Michael Jackson..RIP

[stooka]

MJ (at 12 yrs old) was one of the best singers/performers that ever was.

 

R.I.P.

[Guest Jules]

Fuck him and his roaming fingers.

[Dude]

You must be talking about the dancing/moonwalk, because to my ears, he was merely lip-synching to the album cut.

 

He may well have been, but the dancing is incredible, and not just the mooonwalk. Astaire called him the "greatest dancer of the century", and it's hard not to see where he was coming from.

[bobbob1313]

IHe was so unbelievably talented, and I was waiting for the 'comeback' that would blow people away but it never came.

 

So sad and so unexpected. Listening to those Jackson 5 songs, his voice stands out so much, it's really incredible.

 

don't think I believe the child molestation accusations, or what it's worth.

[Guest Jules]

don't think I believe the child molestation accusations, or what it's worth.

Please. He paid millions.

[marino13]

And people forget how truly loved he was all over the WORLD... in fact he's loved in many countries WAY more than he ever was in America.

 

when people claim that music or musicians can't change or have an impact on the world, i'd like to think you could point to MJ's musical career (before any of the weird shit) and claim otherwise

 

I totally agree with this, and it scares me a little. How many pedophiles are celebrated in death? That being said, it will be interesting to see how things unfold over the next few days. Will he get the Lennon treatment, or the Anna Nicole Smith treatment?

[mjpuczko]

Please. He paid millions.

 

and if the families making the accusations were sincere about all of it, money should make no difference. just saying. i'm not saying he didn't do it but money shouldn't come in the way of putting someone away for doing that to your kid.

[twigboyjoe]

IHe was so unbelievably talented, and I was waiting for the 'comeback' that would blow people away but it never came.

 

So sad and so unexpected. Listening to those Jackson 5 songs, his voice stands out so much, it's really incredible.

 

don't think I believe the child molestation accusations, or what it's worth.

 

It's a minefield, I'm not eloquent enough to tackle it. Think ponch 1028 put it sympathetically and succinctly.

 

Personally, it's just good to reminisce somewhat, and to have another look at this...

 

[bobbob1313]

Please. He paid millions.

 

he was also acquitted when another charge went to court and the father Of the original accuser was recorded as saying he was looking to take him down and get his that he didn't care what would happen.

 

He was probably too trusting of people, and he probably behaved in a way that most of us would find innapropriate, but I don't think it was sexual in nature because I believe he was innocent, and not necessarily in the legal sense. I think he was too close and friendly for an adult/child relationship, but there are so many children who have denied it that I tend to side with them. Ithink the evidence points overwhelmingly to a couple of families looking to take advantage of the situation, without regard necessarily for the psychological well being of their own children. One of them succeeded, the other didn't.

[Synthesizer Patel]

He may well have been, but the dancing is incredible, and not just the mooonwalk. Astaire called him the "greatest dancer of the century", and it's hard not to see where he was coming from.

 

that's why fred astaire was a dancer, rather than a dance critic.

[Sir Stewart]

And the man (at the time) had millions upon millions of dollars, and he may have been odd enough that he didn't care what people would think about it - so paying the settlements was just easier.

Not saying he didn't do it, but like Chappelle says in that clip, only God, Michael and the kids know for sure. I'm seeing people being awfully cavalier about his guilt, here and elsewhere.

[Synthesizer Patel]

and if the families making the accusations were sincere about all of it, money should make no difference. just saying. i'm not saying he didn't do it but money shouldn't come in the way of putting someone away for doing that to your kid.

 

but the idea of allowing your kid to hang around with ANY famous person, unless you're actually friends with them is weird. the idea of a few of those weirdos then wanting to make money from it, then doesn't appear so odd.

[bobbob1313]

And the man (at the time) had millions upon millions of dollars, and he may have been odd enough that he didn't care what people would think about it - so paying the settlements was just easier.

Not saying he didn't do it, but like Chappelle says in that clip, only God, Michael and the kids know for sure. I'm seeing people being awfully cavalier about his guilt, here and elsewhere.

He was so widely held to be guilty in so many people's minds that if you don't come out and sy 'burn in hell, freak' you look like you are defending a pedophile.

[Dude]

Roman Polanski engaged in a pretty disgusting behavior with a 13-year-old girl and ran to France before serving his time. Yet he also makes amazingly moving films like The Pianist. It's hard for me to reconcile one with the other, but what he did personally doesn't really hold back my appreciation of his talents as an artist.

[marino13]

And the man (at the time) had millions upon millions of dollars, and he may have been odd enough that he didn't care what people would think about it - so paying the settlements was just easier.

Not saying he didn't do it, but like Chappelle says in that clip, only God, Michael and the kids know for sure. I'm seeing people being awfully cavalier about his guilt, here and elsewhere.

 

With their being little kids involved, I'd say "people are being awfully cavalier" about his INNOCENCE. This is a grown man that consistently had little boys sleep over at his house in the same bed with him. The boys' only line of defense against this predator was their parents, and those parents were as naive as some on this board.

[isadorah]

i have mixed feelings about MJ. for me, he died after the Bad album and some other guy assumed his identity. thriller was the first vinyl i ever owned (ok technically it was my sister's album and i got culture club, but i now have both and can revise history). i have fond memories of parties in which friends moved the furniture out of the way and did the graveyard dance.

