lilgish said:

I do. I do not buy music of people that I find out did something horrible to a child. If he gets found guilty, I will never buy another MJ record. I used to love the rapper Mystikal. He's in jail for rape. I haven't listened to his music since.

I don't hate Michael Jackson. I think he has made one great album ("Thriller") and a number of other great singles.

I also think that he lost touch with reality a long time ago. People can blame the press all they want, but the reality is that only one person is responsible for Michael's current situation: Michael Jackson.

On some level I do have sympathy for Michael, because I believe he is suffering a great deal. But generally I think the media coverage has been mostly fair except for the more tabloid type publications.

I don't think there is widespread hatred for Michael. Derision? yes. Confusion? yes.

This is way off-topic, but I don't want to start a new thread.

May I ask a question: do you all think that both Janet and Michael surround themselves with "yes-men"? More and more, I'm starting to think that Michael and even Janet just DON'T want to be told anything constructive. It's not really a matter of having a strong "vision," it's more like they are so insecure that they are threatened by criticism and want to avoid it. Going back to Prince again, he just seems like he is confident. Prince seems like that yeah maybe his friends give him some advice, and he might listen if feels like it could be good and/or genuine. Prince just doesn't seem afraid, plus has the desire to grow artistically.

But Michael, and lately Janet appear to just AVOID the negative coz they don't want to hear it. And maybe lack the confidence to "grow as artists." Maybe that's why Janet's presentation of herself hasn't changed recently. What is your opinion on that?? I'm just curious.

I started to hate Mike when he started to transform himself to a white woman...
It was during the Bad era...

Isel said:

I've heard this opinion/question a few times and have wondered myself.

dreamfactory313 said:

People didn't hate him when he was black, but a lot of people was making a lot of joke because his voice was abnormally high...

But after Thriller people started to hate him, because most of them were pissed of Thriller success... the same way people started to be pissed of Prince after Purple Rain...

People were pissed with Prince because he changed his musical style. People were pissed with Michael because he changed his looks.

krayzie said:

So how many people hated Shania Twain after Come On Over?

Or how about Kylie after Fever?

Or how about Mariah after Music Box or Butterfly?

Or how about 2pac after All Eyez On Me?

Or how about Jay-Z after The Blueprint Vol 1 or The Black Album?

TonyVanDam said:

Those albums combined aren't close to the level of Thriller

Stymie said:

Then you didn't really love Mystikal then. Loving art is solely based on the experience you get from the work. The self-promoting of an artist as a moral figure is marketing, PR bullshit used to increase profit and make someone buy something they really didn’t want to buy in the first place. The majority of music buyers are not music lovers, their consumers; they buy what mass media tells them to buy. The priciniples of consumer capitalism exceed those of art, especially in America. Roman Polanski doesn’t have to rely on big box office for acclaim. The MJ backlash is worse because consumers feel like they have been betrayed and wasted their money on a product that was tainted. Unfortunately, Mike was set up as the king of commerciality.


Honestly, you should stop listening to music all together; it's a certainty that some great artist will likely be a deviant, amoral, or a plain ass hole. That’s Show Business, but why let it dictate your reaction to the work?
[Edited 6/10/05 16:46pm]

when he got his arse kicked by u2 in the 88 grammys people started dissin him

krayzie said:

Same here.

Anyone who hates on MJ right now is obviously sick in the head and i would have absolutely no wish to converse with them. Im also utterly disgusted that a Prince fan would spout filth from their mouths regarding michael, which i have witnessed on this site. Do these individuals have any morals/standards, do they not understand that no human being deserves to be treated in this way for no justifiable reason (and dont give me the "he's wacko" argument). Fair enough, you dont like the guy, but to launch vicious attacks on him and strip him of his dignity is just plain evil. This is especially disgusting, since MJ has contributed more to this world, its culture, its art, its history than everyone on this board combined. He deserves to be treated with the same respect he treats others.

Did anyone hear the story about him stopping his car the other day, and he bought 2 soda's from girls at the side of the road for $0.25 and he then gave them $100 each. A man who does that whilst being attacked by the whole world is to be commended imo.

How any Prince fan can behave like this is unbelievable, obviously u have learned nothing from his music.

hellomoto said:

People were pissed with Prince because he changed his musical style. BLACK People were pissed with Michael because he changed his looks

krayzie said:

I started to hate Mike when he started to transform himself to a white woman...
It was during the Bad era...


Same here.

I think that when someone or something is extremely popular, there is a certain type of person that finds enormous pleasure in seeing that popularity die. They come off more clever and edgy when they can piss on someone else's accomplishments. Sorta like these album critics that we read in Rolling Stone. They think they are so clever after they write a scathing review of a record that many people may like. Its the same sorta thing with MJ, I think.

I remember being about 5 years old (1984), when Thriller had sold over 40 million copies. People were calling him a fag and making all sorts of horrible jokes about his voice, his hair on fire, and etc. People got a tremendous amount of pleasure by demeaning him as much as possible even though he was the most popular thing going.

I think this situation compounds itself when this superstar is a black man. We have to accept that many people never felt comfortable with a black man being the subject of the world's affections. Does anyone disagree with this statement? It seems as though when MJ started to break records held by the Beattles and Elvis, thats when the hate started.

They weren't playing Come On Over in the hood though, it might have had mad sales but Thriller was everywhere, look who I'm telling, you know this man.....

The whole premise of this thread is If you're a music fan you like and/or respect Michael's work, all the haters are not music people.....
[Edited 6/10/05 21:32pm]

That's America from you. The media in America loves to put celebrity on a pedestol and then rip them to shreds when they make a mistake. Look at Mariah Carey for example. It's just sad. America society is so competive and fickle. Melting pot. That's a bunch of bs when a black man can't even be the most powerful man in America without getting crap put on him. I have never seen someone been shitted on as much as him.