"Do you think you could have saved him?" LMP couldn't have but you could have Oprah!

In a sneak peek of the recent Oprah interview with Lisa Marie Presley, Oprah asks Lisa if Lisa thinks she could have saved Michael.

Now, for several weeks there has been a firestorm amongst MJ fans with a lot of heated words aimed at both ladies. Whilst I understand where these fans are coming from, I have a confession to make......drumroll please..........I actually admire both women!

With Lisa Marie, like I said in my first post, I was delighted when she married Michael and so disappointed that their marriage didn't last.

I really feel for her when she cops flak from MJ fans. It just seems so short sighted - don't these fans realise Lisa Marie has done more to dispel the myths about Michael being gay than anyone else? I wonder if these same fans are the first to point to Michael's marriage to Lisa when they are confronted with haters...

We all know how ridiculed Michael was. And despite the sceptism, contempt, sarcasm and disbelief that the media heaped on Lisa's assertions that their marriage was a "sexually active" one, she has never wavered on that point in any of the interviews I've seen her do.

Some have argued that Lisa was, and still is, using Michael to further her own music career. I totally disagree with this. She has always struck me as being genuinely in love with him. Even any negative comments she has made about him further re-inforces this. Isn't it normal for an ex-wife to harbor some ill feelings after a failed relationship?

In the Rabbi Schmuck tapes (oops! used the nickname instead of the real name) Michael relates how he hardened his heart towards Lisa when they began to experience difficulties in their marriage. This is what he says:

"After we got divorced, she would hang out with my mother all the time. I have all these letters she sent: 'I'll give you nine children. I'll do whatever you want.' And, of course, the press doesn't know of these stories. And she just tried for months and months, and I became too hardhearted at that point. I had closed my mind on the whole situation."

I love the fact that she still has intense feelings for him, even now some 14 years after their divorce. It almost validates my admiration for him in a way. Sometimes with celebrities you admire you wonder if they are really as wonderful as you imagine them to be. Would they truly be as special to you if you got to know them personally?


Oprah is a bit of an enigma to me and a different proposition entirely. On the one hand, she has a humanitarian streak that is very, very commendable, but her other half – that of media persona is an aspect of her personality that I do not care for at all. Coming from Australia, in 1993 Oprah was the most prominent and visible African American we got to see on a daily basis.

Now, back then vitiligo was a disease I had never heard of before. So when her MJ special aired it confused me when she asked about the bleaching creams right after MJ had explained to her about his condition.   

Source: moonwalkerx3 click here to see her blog

 MICHAEL JACKSON - OPRAH INTERVIEW (1993)
OPRAH: It has caused a great deal of speculation and controversy as to what you have done or ‘are’ doing, are you bleaching your skin? Is your skin lighter because you don’t like being black?
MICHAEL: Okay, number 1. There is (as I know of) NO such thing as ‘skin bleaching’, I have never seen it, I don’t know what it is.
This is the situation, I have a skin disorder that destroys the pigmentation of the skin, it’s something I can not help. Okay? When people make up these stories that I don’t want to be who I am, it hurts me. 
It’s a problem for me, I can’t control it, okay?
But what about the millions of people (let’s reverse it), What about all the millions of people who sit out in the sun to become darker, to become other then what they are?
Nobody says nothing about that.

I took Oprah’s scepticism as cause to think that maybe he chose to be white (I am so ashamed of this now that I know better). But I could see no other reason why she did not appear to believe him about the vitiligo.


For me, this is what I find objectionable about her. I can forgive the lack of support for Michael, I don't like it, but I can forgive it. I would have loved her to be more vocal in support of Michael - especially when it came to claims that 'he wanted to be white'. Her support could have made a huge difference in turning the media tsunami around. And if that had occurred, Michael's life would have been so much better...perhaps even preventing his death?

That's what I mean by the title of this posting - Oprah is someone who is in the position to change the public perception - the pop culture. But she didn't. She chose not to. And that saddens me.

There are two recent examples of Oprah's ugly side - that of media savvy businesswoman - that I wish to mention. The first occurred during an interview Oprah did with JayZ in September, 2009. The link I've provided is to the O magazine article. I've done so deliberately because the TV interview is absolutely terrible in my opinion and grossly unfair to JayZ. I knew very little about him prior to watching the interview and was looking forward to finding out more about Beyonce's husband (sorry JayZ but this was your main claim to fame at that time, from my point of view!)

