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After All Is Said and Done: What Everyone Missed About the Death of Michael Jackson
He's dead. He's buried. (Maybe). He's old news. So let's examine what all the media and the entire mainstream missed concerning Michael Jackson and his death. It's really quite simple. (If you're from New York). So now that the pomp and spectacle are over, listen up.
Since Michael's death through his funeral service, the airwaves have been buzzing with both adulation and admonishment. I always found it curious how and why people will complain about media coverage and then go on a radio show to bring it all up again. Why is this big news? It's because you all keep making it big news, that's why.
To anyone who complains about the attention given to Michael, they have to get a grip on reality. Michael Jackson wasn't a big celebrity. He was a one in a billion megastar. And he wasn't just a great performer. He was an astonishing singer at the age of 10. TEN. That alone puts him in a very elite group. And one more thing. He wasn't an amazing child prodigy who ran his course and moved on. He grew as an artist and went on to have a career that overshadowed anyone else in the industry. He's also been a part of everyone's life for as long as any of us can remember. He had talent beyond mere mortal proportion. And he died mysteriously at a young age. So stop trying to make it out like the coverage is overkill. Of course the media was going to milk it for all it was worth and I have a feeling they'll continue to do so.
Now to anyone who extols the magnificence of Michael Jackson and feels compelled to defend him, you too have to accept certain realities. Michael Jackson was crazy. No, not eccentric -- crazy. In a way that was fearful. It couldn't have been any clearer. And he was stupid. Yes, let's get real. The guy was dumb as dirt. Why is that so hard to accept? Because it's "mean" to say so? If you want to find meanness, you're looking in the wrong place. The biggest culprits were those closest to Michael.
Everyone accepted him when he had the pet monkey and slept in an oxygen chamber and built an amusement park around his home. His first cosmetic work actually looked good and the one glove and wacky clothes were all a part of his quirky charisma. He was entitled to be a little loony considering his skills as an entertainer and his unusual life experience. But at some point being different turns into bizarre, which turns into delusional and eventually dangerous.
That is what no one seems to get. When a man goes into seclusion, it shouldn't be surprising if he's shunned. When a man mutates his appearance in what seemed to be an attempt to look like an adolescent Caucasian girl, you must question it. When a man dangles his child over a railing, it proves he has no grasp on right or wrong. You can make all the excuses in the world but it's a moot point. Even those capable of the most heinous behavior imaginable have reasons why they are the way they are. It's still not an excuse for the behavior.
Jackson attempted to hide behind his innocence, as if the child's mask he'd created from plastic and stitches excluded the need to behave like a functional adult. And much like that goulish facade, it began to crumble and everyone saw the truth.
But what is most disturbing is the family. As a New Yorker, I can't understand why with so many friends and family, (many of whom were so very tearful at the funeral) no one ever approached Michael to do what any self respecting New Yorker would do. Just say; "Hey Mike, stop being such an asshole." And keep saying it until it sinks in.
Just tell him. Over and over. Wearing a mask in public does not disguise you, it draws attention to yourself. Pretending to be "a normal guy" while sleeping with little boys does not make you more acceptable. Acting as if you're a child did not provide protection from scorn. But that's the way it is when you're crazy -- and stupid. And that's even more reason he needed people to step in and tell him so. I truly believe he would have at least had a fighting chance. As it stood, he was hopelessly lost. It was of little surprise that the ending wouldn't be pretty.
Who are the doctors who continued to disfigure this man? With all the media attention, why is there nothing about them? Who were the lawyers and advisors who allowed for his personal life and finances to dissolve into shambles? Who was the personal doctor who prescribed a cornucopia of lethal drugs? Where are the welfare workers that would swoop in and scream bloody murder that there were children who were not attending school, yet because they're the children of a celebrity, it all gets passed on. Where was the loving family when time after time, year after year, incident after incident, it was as clear as it can be that this man was on a course of self destruction and nothing was being done? Oh yeah, they were all at his funeral, heartbroken that he was lost at such a young age. And now it's time for a song! Everybody sing along! Look how much we loved Michael. How's my makeup?
Anyone who is allowed free reign of inappropriate behavior will continue to engage in it. Add fame and fortune and it will surely run amok. Michael needed guidance and never got it. And as far as I'm concerned that makes everyone who was on that stage at his service a hypocrite.
Or maybe they too, are just stupid.
