Michael Jackson, R.I.P.

Barrie Casper

I find myself very saddened at the death of Michael Jackson, especially as it comes at a time when he was preparing to make his comeback upon the stage in what could be seen as a vindication of his status as a performer but also for what was essentially the ruination of his career occasioned by the initial accusation of child molestation which occurred in 1993.

It would not be far-fetched to say that his demise actually began then at the hands of gold-digging parents, blood-thirsty prosecutors, and a vulture-like media which proceeded to turn every minutia of MiJac’s life into the most lurid, bizarre headline, regardless if it were true or false.

Thus began the process of taking away from him the very inspiration for his artistry and indeed his life, the boys that he loved. No, it was not all immediate, and he would be accused again before it was all over. On a positive note, the ordeal served to motivate him to begin a family of his own, first with a short-lived marriage to Lisa Marie Presley, and next with the mother of his first two children, Debbie Rowe. The mother of his third child, “Blanket,” has never been revealed.

Those of us in tune with such things had out first suspicions early on, from the time he would show up at star-studded galas with the young Gary Coleman at his side. What clinched it for me however was when he stated that “Children make me feel magical. Their innocence and honesty are what inspire me.” (I’m paraphrasing.)

Then there was that famous Pepsi commercial in which a very handsome 12-year-old blond boy enters Michael’s dressing room and begins putting on distinctive pieces of his wardrobe, imagining himself as Michael onstage. A moment later Michael arrives at the door, leans against it, and says suggestively (to me, at least), “Looking for me?” Others may not have seen the same thing in it, but for me it was merely icing on the cake. 

A large portion of Michael’s bad press stemmed from what he thought would be an objective and honest account from a rare video interview he gave to British journalist Martin Bashir. The lies and distortions contained therein were well debunked by Maury Povich in, “Living with Michael Jackson, Take Two.” [*]

[* A video on YouTube, but removed from there]

Many continue to wonder, “Was he really a pedophile?” Discussions on online chat boards seem split into those who are convinced that he “beat the system,” paid off his victims, and “got away with it,” and those who believe he was just an innocent victim of gold-digging parents and prosecutors who just lived his own lost childhood vicariously through children around him. Indeed, he himself played up this angle in the Bashir interview. But was he?

We see in the program that those closest to him appear to convince us that he would never harm a child or do anything inappropriate with them. But there is the exception of sister LaToya who stated, "I can't remain silent. I will not be a silent collaborator in his crimes against small, innocent children."

She said that she is a victim of child abuse herself and knows how the alleged victims will be scarred for life. She also said her mother had shown her checks that Michael had made out to the families of the boys.

"I don't know if these children were apparently bought from the parents by Michael or not."

"I do know he'd have boys over all the time and they'd stay in his room for days. Then they would come out and then there'd be another boy and he'd bring someone else but never two at a time ... My mother is very much aware of all the children, all the boys who’ve stayed there. She's the one who'd always call him 'faggot.' She said 'I can't stand it. He's nothing but a faggot.' Now, she's denying it. And that's what hurts."

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m ... _14916063/

Then there was the detailed description of Jackson’s genitalia by Jordan Chandler who was thirteen years old during the time when they spent weeks or months living and sleeping together. Jackson suffered from vitiligo, a skin depigmentation condition, and Chandler was able to describe specific locations of blotches on Jackson’s erect penis. Jackson settled with the family for an amount generally quoted in the $10-20 million range.

Both LaToya and Chandler later retracted their statements. LaToya may well have been put up to it by her abusive husband, as the family contends. While Chandler recanted, he did not return the money. Perhaps having already gotten the millions, he decided to try to get back in the good graces? We can only speculate.

The late Father of Sexology and Johns Hopkins Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Pediatrics Dr. John Money first described the phenomenon of “pedophilic genius,” giving as examples Lewis Carroll and J. M. Barrie. Would he include Michael Jackson in the category if he were alive today?

Jackson was certainly a genius, and many, like me, are convinced he was a pedophile. What would remain to be shown is that his love for boys is what inspired him to the heights if his artistry. I come down on the side that it did because of the evidence from some of his productions, such as the “Black or White” video featuring 12-year-old Macaulay Culkin, and his number one single “Ben,” from the movie about a boy’s friendship with a rat. There may indeed be more.

As stated at the end of this video pointing up the hypocrisy of the media with regard to MiJac,

"We can only hope that there are little boys in heaven."