this post was submitted on 27 Aug 2024
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[–] disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world 99 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I agree. Also, he was acquitted on all counts.

Not only was he one of the best performers, he was also an incredible composer. He heard “Beat It” in his head so clearly, he recorded a demo of the whole song using an 8 channel mixer and cassette.

https://www.michaeljackson.com/news/listen-to-michael-jacksons-beat-it-demo-from-thriller-40/

[–] Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee 56 points 2 months ago (1 children)

There's a good chance he really was innocent, but being weird around kids like that is enough to tank your career regardless, which is probably for the best.

[–] 13esq@lemmy.world 12 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

It's an odd case. Whilst most agree that he wasn't a full blown child rapist, it's clear that he had an interest in young boys that went further than just fantasy, but people choose to ignore it because "BeAt It ThO!!!".

You can appreciate art whilst knowing that the artist was sick.

[–] disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world 39 points 2 months ago (1 children)

His father was physically and emotionally abusive to him and his siblings, forcing them to forgo their childhood for fame. He built and lived in an amusement park and would invite kids over to enjoy it. His story reads more like a trauma victim looking to live his missing childhood through others than “a sick artist.”

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[–] Sanctus@lemmy.world 86 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Well, y'know, Anon. There was some other stuff.

[–] Redredme@lemmy.world 41 points 2 months ago (3 children)

What stuff?

Please show us something, anything.

Was he weird? Fuck yes. Was he a pedo: acquitted on all accounts. So hell no.

[–] Sanctus@lemmy.world 59 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] activ8r@sh.itjust.works 10 points 2 months ago

Solid rebuttal.

[–] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 43 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I mean you should know better than thinking that pedos being acquitted means something. If we have learned anything from Epstein, its that famous pedos and powerful people like to mingle.

[–] ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 13 points 2 months ago

Yeah but I'm pretty sure Mculley Culkin has outright denied Jackson did anything sexual to him. I think the guy was just weird and traumatized and later completely doped up all the time.

[–] LowleeKun@feddit.org 7 points 2 months ago

I think we would have an easier time if we would start to have different words for people being attracted to children and for people raping children. That way we could say MJ was attracted to children in a concerning way but it is apparent that he did not abuse children sexually.

If only there was way

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[–] Kazumara@discuss.tchncs.de 41 points 2 months ago

by all accounts

Wouldn't that include the aforementioned documentaries?

[–] Bobmighty@lemmy.world 37 points 2 months ago

Are people still into arguing about what this dead 80s superstar did? I don't know. I think it's kinda baity.

[–] count_dongulus@lemmy.world 37 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Joe Jackson fucked up all his kids, but he really tried hardest on Michael

[–] KingJalopy@lemm.ee 7 points 2 months ago

Good to be the favorite

[–] 13esq@lemmy.world 24 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (5 children)

Anyone who thinks Jackson wasn't a pedophile is willfully blind.

Being a great artist doesn't stop you from being a very sick man. His upbringing certainly is an extenuating circumstance, but it doesn't change the nature of his relationships with young boys.

Edit: to the people defending him, I put it to you that you are blinded by stardom. If any other man was fascinated with young boys in the same way, you'd think they were extremely weird at best and probably think much worse.

[–] petersr@lemmy.world 51 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

His father was a complete piece of shit and treated him horribly and also he was never really allowed a proper childhood.

So I have heard some people argue that perhaps he was not a pedophile, but rather just really mentally ill, partly believing to be a kid that just wanted child playmates. Still wrong for an adult to act like this, but perhaps there was no sexual misconduct.

Not sure what to believe and perhaps I just don't want him to be a villain, but I would like to hear if there is some concrete evidence.

[–] HeartyOfGlass@lemm.ee 41 points 2 months ago

The thing is - there is no evidence of sexual misconduct. He's been investigated by just about everyone from local cops to the FBI since the early 90s, and despite the outcry there's never been evidence. Considering how our justice system dealt with another high-profile figure's history of sexual abuse, I have to believe something concrete would've turned up by now.

Inappropriate? Absolutely. Illegal? Pedophilia? Doubtful. I mean, provided we genuinely believe in "Innocent until proven guilty" ideal...

[–] dependencyinjection@discuss.tchncs.de 44 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Is there a single viable claim against him?

From what I recall it was parents trying ton get money and nobody confirmed he abused them, even McAuley Cullen.

[–] 13esq@lemmy.world 21 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

Leaving Neverland https://g.co/kgs/8Bqcp49

I watched this not just with an open mind, but like you and many others here, with the mind that people were colluding to extort money from Jackson. This completely changed my mind.

