Random Thoughts on MJ

I'll probably be posting random thoughts on Michael Jackson's life and death for awhile. Fair warning.

I never thought Michael Jackson was a child molester. On the contrary, he seemed to me to have had a great love for children, especially his own. Rather, I think that what we so often perceived as bizarre behavior and bad judgment on his part was likely explainable in far more pedestrian terms: childhood trauma, mental illness and drug addiction. I would guess his mental illness was mistreated by ethically pliable Doctors which allowed him to fuel his addiction to prescription meds. And ultimately ended his life.

But child molester? Nay, in my opinion. I wasn't at the trial and just had to make up my mind like everyone else, based upon media coverage and gut feelings. Although the public never knew many details on the initial accuser who settled out of court in 1993 (the case sounded like extortion to me), we did get a lot of information during the 2005 trial. I never found those accusations credible either, especially in light of the criminal Mother of the accuser who had a history of lying and coaching her kids to lie in order to scam the system for money. The Prosecution's case struck me as weak, the Defense arguments seemed plausible and Macaulay Culkin's testimony in particular seemed very genuine to me. Ultimately the jury found that guilt beyond a reasonable doubt was not proven. I know juries don't always get it right but I did agree with the verdict in this case.

To the Diane Dimonds of the world, Jackson might as well have been found guilty - before the trial even started and long after his acquittal. Many in the media had long made up their minds about Jackson's guilt, regardless of criminal convictions. Which is why it struck me as two-faced to hear all these same people praising him after his death. With a matter of hours, he had somehow transformed in the media from Wacko Jacko child molester to "humanitarian" and "the greatest entertainer of all time".

Suddenly everyone seemed to be tripping over themselves to get to a microphone and say something nice about Jackson. On the red carpet at the BET Awards, I think he got credit for everything from the success of MTV to Obama being elected President - no kiddie jokes, no plastic surgery sneers, nothing but praise. Although I'm no fan of Jackson's father Joe, I understood when he said he wished Michael could have witnessed this outpouring of love in life, not in death. I wish that too.