The TV interview left me with the impression that JayZ was a drug dealer from the age of 13 and he was extremely proud of that. I felt Oprah let her "friend" JayZ down by not stressing that his pride is due to removing himself from that situation. A fact which I had to learn by tracking down other articles and interviews. (I like Beyonce a whole lot and was concerned for her!) It was only for the purpose of this posting that I glimpsed through the O magazine article. It seems to be a fairer picture of JayZ but I have only skimmed it so far...

On a personal note, it angered me that Oprah had no problem with JayZ's drug dealing confession yet was lukewarm at best when it comes to anything to do with Michael Jackson...

 The second Oprah story I wish to share occurred around Michael's birthday in 2009. Yep, at that time I was still looking to the mainstream media for Michael news and was watching 'The Insider". Samantha Harris was interviewing Oprah and they discussed Jaycee Lee Dugard, that poor woman who was abducted as an 11 year old, and kept imprisoned for 18 years by her kidnappers. And Oprah said how she would love to “get” that interview. I would have thought that a former child abuse victim herself would have looked at it as not just another story!

"Please help me protect my family and preserve my legacy" Invitation to brainstorm!

In one of the many commemorative issues that magazines put out for Michael Jackson, there is a quote from one that often comes to my mind. Especially lately.

It is from "The Source" 

and L.Londell McMillan, the owner and publisher of the magazine quotes Michael as saying the following to him:

"Please help me protect my family and preserve my legacy". 

Initially, I thought Michael was referring to his children and his musical legacy. But the more time that passes convinces me that it is much more than just this.


For example, I think we (MJ Fans) are part of his legacy. Whenever I try to imagine what Michael may have been feeling or thinking during the difficult times in his life, I feel sure that one of the hardest things for him to endure was his inability to help others on the same kind of scale that he had been doing.


As hopefully you all know by now, his humanitarian efforts were extraordinary. He routinely would donate all his profits from each concert, performance, appearance or interview to charity. For a detailed list of what he has done please visit "The Silenced Truth" website. (Click on the name)


And even though I have decided to continue with my little stories, the advocate in me is not stopping. I have shared some of my ideas with a few MJ friends and I want to include them in a post in the hope that it will encourage others to share their thoughts and ideas.


1. There is currently several campaigns concerning Mr. Martin Bashir and having MSNBC fire him - which I support wholeheartedly. 


But I don't want ABC, Granada Television and ITV to be let off the hook. They funded and profited from the objectionable 'current affairs film' (I refuse to call it a documentary and Mr. Bashir's own name for it is very appropriate in my opinion).  I've put a suggestion to a few MJ fan-mily members that we focus on the fact that Mr. Bashir and his associates have not appeared to have made the donation to the British charities that was promised to Michael to secure that interview.


This is one instance where we can funnel our anger into getting restitution. In addition to the 250,000 GBP that were promised to charity, I'd like to see Disney do more. I think it would be wonderful if we could convince them to have a Michael Jackson day at their Disneyland theme parks - not just in the United States but at all their venues. Reminiscent of Michael's spirit, they could open their doors to under privileged & sick children and give the children a day to remember. After all that was what Neverland was all about, not the false representation in the 'current affairs film' they bought and distributed.


Don't you think Michael would love that? I thought his birthday, August 29th would be perfect. In the northern hemisphere it is summer then.


2. SONY. Now I just have to laugh at them. I've read many things about them and whilst I haven't completely made up my mind about the full extent of their role in MJ's life and death, I am certain that they are, at the very least, guilty of a failure to recognise the treasure that was Michael Jackson.

Today, I noticed that there is a new box DVD set being promoted, for sale in November. They are advertising it as an "Epic/Legacy Recordings" release! I mean, how dumb do they think we are?


Anyway, there has been much talk of whether to boycott Sony - which could prove to be a difficult choice for many MJ fans - myself included.


But there is another option. Seeing as they do seem to know we (the fans) are contemplating this, couldn't we convince them to be more "Michael-like". By this I mean what if they agreed to match MJ fans donations to approved charities (I'm thinking of 'A Million Trees for Michael' and 'Heal the World for Children' when they both get officially approved, of course)? That way we could purchase new Michael material guilt free, knowing that by doing so we were contributing to his legacy.


to be continued...

