Media stranglehold - what can we do about it?

Tori Tomkins says: "I tell people all the facts I can remember - that the family trashed Michael's property, used his credit cards and visited tourist attractions whilst they claimed they were being "held captive." That their testimonies weren't consistent or believable - that Sneddon forged fingerprint evidence on magazines that hadn't even been published at the time of the allegations - that his office fabricated phone evidence - that the prosecution had no evidence to present in court apart from two legal art books and a family with a history of lying, extortion and deceit. Yet I tell people these things and they say "Well, I suppose," as if they don't quite believe it. It is extremely frustrating - how much more evidence is needed?"

Tori’s quote shows you what an insidious stranglehold the media has over the general public. Even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, some people find it hard to let go of their pre-conceived notions. Why is that? Well, I think maybe I can shed some light on this.

As Michael said in an interview given to Magdalena, Gold Girl in 2002: 

I did know. Instinctively and intuitively I knew Michael was a genuinely good person. That was what attracted me to him - even more than his undeniable talent or his stunningly good looks. Like he told ET on the set of ‘Beat It’ he was here to “bring some kind of joy, escapism, magic to the world!”

Here is that interview: (I quoted from the 00:52 mark). 

But here is where the stranglehold of the media comes in. They have a level of trust – the very nature of the news media is that they report on events as they happen. Well, that’s how it is supposed to be at any rate. But as we now know, that is not what actually happens. These days the news media and the entertainment industry are almost indistinguishable from one another. Ratings are the name of the game and there seems to be very little concern that the ratings often come at the expense of the truth.

Last week, I was watching an episode of ‘The View’ and Barbara Walters said something that was very interesting. She was discussing the upcoming royal nuptials of Prince William to Kate Middleton and she made the point that a poll had been taken that showed the American public’s interest in the wedding was surprisingly low. Ironically, she then spent the next five minutes promoting her TV special on the same subject!

Prince William & Kate publicly announce their engagement. I wish them well!

Amusing, yes but there is a very significant point I’m trying to make. The media likes to decide what they think we should be interested in; regardless of whether we actually are or not. Arrogant, isn’t it? But not isolated. Remember the same thing happened with the Monica Lewinsky - President Clinton scandal. Despite feedback from the public that they had enough of the furore, the news reports continued to focus on it day in day out until they decided it was time to move on to a different story.

It is the same with Michael Jackson; they decided how he was to be portrayed and it seemed to matter little to them what the truth might actually be. When it came to the allegations, they determined that a guilty verdict suited their purposes best and slanted their reports that way.

Now, that sounds like a statement that would come from a fan. And many do dismiss us as “Oh, that’s just those crazy MJ fans!” It is not unexpected that as a fan I would want to believe the media was biased but the opposite is true. Initially, I believed the media must have some basis for their reports so some parts of it must be true. I didn’t want to doubt Michael but the media were so insistent that I’m afraid I did for a brief period. It was a GQ article “Was Michael Jackson Framed?” in 1994 that set me straight.

The difference is that as a fan I sought to uncover the truth. The general public were reliant on the media for that and the media failed to represent the situation fairly. I haven’t actually re-read that GQ article but from memory the author simply presents arguments for both sides of the equation – and isn’t this exactly what we desire our media to do in every single instance? Tell us the facts and then leave us to draw our own conclusions.

Given all this, ten years later I was unprepared for the media onslaught that followed the second set of allegations. Armed with the knowledge gained from the 1993 experience, I wasn’t concerned with the rumors until charges were laid. Then I was very confused. I felt sure Michael was innocent but the police must have had some evidence if they chose to charge him, right? The media were reporting like a conviction was a foregone conclusion, so they must surely have been privy to some proof that would warrant such a position? So it was with a lot of reluctance that I watched some court re-enactments of the trial (I think it was on the E! network). My reluctance turned to relief as day by day it became increasingly apparent that no such evidence existed.

My relief was so strong that I did not really ponder all that much on the media’s role. Michael would be exonerated and at that time that was all that mattered to me.

For the most part, all those things Tori mentions in her quote weren’t widely reported on during the trial…I never heard about the falsified fingerprint evidence, for example, until after Michael died. In fact, for me - the first I heard of that was on Reverend Catherine’s blog talk radio show – the one she did with William Wagener. To say I was astounded would be putting it mildly. That was huge and yet it has been completely ignored by the mainstream media. It is exactly this type of blatant and audacious disregard for the truth that is at the core of the problem. The general public do not expect the media to do this kind of thing. They believe, as I did, that if the media said something happened they had researched that item to ensure that it did occur. Conversely, if they became aware of a pertinent morsel of information, they would relay that to the waiting public.

So, this is why some people react to Tori’s facts they way they do. They may seem reluctant to believe her – after all it is quite daunting, and more than a little humiliating to acknowledge that you may have been duped for an extended period of time.  For some people, this may be close to twenty years!