 

we will never know if he was guilty or not guilty. yes, he likely had a messed up childhood and clearly had image-issues as an adult. based on interviews he did with the media (that one sit down he did where he discussed the neverland slumber parties stands out for me), he also had a very different point of view from what one would call cultural norms. a lot of things aren't as they seem or could be skewed or mistook when taken out of context. with that said though, i always get frustrated, even angry, when a person's childhood or past is used as a way to excuse their behavior. he had a messed up life, he hated himself, but he also had self-will. he had a choice to solve his problems with plastic surgeries and disfigurement, to escape to a fantasy world where boys never grow up OR he could face his demons and own them, resolve them, and broken any cycle that needed to be broken. an abuse victim does not get excused from abusing. even if he had severe mental problems, physical mental problems, he was built that way types of problems, he still had free-will and choice to address those problems and overcome them.

 

i have seen and experienced all degrees of messed up lives. i find it interesting that there are quite a few people in this world that have had shitty childhoods or have debilitating mental illnesses, faced those things, and become the better for it, yet those that don't better themselves are excused. i have also had plenty of experience with the opposite, people that never address their problems and ruin their lives and the lives of many people around them. saying someone has problems and its ok to be messed up is just another way of making excuses for bad behavior.

 

with all of that said, i think MJs life is sad and hope through death he finds the peace he could not find in life. he was after all, as someone i know put it best, a human being.

[bobbob1313]

With their being little kids involved, I'd say "people are being awfully cavalier" about his INNOCENCE. This is a grown man that consistently had little boys sleep over at his house in the same bed with him. The boys' only line of defense against this predator was their parents, and those parents were as naive as some on this board.

 

he pretty consistently said that they didn't share beds. He said it wouldn't have made a difference if they did, but as far as I know he always said they never shared a bed.

 

I think with how honest he was about some stuff that most people would consider pretty fucked up as is, not sure he'd lie about that detail.

[Sir Stewart]

With their being little kids involved, I'd say "people are being awfully cavalier" about his INNOCENCE. This is a grown man that consistently had little boys sleep over at his house in the same bed with him. The boys' only line of defense against this predator was their parents, and those parents were as naive as some on this board.

 

Admitting to being unsure about something is not being cavalier, buddy.

[Good Old Neon]

For me – Jackson’s death hasn’t really elicited strong feelings.

 

With the exception of his work with the Jackson 5, I was never a fan of his music. The Thriller video was fun to watch, once, but then grew tedious. His music, along with the endlessly recycled dance moves quickly grew stale. His metamorphosis from vapid entertainer to one-man-three-ring-freak-show was interesting for a little while, but that too quickly grew tiresome.

 

As for the pedophilia, I don’t know what to think. As bobbob pointed out, the families involved were every bit as creepy as the charges – they seemed a little too interested in the monetary aspects of the alleged abuse. But then Michael admitted to co-sleeping with other folk’s children, so there’s that. Either way, the entire situation strikes me as absurd.

[PopTodd]

I changed my name, as a tribute.

[Guest Jules]

But then Michael admitted to co-sleeping with other folk’s children, so there’s that.

Yeah. This is enough for me to not give a shit.

[bobbob1313]

For me – Jackson’s death hasn’t really elicited strong feelings.

 

With the exception of his work with the Jackson 5, I was never a fan of his music. The Thriller video was fun to watch, once, but then grew tedious. His music, along with the endlessly recycled dance moves quickly grew stale. His metamorphosis from vapid entertainer to one-man-three-ring-freak-show was interesting for a little while, but that too quickly grew tiresome.

 

As for the pedophilia, I don’t know what to think. As bobbob pointed out, the families involved were every bit as creepy as the charges – they seemed a little too interested in the monetary aspects of the alleged abuse. But then Michael admitted to co-sleeping with other folk’s children, so there’s that. Either way, the entire situation strikes me as absurd.

 

oh come on, you know when you hear 'billie jean' in a commercial you start dancing.

 

Yeah. This is enough for me to not give a shit.

 

I hope you never serve on a jury.

[solace]

and if the families making the accusations were sincere about all of it, money should make no difference. just saying. i'm not saying he didn't do it but money shouldn't come in the way of putting someone away for doing that to your kid.

 

exactly.

 

if the parents truly believed he did it, but hushed up just because of $$ then they are just as much at fault for letting their kids spend time alone with Michael. i mean the '93 accusation? fine... we didn't know how much of a weirdo he was quite at that point... but the 10 years in between that and the 2nd lawsuit? come the fuck on... that's just parental negligence then

[Analogman]

Speaking of money -

 

AEG Facing $85 Million Refund For Michael Jackson Shows

[Spawn's dad]

It's a fairly questionable parenting decision to allow your child to spend large blocks of time with a non related adult outside of some sanctioned function. Even those need to be monitored.

 

However, given what allegedly took place I can imagine that it's a fairly easy rationalization that your child and family would be better off taking the huge financial pay out and not further

dragging your child and family into what would be an enormous media circus/trial. I'd like to think most people would seek justice, but money makes people do weird things, and 22

million is a lot of money.