To be or not to be - that is the question.

First published October 14, 2010 in my other blog.

In the last few weeks I've been agonising over what I'm doing here with this blog - with the fictional side of things I mean. Should I scrap that idea and be more of a factual advocate?


For months now I've racked my brains to figure out what I can do to get the truth out there about Michael. And as I've said here in my blog a few times before, there are already lots of other MJ fans that are posting great factual stuff. And bless them for doing so!


Whilst I need to discover the truth, sometimes I find it hard to go there. Rev. Barbara Kaufman of Inner Michael said it best during one of the "A Place in Your Heart" blog talk radio interviews. I think it was the one with Catherine Coy from MJTruthNow. They were discussing Mr. Bashir and Rev. Barbara called in to share her thoughts on the matter.

She described how to research her latest article into journalists and the media she had to go to a 'very dark place'. And that's exactly how I feel when I come across certain articles. I've collected transcripts of the Arviso children for example, and even though I know it is all lies, I still haven't been able to bring myself to read it all.  

So while I am determined to never stop seeking the truth about what has been done to Michael, I've just got the strongest feeling about the way I need to do it. 

I need things to be lighter sometimes, I need to escape.....

I want to give the world escapism through the wonder of great music and to reach the masses. - Michael Jackson

He most certainly achieved that aim.

My little stories, what I am trying to do with them - it just feels right to me and right for me.

Ultimately, what I would like to do is help the factual writers - but through fiction. Sounds like an oxymoron doesn't it - using fiction to spread truth.  But let me explain. As we all know, the problem is that the media has been free to portray Michael in the worst possible light - which is exactly what they have done.  And try as we might we are going to have a hard time getting them to correct their mistakes.

But what if we can use pop culture for Michael instead of against him? 

By this I mean take TV shows or movies, things people do see everyday and insert our message in there. This seems to me to be one way to side step the media and give our message a chance to be heard. And my hope is that someone will read one of my stories, who isn't necessarily a MJ fan, and be curious enough to follow the link to one of the factual writers and learn the truth.

I would like to see this kind of approach taken to other aspects as well. I'll discuss that more in my next posting called "Legacy".

Matt Fides might be Blanket's daddy? I don't think so.

First published in my other blog October 5, 2010.

I suppose I should thank Matt Fides really. Now I have the perfect excuse to include in my blog all those lovely photos MJ fans have made that show how similar looking Blanket and Michael are.

 Now someone please try telling me again that Matt Fides is Blanket's daddy! If you want to see what Matt Fides looked like as a child click on his name up the top so you can see the article that includes his photo.

I left a comment where I gave a web address for a "Blanket compared to Michael" photos so that the curious could check it out for themselves but my comment was not published.

By the way, what else has Matt Fides said about Michael? Well, here is one story from shortly after Michael's death:

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Michael-Jackson-UK-Bodyguard-Matt-Fiddes-Tells-Of-Stars-Secret-Girlfriend-And-Drugs-Hell/Article/200907115327444

And that's all I want to say on this matter!

First act of advocacy - Why don't they compare apples with apples?

First published October 5, 2010.

After my last posting, I remembered something. I had actually done my first act of advocacy back in October 2009.

This was when I still looked towards the mainstream media for MJ news (I know better now of course!) but I was getting increasingly frustrated with all the negativity.  Rarely did anyone seem to have a kind word for our beloved Michael.

I am embarrassed to actually admit this but I was watching "The Insider" and they had a guest, Bethenny Frankel on. They were discussing Michael Jackson (I have tried in vain to find a transcript so I can be accurate) and Ms. Frankel said that the Michael Jackson 2005 trial was just like the O.J Simpson case.

Now, she is probably not the first (or, unfortunately, the last) to make this kind of comment but it made me furious. What was the word Mr. Mesereau used to describe his reaction to media coverage of Michael Jackson during the trial? Oh yes, 'apoplectic'. Yes, I was apoplectic too.

I fumed and stewed and then fumed some more until eventually I jumped onto "The Insider" website and posted a comment.

