Michael Jackson

[Madison]

I am simply grateful for the newest onslaught of vintage, 80's Michael Jackson videos on BET and friends.

I don't care what anyone thinks of Michael Jackson, his eccentricity or this trial; "Thriller" is still the best music video ever made.

[santosh]

Originally Posted by M. Krass

"Thriller" is still the best music video ever made.

Agreed. The man can dance like no other. He is one wierd guy. I think its good that it is finally over and now we don't have to hear any more crap about him after another couple of weeks.

[Cory]

I wish they had nailed him...C'mon now, does anyone think he didn't do it?

He's said he thinks the most natural thing in the world is to share his bed with a child. That about sealed the deal for me.

Just because they couldn't prove he was guilty doesn't mean he's innocent. Same with OJ.

[David Guzman]

I agree with Cory I think he did it, but rich people almost never go to jail. It is hard to belief that the kid was making the whole thing up.

Jus my $0.02

Dave

[Cory]

Originally Posted by Amanda Morrison

I am certainly not one to get involved with political threads, and I won't feign interest in the subject. I wasn't surprised when I heard the verdict today - well, I wouldn't have been surprised either way. I understand that is a cultural icon, and I'm sure (as is now becoming evident) that many people will suspect this is a reason for the verdict.

Is it so hard to believe that a jury of our peers was not biased by the fact that this man had money, albums, and a fan base? The jury deliberated for seven days - isn't that a bit long to say 'Man, I liked Thriller, there's no way this guy is guilty'?

And furthermore,
Is that really so hard to believe? Is it hard to believe that a bride faked her own kidnapping because she was terrified of getting married? People do stupid and silly things, based on their emotions... and sometimes, based on greed. It's happened before, although whether or not it happened here, that's for the grand jury and not myself to decide, although they seem to have discounted the charges for a reason. I have to assume they have discussed all options, and ruled accordingly.

My point? It's not up to one of us to say whether Jackson is guilty or not. That's already been done, and he is cleared of the charges. I don't personally know what happened, and I can't base my reputation on what is published in tabloid magazines. His reputation is tarnished, his life been made into a mockery, and his family matters displayed to public like a soap opera for the last thirty or more years. That hardly seems like a good base for an opinion.

Agreed, Amanda. For the most part, I don't think people think that the jury was biased...if anything, I'd think they would have a negative bias. Child molestors are the lowest of the low. I do think it's slightly naive to believe that somehow they managed to pick 12 jury members with absolutely no predisposed bias one way or the other, unless they've been living under a rock in a cave in the desert.

While he wasn't convicted, that certainly doesn't mean he's innocent. Like I said before, all it means is that the prosecution failed to prove beyond reproach that Jackson was guilty of the charges listed. That's what happens when you have a case full of little (or big) holes. the Scott Peterson trial was similar to this. The prosecutor did a bad job in critical areas, and luckily for them, managed to convince the jury anyway.

[MrToast]

(Copying from my livejournal)

Personally, I don't think he was "guilty".

Yes, we all know that Jacko is about as screwed up upstairs as you can get and still be considered legally sane. But I don't believe it's his fault. Emotionally, mentally, everythingly (except musically), he's stuck as a perpetual 13-year-old, or younger. He's a pre-teen stuck in an adult body. In some ways, I wouldn't even call him adolescent. I think he really doesn't know the difference between right and wrong.

He grew up in the spotlight of the Jackson 5, and was always under *intense* pressure from his father to perform exceptionally well. An obsessive father is one thing, but an obsessive and abusive father is another. Thank heaven I can't speak from experience, but I would think that it having someone like Jackson Sr. as a dad would be a pretty damning factor in my intellectual growth.

Think about it. Michael Jackson is obsessed with being a kid. To prove it, he's built himself mini-disneyland over at Neverland Ranch. He was upset when he didn't the part of Peter Pan in some movie. He really believes that crap. Someone like that I have serious doubts over his capacity to judge right from wrong.

So yes, perhaps he did do all the things he was accused of. But I think it was the right thing to let him go.

And another thing, about that woman and her son who were the ones that started all this.... She's so full of crap. Look at her history. Look at all the things people have found out about her. Of the two (Jackson and her), she's the one that should be in jail. Expert con artist, she is. Too bad we actually have a semi-fair legal system in this country, or she might've gotten away with it again.

OK, end rant.

Dave

[evulish]

Kudos to what MrToast said.. he just saved me a bunch of typing! I'm glad he wasn't charged.. not because I think he's innocent (or guilty for that matter), but that case was so terrible.

[Ryan Albright]

Case in point, even if you believe if he was guilty or not

O,J. Simpson = Innocent
Robert Blake = acquitted of charges
Michael Jackson = Innocent


Scott Peterson = Guilty

These First three people are famous, the last is not. I just personally think that money and fame plays alot into the court room. I personally think there was a biased decision, I mean its Michael Jackson. I do believe that all the evidence of the first three was as substantial as Scott Peterson, I just do believe fame played a biased decision into all these cases.

