VoicesCarry said:

Defensive, are we?

I don't care if you like Michael Jackson or not. You obviously don't respect him, and thats your perogative. But you also are non-receptive to anything that doesn't fit into your preconcieved notions, and that's too bad. I'm a Michael Jackson fan, but I try to at least look at his fame (or infamy) from all angles. In general,there tends to be a lack of objectivity. It's more conveniant to point fingers than to investegate. People are too quick to give an easy answer instead of seriously asking themselves "why."

I'm done with this thread...for now...

AaronAlmighty said:

No,it may NOT be sexual, but yes, it may be ambiguous. However, since MJ has never admitted to such a thing, that arguement should be moot.

Stepping away from the case a little, ponder these questions and respond:

1.MJ claims that he suffers from the skin disorder vitiligo. There are pictures of him with uneven, sometimes blotchy skin tones. His family and friends have confirmed it (although LaToya and Jermaine took shots at his skin color in the past.) His dermatologist also confirms the condition. Do you believe he has vitiligo? Why or why not?

2.MJ is quoted as saying "It wasn't until I broke...The Beatles records, I broke Elvis' records. Then overnight they started calling me a freak, a homosexual, a child molester. They said I bleached my skin. It's all a conspiracy to turn the public against me." Do you think this opinion is valid? Is there any truth to it?

3.Do you think that the coverage of MJ's arrest, including the replayed clip of him being led away in handcuffs, is appropriate?

4.Is the overall media coverage of Michael Jackson too intense? Why or why not?

5.MJ says he's only had two types of plastic surgery (not including his several scalp surgeries after the Pepsi burn incident.) In other words, he's admitted to the nose and the chin, nothing else. Why do/don't you believe him?

6.If Walt Disney were alive today, whould his proposal for a place like Disneyland be greeted with enthusiasm, ridicule, or suspicion?

7.Do you think that MJ's current physical appearance is a reflection of his mental state? Why or why not?

8.What do you think are the defining characteristics of a Black man?

9.Do you think MJ has suffered more or less racism since his skin color changed?

10.Do you feel that its appropriate for the media to discuss MJ's finances in the same breath as his charges on child molestation?

11.MJ is often mis-quoted. Do you think that this is done purposely? Why or why not?

12.If MJ never had surgeries, but still developed vitiligo/lighter skin, would you still be critical of his looks?

13.Is a camping trip involving an adult and several children, in which all of the campers sleep in the same tent, appropriate?

14.Do you believe that MJ's interaction with kids would be more or less appropriate if he were NOT a rich man?

15.Is it fair to equate artistic quality and/or sucess with sales?

16.If MJ admitted that he reconstructed his entire face over the years, would your opinion of him change?

17.If MJ admitted that he was gay, would your opinion of him change?

18.Do you think that referring to a man out of his birth name is acceptable if that man states that he doesn not like to be called out of his birth name?

19. At the end of 2002, ABC news put out an article called "men behaving badly" in which the top 10 "bad guys" were listed. Because of his strange court appearances and baby-dangling incident, MJ was listed...along with Osama Bin Laden, a man responsible for 3000 innocent lives being taken. Are you surprised by such a comparrison? What does this say about the America psyche (if anything?)

20.If MJ is eventually cleared of any and all wrongdoings with children, would you accept his innocense? Why or why not?

21. If MJ decided to make all of his charitable contributions known to the public, and announce every time that he did something "good," would you praise him as a philanthropist or dismiss him as an attention-seeker?

I don't know about ya'll, but I don't like Jacko. I don't know where he came from, why he's here, or where he'll go in the future. He randomly hangs his children out of windows for kicks. He performs voodoo rituas on poor, defenseless animals. He's a weird, demented, dim-witted,all-around supressed freak who was a one-hit wonder in the 80's. He bleached his skin, sanded down his face, and despite being incredibly stupid has managed to rob Paul MacCartney at gunpoint, and pull off the feat of being the most in-control pedophile in history.He's the one who says "I love to sleep with little boys!" At least, it was purported that he said that. I'm sick of hearing from and about Jacko...But I am interested in hearing from Michael Jackson. He is still around, right? I hear he was arrested...or was it Jacko who was arrested?...No, Michael Jackson was arrested, and Jacko is going on trial. Weird. Well, maybe it's for the best. I for one whould like to see an end to Jacko once and for all. Hopefully, he'll finally be brought to justice. Then maybe Michael Jackson can reimmerge, and we can hear from HIM again
[This message was edited Sat Dec 27 18:45:10 PST 2003 by SefraNSue]

is MJ really ( genetically speaking) the father of his kids?

jn2 said:

Have you ever seen a Black man father such White children?

jn2 said:

Have you ever seen a Black man father such White children?

jn2 said:

Have you ever seen a Black man father such White children?

jn2 said:

Have you ever seen a Black man father such White children?

