I just downloaded it. But I don't know if my heart can take it.

i might not read it. that cover looks scary

missfee said:

Oh hell no. Not even remotely interested in this. And Tavis BETTER NOT pull this shit with Prince either. [Edited 6/29/16 18:10pm]

Why wouldn't you read it?

XxAxX said:

i might not read it. that cover looks scary

That does seem like a strange photo choice for his book... I would be more interested in reading about his earlier life.

morningsong said:

Definitely not interested!!!

missfee said:

morningsong said:

Why wouldn't you read it?

What does Tavis Smiley possibly know about MJ's last days besides speculation? Last I checked, he wasn't there. So no book he authors or co-authors about someone else is not worth a read from me.

Maybe. But do you think he'll be respectful? It's not like books will not be written if he didn't do it. So is it him specifically or just the general idea of any book written about Michael or just those last days?

nope

morningsong said:

missfee said:

morningsong said: What does Tavis Smiley possibly know about MJ's last days besides speculation? Last I checked, he wasn't there. So no book he authors or co-authors about someone else is not worth a read from me.

Maybe. But do you think he'll be respectful? It's not like books will not be written if he didn't do it. So is it him specifically or just the general idea of any book written about Michael or just those last days?

IMO, he shouldn't be writing books about another's life, period. Whether if it's MJ, Prince or Whitney Houston. He's capitalizing off the death of MJ by even slapping his name on the book. With that said, I think he's being disrespectful by doing this. Of course others will write books, have and will continue to do so based off of pure speculation but I don't support it and ignore it. It's the similar idea of Angela Bassett directing a made for TV biopic on Lifetime about Whitney Houston's life. I like Angela Bassett but felt that this was in extremely poor taste on her part to be involved with a project that was based on speculation about Whitney's life. But back on topic, I don't hold Tavis Smiley in high regards anyway and not all that surprised by this, distasteful, move.

That´s two names I´d usually trust (Smiley and Ritz) because they have come up with some excellent work so far but in this case, I am doubtful since neither of them really spent a significant amount of time with MJ before he passed. But maybe they can prove me wrong.

missfee said:

morningsong said:

Maybe. But do you think he'll be respectful? It's not like books will not be written if he didn't do it. So is it him specifically or just the general idea of any book written about Michael or just those last days?

IMO, he shouldn't be writing books about another's life, period. Whether if it's MJ, Prince or Whitney Houston. He's capitalizing off the death of MJ by even slapping his name on the book. With that said, I think he's being disrespectful by doing this. Of course others will write books, have and will continue to do so based off of pure speculation but I don't support it and ignore it. It's the similar idea of Angela Bassett directing a made for TV biopic on Lifetime about Whitney Houston's life. I like Angela Bassett but felt that this was in extremely poor taste on her part to be involved with a project that was based on speculation about Whitney's life. But back on topic, I don't hold Tavis Smiley in high regards anyway and not all that surprised by this, distasteful, move.

I can respect how you feel. Normally I wouldn't have given it a second thought but a couple of items that Travis expressed in a radio interview on YT gave, at least to me, such a deeper insight into the things that MJ was going through it made me curious, and seems to create a cautionary tale for others who will reach this type of fame. Personally, I feel that if such things are going to be done it's best done by the people who at least had some respect for them, and can proved truth and insight even if it is more speculatory than desired.

KoolEaze said:

That´s two names I´d usually trust (Smiley and Ritz) because they have come up with some excellent work so far but in this case, I am doubtful since neither of them really spent a significant amount of time with MJ before he passed. But maybe they can prove me wrong.

That's more what I need to know. It feels strange but I prefer a place coming from at least some admiration as opposed to someone who has no connection whatsoever. To me this is also part of what goes down in history.

I'm quite interested to read it. It covers the last 16 days of MJ's life. I mean, we know the stories before all that - mostly. I wanna hear about the rehearsals, the sleeping (or lack thereof), etc.

I'm a little bit confused....I have watched Tavis for well over 20yrs...From BET to PBS to CSPAN and every other network in between...He LOVES to talk about Music Giants especially Prince & The Godmother of Soul, but it's rare for him to mention Michael...I mean, he covered Michael's Court Drama but not on the level that said "Oh this is my Dawg, I'm gonna report the truth"....So WHY is he writing ANYTHING about The King of Pop....If this was Prince or Patti LaBelle, then yes, but Mike?.....I like Tavis, he's real but I'm confused about this Michael Jackson book...(and we all know David Ritz is a well known writer/editor)....

