I appreciate MJs artistry and wealth of talent. It is an art I don't enjoy, but I do recognize it.

My suspicion is that, as suggested above, MJ's emotional development was horribly stunted. He was still a child, but in an adult billionaire body. I suspect he did things that would have been perfectly natural and acceptable had he been the same age of the children he was with - like slumber-party kind of stuff. But an adult doing those things with a child was completely inappropriate and lead to accusations of much worse.

I have always felt sorry for him and the hell that his life became in the 1980s. When one gets to that level of power and wealth, how can they recognize who are their real friends? Add to that a 10-year-old's emotional development and it could only lead to disaster.

I'm glad his suffering is over. It was a terrible waste. Imagine what his career and life could have been had it not turned into a circus freak show.

This is getting tiresome.

One thing is for sure. Whether you are a pc apologist playing the victim card trying to excuse his self imposed behavior, or a critic who enjoys poking fun at this piece of human refuse one simple fact cannot be denied:

The thing that once was Michael Jackson is dead. Finis. Kaput. Muerto. Its over.

Jackson did have vitiligo (so do I, so does my mother), but there is no fucking way his whole body turned that white from the disorder.
Vitiligo always presents in patches, where melanocyte death/loss is present.

I've seen some pretty bad cases over the years, and always feel a bit sorry for those with dark skin who have the condition (it only shows on me when I get some sun). Although its never really weighed on my psyche, I can see why someone might wish to cover it up through tattooing, bleaching, or other cosmetic processes. It's obvious that Jackson augmented the white appearance that was already present in part from the vitiligo.

Still, many ignorant people think that he just "turned himself white" for the hell of it.

As far as I know, there are no similar explanations for the rest of the train-wreck plastic surgery.

Atreus...I do not disagree with what you wrote. However, you mentioned something I have heard all my life, and have even seen here...on a SATANIC forum no less. So, this is not directed toward you or your post...

Money and power do NOT make people turn into flakes. Money and power are good. More money and power is even better. Flakes, much like Satanists are born, not made. Michael Jackson would have suffered the same arrested development without money. Mr. Jackson had a lot of children. Only Michael became Michael. He was obviously born weak. Yes, he was very talented. Yes, he was probably "misunderstood". He was still weak.

I have heard how the evils of money turned Howard Hughes into...well...Howard Hughes. No, it didn't. Mental illness was the culprit.

Lately, I have heard the Pop Princess Britney Spears went crazy because she got too much too fast. If Ms. Spears had stayed where she came from, a small southern town, she would still have shown her ass all over town. We just wouldn't hear about it.

There is nothing wrong with money and power.

In case it doesn't show, I just picked up my paycheck, and the money went to my head.

Jokes
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/michaeldeacon/100001489/when-will-jackson-jokes-be-acceptable/

I completely agree with you, Roho. Please let me clarify because I can see how what I said could have been interpreted as you have. I agree that money and power do not corrupt.

Money and power can give a flake permission to continue to be a flake (and expand its scope) because no one around them will challenge them to grow for fear of losing the money and power they enjoy by proximity.

What the flakes who happen to be rich and powerful need is someone to bitch-slap some sense into them. But no one who does that will be around them long. They needs a Church of Satan counselor to tell them what no one else around them has the balls to.

R&P Flake: "Counselor Atreus, I am thinking of having some 12-year-old friends of mine over for a slumber party."

Counselor Atreus: "First of all: Why the f*&^ do you have 12-year-old friends? Secondly: What exactly do you intend to do in this slumber party that would be appropriate for a 50 year old man and one or more 12-year-olds? Thirdly: Could you consider including their parents in this gathering so there would be no appearance of impropriety?"

The hard part of the job would be to resist the eye-rolls while saying all of that. But everyone (not just the rich and powerful) needs someone to say the equivalent of: "Honey, those jeans make your ass look huge."

HS!

I knew that is what you meant...which is why I made it clear I was not disagreeing with you.

Thanks for expanding, though.

Money and Power are good if you know how to use them well for your advantage and for the development of your life in the future, there no doubt about that. But to say "He was Born weak?" is in my opinion just wrong.

No one is born weak. The reason for that was his parents, yes I'm being very frank. Why? Well, if anyone would take the time and read or watch a brief history of his life, you would soon come to realize the real ugly truth behind it. The Unspeakable damage that he was forced to feel would make anyone "weak" and tortured for the rest of his life. I doubt even therapy can help you with that kind of emotional trauma.

Now please bare in mind that I'm not trying to defend him, I'm just trying to justify my point.

Anyway, As Magister Phineas said its over now. he's dead. There's no point discussing this anymore.

Oh, give me a break. The issue of MJ aside, I could not disagree more with your statements as a whole.

There are plenty of people who have survived all kinds of childhood trauma and abuse who live their lives without letting their past experiences define what sort of adult they are. Admitting that something has affected you is one thing, using it as an excuse for your bad choices in life is entirely different.

The strong survive and come out of it fighting. Victim mentality is for the weak.

Understood, but just to clear this up. i wasn't referring to his "bad choices", but about the term "weak" as he was described. Bad Choices are indeed entirely your fault, if any.

Therefore, survival has no relevance to my response. I wasn't indicating that his weakness was involved in his choices.

But i must ask, how can someone be born "weak"? And what is the definition of "weak" regarding the issue?

Clarification would be great.

That is why I made this post.

Damn this endless curiosity, its been more of a burden lately than a blessing. Understood, Magister.

I thought this was touching.
He really missed his childhood.

This thread has proven that the spectrum has been fully covered for Michael.

Some loved the guy. Some hated him. Yet others fell somewhere between the two.

As has been said several times in the thread, I just don't look forward to seeing "news" about Jacko spread across the next several months, let alone the next several years.

The guy is dead, the media should let him be just that... dead.

Right or wrong, Rest in Peace, Michael.