Michael Jackson - trick or treat?

[bettysyourauntie]

How do you feel when Michael Jackson’s music is played on the radio following the recent documentary where two individuals accused him of serious child abuse?

Though he was never convicted, the stories told in great detail were compelling. It’s hard to imagine these as fake. As far as I’m aware these individuals were not trying to blackmail his estate, and while they may have hoped for financial compensation (and got some?), the public exposure is high risk and an emotionally heavily price to pay.

Since, whenever I hear his music I have to turn off the radio or switch station. I can’t shake off these stories which may also apply to so many others suffered pain and trauma under his hands and his creepy ‘generosity’ freak show.

Believe it or not, mumsnet is not our justice system. Neither do I need to make decisions on whose music I listen to based on the tests that are in place for the criminal justice system.
I think it’s more likely people just say what you’ve said above as some kind of gotcha when it’s really quite meaningless.

my husband/ dad/ son? No idea, they don’t have anything to be cancelled from and it’s so highly unlikely to ever happen I can’t imagine what I’d think. Of course, many people’s husband/ dads/ sons are sex offenders too.

It just appears no one wants to know the truth! As these discrepancies were not hard to find.

People just see cosmetic surgery, young children and say he's a weirdo.

Do you really think he wouldn't have accused Corey Feldman. Macaulay Cullen?

Corey Feldman was abused and talks about it until this day by Hollywood execs and say michael was not the one who did this - that's strange to me if MJ was guilty!

Why every single accuser comes off as an ippunrtunist and has money troubles?

I used to follow wade robson (featured in the documentary) when he used to choreograph for n sync and date Britney and the guy and his mother just come off as fake seeking money grabbing liars, even the way he talks about abuse is all off IMO

Whilst I’m truly on the fence about the whole thing, can we really keep comparing to and mentioning men who were found guilty when Michael Jackson was not?

The whole thing leaves the world in a grey area where no one actually knows what happened and might never know. People come to their own conclusions and choose to enjoy the music because of this.

Cancel culture is defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “the practice or tendency of engaging in mass canceling (withdraw[ing] one's support for someone, such as a celebrity, or something, such as a company, publicly) as a way of expressing disapproval and exerting social pressure.”

Prince Andrew? Shall we ask Charlie to give his brother a job because he was never found guilty? For those who 'don't care' of people's past and alleged crimes surly this should be ok?

Exactly! ‘Your husband raped me’ ‘I believe you 😞’

I try to separate the art from the artist.
We would have to burn most of our famous paintings and most of our literature if not.

I love the music of MJ.

What?

What did all these people do?

The problem with the MJ stuff is that whether you believe it or not and whether you want a criminal trial to be the only way to determine someone's guilt, society does treat different performers and actors differently depending on whether they are icons or fashionable in some way. The people that were cancelled so to speak are people considered a bit boring, staid, not great musicians or performers, so Glitter, Saville, Harris come to mind immediately, no one argues for separating their art from the person, why is that?

I suppose the situation with MJ is that whilst there's lots of accusations, there was no conviction and some of the evidence has since been proven fake so it leaves a level of ambiguity. What is a fact is that those parents who dropped off their kids to stay with him were weird to start with. I'm not a fan of the music anyway, and he was definitely a messed up individual but where the truth lies is not conclusive

This is the age old debate, do we separate the artist from the art? Some can and do, some can't and won't.

I personally don't listen to MJ music and turn over when it comes on but I was never a massive fan of his anyway so it is an easy decision for me to make. I am not sure I would take the same stand if it was an artist or novelist whose work I loved and listened/ read constantly and I have to be honest about that.

@soupfiend Elon's dated Priscilla when she was 14 and he was late twenties. No one seems to say much about that, funny that.

I switch it off if he comes on. Disgusting child abuser.

I love his music and will continue to listen to it.

I love the music of lots of idiots, it doesn't mean I have to like or accept the person.

Elvis?

Its mentioned most of the time people mention him and Priscilla isnt it? Like some sort of gotcha. The times were different. Are you going to drag out every medieval king who had a wife at aged 12. Margaret Beaufort was a mother and a widow by the age of 13, mother of Henry VII, formidable woman.

Its how it was then.

@soupfiend oh really? Well the 50's were not that long ago.

Slavery was accepted back then - does that mean wee should leave it alone?

Sorry but elvis in the 50s was not that long before MJ in the 80s and if we are to condemn MJ for things we cannot prove then yes we should be on elvis for things we CAN prove

He was never convicted so as far as most people are concerned it's fine to listen to his music.

The likes of Gary Glitter and Ian Watkins from Lost Prophets were so they're music is never played on the radio. Although they still get 24k listeners a month on Spotify.

I feel sorry for the other members of Lost Prophets as they'll no longer get royalties from their songs being played on the radio (and they did a good song which still goes round in my head some days).

Did Elvis commit a crime then? Did he abuse Priscilla? Is that the accusation, or is it just that you dont approve of their relationship? According to some things Ive read Priscilla said they didnt have sex before they married, not sure how true that was

He was 10 years older than her.

This took place in another country, in regions where people got married very young, see Jerry Lee Lewis as an example, he married his cousin who was 13

Slavery was outlawed by the UK government in the 1700s. I also dont believe however in 'cancelling' people who were slave owners, or cities or industries who benefitted from slavery when it was legal. If thats what you mean by 'leave it alone'

Most of what we enjoy, or can afford to enjoy, is the result of our history of colonisation.

If he were alive, I think people might respond differently.

Saville wasnt convicted though was he. Well and truly disappeared from TV and radio repeats.

The minimisation of CSA on here is horrifying.

I don’t listen to his music and I won’t allow my work team to use it for our social media. I don’t know whether he is innocent or guilty but I don’t want anyone who is a victim of such crimes to think I am not respectful to what they have gone through. There’s enough other music in the world to pick something without the potential to upset someone.

No but the Saville abuse was well known long before he died (so many of our 80s childhood shows are forever tainted).

MJ there was always a shred of doubt and the fact that his victims took the money didn't help. I'm not defending him, the man gave me the creeps big time.

MJ the abuse was known long before he died too. Im not sure there is doubt. the man admitted to sleeping in his bed with children. He then dumped children once they got to a certain age. Im not sure that is ambiguous.

There was a trial and he was found not guilty.

I think there is some sort of cancelling of his music there's little of it played on commercial radio. I heard lots of thriller last week for Halloween and recreations of the iconic dance but out of this season his music isn't particularly prevalent.

I can appreciate some of his music though am not a huge fan. I'm one who can separate the art from the artist and don't have a definite view on him either way in terms of the allegations. He was a damaged person unsurprisingly given his early entry into an adult world and a notoriously abusive father. He did his own damage but was that proven criminal in nature im not convinced.