I only said that I could not believe wholeheartedly in his innocence at the moment. And that seems like a balanced take to me.
[This message was edited Sun Dec 28 12:14:53 PST 2003 by VoicesCarry]

Being accused of child molestion TWICE in a 10-year period kinda leaves a permanent mark,dontcha think?

You guys,I really think we should wait for the trial before we start saying if MJ is innocent or guilty.We do not know what evidence the prosecutors have (if any),nor do we know what information the defense has on the accuser and his family.For all we know,this case may not even make it to trial.


But I will say this.No matter what happens in this case,it's just so sad and tragic what MJ's life and career has evolved into.Even if he's innocent and ultimately acquitted,so much damage has already been done.I don't think he'll ever be the same.Being accused of child molestion TWICE in a 10-year period kinda leaves a permanent mark,dontcha think?

CalhounSq said:

Yes

After he made the interview all the reporters come out again with their interpretations like he rolled his eys during the interview, WTF? The sheriff even says he got the bruises from fans who shook his hand. And we truly should belief there ain't no beef? Yeah... right.

BlueNote

BlueNote said:

They're grasping at straws at this point. I saw the interview, and I think MJ did very well. His answers were honest and straight forward. He flatly denied the charges, and further explained his relationship with the boy, all while praising the child. Had he said or done anything questionable, trust me, everyone would be talking about it. People are always waiting for Wacko Jacko to show up, and when he doesn't, they don't know how to react. So, instead of focusing on the content of the interview they're focusing of things that have nothing to do with the situation at hand (his makeup and clothes, the way he blinked while answering a question.) Anyone who watched the interview could NOT have missed these important facts:

MJ declared his innocence and was unwavering in his views on interacting with children.
MJ reiterated TWICE that he never got into the bed WITH children.
Attourney Mark Gerragos confirmed that there was always a third party present when MJ and the accusing family were together.
The police did NOT leave a list of evidense removed.
The police searched areas (his office) that were NOT covered in the search warrant. This alone could lead to the dismissal of ANY and ALL evidence seized from Neverland.
MJ confirmed that he was injured during his arrest. This may not factor into the molestation case, but once that is done with, the Santa Barbera policd dept. WILL be slapped with a lawsuit and may even face criminal investegation.
[This message was edited Mon Dec 29 8:39:07 PST 2003 by SefraNSue]
[This message was edited Mon Dec 29 8:40:48 PST 2003 by SefraNSue]

I saw the interview, and I think MJ did very well. His answers were honest and straight forward. Anyone who watched the interview could NOT have missed these important facts:

The police did NOT leave a list of evidense removed.

The police searched areas (his office) that were NOT covered in the search warrant. This alone could lead to the dismissal of ANY and ALL evidence seized from Neverland.

MJ confirmed that he was injured during his arrest. This may not factor into the molestation case, but once that is done with, the Santa Barbera policd dept. WILL be slapped with a lawsuit and may even face criminal investegation.

CalhounSq said:

You know, very few things, in terms of Michael bashing, piss me off more than this mentality.

Take a look over to the left side of your screen, take a look, I'm barely beige - does that mean that I need to quiz my mama on who my *real* daddy is? There isn't one cookie-cutter mold for biracial people, we all look different. Hell, I looked like a chinese Don King when I was born, God forbid my parents had been famous - imagine the scrutiny from ign'ant-ass people!

The bottom line is -

Very few of you know what Michael Jackson's children actually do look like. You've seen the through veils, you've seen them with weird lighting and video editing, but how many of you have seen them in person? I'd venture to say none or very few. I can tell you, as someone who has seen them up-close (or at least the eldest two), they're visibly mixed - especially his daughter.

This is futile, though. None of you are going to change your minds if you don't want to because of something I say, but someday you're going to eat your words.