Is Jacko Wacko or Evil?

Like many people, I've noticed that there seems to be some kind of legal proceedings in Santa Maria, CA, against Michael Jackson at the moment.

I haven't, though, been paying much attention. Perhaps it's that I'm not a Jackson fan, perhaps it's that I'm unwilling to become part of the circus, but it's just not really made it onto my radar beyond 'Oh, Michael Jackson is getting done for something to do with kids'.

I've heard this and that, and I've seen stuff on TV, but I've not paid much attention to the minutiae beyond that which I unwillingly read on Popbitch a couple of weeks ago regarding the titles of the pornographic magazines the police found.

My question is this, and I hope it will become an issue during this trial, or at least during the media witchhunt: How much is Michael Jackson a victim here? Because the way I can see it, this is a man who has desperately needed people to say NO to him at least a few times over the last 25 years. Where was his mother when he started mucking about with his face? Where were his brothers when he got kookier and kookier- after all, we've been calling him Wacko Jacko since long before the first child abuse whisperings, now over ten years ago. Where were his family when he needed to be kept down to earth? Where were his friends, real friends, to tell him how it is?

If Michael had real friends and family who cared about him, he would never have got to the point where he went all Messianic for 'Earth Song' and at those awful Brits back in 1995. If Michael had real friends and family who cared about him, do you think he would have EVER been in a position where people could be accusing him of plying children with wine?

Of course, if he is not a victim, then true, nobody could have done anything to help him. If he is as guilty as the prosection want us to believe, then yes, he might just be a monster with bad plastic surgery. But does anyone really believe he's a monster? I can't quite shake the feeling that this is a very, very confused man. I can't quite shake the feeling that he's deeply troubled and in some sort of childish limbo. It could be the greatest performance of his life, but what if it isn't?

Surely I wasn't the only one who thought, when he was rushed into hospital, that he might've tried to end it all on his own terms- do any of you believe that this strange, half-child/half-man is strong enough to really deal with this? Even as a young child back during the Chandler case, I didn't think Michael would come out the other end. Perhaps he is a monster and perfectly capable of getting through this, but I can't quite shake the feeling that he isn't.

This isn't like the Gary Glitter case here in Britain. Paul Gadd (Gary Glitter's real name) had consistently groomed young girls before being found to have tons of child porn on his computer (twat took it to PC World to be repaired). This is not the same as willing parents foisting their kids on Michael Jackson so they can be in the glowing aura of the very famous. More than that, Michael Jackson made great music, and Gary Glitter was a novelty pop act at best. Glitter turned out to be a 'typical' dirty old man hiding under a quiff wig and bacofoil trousers, but I suspect Michael Jackson is not in the same league.

So, is Michael Jackson a victim or abuser? Is he evil or not? Will we ever really know? Now, he has some deeply unsettling ideas about the appropriate ways for adults to act around children, but does that make him guilty or evil? I'm not sure it does.

I can't find it in my heart to demonise Michael, and I can't find it in my heart to hate him. I am not particularly a fan of his, and frankly, his output post Thriller is hardly all that as far as I'm concerned, although I liked Bad as a kid. I can't hate him, and I suspect even if he's found guilty, I'll feel the same.

This is a guy who needed to be sorted out years ago. He needed to be taught right and wrong and the ways of the real world. Where was his family for that? Where were his friends? I think the fullness of time may show that Michael Jackson is the greatest victim of all of the child star syndrome.

Is Jacko Wacko or Evil?

Like many people, I've noticed that there seems to be some kind of legal proceedings in Santa Maria, CA, against Michael Jackson at the moment.

I haven't, though, been paying much attention. Perhaps it's that I'm not a Jackson fan, perhaps it's that I'm unwilling to become part of the circus, but it's just not really made it onto my radar beyond 'Oh, Michael Jackson is getting done for something to do with kids'.

I've heard this and that, and I've seen stuff on TV, but I've not paid much attention to the minutiae beyond that which I unwillingly read on Popbitch a couple of weeks ago regarding the titles of the pornographic magazines the police found.

My question is this, and I hope it will become an issue during this trial, or at least during the media witchhunt: How much is Michael Jackson a victim here? Because the way I can see it, this is a man who has desperately needed people to say NO to him at least a few times over the last 25 years. Where was his mother when he started mucking about with his face? Where were his brothers when he got kookier and kookier- after all, we've been calling him Wacko Jacko since long before the first child abuse whisperings, now over ten years ago. Where were his family when he needed to be kept down to earth? Where were his friends, real friends, to tell him how it is?

If Michael had real friends and family who cared about him, he would never have got to the point where he went all Messianic for 'Earth Song' and at those awful Brits back in 1995. If Michael had real friends and family who cared about him, do you think he would have EVER been in a position where people could be accusing him of plying children with wine?

Of course, if he is not a victim, then true, nobody could have done anything to help him. If he is as guilty as the prosection want us to believe, then yes, he might just be a monster with bad plastic surgery. But does anyone really believe he's a monster? I can't quite shake the feeling that this is a very, very confused man. I can't quite shake the feeling that he's deeply troubled and in some sort of childish limbo. It could be the greatest performance of his life, but what if it isn't?

Surely I wasn't the only one who thought, when he was rushed into hospital, that he might've tried to end it all on his own terms- do any of you believe that this strange, half-child/half-man is strong enough to really deal with this? Even as a young child back during the Chandler case, I didn't think Michael would come out the other end. Perhaps he is a monster and perfectly capable of getting through this, but I can't quite shake the feeling that he isn't.

This isn't like the Gary Glitter case here in Britain. Paul Gadd (Gary Glitter's real name) had consistently groomed young girls before being found to have tons of child porn on his computer (twat took it to PC World to be repaired). This is not the same as willing parents foisting their kids on Michael Jackson so they can be in the glowing aura of the very famous. More than that, Michael Jackson made great music, and Gary Glitter was a novelty pop act at best. Glitter turned out to be a 'typical' dirty old man hiding under a quiff wig and bacofoil trousers, but I suspect Michael Jackson is not in the same league.

So, is Michael Jackson a victim or abuser? Is he evil or not? Will we ever really know? Now, he has some deeply unsettling ideas about the appropriate ways for adults to act around children, but does that make him guilty or evil? I'm not sure it does.

I can't find it in my heart to demonise Michael, and I can't find it in my heart to hate him. I am not particularly a fan of his, and frankly, his output post Thriller is hardly all that as far as I'm concerned, although I liked Bad as a kid. I can't hate him, and I suspect even if he's found guilty, I'll feel the same.

This is a guy who needed to be sorted out years ago. He needed to be taught right and wrong and the ways of the real world. Where was his family for that? Where were his friends? I think the fullness of time may show that Michael Jackson is the greatest victim of all of the child star syndrome.