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I cannot for the life of me understand people who do not understand that Michael Jackson had vitiligo. Why is this difficult to comprehend? Because he didn't allow himself to be photographed without makeup on? Would YOU allow yourself to be photographed for the whole world to see if you had the ugly, blotchy skin that sufferers of this disease have?
Google "Michael Jackson vitiligo" and go to images. There are many pictures of him where the makeup was wearing off and you can see the patches. He did not make this up, and it only takes a moment to do a modicum of research before posting your blog.
Sufferers of vitiligo cannot be in the sun, hence his propensity for big hats, masks, etc. It is hypothesized that the single white glove arose from the early stages of the disease, when it only manifested on his hand. Then it progressed. Initially, he tried to cover it up with dark makeup, but as it progressed, and as the white areas became larger than the dark areas, it made more sense to cover up with light makeup.
He also suffered from lupus, which has been offered as an explanation for the face mask. Lupus is an autoimmune disease, and sufferers must be very careful about contracting germs.
Finally, your statement about him being stupid is unbelievable. Truly unbelievable. I can't imagine the audacity involved in publicly commenting on someone's intelligence when one has never met that person. Shame on you.
See Nelson Montana's Profile
I wasn't going to comment on this article because SO MANY people seemed to misinterpret what I was saying. So I'll put it in concise terms. I did not dislike MJ. I thought he was great -- a brilliant artist. But yeah, he was dumb. That isn't name calling, it's an observation. Come on. What has the man ever said that was wise or insightful? He lacked a basic knowledge of proper behavior i.e, sleeping with boys, even if there was no molestation, which I don't believe there was. Having multiple disfiguring surgeries, the paranoia, pretending to be a child, claiming he had a skin condition, keeping his bodyweight below 125 pounds, dangling his baby over a railing, attempting to be indiscreet by wearing sunglasses and a mask, and ultimately never being able to deal with the public or the media in a manner that made him look anything less than insane. THIS IS ALL DUMB STUFF. And tragic.
It wasn't all his fault. That's the premise of the article. Part of the blame can go to his excuse for a human being father (who was promoting his new record label at the funeral). There were enough people supposedly close enough to him that he could have at least been nudged in the right direction. Instead, all the friends and family allowed these low lives to continue to rob him and mutilate him while they sat idly by. I stand by my comments.
I was raising young children of my own when I first saw MJ perform, as a very young child, here in Toronto, Cda. I was mesmerized, as was everyone else, at watching a true child prodigy, in a live performance. From that day forward, I, and many other non-white (and probably white) women 'raised' MJ along with our own children. I write you to say I am in agreement with most of what you write. However, he was not dumb. Could not have been dumb, and yet accomplished so much. In fact, his interests in areas of the arts beyond music, and the entertainment industry, attest to the fact that he had a high functioning intellect. But I do believe that MJ was mentally ill. That he had suffered from mental illness, probably, for most of his life. Mental illness, like cancer, is a progressive disease. Without intervention, and treatment, it eventually consumes the host. Without treatment, MJ's illness finally destroyed him. No one will ever convince me that those closest to him, who fed off him, including his 'family', did not know he was mentally ill. I weep when I think how much easier his illness must have made it for the beasts to gorge.
He certainly made some dumb choices. His biggest was not ACCEPTING some societal norms. Society says having non-related children sleeping in your bed is sexually motivated. I understand him being incensed by the notion as that was not in his heart at all, but I don't understand after the molestation payoff, that he CHOSE not to accept it and continued his practices unabated.
He settled that first case because his advisers could not ensure him he would be found not guilty. That was his reality check that he was operating in this world and not Neverland, where purity of heart prevails.
He could have still had all the children in the world in his home, but they did not have to be anywhere near his bedroom. I hate hate he didn't make that choice and make his life so much easier.
I
Mr. Montana - don't be too distressed by the backlash! I for one, even being an ardent MJ supporter, can see that your article was motivated by both respect for MJ's talents and genuine regret that those talents were obscured by impediments that MJ was unable to overcome - due to both external and internal factors. I'd say that your use of blunt terms like "dumb" is apparently employed in the tone that an affectionate, straight-talking friend would use to another friend -
Jackson had an unusual world view but was not stupid. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F166o1QO6Y8
You make some good points. Here's something I don't understand: your bio says you're a musician; your article gives generic props to Michael Jackson's career, but then claims he was "stupid" and "dumb as dirt." In what way? Academically? He certainly was brilliant when it came to writing, arranging, producing, singing, and dancing. A blog written by a musician that calls MJ dumb? You got some 'splainin' to do.
