Opinion | Before you cancel Michael Jackson, listen to his music one last time

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Opinion: Before you cancel Michael Jackson, we should listen to what he was telling us in plain sight. And we need to ask ourselves why we might value beautiful fictions more than ugly truths.

Michael Jackson waves to supporters as he arrives for his child molestation trial at the Santa Barbara County Superior Court in Santa Maria, Calif., on March 2, 2005.

Jackson’s obsession with children, childhood and childish pursuits was one of the dominant elements of his stardom and his artistic work in a way that was obvious even while he was still alive, even if those interests have acquired a very different sheen in the aftermath of the 1994 civil settlement he reached with the family of Jordan Chandler, whom he allegedly abused, and Jackson’s 2004 child molestation trial, at which he was acquitted.

The essence of Jackson’s music wasn’t in any one song or set of songs but in that synthesis between the saccharine and the caustic. His ability to release “Scream” and “Childhood” as the A and B sides of a 1995 single, to toggle between declaring that “/the whole system sucks” and singing “Have you seen my childhood?” without inducing national whiplash was his talent.

Jackson’s seduction of the public was an insurance policy, and judging by how tenaciously some of his supporters defend him in death, and even when faced with evidence like “Leaving Neverland,” it was an effective one. And that’s why it’s important to listen to Jackson’s music one more time, even if it’s a repulsive experience rather than a joyful one.

 

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God is not male or female; God is not black or white; Therefore God is Michael Jackson

Lawrence 'We' my ass.

Lawrence WAPO is defending defrauding the public ... anything to provide cover for Bozo Bezos insane smart phone sex. Everyone who could see and read - knew years ago, the truth about Jackson ...but the coverup continued to keep the money flowing.

MJ communicated a message of energy, movement, vibrancy,originality, creativity, healing and above all peace and tranquillity through his music. That's how we prefer to remember him. He's not around anymore to state his side of things, incidently. RIP Michael.

Lawrence What about slave masters who raped and abused their slaves. We still worship them. I don’t believe that nonsense bc MJ is dead unable to defend himself further more those kids stated that he didn’t molest them while Michael was a life. All of a sudden they remembered vividly.

Like Trump

Lawrence It is just wild how folk come out and saying this and that, I know it's no time limited when people let that pain out but Mike is dead. I know people need closure I understand that. A dead man that's no longer breathing I'm not trying 2 take from folk but the man gone

I believe Michael trusted the wrong people, again and again. Many were grifters who targeted Michael for his money.

It's just sad all the way around. Michael Jackson is the living embodiment of the circle of child abuse.

Lawrence People leave Mike alone, he's dead and gone. It's as bad as Trump going after Ms Clinton, its servers no purpose but to cause strife and distractions.

Set up. Slandered. Murdered. Loved the earth Loved its people Gained attention for children of war and POVERTY War pigs dont like that

He was killed

Why can't these accusers take a lie detector test?

I cancelled MJ the 1st time I heard the bad apple song

Michael had trialsS & was proven not guilty. Also, Wade was grown when he still wanted to work with MJ & was upset that he wouldn't be working with Michael. It's one thing to not have the courage to speak up about sexual violence, but he was fighting to continue being around MJ.

Lawrence Why is it not relevant that he was cleared in court with testimonies from one of the participants in this documentary, a participant that has a very active story of both supporting and suing the Jackson estate?

Lawrence Bias documantary didn't even reach out to his estate sounds like a cash grab to me. You can take any song and make it sound dubious with the right context.

You are 'wiretapping' me! Block me unless I PAY for YOUR SUBSCRIPTION? Nice tRUMP move folks. I am 70 and can't afford my local paper!!!

I think Man in the Mirror tells a lot but there's still no proof of molestation.

Michael Jackson was a child molester.

Opinion....operative word. I listened to his music just today and it sounds just as good and usual as ever. See all of us aren't led by social media and one sided bullshit stories from flip flop scam artists. I'm down with Michael!

Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis were pedophiles. Why do radio stations still play their music?

Lawrence Insightful article. Thanks.

Lawrence Oh for Pete's sake, look at him! He was one really sick puppy!!

I never liked MJ.

Is anyone surprised? REALLY?! Maybe Michael Jackson is the abuser all Democrat abusers aspire to be. He got away with it publicly.

Read this for some balance:

Who is 'we'?

The King of Pedopliles.

Lawrence You kno, we’ve all been signing lose lyrics and sharing through generations In Spite of the other side of the Jackson..save the legacy

Lawrence Then let’s print the lyrics and the compositions...let them speak!

If people did not, WaPo would be stormed & destroyed as a race baiting propaganda pusher, but there is always....The Beautiful Fiction now isn't there.

Lawrence Hilarious! This pedophile was covered for by media and Hollywood simply bc he was an entertainer and spoke like he had 'good intentions'. That's all you need for the media to cover you... of course, he was a leftist as well, but that goes without saying.

He built a playground, called in Neverland and invited young children to 'sleepovers'. How are any of these revelations a surprise?

lies

Lawrence 'I like to fuck kids' - Michael Jackson That's what he was telling us in plain sight. - Fin

Hodor

Nothing beautiful about this guy. Never mind that he's a sleezoid. Check out the hatchet job the plastics guys managed to do on his, previously, entirely presentable countenance. And all for only two or three million bucks. Gotta love the American celebrity.

Lawrence Left DNC lives, defends and promotes Pedophilia.. they are playing “name change” game — calling them MAPS (Minor attracted persons).

Very hard to watch and equally hard to dismiss the testimonies...

So I guess the F.B.I and our legal system are incompetent it needs to be replaced with filmmakers, journalist, public opinion and SJW ...🤔GFOH

I like Jackson and his music. But a philosopher he is not. I would rather read Plato or Aristotle or even Nietzsche for my direction in life.

I did that years ago, and decided I was done with MJ. It was hard to let go of the dance videos, but I did it. I also let go of Louis C.K.'s work, which was easier now that I've practiced. This all makes space for better work by people who are not monsters.

Sorry, I’ll cancel

There were rumors about Michael Jackson for years. No grown man sleeps in the same bed with children. The parents knew. The media knew. We all knew. Money talks.

I will always admire MJ’s music. But who didn’t strongly suspect this already? That documentary was really nothing Shocking.

So moved by Wade Robson's words: 'I want to be able to speak the truth as loud as I had to speak the lie for so long'... Consequences of survivors speaking out can be dire... May we have the ear to hear and the heart to listen to those desperate to break free...

FactsMatter

I don't believe in goD but I do believe in Michael Jackson so I say onto you MICHAEL BE WITH YOU ALL

Uh, never into MJ, so not invested in this debate, but we all *knew* about this decades ago. The powers that be simply didn't want to do anything about it for the same reasons R. Kelly et al. get away with this sh$t-power and money.

Wade Robson's mom echoes the lament of every parent of a sexually abused child: 'He took my son's childhood away. He took away the man he could have been away. He was a pedophile. The word says it all. Pedophile.'

We should have been tipped off by the B side of the Thriller single: I Like Fucking Young Boys

Peadophile Jackson.. no thanks

Truth, ugly or not will set you free. Fictions, lies don't. Just because one is powerful, it does not give them the right to abuse and destroy children and families lives.

So lets all rejoice we can now watch old Rolf Harris programmes , brilliant

The documentary is very well made. Everybody should watch it. And yes, an adult male sleeping with children is wrong and a mega red flag. And people wonder why sexual crimes are not reported. Duh! What more did you need to know.

We all knew what he was up to, actually left the country so he could continue after the heat was turned up

Because they’re less painful.

Michael wrote this?

Blah blah

Michael Jackson should have spent his life in prison or a hospital, he had a sickness, the parents who let their kids in his bed are equally to blame.

Nobody that count is cancelling...out M.J. because of sick pale trash...

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