In my personal opinion i do believe he is guilty as i do believe Robert Blake and O.J. Simpson also are guilty. But like Cory said all the prosecutors in the cases did not prove to the jurors beyond a reasonable doubt they were all guilty

[xzvrw2]

What if he just didn't do it? No one has ever thought of that before. What if he just didn't do it? Every one just went straight "he did it". What if he just didn't do it?

[Cory]

Originally Posted by Ryan Albright

I just personally think that money and fame plays alot into the court room.

I think this holds true in certain situations. Whenever a NFL player gets busted for anything, you hardly ever see jail time. You see a fairly insignificant fine, and community service. We all know if one of us were to get caught doing the same thing, the penalty would hold a much more severe consequence.

[i_am_Doug]

Originally Posted by Ryan Albright

Case in point, even if you believe if he was guilty or not

O,J. Simpson = Innocent
Robert Blake = acquitted of charges
Michael Jackson = Innocent


Scott Peterson = Guilty

These First three people are famous, the last is not. I just personally think that money and fame plays alot into the court room. I personally think there was a biased decision, I mean its Michael Jackson. I do believe that all the evidence of the first three was as substantial as Scott Peterson, I just do believe fame played a biased decision into all these cases.

In my personal opinion i do believe he is guilty as i do believe Robert Blake and O.J. Simpson also are guilty. But like Cory said all the prosecutors in the cases did not prove to the jurors beyond a reasonable doubt they were all guilty

This is very true. think about it, rich people dont go to jail (exept martha stewart) go to jail. Plus if thats IF michal went to jail...think hed last? i dont personly i think he would get killed or like mauled. do you guys know people in prison watch tv (news) so if he did go to jail would he last?

[Jay H 237]

Originally Posted by i_am_Doug

Plus if thats IF michal went to jail...think hed last? i dont personly i think he would get killed or like mauled. do you guys know people in prison watch tv (news) so if he did go to jail would he last?

If he was sent to jail he would've been kept away from the general prison population for his safety. Other prisoners would've considered it a "trophy" to injure or kill him especially being a high profile person he is and the crimes he's accused of. Those that would have harmed him have very little or nothing to lose so they would not have thought twice about it before they commited anything.

[Mike]

I don't know for sure whether he is innocent or guilty, but based on the information that I have heard/seen over the course of the trial I find it hard to believe that he could have done nothing wrong. They found a ton of pretty disgusting evidence (I'm sure you've heard of some of the things, no need to re-state.). Also, just the stuff he does is weird. The guy built a mock Disneyland at his house, a child's dreamworld. Now whether or not, he's stuck in his childhood as someone mentioned, that does not excuse his actions. And yeah, Thriller was a good album, just because someone did something illegal and/or immoral doesn't mean that they don't have talent in another area.

This whole rich/popular people don't go to jail is starting to get on my nerves too. These people are average Americans, that because of their last name, or because they can run faster than some other people, they are automatically excused from jailtime. I don't know the exact numbers, but I sure know that the year(ish) of jail time Martha got is nowhere near the sentence an average joe would get. She made families poor, she should get a little more than a slap on the wrist.


*I don't know the exact numbers, or anything in general, of what I'm talking about. If I'm wrong on something feel free to correct me.*

EDIT: About MJ being kept away from other prisoners if he went:

In prison there's a pecking order, and people who abuse/kill/molest children are at the bottom of it. No doubt if he was put into the general population he would be seriously seriously harmed within a matter of days. I'm sure there are some neighborhoods out of prison where it would be a trophy to harm MJ too, so he doesn't go there. If he doesn't wanna get harmed by prisoners, don't do anything stupid and he won't go to jail. He realized that if he goes to jail he will most likely get hurt. No special treatment.

[Dorienne]

I completely agree with MrToast up there. I don't think he was 'guilty' at all. He's stuckin a child's body and doesn't really think on terms of sex or sexual acts. Just because he has kids in his own bed does not mean he is committing an illegal sexual act with them.

He had a rough childhood, and he did not get to live life like an 'average' child did; play basketball in the park, run around and cause mischief, have sleepovers, etc. So he's trying to live the life he missed out on through the kids and through his Neverland Ranch.

These mothers are just trying to get money. They think that since he's giving money away to children who are ill and in the hospital, that they can squeeze some more out of him by accusing him of molesting their children. And it seems to me that these kids could have been given the scenarios to tell the judge and jury. The mothers could have planted these things in their head so they can go against Michael Jackson.

It is possible. And I don't think he did any of this.

[Conor Ryan]

Toast and The Fish are Right.

I've come to the conclusion that Jacko is an example of what happens when you don't raise a child right. Look at him, you can't see that he has the same morals as a normal adult. Yes we get the fact that he likes kids, everyone likes kids right? They're too innocent to not like. But the problem that Jackson has is expressing it right. I think he acted too much like a kid and not a mature adult like he should be. But the problem was, no one close to him told him and tried to help him with it. Also I think he has had more than his share of problems with the media in the past and that probably attributes to his bad rap that he gets today.

He's probably a very nice person, just a bit misguided.