Michelle Malkin » Remembering Michael Jackson

Remembering Michael Jackson

By Michelle Malkin • June 25, 2009 06:55 PM

So, you know by now that Michael Jackson died today after cardiac arrest (just a few hours after the death of Farrah Fawcett).

His adult life was marred by lurid molestation charges, endless displays of bizarre behavior with his three children, plastic surgery horrors, and financial mayhem.

But he was a musical genius in his early days before he succumbed to Hollyweird and that’s what I’ll choose to remember. So sad — the corruption of innocence, the talent squandered, the celebrity gone wild. So sad:

Posted in: Hollyweird

Printer Friendly

comments (198)

trackbacks (33)

See what others have said

Note from Michelle: This section is for comments from michellemalkin.com's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that I agree with or endorse any particular comment just because I let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with my terms of use may lose his or her posting privilege.

Trackbacks

Trackback URL

Comments

« Older Comments

#730504

On June 26th, 2009 at 5:57 pm, purplepeep said:

happy2behere said:
I can’t believe Purplepeep (#112) and Thacker (#126), who I like reading, would defend this guy.

Hiya Happy – Nope, not defending anybody. But if you can show where I’ve wrote something that is objectively false, I’d be “happy” myself for the correction.
#730637

On June 26th, 2009 at 6:47 pm, Misscheryl said:

someone in Florida, riding a bus made a comment that MJ should be in prison. A black guy stabbed him for saying so.
#730648

On June 26th, 2009 at 6:53 pm, purplepeep said:

Misscheryl said:
someone in Florida, riding a bus made a comment that MJ should be in prison

.

Imprisoning the dead? I’m a strict law & order-type, Cheryl, but that seems a bit drastic even to me.
#730652

On June 26th, 2009 at 6:57 pm, Misscheryl said:

oopppsss – should have been in prison.

quit pickin on me, you know what I meant
#730669

On June 26th, 2009 at 7:07 pm, purplepeep said:

Misscheryl said:
oopppsss – should have been in prison.

quit pickin on me, you know what I meant

Yeah, I know, but I needed to get a giggle in this thread and it was just there. I couldn’t stop myself.
#731462

On June 27th, 2009 at 3:26 pm, Roland_Deschain said:

No one was stabbed, and the guy who pulled the knife was upset because someone else was DEFENDING Jackson:

The unidentified bus driver opined that “Michael Jackson should have been in jail long ago,” prompting Kiernan, 60, to retort that “the world just lost a great musical talent,” the police report said.

It said the last remark enraged another passenger, Henry Wideman, who started a swearing match with Kiernan, then pulled out a knife and chased Kiernan down the aisle with it.

I’m not sure whether the knife-wielding Jackson-hater was white or not. Might be one of you idiots.
#731523

On June 27th, 2009 at 6:31 pm, atheling said:

But he was a musical genius in his early days before he succumbed to Hollyweird and that’s what I’ll choose to remember. So sad — the corruption of innocence, the talent squandered, the celebrity gone wild.

So, if Mark Sanford could sing and dance, he wouldn’t be a bastard full of “jerkitude”?

Really, I don’t get this double standard. Adultery is wrong, but pedophilia is just pure evil.

Read an interesting article on what some Hollywood insider witnessed, regarding MJ’s “relationship” with a 13 year old boy (the one who was involved in that lawsuit).

…So one day I came in the store and one of my friends told me Jackson was in the store. And there he was, over by the comics rack. He had his arm around someone like he was on a date. That someone was Jordy Chandler.

I walked over to the long racks and pretended not to notice them. Jackson had his people with him including his driver. That driver was later a witness against Jackson in his trial.

Jackson was whispering in Jordy’s ear and they were acting totally like people on a date. It was not the kind of behavior a couple of straight guys do together. Then they went back in the store in the employee area and disappeared. They were gone for a half hour. I stuck around and talked to my friends, just shooting the breeze. I assumed Jackson left by the back door to avoid people. But Bill the owner asked me if I wanted to meet Michael Jackson, and I said, sure.

Jackson reappeared, and left the store. I went out there with Bill and he introduced me. Jordy had detached from Michael and went to the black SUV. I didn’t shake hands with Jackson, I only got to exchange pleasantries. But I noticed something, when I tried to look him in the eyes, he had this very evasive…almost crazed look. Like someone who had just committed a crime and didn’t want anyone to see them. It was weird.

