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Post by Moriji on Jun 25, 2009 14:32:42 GMT -8
I for one will not shed a tear. But I see many others are already. I just don't get why people equate the music they love with the person. They are not one and the same. Michael Jackson may be the "King of Pop" in the music business, but in person, he was a pedophile and a terrible parent to his children. What grown man would invite kids over to his bed to sleep with him? And what parent in his right mind would force his kids to wear masks in public? I don't understand how people can overlook this and think he is some kind of hero. It just shows how deeply ingrained denial is.
We have a lot of work to do, peeps...
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Post by portlander on Jun 25, 2009 20:36:54 GMT -8
I think it's because American Pop Culture is, as a whole, very "Borderline" if I may use that word. You're either a God or the Devil, no in between. Pop Culture discourages any sort of critical thinking that doesn't fit easily into sound bites or commercials.
I won't shed a tear either. I was never actually a "fan" but I did once respect his talent as a performer. But THAT Michael Jackson has been dead for perhaps 20 years or more, so as far as I'm concerned what happened today was merely a footnote.
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Post by Moriji on Jun 25, 2009 22:15:39 GMT -8
Yes, yes, yes! You hit the nail on the head. American culture is too either-or. Why not both-and?
Personally, I like his work with the Jackson 5. His solo stuff I was never wild about, but I did like some songs like Beat It or Billie Jean. And of course, I liked the Thriller video.
But having said that, how can anyone ignore the hideous stuff he's done in the last decade or two? The stuff he did in private life? All the really weird stuff? Even if you put the allegations of abuse to the side, he still engaged in unhealthy, dysfunctional behavior! I mean, the guy built his own amusement park for crying out loud! How can you not think something is seriously wrong with him?
And why didn't anyone push him towards seeking professional help? What kind of friends were these, who just sheltered him and looked the other way when it came to how he treated children and himself? Just look at his face! Ugh...
By the way, my therapist used to tell me that BPD is very common in America, so much so that it may be that the majority of people have it to some degree. How's that food for thought? And what does that say about the way Americans raise their kids?
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Post by simone on Aug 21, 2010 3:27:05 GMT -8
At the time of his death, I was a member of a Pan African forum. The grieving for this man astounded me, and I wrote my peace about him being a pedophile, and therefore not having much remorse. Well, they tried to crucify me, saying that Michael was none of what the media accused him of, that it was the "white system" trying to demonize him. What makes me so damn angry, is that sexual abuse runs in every race, culture and religion, but in Afro-american communities, its taboo to discuss it, and films like Precious are criticized as reaffirming stereotypes, rather than bringing important subjects to the surface. Even though Michael was never convicted, his behaviour and the evidence is strong enough to suggest that his intentions were inappropriate and disturbing. Between him and the Catholic church, I'm not sure why our society has such a need to protect icons of injustice and abuse. But that's just my opinion.
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Post by alison0084 on Dec 16, 2011 10:05:32 GMT -8
I was shocked at the reaction to his death. All of a sudden everyone is talking about this monster like he's a saint. As a teenager (and still really) I was physically repulsed by any picture of Michael Jackson. I hated him intensely and didn't know why. Maybe it's easier for people who haven't experienced sexual abuse, overt and covert, to look past his actions. I for one celebrate his death. I think it's sick that the doctor that supposedly killed him with negligence is doing jail time, while he didn't do any.
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