It was pretty brief and I think it went something like this:

"I would like to point out to Ms. Frankel that a glaringly obvious difference between the Michael Jackson and O.J Simpson trials was the fact that there was no doubt in OJ's case that a crime HAD occurred. There were unfortunately the two deceased people, Nicole Brown & Ron Goldman.

In Michael Jackson's case there was no proof of any crime, only accusations which is why he was acquitted on all counts when the jury failed to believe the accuser's version."

Of course, there are many more instances of people (in the media and in the general public) that do this kind of thing to Michael. Another 'comparison' I am heartily sick of is the one to Anna Nicole Smith. Whilst I will concede that both are reported to have died from legal prescription drugs I think the significance of having a medical doctor present and administering the drugs makes it a unique situation compared to a self-administered overdose. Two completely different propositions, in my opinion.

Next posting will contain my more recent efforts.

Call to Action

Hello all,

In my first posting, I wrote that I would be focusing on my little stories, seeing as there was already so many other fans out there doing a wonderful job in presenting factual information to challenge the negative and false perceptions of Michael Jackson.

In particular, the other fan sites I’m referring to are:

www.mj-777.com

www.mjandjustice4some.blogspot.com

www.vindicatemj.wordpress.com

www.mjtruthnow.com

www.gatorgirl277.blogspot.com

www.allforloveblog.com

www.michaelsguardian.blogspot.com

Those seven sites are deliberate choices. They do not all agree on who was Michael's friend and who was a foe. As a newcomer to all this, I think it behooves you to have differing opinions - you can then examine the sources the author has used and make your own determinations. (I am still finding my way!)

From Seven’s site I became introduced to “A Place in Your Heart” Blog Talk Radio with Reverend Catherine Gross. People can either listen live to the shows or download recordings of the interviews to listen to later on.

Whilst listening to one such recorded interview with Catherine Coy from MJTruthNow I had my first epiphany.

At the 1 hour 14 minutes and 15 seconds mark a caller named Judith asks Catherine Coy to talk about the transition MJ fans experience. Catherine says she sees the sequence of events like this:

Fan → Admirer → Advocate

I realized that I was at the admirer stage but was being propelled, or perhaps I should say compelled, towards becoming an advocate for Michael.

I’ve been doing a lot of MJ research – which, by the way, is why my most of stories are unfinished! – but now I do as Catherine suggests. Every time an article I read allows the reader to make a comment I make one. I do not want to repeat my mistakes of prior to Michael’s death when I said nothing when he was being attacked, scorned or ridiculed.

After Catherine explains the sequence, Judith comments on the energy of the MJ fans and how this needs to be harnessed on behalf of Michael….to protect and enhance his legacy.

Then, this past weekend, I listened to the ‘Reflections of the Dance’ series and I had a second epiphany.

Dr Patrick Treacy called in and expressed concerns about the upcoming trials and the effect it will have on MJ’s legacy.

My initial thoughts when Dr. Treacy said this was that Dr. Murray is so obviously guilty, in my opinion, of negligence (at the very least) that I didn’t have to worry.

These 2 images belong together!

Then it occurred to me that his concerns were valid. After all, Dr. Murray’s guilt is not what the media is likely to focus on, if we consider the media’s track record. No, they are more likely to seize on any sensational aspects with regards to Michael Jackson.

And then I got it. I understood what he meant. It stands to reason that the next major threat to Michael’s reputation is likely to come during first the Dr. Murray trial and later Katherine Jackson’s lawsuit against AEG.

Why? Because this is when the media’s attention will return to Michael Jackson in full force.

So any party or parties who have a reason to further denigrate Michael Jackson will have the perfect opportunity to do so.

From reading all the above mentioned websites, I’ve learnt that Michael had a lot of enemies. (The irony of that never fails to astound me seeing as he appears to have been the most kind-hearted man living in our time).

For me, the biggest area of concern is the unknown party. In all the mass of information out there so far I have not been able to ascertain who it is that is funding cash strapped Dr. Murray’s defense. I’m thinking either his medical insurance company or AEG’s Insurer but this is only a guess.  If it is an insurance company then we have an extremely motivated entity that will want to minimize their financial liabilities at all costs.

The other thing that prompts me now is what I see when I look at what is circulating around the MJ fans, MJ Fan-mily, Michael’s Soldiers of Love, the MJ Army – whatever name that is used.

