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.

I agree but Rolf Harris got cancelled which I’m glad about and don’t want to celebrate his art anymore - even though from a nostalgic sense we loved him as kids and his kids art tv shows etc

For anyone who still thinks he's innocent, search Latoyah's interview on a foreign chat show (I think Spanish) where she out and out accused Micheal of abusing boys, including their cleaner's son. And then it turns out later that this cleaners son, also accused Jackson.

After her interview, she was ignored by the whole family and she spent a long time trying to get back into the family fold and did when she went back on her claims. But since, when she's been asked questions about it, if you listen to her answers she always words it so she never actually dismisses the accusers.

I watched the BBC series recently and the investigators said he was clearly a peadophile and he got away scott-free. He often tried to come across as shy or child-like and naive but that man knew exactly what he was doing.

He was a disgusting, vile predator and I wonder if his due hard fans would have left their kids with him - unfortunately I think the truth is yes.

It was due to the victim, not the perpetrator

My 9 year old son wouldn’t be going to sleep overs with a grown man. Where were the parents in all this?

What is with naming airports after abusive men... George best.. john lennon..

The parents were groomed and manipulated by him

I’m not a MJ fan particularly, he’s a bit before my time. I just don’t think that we have a right to out witch hunting people who have been proven innocent in a court of law. The evidence must have been shaky.

You've completely ignore the gist of the question, no matter how it came about, if your son made that allegation and you believed it, and the person was not convicted, would you be going down the pub with them/going to the same parties as them/being friends with people that remained friends with them?

I'm not defending him. I have absolutely no idea whether he is guilty or not. I'm not a fan of his, never bought any of his music so I have no skin in the game either for or against him. But I am a grown up and I believe in the justice system more than I believe the tabloids and social media. He was acquitted of all the charges brought against him. You said you are 'sure' he is guilty despite this so I ask again, what information do you have that makes him guilty when a jury acquitted him?

You Harry haters really will try and shoe-horn him into everything.

You cannot compare harry with a paedophile with a straight face.

I’m just meaning that drawing a line with historical figures is hardly fitting. Leaving aside that a lot a revisionist history raises questions about problematic figures, in the case of an artist such as MJ, the estate that was complicit in his crimes is still profiting from his art, and his victims are still walking around. I can’t imagine how it must feel for them to be constantly confronted by his ‘art’ and I’m not sure they would separate the artist from it.

edited to say Sorry this was meant to be in response to @blossomtoesreply

Thanks; he hasn’t released platinum albums either as far as I know.

No. Do you think that everyone that is accused of a crime is guilty?

@MidnightMeltdown
Why is it a witch hunt to call out predatory behaviour?

If more people were able to call out behaviour that is so clearly unacceptable then maybe victims of abuse would feel more comfortable coming forward.

Virginia Giufrre, Wade Robson, James Safechuck, all had to endure unimaginable hounding and abuse because they spoke out. All those people saying 'its over, it's just a witch hunt now' added to the pain and distress those victims have to live with every day. Andrew bought his way out of abuse claims just like Michael Jackson did, does that mean we shouldn't continue to talk about Epstein & Andrew?

We should not shy away from talking about unacceptable behaviour by predatory males, we should not try to silence voices. We should not try to normalise sexual behaviour towards children.

There are new accusations with very strong evidence that have come forward since the Michael Jackson trial that deserve to be heard. That is not a witch hunt, that is an unwillingness to be silenced or gaslit into not remembering all of the story, which is exactly what this film does - gaslight the public.

It's not a witch hunt to refuse to be silent about abusive men.

RIP Virginia Giufrre 🩷

Perhaps it’s because he wasn’t convicted of the allegations that alleged crimes that peoplefee
differently unlike Ian Watkins of Lost Prophets and Gary Glitter.

Who did Amy W abuse?

It’s not just tabloids and social media - it’s his actual victims - you know, those children he raped? They have come forward in solidarity with other victims to expose his crimes. I believe them.

I was surprised this film was made tbh as assumed would be a flop given the allegations.

MJ was massive in my youth so is tied up with a lot of memories and i can still appreciate the talented stage persona, songs/videos from that time but I also have no interest in seeing the film. I remember him appearing more unhinged as years went by with animals, surgeries and having own kids with what appeared to be surrogates. I think at time of allegations i was on the fence because I couldn't understand why the parents would've allowed their child to have these sleepovers though now think it's very likely true and was a lot of people willingly turned a blind eye or were groomed to accept it.

It's definitely easier to separate the art from artist once they're dead and sadly a lot of talented, creative people in history were also terrible people 😔

I wonder if he hadn't of died if they'd have been a successful CA case. I can't imagine the 'child like man' excuse for behaviour would wash now but as with Epstein files being rich and connected can get you out of a lot.

His own daughter, Paris now believes he was. There was a few articles about it.

If I had to put money on it, I would guess that they are both guilty but I have no idea. Jackson is slightly different as he went to trial and was acquitted so technically he is 'innocent'.

My issue is with the stupid people who claim Jackson is 'definitely' guilty. They can only say that on the basis of stuff they've read in the media and have zero idea what is true and what isn't true.

Saville is a good example - I know of someone who sold his story to the media, he was front page of the Sun claiming he was a Saville victim. That whole story was made up - he was a raging alcoholic and needed a bit of cash so claimed he'd been abused by Saville and made a couple of hundred quid out of it. He openly gloated about this because he'd got one over on the Sun and made enough cash to feed his alcohol addiction for a couple of weeks. There are sadly, an awful lot of people out there like this who will do anything for their 15 minutes of fame and a few hundred quid.

Just look at the recent case that ended up in the courts with the McCann's and a woman who claimed to be her daughter, Madeleine. It has all been proved to be bollox (literally impossible proved by gene and blood tests) but yet there are thousands of people in a Facebook group who still claim the trial was unfair and still repeating the 'evidence' which has already been proved to be fake. We live in a society of mad people who believe everything they read. That is why nobody can say they know either are definitely guilty because there's a big chance that a lot of the 'evidence' you have read in the media will be fake.

I’m about 97% sure Michael Jackson was a pedophile, but there are quite a few people who don’t believe he was. If people genuinely don’t believe he was a pedophile, celebrating him and his music and the new movie isn’t shocking. At this late date, most people who don’t think he was a pedophile aren’t going to change their minds, and I think you might have to accept that there’ll never be universal agreement here.

The jury system is not infallible.

Absolutely 100% a pedophile.

It's frightening knowing people who think otherwise. How stupid can one be?

The 'he wasn't found guilty' brigade are pathetic. There are many pedophiles and rapists that haven't been found guilty unfortunately.

"was acquitted of all the charges brought against him. You said you are 'sure' he is guilty despite this so I ask again, what information do you have that makes him guilty when a jury acquitted him?"

I remember several trials when I was young in which an alleged rapist was acquitted because the girl or woman had 'led him on' in some way by wearing provocative clothing or having previously slept with him.

I remember the MJ trial very well and followed it closely at the time. The prosecution did a very poor job of explaining rape and grooming myths, and those were even more prevalent among American society ie: the jurors in his case than they are now.

FFS!

https://www.reddit.com/r/LeavingNeverlandHBO/comments/1rxlypi/la_toya_revealed_that_michael_jackson_had_a/