RIP in 2009

[Nephythys]

Originally Posted by Alex

MJ paid a reported $25 million to keep a civil case from actually going to trial after which the paid off family refused to participate in the criminal trial, forcing it to be abandoned (this is the accusation from the early '90s).

I don't really have strong feelings on the issue but the perception that Michael Jackson did some bad things to young boys is not without some justification.

No- it's not- but he was not convicted and there is room to believe he was the victim.

-as for the family- if someone had touched my kid I would not take a payoff. So that makes me suspect that they just wanted the money in the first place- not justice.

Originally Posted by scaeagles

Curious - In your opinion Nephy, why did MJ make the huge payoff he did to the family of that one young boy?

Do you find it inappropriate for a man who isn't the father of young boys (admittedly) having cookies and milk in bed with them?

A mistake? Wanted to make it go away. MJ seemed like just a big kid- and frankly not very worldly wise- and I think the people around him hurt him more than they helped him. -and like I said, why did they take it? Because they wanted the $$$$- not justice for their kid.

-and weird, odd, unique- yes-but not inherently menacing or sexual. I think there is proof galore of his driving need to stay in childhood-at any cost. Children have sleepovers-

Was he emotionally stunted, immature- yes. A sick predator? I don't believe so-in the end, God will judge-not us.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Nephythys

No- it's not- but he was not convicted and there is room to believe he was the victim.

Yes, there is. But that's true of everybody at some point who faces such charges. Yet, Michael Jackson is the only case where I've seen people bend over backwards and give such support to the idea that in the absence of a criminal conviction nothing happened.

That's not a bad idea, just one that rarely has broad support. Except when celebrities of a certain level are involved.

[lashbear]

Media can trial anyone and make anyone innocent or guilty without the need for a court. We all know that.

My own belief (and I'll just pop my 2c in here just to balance the scales) is that MJ was yearning to recapture the child within so badly. In part (a lot, actually) I understand where he came from. I spend a lot of time (way too much, in fact) trying to recapture the experiences, smells, tastes, feelings of the childhood I remember fondly (and also changing history for myself by re-writing unhappy memories too).

Do I wish I could have my own personal Disneyland in my backyard? One where I could go without being bothered by the press, and one I can fill with kids who appreciate it for it's innocence, it's fun, just the giddy in-the-moment times you have as a kid without worrying about where the family meals are going to come from, or who might be waiting to lop down the tall poppies?

You betcha.

Would I build a house where I could invite those kids who are sick, dying, or from underpriviledged homes to spend some happy days watching movies, having fun and forgetting their own sadness outside at home - just letting them know they can be happy and teaching them to carry the flame of happiness within when all without appears lost? I'd love to.

I'm not going to comment on any other stuff either, because there will always be the "nobody knows what went on behind closed doors" argument from plenty of folk - actually, let me just say that I believe this is the reason that he may have settled with the families: Without evidene one way or the other, if a child makes an accusation at the urging of parents in order to reap a large settlement, wouldn't you just settle out of court, rather than be found guilty by a media-biased jury (and you've all said a lot of people believe he was strange anyway, so why not just believe the kid, huh? - bias that would be easy to engender in the jury) , but I just wanted to say that I personally don't believe the Adult Child that was Michael Jackson meant to give those kids anything more than the Ohana love, support and happiness he so desperately wanted for himself.

End of soapbox.

Oh, Stoat wants to add: Who can't think of at least one person who hasn't at one time or another thrown money at a problem to make it go away quickly, even though they're not personally responsible for the problem? (My EG: Kevy at a certain dinner ?)

[3894]

MJ's life became grotesque but his artistry remains forever sublime.

Peace to all who grieve.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by lashbear

but I just wanted to say that I personally don't believe the Adult Child that was Michael Jackson meant to give those kids anymore than the Ohana love, support and happiness he so desperately wanted for himself.

I am open to that possibility (like I said, I have no strong feelings one way or the other) but if people didn't really like his music I honestly don't think there'd be any significant portion of the population that would give him that benefit of the doubt, especially in the face of two separate accusations from children.

I've certainly never seen such a benefit given to any other person in the face of such accusations.

[Nephythys]

Originally Posted by Alex

I am open to that possibility (like I said, I have no strong feelings one way or the other) but if people didn't really like his music I honestly don't think there'd be any significant portion of the population that would give him that benefit of the doubt, especially in the face of two separate accusations from children.

I've certainly never seen such a benefit given to any other person in the face of such accusations.

-I think I question how much of the accusation came from the children and how much came from their parents who saw dollar signs when they looked at MJ.

[Alex]

Yes. That's my point, if you didn't like his music you probably wouldn't question that.

Celebrity and wealth has its rewards. It buys doubt.

[Nephythys]

Originally Posted by Alex

Yes. That's my point, if you didn't like his music you probably wouldn't question that.

Celebrity and wealth has its rewards. It buys doubt.

My belief that those parents saw a payday in MJ have nothing to do with me liking his music.

I am not a fan of many kinds of music-I would suspect the same if any of them were accused of the same.

If they are tried and convicted- then I'm wrong about them.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I'm pretty well convinced that what he engaged in was the kinds of non-sexual sexual games that children play with each other. "You show me yours, I'll show you mine. Let's play doctor." I have no basis for that other than the public evidence of his stunted emotional maturity and clear attempts to recapture his childhood. He probably felt like he was acting just like one of the kids, doing things that, when done between two adolescents, are perfectly innocent and natural, but when done by an adult with an adolescent are at best creepy and worst wildly inappropriate, even if no actual sex act is involved.

I don't think he ever intended to abuse or harm children, he probably thought he was doing them a service by being an adult who "understood" them. In that way, I more pitied him than anything. He didn't fit in the adult world and he wasn't allowed (rightly) to participate in the childhood world he wished he could.

[mousepod]