I mean, I get it. If one of my favourite artists was accused of being a pedo, I'd defend them and say the claims can't be proven etc.

In this case, I think it's safe to say that whilst he wasn't a full blown child rapist, that he clearly had an attraction to young boys that went much further than just fantasy.

[–] dependencyinjection@discuss.tchncs.de 26 points 2 months ago (4 children)

I can’t stand MJ music so he is far from an idol of mine.

I just haven’t seen any evidence or convictions to claim he was a pedo. Even in this documentary, that I’ve seen a while ago.

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[–] Dasus@lemmy.world 26 points 2 months ago (1 children)

In this case, I think it's safe to say that whilst he wasn't a full blown child rapist, that he clearly had an attraction to young boys that went much further than just fantasy.

What with the whole Wonderland, seems like it, yeah.

However... was that attraction sexual, per se?

. Being a weirdly childish dude who wants to play with children seems way less worse than pretending to be a weird childish dude in order to rape kids.

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[–] BruceTwarzen@lemm.ee 29 points 2 months ago

There are probably just as many people coming out to say they accused him just for the money than people actually accusing him. I'm not saying he's innocent, but i'm pretty sure i know him just as well as you do. Maybe you are willfully blind because you just want him to be a paedophile

[–] Rakonat@lemmy.world 26 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I don't really care for his music and his behavior was immature at best (all can be chaulked up to his father.) but I'll believe evidence of his misdeeds when I see it. Every single accusation was walked back and admitted to be pressured by parents or lawyers for an out of court settlement and every investigation, including by the FBI found zero wrong doing. If he had inappropriately touched a child we'd have some evidence about it.

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[–] Doom@ttrpg.network 19 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Nah I don't think he did. Two reasons

Every accusation is super weak and some get walked back. Michael Jackson suffered from toxic masculinity, he wasn't allowed to play with children because he was a man. Society is the issue there.

Second reason that sells it, Macaulay Culkin, Hollywood fucked this dude up he's literally talked about it and he says Michael was legit.

[–] 13esq@lemmy.world 8 points 2 months ago

Macaulay Culkin saying that nothing happened to him doesn't mean nothing happend with any other of the young boys.

[–] samus12345@lemmy.world 22 points 2 months ago

was a modest extremely nice guy by all accounts

Sounds like Anon is missing a LOT of accounts.

[–] carl_dungeon@lemmy.world 20 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Maybe it was all kiddy diddling

[–] Rakonat@lemmy.world 31 points 2 months ago (4 children)

Testimony from those around him and supposed victims go the opposite way. Film and music industry is full of a lot of pedos, but MJ seems to have done his best to shield them from it and make moves to distupt the process established pedos used to lure in victims.

Think of how Wienstien used his connections to ruin those who opposed his rapist methods and now imagine how people with money, wealth and relative anonymity to everyone but those they have power over would try to get revenge on a public figure like MJ literally cockblocking them.

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[–] x4740N@lemm.ee 15 points 2 months ago

Because some parents mentally fucked their children's minds with sodium amytal and gave them false memories

[–] nick@midwest.social 11 points 2 months ago (1 children)

My guess is: the pedophilia. Just a guess though.

[–] LowleeKun@feddit.org 49 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Did he ever get convicted over anything? Even though i won't say he was not a pedophile, is there actually any evidence that he was? Are people really that needy for hate?

I had a roommate who was actually hating on me for listening to micheal jackson for that "reason". Back then i sadly was afraid enough to even "associate" with a person "like that" via listening to his music. Pathetic, i know.

I wish he was still alive.

[–] TachyonTele@lemm.ee 68 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Nope. And the kids all say he never did anything sexual. He was just a very talented strange guy with serious issues from growing up.

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[–] AMillionNames@sh.itjust.works 8 points 2 months ago

Michael Jackson is a good example of how being rich and successful can lead to behavior that just feeds into mental sickness. He probably thought being rich and successful justified his aberrant behavior and that he shouldn't put himself on the level of those below him, until he eventually ended choosing drug abuse over therapy. His whole obsession with children can be traced back to his insecurities that he had been deprived of a childhood, probably in no small part due to growing up as as part of the Jackson musical group family. He must have thought he could relive with his childhood through someone else's by using his wealth and power to create Neverland Ranch.

[–] ZILtoid1991@lemmy.world 8 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] ICastFist@programming.dev 6 points 2 months ago

Are you okay, Annie?

[–] rockerface@lemm.ee 7 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I think the whole spawning demons with his blood thing might have been the reason

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