I’ve met a lot of famous celebs and have never seen them as anything other than people. People who work in the entertainment industry, which I was doing at the time myself. So I’ve been very laid back in these encounters. So I know it was nothing I did that made him look at me like that. I thought, “Man, is he paranoid or what? Maybe he’s on something.”

After they took off, I went back in the store to buy some comics and I asked one of my friends what they were doing in the back room for so long. He said Michael and Jordy were in the bathroom for a half hour.

Yeah.

I said, huh? He said that’s not unusual for him.

Now, I don’t know what they did in there, but it was a small one-person bathroom. And I can only think of a couple reasons two people would go into a small bathroom together. One of the nice reasons is they were helping the other with their costumes. He wasn’t wearing anything that out of the ordinary. So that leaves the other two reasons, since we can assume Jordy is potty trained at 13. Sex or drugs.

When the story about the molestation broke a few months later, that pretty much made up my mind which reason it was.
#731527

On June 27th, 2009 at 6:39 pm, atheling said:

On June 26th, 2009 at 6:47 pm, Misscheryl said:
someone in Florida, riding a bus made a comment that MJ should be in prison. A black guy stabbed him for saying so.

I read that news article. What transpired is that a passenger on the bus got the news that MJ was dead. He announced it to everyone there. The bus driver commented that Jackson belonged in jail for pedophilia; a black guy on the bus became enraged and pulled a knife on the bus driver. The first passenger tried to calm him down, and the knife wielder turned on him.

So, it wasn’t a case of the black knife wielder being anti MJ.
#731642

On June 28th, 2009 at 1:05 am, purplepeep said:

atheling said:
it wasn’t a case of the black knife wielder being anti MJ.

Actually, atheling, neither you or anybody else here got the story right. And it’s even more especially bizarre for anyone to attempt to make this some kind of a black/white thing, since all of those involved may be black.

From the local news:
King Of Pop Death Spurs Fight On County Bus

“King Of Pop Death Spurs Fight On County Bus
NORTH LAUDERDALE (CBS4) ―

News of Michael Jackson’s death in South Florida prompted one county bus passenger to lash out at another.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office said Henry Wideman, 54, chased a fellow passenger down the aisle of the bus wielding a knife after the passenger remarked that Jackson’s passing marked the loss of a great musical talent.

That passenger is James Kiernan, 60, who was not hurt. Wideman was arrested on Thursday night and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He posted bail on Saturday, which was set at $5,000.

Kiernan had also announced news of the pop singer’s death on the bus prompting the driver to say that Jackson should have been jailed long ago.

Wideman apparently became angry by Kiernan’s comment. Wideman also shouted profanities and threatened Kiernan.”

You also misrepresented Michelle, atheling, when you responded to her quote:

“But he was a musical genius in his early days before he succumbed to Hollyweird and that’s what I’ll choose to remember. So sad — the corruption of innocence, the talent squandered, the celebrity gone wild.”

You, for some non-logical reason, read Mark Sanford into that quote instead of responding to what was actually written, saying:

So, if Mark Sanford could sing and dance, he wouldn’t be a bastard full of “jerkitude”?

Then, you jumped the “logic track” altogther with:

Really, I don’t get this double standard. Adultery is wrong, but pedophilia is just pure evil.

Mark Sanford made a big, public announcement of his “bastard full of “jerkitude” status. So it’s not a debatable matter of opinion that’s up for question.

Were you to find a like confession from Jackson, you might have a comparison point. Otherwise you got an absurdist non sequitur (lit. “it does not follow”).
#731876

On June 28th, 2009 at 1:28 pm, Misscheryl said:

just for the record, I wasn’t suggesting this was a black and white thing…I’m angered by the fact that people can’t voice an opinion in a public place without fear of being attacked.
#731877

On June 28th, 2009 at 1:30 pm, Misscheryl said:

we are no longer a national of laws.
#731892

On June 28th, 2009 at 1:55 pm, purplepeep said:

Misscheryl said:
just for the record, I wasn’t suggesting this was a black and white thing…I’m angered by the fact that people can’t voice an opinion in a public place without fear of being attacked.

I wasn’t thinking of you on that, Cheryl, or I woulda mentioned it when I poked fun at ya earlier.

(It was the back&forth following that I had in mind.)

we are no longer a national of laws.

The flipside of that is, considering half the laws our elected officials make, it’s too bad we are a nation of laws!!
#731917

On June 28th, 2009 at 2:22 pm, atheling said:

purplepeep:

Um, your “logic” doesn’t follow.