 
I personally like the “MJ Army” because to me Michael was a King. Humans become part of modern day nobility through birth or marriage. But in the beginning, it was a man’s character that led to him having the title of King bestowed upon him. He earned it, from his acts of courage on the battlefield, his intelligence and his leadership ability. The media scoffed at Michael’s ‘King of Pop’ title but he earned it. His career achievements and humanitarian efforts are both legendary. 

 Kings have armies. They need their armies to protect the King and the kingdom.

 

Artwork by Bellafina. My thanks as always...

Even though I may prefer the name “MJ Army” I think the name “MJ Fan-mily” might be more appropriate. There are so many of us, so whilst we all share a love for Michael, like in any family there will be disagreements and some fighting.

If Dr. Treacy is right, and I have given you my reasons for believing he is, then we the MJ Fan-mily can not afford to allow our focus to be diverted away from our mission. We owe it to Michael, if not to ourselves.

In the beginning...

Hello all,

What has lead to me joining the ranks of so many others and create my own MJ inspired blog?

             Well, that's simply really - his name is MICHAEL JACKSON.


I am one of those MJ fans who "abandoned him to the witch hunt" as Madonna so eloquently put it at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.

I first became a MJ fan in 1991. I remember very clearly because his "Black or White" video premiere was made into a TV special here in Australia.
 
So, whilst I wasn't necessarily a fan at that time, a new Michael Jackson video was an event.

An event guaranteed to be the topic of conversation at water coolers (and nearly everywhere else for that matter) the following day. And it was.

 

After the actual "Black or White" video, the programme aired some interview footage with a younger Michael. I guess MJ must have been 19 or 20 years old at the time.

The man fascinated me. His smile seemed to me, to radiate joy. And he was gorgeous! Simply gorgeous.

Yet in the preceding video his appearance was markedly altered. He was still incredibly attractive but his skin was noticeably lighter. I did not understand why.
 

Oprah interviewing MJ in 1993

You must understand this is before his 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey where he explained that he has a disease called vitiligo.

However, it wasn’t just his change in appearance that intrigued me. I wondered why he seemed so much sadder and angrier too….I wondered why in videos like "Beat It", "Bad" and in the leopard sequence following the "Black or White" song, he was so obviously unhappy about things. I did not understand at all.

Over the next few years I learnt a little more about MJ and my admiration for him grew and grew. Not just for his undeniable talent but also for the man himself.



When the first lot of allegations began, I was torn. I was naïve enough to think that the allegations would not have progressed the way they did unless there was some cause but on the other hand I found it difficult to imagine the lovely man I felt I had come to know, could be capable of what he was being accused of.

Eventually, I purchased a copy of ‘GQ’ magazine that had the article:

Was Michael Jackson framed? 

The Untold Story
Mary A. Fischer
GQ, October 1994

Finally, here was a piece of investigative journalism that appeared to take ALL the facts into account. I was relieved that I could now support MJ wholeheartedly based on that article. The arguments presented in it appeared fair and honest.

Actually, it was the divorce from Lisa Marie Presley that was the thing that made me stop following MJ. To my surprise, I had been delighted with their marriage so I was disappointed that it ended.

Back then, due to my lack of real understanding, I felt MJ had some self-destructive tendencies and as I have a history of running in the opposite direction when a loved one exhibits those tendencies, I ran from him.

Then in 2005, initially I refused to follow that awful trial. But the media was so adamant, confident and persistent in their assertions that he was going to be found guilty, I found myself reluctantly compelled to observe the trial re-enactments.

I was astounded that there no basis whatsoever presented for the claims. Every day I prepared myself for some devastating revelation that would justify the claims. But they never came…

I have read a good many entries from other MJ fans that realised too late what a treasure he was and I share their feelings of guilt. Because in my heart I was sure he was innocent all along but I never shared that, I never shouted it or even whispered it......

  

Make that change!

OK, Michael I will. I will write it down here. I am going to support you, in my own way, by sharing stories I’ve written about you and for you.


These stories arose out of a desire to have some justice for you. I intend to insert as many links as I can to all the wonderful sites from other MJ fans that are actively seeking, and sometimes, demanding the justice you so richly deserve.