Leave out the name calling part. It is very immature.
Have some respect for the dead.
I dont think he was quite that stupid or crazy. I think he was very misunderstood, but mostly a kind person who would not hurt a fly.
Bravo, Nelson! A really honest and insightful piece. Glad you had the courage to say what you did because you are SPOT ON! So many posers and sycophants. Really sickening. Too bad most of the mainstream media is too politically correct to say the things you did. THAT NEED TO BE SAID!
Michael Jackson, in such an advanced state of denial, needed a real friend to
whup him up side of the head and tell him to
straighten up and fly right, if not for his own sake, then for the sake of his children. Someone should
have brought a guardianship proceeding, alleging he was incompetent and a danger to himself
and/or others. It may have not been successful, but would have gotten his attention. Taking his
children away would have gotten his attention too. But this is all hindsight. Too late now. Just
give the man his due, that despite apparent mental illness, he kept on trying.
I agree with posters who suggest that the terms 'crazy' and 'dumb' are meaningless and
hurtful. No one who accomplished the feats that Michael Jackson did should be called
such things. He had some skips in his record that needed fixing, and the world is
poorer because they were not. Rest in Peace, MJ.
Absolutely agreed.
I read this and read it again.....
I disagree with the crazy/dumb/stupid part.....IMHO unnecessary.
Otherwise, the only conclusion I can draw is you would have been a great friend to Michael Jackson.
I agree with the guardianship proceeding. As much as I love MJ, the saddest part was to know that he was a drug addict. As a fan, I think that part hurts the most for me. As a friend and sister or drug addicts with children, they function as long as they can on drugs as a family until someone takes them to task about the care of the children. But in MJ's circle, you tend to have a lot of "friends" who care so much about you (really they care about the money and what they can get from him) than they do about the kids. It's all so sad.
Heck, the entire United States government has been "bought off" with MONEY, while We the People only get "trickle-down", joblessness, home foreclosures, profit care & empty promises of change.
Michael Jackson's MONEY also bought him "anything" he wanted, ultimately leading to his early death, and like Michael, America is now seeing the end of a once great nation. Like Michael, Americas early years were pure genius, but over the years the corrupting influence of empire & the corporate ownership of the levers of power, has like Michael, also turned America into a caricature of its former self.
Money, Greed & Power in the hands of stupid & sick people like Michael & Americas Politicians will always end badly!
America look at the man in "your" mirror, Michael has a message for us all, like his doctors & hangers on that killed & mutilated him, our so called leaders in Wall Street, Washington & the Pentagon are "leading" us to the same dead end world!
Agree!!
Enablers do what is in their best interest, without regard for the consequences. Some people will do anything for money.
I find the continued use of “Wacko" & "Jacko” offensive. Would you, for decency’s sake, take up Jon Stewart’s suggestion that once a person is deceased, it’s time to retire derisive names – unless they’re convicted felons or dictators? Mr. Michael Jackson was acquitted of all charges in the court case, and settled in another. It doesn’t take a lawyer – a legal secretary like me can tell you that a settlement is not an admission of guilt. Please have the decency to stop kicking a man when he’s already dead,
Amen !
Spot on!
What are children who don't attend school called? Home-schooled. "[W]elfare workers" don't normally "swoop in and scream bloody murder" just because children are being home schooled.
This totally reminds me of when Princess Diana died and all they talked about what the "evil" paparazzi and the conspiracy theories about the Queen, her ralationship with Dodi Fayed, etc.
The ONLY PERSON who survived of the four of them in her car was the ONE WHO WAS WEARING A SEAT BELT.
Talk about a campaign for seat belt awareness! That was the tragedy of her death. If she were wearing a seat belt she could be alive today and it was a barely mentioned detail.
If she were my mother, I would spend the rest of my life as a spokesperson for seat belt awareness.
Thank you for writing this! The ethics of the doctors he was seeing were non-existent. How could they continue to do that even while being paid? At some point someone should have said no.
Oh, yay. Before, all the less-than-adulatory remarks were denied a place under the stories promoting adoration. Now, time for the second wave of stories. Milk it for all you can get, big boy.
But we're still not supposed to say what we really thought about the... thing. That will still get us tossed.
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