AIBU to be shocked by public celebration of Michael Jackson?

[2021x]

Now the MJ film is out my social media feed is flooded with people doing the dances and talking about the movie etc. My local cinema is holding special events and screenings.

I personally have no doubt that he was a predatory paedophile. All the signs are there, especially how he talks about how he would never hurt a child and sharing a bed with them is the "most loving thing you can do in the world". He manipulated the world into thinking he had a "child-like persona" but was able to manage a music career worth millions... which someone who is naive would never be able to manage.

I also do not judge people who enjoy his music. It was very popular at the time, and would be associated with all types nostaligic memories. I listen to problematic artists all the time, but I don't pretend that they weren't abusive.

AIBU to be astounded that any business/media outlet would be seen dead even associating with him let alone celebrating such a horrifically abusive man.

So what’s your ideal situation here? His music being banned from being played in public?

Yep, he was a pedophile and hearing his songs make me want to throw up. To me listening to him is no different to watching Jim’ll fix it, I wouldn’t do that either.

Gary Glitter or R Kelly's music isn't banned and doesn't need to be, the majority of people just get the ick listening to it so it's died out. Personally I can't see how anyone's songs are catchy enough for me to get past knowing they sexually abused someone, I think PP was highlighting people who blast his music either don't care or are genuinely ignorant about him.

Jackson had a ton of hits, worldwide, for decades. He could frequently sell out arenas. Furthermore he wasn’t convicted of the crimes he was charged with (because of the lack of evidence), so it is disingenuous to compare him to Gadd and Kelly.

People still listen to the Beatles and Lennon’s solo music, and I have not much doubt the films about the Beatles released in 2028 will be hits.

So? Having worldwide hits doesn't mean people are obliged to hear your music without getting the ick. I think R Kelly is a great comparison actually, remember when he was acquitted too? 🤔 And then went on to be found guilty but we had years in between of everyone pulling out the "he was acquitted" line and shaming his accusers. I personally believe in MJ was still alive he would have been charged and tried again.

Were you going to answer btw whether you'd believe your child or a child you know if they told you they were abused or would you base your decision on what a jury decides?

What evidence do you think children can collect to prove they are being abused.
And answer this honestly, if we weren’t talking about Micheal Jackson would you feel the same way. If you knew because he admitted it that your next door neighbour a full grown man was inviting little boys into his home for sleepovers and those children went on to accuse him of sexual abuse, would you honestly say.. Prove it.
When it comes to historical abuse there is rarely black and white evidence.. It’s often one word against another, and circumstantial evidence has to come into it, the circumstances around Jackson speak volumes.. His actions scream guilty, again and again and again, boy after boy after boy.

Off now to see the film. Looking forward. Enjoy your afternoons!

Enjoy. It's amazing 👍😃

He was/is a much bigger star, but there's nothing 'disingenous' about not taking the fact he wasn't convicted into account.

They're so keen to support an abuser they can't even bring themselves to say categorically that sleeping with children is inappropriate and a safeguarding issue which is scarily similar to MJs mindset.

They don't like comparisons to other pedos because it shows how inconsistent their defenses are when those other pedos were also acquitted at one time and had their army of fans calling them innocent for decades until they were finally jailed for being the pedo they were 🤷🏻‍♀️ remember there was a video of R Kelly abusing a child and still people used the same shaming arguments on his victims and swore he was innocent because the justice system acquitted him. Thanks god he's now behind bars but we got away with abusing women and girls for decades helped by abuse apologists like MJs ☹️

It’s weird isn’t, along with the gloating way they exclaim… Of to see the film, so horrendously insensitive and stupid.
It’s funny as well that there isn’t another person alive with this so called Peter Pan syndrome, or where the cure for there bad childhood being.. Sleepovers with little boys.
Utter madness, but like banging your head against a brick wall when trying to get his fans to see sense.

It's still available here in Ireland on Channel 4 but that's interesting about the rights... https://www.channel4.com/programmes/leaving-neverland-2-surviving-michael-jackson/on-demand/71231-001

I don't find the gloating of seeing the film totally surprising because MJ fans (like many other abusers) usually over compensate to inflate support so they're probably the kind of people going to see it multiple times. Same kind of fans who post all over the internet about his innocence but also claim there is little reliable evidence he was guilty which if that was true they wouldn't need to spam the internet with rebuttals to the evidence or maligning his accusers. They'd also be able to actually engage and explain why they think a man sleeping with children (and encouraging his children to sleep with other grown men) is ever okay.

I'm going to enjoy my afternoon knowing that I haven't knowingly contributed to a dead beast's estate but I'm weird that way.

Same.

And meanwhile the onslaught of a vicious online smear campaign against Heard manipulated public opinion.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3VnNDMYzttcGgBNQB0BswtH/amber-heard-vs-the-internet-an-organised-smear-campaign

Would they all be supporting old Bill down the road, too, if he also ‘loved children’ so much that he had the local seven-year-old’s sleeping in his bed?

I see the level of comments has deteriorated this afternoon.

Enjoyed the film and great to be reminded what a musical genius he was.

People have only asked you pretty politely to explain how you reconcile the accusations against him and how you would feel about them if they weren't against MJ 🤷🏻‍♀️. It would genuinely be really interesting to know if you would be okay with your neighbour calling sleeping with children beautiful.

Also, would this poster believe their child or a child they know, if they accused someone of SA or would they wait for the outcome of a trial? If they were acquitted, would they assume their child was lying?

Easy questions to answer @fundamentallyauthentic

I haven’t answered your question because it’s insulting, thus not worthy of an answer.

That's 'Leaving Neverland 2', it's a short follow up, it's not the original.

Unbelievably crass.

Yanbu in the least. I used to adore Woody Allen films, and though I still watch them I have a very hard time separating the artist from the work. I certainly wouldn’t glorify the man.