Chancellor said:

I'm a little bit confused....I have watched Tavis for well over 20yrs...From BET to PBS to CSPAN and every other network in between...He LOVES to talk about Music Giants especially Prince & The Godmother of Soul, but it's rare for him to mention Michael...I mean, he covered Michael's Court Drama but not on the level that said "Oh this is my Dawg, I'm gonna report the truth"....So WHY is he writing ANYTHING about The King of Pop....If this was Prince or Patti LaBelle, then yes, but Mike?.....I like Tavis, he's real but I'm confused about this Michael Jackson book...(and we all know David Ritz is a well known writer/editor)....

My point exactly.

TrivialPursuit said:

I'm quite interested to read it. It covers the last 16 days of MJ's life. I mean, we know the stories before all that - mostly. I wanna hear about the rehearsals, the sleeping (or lack thereof), etc.

16 weeks

morningsong said:

TrivialPursuit said:

I'm quite interested to read it. It covers the last 16 days of MJ's life. I mean, we know the stories before all that - mostly. I wanna hear about the rehearsals, the sleeping (or lack thereof), etc.

16 weeks

17 days?

TrivialPursuit said:

morningsong said:

16 weeks

17 days?

Cute.

But it's supposed to the last 16 weeks of MJ life the books about. Just the lawsuits he was getting hit with are crazy. People sometimes aren't nice.

morningsong said:

TrivialPursuit said:

17 days?

Cute.

But it's supposed to the last 16 weeks of MJ life the books about. Just the lawsuits he was getting hit with are crazy. People sometimes aren't nice.

Yeah, I know. I'm still quite interested to read it. I don't know why folks are miffed about Smiley writing it. It's a free world - do the work, and put it out there. The public will decide if it's good enough or not.

Nooooooope I woudn't waste my money on this shit, I read and seen the interviews he has done for this IMO he is just another opportunists who has now 2 icons he can cash in now, and say whatever he likes.

[Edited 7/1/16 19:22pm]

David Ritz, though. Thats the man behind "Divided Souls" and other many great biographies. But I am a little weary about MJ's books. He became more & more mythologized in his so many so-called biographies. Like Prince, nobody really knew the guy, they only knew what he showed to them, which added more to the mystery. And anyway, seem like a morbid read considering the time frame that they're focusing on.

Hamad said:

David Ritz, though. Thats the man behind "Divided Souls" and other many great biographies. But I am a little weary about MJ's books. He became more & more mythologized in his so many so-called biographies. Like Prince, nobody really knew the guy, they only knew what he showed to them, which added more to the mystery. And anyway, seem like a morbid read considering the time frame that they're focusing on.

That's the major reason why I have no desire to read it.

Hamad said:

David Ritz, though. Thats the man behind "Divided Souls" and other many great biographies. But I am a little weary about MJ's books. He became more & more mythologized in his so many so-called biographies. Like Prince, nobody really knew the guy, they only knew what he showed to them, which added more to the mystery. And anyway, seem like a morbid read considering the time frame that they're focusing on.

Also how could he possibly know what MJ was thinking......can he read minds?, its a fictional account on a tragedy....and its utter bullshit. In a couple of years will he do the same thing to Prince someone he knew?

Goddess4Real said:

Hamad said:

David Ritz, though. Thats the man behind "Divided Souls" and other many great biographies. But I am a little weary about MJ's books. He became more & more mythologized in his so many so-called biographies. Like Prince, nobody really knew the guy, they only knew what he showed to them, which added more to the mystery. And anyway, seem like a morbid read considering the time frame that they're focusing on.

Also how could he possibly know what MJ was thinking......can he read minds?, its a fictional account on a tragedy....and its utter bullshit. In a couple of years will he do the same thing to Prince someone he knew?

Anything is possible. With those self-serving folks, nothing is remote.

Hamad said:

Goddess4Real said:

Also how could he possibly know what MJ was thinking......can he read minds?, its a fictional account on a tragedy....and its utter bullshit. In a couple of years will he do the same thing to Prince someone he knew?

Anything is possible. With those self-serving folks, nothing is remote.

I say in the next 18 months or so we are gonna be seeing alot of tell-all books about Prince by all sorts of people we thought were his friends etc with the inside know......but most of them will be just cashing in on his death, just like what happened to MJ

Goddess4Real said: