the 'outrage' over Michael Jackson's plight

[Auggie27]

Posted: 12/18/03 at 9:56pm

The idea that Michael Jackson is one of the great victims of our society -- give me a break.

Watching Mark Geragos blather on about this case as a sterling example of media manipulation -- an attny who has been a "guest expert" on Larry King 24/7, analyzing everything from Chandra Levy to somebody's lost dog -- is the depth of hypocrisy. Mark Geragos IS the media; his decision to rep Jackson is right out of NETWORK, and tonight, I feel like Peter Finch, wanting to open a window and yell.

Maybe this poor talented man without a race or gender is the biggest, most misunderstood innocent this side of a J.M. Barrie novel. But surely someone in his inner circle (Liz, over for hot cocoa and an informal meeting of Abused Child Stars Anonymous?) could've convinced him to make some changes in his lifestyle. After thrice becoming a dad (outright buying the uteri and all visitation rights of several poor white women) ... and paying multi-millions to some "false" accusor ... wasn't it time to curtail his quaint adolescent sleepovers and re-name his G-rated pediophilic lure ... "Nevermore?"

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 12/18/03 at 10:03pm

auggie, say it ain't so! we agree on something! this surely is a sign of the apocalypse, but i share your outrage, and i think there's still plenty left to go around.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 12/19/03 at 12:00am

sorry---I think he's innocent. Mentally disturbed--oh yeah. But innocent. I think he is a little boy. Is it stupid that he continued sleep overs--yes. But, I do not think he is guilty. Or, at the very least, I'd like to allow him that ridiculous ideal that he be innocent until PROVEN guilty. Just me.

[orion59]

Posted: 12/19/03 at 8:39am

I have mixed feelings about this whole situation. On the one hand, the man is sick. That's pretty obvious from much of his behaviour over the years. His relationship with children ( the sleep overs), even if he has never sexually molested them, is inappropriate. He should not be allowed any unsupervised contact with children. Although, given some of the parents of these children and their money grubbing attitudes, I doubt that supervised visits would help.

The other side of it is, regardless of how inappropriate he may have been, if he did not do what he is currently accused of, he needs to be exonerated. That's not to say he hasn't molested any children but, he is accused of specific acts with a specific child who may be a victim of Mr Jackson or may be a victim of his own parents greed.

For those who say he is innocent of these charges, I say yes he may be but, that doesn't make him innocent overall. That does not mean he has not molested any children visiting his home. It does mean that he should not be convicted in this case.

I guess when it comes down to it, I belive he has touched children in a criminal way and should be punishe for that but, in this particular case, I think the accusations are untrue. No matter what happens, I would love to see a court order him to undergo long term psychiatric treatment. It seems long overdue. He appears to be a very disturbed person who needs to work on some pretty difficult issues from his past.

As to the statement about Liz maybe advising him. I really got a laugh out that one. It made my morning. This once absolutely beautiful woman, wonderful actress and effective activist has, herself, become almost as much a feak as Jackson. She's like a SNL skit character. The peopel in Jackson's inner circle are probably teh ones most responsible for him being in this situation. His family that lives off of him, his employess that make their living from him, his agent's who get their cut, I'm sure they have placated him and told him taht his behaviour is normal.

His lawyer is no beeter than any of these people. he seems to be using this case to gain media attention and make a name for himself a la Johnny Cochran.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 12/19/03 at 9:16am

Loved your post, Orion. I was struck yesterday by how the media news had shifted from Saddam ... to Malvo and Jackson. The Jackson case has as much "moral weight" in the national consciousness as this deadly sniper. Or a world-class tyrant found in a spider hole. If anything, we're MORE focussed. That's the "Network" part (everyone should rent that movie and watch it again! Paddy Chayevsky's script was so prescient!) Jackson's innocence or guilt is secondary to the photo-opps, sound bytes, incremental Geragos/Santa Barbara PD spin, Germane tearing up appearances on Larry King. Yes I know it's news, but the "legs" of any story now become longer than the story itself.

What ticked me off, I must say again: Geragos grabbing the mic and shoving his puss in front of the camara to indict the media is the pot calling the kettle in a big way. Geragos, like Johnnie Cochran, is a media celeb of high(or low) order. A paid consultant on CNN in the past, who atthe drop of a coin works the other side of the table to rep Peterson and Jackson. We've reached a point, post OJ, where the attorneys are "stars" too, so we await their spin, handed out in small doses, as if it was hard news. As THEY were the newsmakers. Guess they are.

As for Liz, I find it fascinating to see her stunningly made perfume commercial now running, where she watches her younger self, and sweet young lovers watching her, in "Place In the Sun." It's become the ultimate kind of packaging. Liz herself isn't sufficient to push our nostalgia button. Now we have to feel nostalgic watching Liz watch Liz!

Oh, what a world, what a world, says the melting Margaret Hamilton (but not Idina Menzel.)

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/19/03 at 12:29pm

As if I didn't love you before Auggie, your use of the word "uteri" sealed the deal.

[orion59]

Posted: 12/19/03 at 7:02pm

Speaking of Jacko, am I the only person who gets creepy thoughts running through his head when they play the trailer for the new Peter Pan movie on tv? There's just something about the trailer opening with that soft, childish voice that saying to the children "Come with me to Neverland"

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 12/19/03 at 8:15pm

I am totally oblivious to all this National Inquirer nonsense. I could care less.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/21/03 at 1:19am

And so you urge to post that is so that you can ... what exactly?

[alterego]

Posted: 12/21/03 at 6:37am

I feel sorry for his children. I maybe wrong, but he is black, right? The (known) mother of the first two was white. The children appear (very) white. More so than I would expect from an inter racial marriage. So is he bleaching their skin too? The little girl has blonde hair with very dark roots. Hmm something is not quite right here.

[iflitifloat]

Posted: 12/21/03 at 7:34am

"Hmm something is not quite right here."

There's pretty much nothing about the entire situation that is right. He needs to be kept away from children. Other people's and his own.

[orion59]

Posted: 12/21/03 at 4:59pm

I didn't get this info from the National Inquierer. i never read it. Everything I heard is straight out of Weekly World News, the only paper that dares to tell the truth.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/21/03 at 5:40pm

I'm pretty sure Roxy writes for that paper, Orion. Under the name "Ed Anger."

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 12/21/03 at 5:55pm

no, no, namo, that's me.

[orion59]

Posted: 12/21/03 at 5:58pm

LOL. I love Ed Anger. There have been a few people here whose posts remind me of Ed's columns.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/22/03 at 1:12am

Same here Orion, and no Papa, you are FAR from Ed.

[Al Dente]

Posted: 12/22/03 at 3:03pm

Let's be clear, this is a man that sits on national T.V. and vehemently denies ever having had more plastic surgery than a nose job! people, he's a pathological liar. Maybe he thinks he truly did nothing inappropriate the way he thinks he's only had ONE nose job! However, in his defense, I will say this, BLAME THE PARENTS! Would any of you with children (I have nieces and nephews and I adore them), EVER let your kids sleep in some grown mans bed? Celebrity or not?

[robbiej]

Posted: 12/22/03 at 3:25pm

Let us remember that people are not innocent until proven guilty...they are PRESUMED innocent until proven guilty.

Big difference.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/22/03 at 9:22pm

THANK you, Robbie! That malapropism is tossed around even more frequently than "I could care less."

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 12/23/03 at 12:35am

Oh jeez guys--f*** me over with semantics. You knew what I meant.

[RobbO]

Posted: 12/23/03 at 12:39am

wait, wait...i'm getting a mental picture of just that jrb!

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 12/23/03 at 2:02am

heheheheh--I guess it COULD be fun. =)