Jackson admitted that he slept with teenage boys.

If you don’t think that’s weird, then you’ve got real problems.

I can’t believe you are trying to defend a pedophile.
#731953

On June 28th, 2009 at 3:56 pm, purealchemy said:

I actually think Michael Jackson was a better person that Obama will ever be.
#731962

On June 28th, 2009 at 4:47 pm, purplepeep said:

atheling said:

purplepeep:

Um, your “logic” doesn’t follow.

You’re welcome to show me anywhere I’e said something that was incorrect, atheling. An “Um” and quoting my handle doesn’t count as a correction.

I believe the difficulty is in “thinking” with emotions in lieu of using the Joe Friday “Just the facts, ma’am” mode which I prefer. For example, on the bus incident; you claimed to have been better informed than another commenter (and “read the story”), but yet you still got the wrong conclusion. When you bring preconceptions into something, ir’s inevitable that only misconceptions will follow.

Jackson admitted that he slept with teenage boys.

Coming from a family of 10, I spent many years sleeping with teenage boys myself. And the little ones quite often slept with the folks. Now somebody could make something of all that, but it would speak much, much more to the sad state of that person’s mind more than anything else.

Now, if you had evidence of heinous wrongdoing by Michael Jackson (or by anyone, for that matter) and brought it to the authorities, I would be quite impressed. If you’re claiming to have had such evidence but did not bring to the authorities, then you share whatever guilt you would assign to him.

But, unfortunately, all you have are your opinions and feelings – and that’s fine, as far as it goes. But in the real world, you’d need to add a dollar to those feelings & emotions just to buy a cuppa coffee. You’re in the same place as the moonbats who go on about how Bush, Cheney, Condi & all of the “Bushies” should be tried for “war crimes”. Das macht nichts.
#731964

On June 28th, 2009 at 5:02 pm, atheling said:

purplepeep:

I’m not the one using my “feelings”; I’m stating facts.

You seem to be unaware of the documentary by Bashir where Jackson openly stated that he slept with teenage boys that are not family members, and that it was an expression of “love”.

Tell me, how “normal” is it for a grown man to say that sleeping with teenage boys (only boys, mind you, not girls) that are not his own or members of his family?

Convenient of you to miss that, isn’t it?

Why do you worship the guy? He’s a creep. Remember when he dangled one of his babies from a balcony?

And you defend him?
#731967

On June 28th, 2009 at 5:04 pm, atheling said:

I am wondering what is the motive you hold in defending this guy?

You close your eyes to his statement, which is ON FILM for all the world to see, and pretend I’m a moonbat?

What is your motive, purplepeeps?
#731968

On June 28th, 2009 at 5:08 pm, atheling said:

purplepeep the pedo defender:

BTW, Jackson also had a “friend” of his filming his antics at Neverland, who is a gay porn filmmaker – a Marc Schaffel (no doubt you’ll go on to defend that creep, too).

Here’s the article, complete with photo of Jackson and pornfilmmaker, who was also an unindicted co conspirator in the molestation trial.

Now, defend that, you perv.
#731973

On June 28th, 2009 at 5:23 pm, purplepeep said:

atheling said:
you perv.

Actually, it’s someone who is bizarrely obsessed with pedophilia 24/7 and who can only address rational comments with “you perv!!” that I’d be much more concerned about, atheling. I keep in mind something Shakespeare said about “protesting too much”.
#732023

On June 28th, 2009 at 7:01 pm, purealchemy said:

Dodging bullets here.

Would just like to say that I have devoted some time to listening to several of Michael’s old interviews, even back to 1980, and I am convinced he is a pure soul. He is a very unique and exceptionally sensitive person. He was deprived of a normal childhood. Felt more comfortable on stage than with regular people. His feelings for being on stage were perhaps spiritually inspired. He longed to be Peter Pan and threw his fortunes into creating a happy world for children. He invited children to the world he created. Wanted them to have what he never had. But made the mistake of allowing social situations that made him highly vulnerable to judgment. He didn’t know how to be socially normal.
#732028

On June 28th, 2009 at 7:08 pm, purealchemy said:

Coming from a family of 10, I spent many years sleeping with teenage boys myself. And the little ones quite often slept with the folks. Now somebody could make something of all that, but it would speak much, much more to the sad state of that person’s mind more than anything else.

