Barbara Walters interviews last night, it's entirely plausible that being as childlike as he was, he may not have had the capacity to understand how sharing a bed with those kids would be perceived in the adult world. To him, it was a sleepover party among peers, nothing more. Even the "Jesus juice" thing could realistically be interpreted as typical kid hijinks...Does this excuse him from not acting like the adult he was in fact? In our society and legal system, no. But coming from a 'childhood, interrupted' such as his, it's at least understandable how he wound up where he did. Immediately segueing from parents to lawyers, agents, managers, and handlers, he never got a chance to grow up.

bluejam

Ok, I can't resist.
I can't believe it took two pages of MJ compliments till Goofball had the ***** to tell it like it is. His pedophilia ruins everything he did for me. Quit blaming the "liberal media". Enough people came out of the woodwork to prove it to myself that he did bad things to little innocent boys. Oh, but he was locked into his childhood. Poor baby. Just reaffirms that he was a psycho, just like other rapists and pedophiles. Will I still dance to his phenomenal music? Heck yeah! It's good stuff.
King of Music? Get a grip. For one, taste in music is too subjective to ever crown any King or Queen of music or even any given genre.

goofballdeluxe

Deluded? Look in the mirror.

Here's a proven fact: he settled a lawsuit in the early 1990s for $22 million. That is a monster sum of money for a settlement. If he was innocent, why did he settle? And for so much money?

The reason he settled is his attorneys advised him he would lose the case in court, as the child he molested was able to describe not only the sexual acts, but also Jackson's genitalia in great detail. He settled because he was guilty.

An innocent who was accused of such a terrible crime, and had to pay up that kind of money, would NEVER allow himself to be put in such a compromising situation ever again. Only someone with a deviant sexual need would allow himself to continue this behavior, as Jackson did.

As I said before, many people give to charity and do nice things for children. Personally, if you give $10 million to charity, but you're worth $300 million, I'm not that impressed. More profound is the family making $20,000 a year that still gives money to even needier folks.

There is no question he was a great talent. There is also no question that he was attracted sexually to young boys.

You're right about one thing: I didn't 'understand' MJ. I don't understand child molesters in general. Maybe you do, but that's an education I'm not interested in.

Lemme guess: you also think OJ's innocent too, right?

bluejam

"Lemme guess: you also think OJ's innocent too, right?"

But man, he was the King of Runningbacks!

Canyon56

Stepping back a moment here, I'd like to reflect on the reason of my starting this thread (and my one other post here.)

It's so easy to make remarks about a stranger, but when you know that person it takes on a new dimension. And it's not about condoning that person's behavior.

It's more akin to having a family member who you suspect has done something terrible. You end up looking at the whole picture. You are more intimate with the issues and you develop a particular empathy. It's not about right or wrong. You have to accept what happened and try to make sense of it.

It's so easy to condemn others. Especially strangers. It's human nature. It makes us feel better about ourselves. It's a kind of stress release valve. Because we are all vulnerable whether we want to admit that or not.

The man is dead. His life now becomes interpreted by others. And everyone will try to make sense of it in respect to their own lives and beliefs.

Amfab

+1

I never met or worked with Michael, I've been out to the Encino house with regards to a project with one of his brothers, and I have friends who have worked with him in the studio and in the business. My impression from all these was one of a pretty dysfunctional life for the family, but even that is second hand, I really have no idea what reality is.

I have heard stories about many artists, good and bad, I have worked with some of these artists later and found their personalities to completely be in line or to completely contradict those stories. So even first hand its hard to tell.

With Michael one thing is pretty clear, he didn't have an easy life.

sptschoice

three pages of BS on MJ may he rest in peace..he was the best entertainer/song writer ever in this era 25 platinum albums...which artist ever did this..go to hell u haters

Autarky

To be honest, I have no interest whatsoever in the 'OJ' case. I don't really care for American Football considering its played in one or two nations.. Believe it or not outside of the American bubble you guys live in, the majority care very little. Sport-wise, that is. I could rant on further but it's not really worth discussing in this thread!

At the end of the day, we're all entitled to our opinions. If you believe that he's a child molester, then I respect your opinion - but don't agree with it. There are always going to be opposite sides of the argument. I'd prefer to pay tribute to one of the greats. That's what this topic was originally started for was it not?

And yes, my statement of 'king of music' may be a little exaggerated but he definitely made a huge impact on music itself as one of the great entertainers of all time.

R.I.P

FlatSix911

Fixed it for you: MJ gets ripped a new one if he had faced justice for his actions ...

VMXWinn

Sorry, but I must agree with goofball and bluejam. MJ was a sick man and obviously faught with his own inner demons. That was apperent in his physical transformation. To some he contributed a lot to the pop music scene. I respect this but I do not have ANY respect for ANYONE that is a preditor. Especially of children.

I don't know how the rest of you feel but I have to wonderful young children and if anyone harmed, abused or MOLESTED them I would either beat them within a inch of their life or simply just kill them and deal what I have done. The love for your children is unconditional. Maybe some of you may not have experienced this and therefore could not understand this bond or prespective.

Doing good charitable things for many wins over there loyality but does not clean the the sin that you comitted against a few.

Lets just say I rapped or molested your WIFE, GIRLFRIEND or CHILD, but I was wealthy and paid for a new school or hospital or museum or donated emensly to some cause. What would you think of me then? Am I good person becuase I gave to the masses for the betterment of society? Or am I basterd becuase I rapped or molested your Wife, Girlfriend or Child. How does one over shadow the other? And just because it was not my children that were harmed how would expect me to think any differently.

We really only have one thing in life and that is the fact that we can make choices either good or bad and MJ made his, as we all do.

Autarky

I don't think anyone is disputing that molesting children is a bad thing. We would all react the same way if such an act was to occur to any of our children. There is dispute over whether he physically committed the allegations against him, not anything else.

nedsky

I'm glad he didn't owe me any money. Apparantly I'm one of the few who skated on that.