Michael grew up in a tiny house in Gary with eight siblings. Pretty sure they shared beds and were on top of each other most of the time in one way or another.
Here’s a tragic story: In one of Michaels’ interviews, he revealed that in the very early days of the Jackson Five’s fame, when they’d be on the road traveling in a bus or van or housed in a trailer, his older brothers would bring back groupie girls to have sex and told him, the little brother to stay quiet while they were all squished into close quarters.
#732043

On June 28th, 2009 at 7:36 pm, purplepeep said:

purealchemy said:

“Coming from a family of 10, I spent many years sleeping with teenage boys myself. And the little ones quite often slept with the folks. Now somebody could make something of all that, but it would speak much, much more to the sad state of that person’s mind more than anything else.”

Michael grew up in a tiny house in Gary with eight siblings. Pretty sure they shared beds and were on top of each other most of the time in one way or another.

Even worse when one of ‘em is a blanket hog. Or had too many beans for dinner, lol.

But I can’t get too worked up over parents choosing to send their teens over to snooze with some washed-up pop icon. Not on my list of things to lose sleep over.

Think of how the criminal courts would be jammed with cases of all the rock stars who play around with the teenybopper groupie-girls who show up backstage if somebody wanted to make a crusade of that! But they’d all tend to be white and it’s heterosexual – it’s just not quite as salicious.
#732219

On June 29th, 2009 at 5:32 am, purealchemy said:

But I can’t get too worked up over parents choosing to send their teens over to snooze with some washed-up pop icon. Not on my list of things to lose sleep over.

Were parents still letting kids go over there after the first public allegations?
#732235

On June 29th, 2009 at 8:01 am, purplepeep said:

purealchemy said:
Were parents still letting kids go over there after the first public allegations?

Well, I don’t have much interest in celebrities in general, PAlchemy, but I do remember the parents being some of his staunchest defenders. And I’m pretty sure he wasn’t kidnapping the teens off the street!
#732426

On June 29th, 2009 at 11:20 am, purealchemy said:

There’s a story in the U.K. Daily Mail today by a childhood friend of MJ’s. The first major incident was in 1995. MJ settled out of court for $25 million even though he swore he was not guilty because he wanted to get it behind hin quickly. He also said he didn’t care what people thought. Then he when on TV in 2003 with another boy cozied up to him and made the statement that he thought is was a nice thing to share a bed. Obviously he didn’t care about the consequences.
#736455

On July 3rd, 2009 at 4:35 pm, NHMagenta said:

The question of whether or not the late Michael Jackson was or was not a pederastic[1] pedophile will likely never be accurately answered.

Something that does seem to be a fact though is that children who have unusual talent of interest to the big shots of the entertainment media all too often ARE exposed to pedophiles and ephebophiles[2] (see Shirley Temple Black’s experiences) which in turn especially for males may lead to them becoming pederasts when they are adults and have a Caddy or Benz for every day of the week.

If Mrs. Malkin *really* cares, she could use her “bully pulpit” to help out these kids, to put an end to the exploitation of kids who are gifted (or cursed) with talents adults who buy tickets and follow-on merchandise spend mega and even giga-bucks a year on.

A few names come to mind:
Judy Garland
JonBenet Ramsey
Jackie Coogan (who most here may remember as “Uncle Fester” in the ’60s TV series “The Addams Family”)

not to mention the countless highly talented adults who have been exploited unto death by both the New York City and Hollywood media cartels who only care about how many dollars these singers, comedians, star athletes, actors and actresses can make for them then toss them aside like a used Kleenex once the end games of alcohol,drug and/or sex addiction, serious mental illness, general ill-health or when the person starts missing too many shootings, games or sessions of that exploitation starts to play.

This is not a new problem; for instance see the story of who probably was the greatest Italian tenor ever and how his career ended!
No one noticed back in 1920 it seems, here it is 2009 … almost 90 years later and no one in a position to do something about the problem seems to care.
Comments welcomed here or to restring@fastmail.fm

[1] Pederast – a man who likes sex with boys who haven’t reached puberty
[2] Ephebophile – person who prefers “tweens” and teens who have reached puberty as sex partners.
#736571

On July 3rd, 2009 at 6:21 pm, yohannbiimu said:

The guy lost me when he did the crotch-grabbing, car-wrecking and screaming bit at the end of his “Black or White” video. I believe at that point he totally lost control of himself and became a hopeless freak. His inevitable fate did not surprise me in the least.