Or as this fan put it:

"All these pages, 100’s of pages, many, many hours of investigation, going to the Philippines, going to Chicago, going all over the country, there’s not one scrap of evidence that Michael Jackson ever harmed a child, did anything wrong, committed any crime. It’s almost a vindication when you look at this. The FBI looked at all of these matters and said “there’s nothing here,” and I think that’s the most startling thing which I’ve seen."

It’s not a question of more evidence; the existing evidence just needs to filter through to the public at large in a medium they can trust.

The dilemma for us Michael Jackson fans is how do we get the facts to the general public if the media aren’t going to do it?

Not another ‘Pepsi Moment’ comment! Oh no, this time it’s by Aussies…

Today, 23^rd April 2011, I was watching a repeat of the results show for ‘American Idol’ on FOX8 when a promo ran for ‘The Celebrity Apprentice’.

I wasn’t really watching avidly as I was working on a posting for my blog but I like having the TV on in the background. Sort of killing two birds with one stone – I wanted to know the outcome without needing to pay close attention to the whole show.  My MJ antenna kicked in when I heard this though:

“And…another Jackson who can’t stay away from a naked flame.” Accompanying these words was footage of Latoya Jackson in a kitchen backing away from an oven top which had flared up.

Now my American friends may have already seen this episode. We seem to be a week or two behind here in Australia.

But what angered me was this was yet another instance of Michael being blamed for something bad that happened to him. The Pepsi incident on January 27, 1984 is what they were referring to of course. How can a pyrotechnic accident be his fault I wondered? We should blame Michael for being a perfectionist and doing that fateful take, when in all likelihood he got it down pat in the earlier takes?

Michael handled the whole situation magnificently. Whilst in hospital receiving treatment for the painful burns he suffered, he took the time to visit with other patients, providing them with comfort and a little relief. 

According to the www.mjjtimeline.blogspot.com Michael only spent one day in hospital. He could easily have chosen to stay in his own room but he cared more for others. He knew his presence would bring joy and brighten what would otherwise have been only an ordeal.

And you just know he couldn’t resist a trip to the maternity ward to check out all the babies when he went back a few months later in April for follow up reconstructive surgery!

Later that year, he settled with Pepsi and donated the $1.5 million in damages he received to the Center that was named in his honor ‘The Michael Jackson Burn Center for Children’.

Michael turned a traumatic experience into something that has touched the lives of who knows how many people. But what do the media do? They use it as an opportunity to mock him. Now some will say us MJ fans are too sensitive. Certainly that was what some were saying after a comment made by a contestant on American Idol a few weeks ago. 

James Durbin was asked by the host Ryan Seacrest if he had any concerns about any aspects of his just completed performance to which James replied: “I have a lot of hairspray in my hair to keep it from jumping around, so much so that the one thing I was worried about was having a ‘Pepsi Moment.’”

I was watching that – and distinctly remember it made me intake my breath sharply. Then I realised, and was grateful for, the fact that James had described it as a ‘Pepsi Moment’ as opposed to a ‘Michael Jackson Moment’. I can not be mad at James. But I am furious with the FOX8 crew for the comment I heard today.

How dare they suggest Michael brought the pyrotechnic mishap on himself? Why is someone else’s pain and suffering fodder for their pathetic jokes?

It distresses me to write this because I am forced to admit that the Australian media are really no better than the Americans or British when it comes to Michael Jackson.

Up until recently, I had been quietly smug; thinking that the main culprits were in the USA or the UK. That’s true – both have acted abominably. Unfortunately though, their Australian counterparts have followed their lead.

To borrow Diana Ross’s phrase, Michael is a personal love of mine, one I didn’t really share with my family and friends until after he died. I assumed that the negative media coverage of him had probably influenced my loved ones perception of him. So I was pleasantly surprised when one by one they each told me that they believed the media were wrong and that Michael is the good person us fans know him to be.

Compounding that is the ridiculous satisfaction I get that our Aussie boys (Wade Robson & Brett Barnes) all vehemently denied any wrongdoing by Michael Jackson. The fact that they didn’t succumb to the temptations of the monies offered by the lurid media for any false allegations make me inordinately proud of my fellow countrymen.  

So I had been lulled into a false sense of security – that our media wasn’t as bad because obviously all my friends and family had a more balanced and fair view of Michael’s character. The recent natural disasters changed all that though. One particularly offensive member of the media pulled the ‘Broadcast News’ stunt. That is a movie from the 80’s where William Hurt plays a reporter who manipulates a piece – editing it afterwards so that it appears that he cries as the interviewee tells him her emotionally laden story.

On the promo for the interview with a mother who had her toddler ripped from her arms, the ‘Sunday Night’ reporter does exactly the same as the William Hurt character and they include a shot, just of him, welling up with tears! I was so disgusted that I vowed then and there to never watch that show.

And then I was watching some live coverage of the Japan earthquake. This insensitive female reporter was talking to an Australian who was in a Japanese subway and she said something like “I’ll let you go so you can evacuate.” That infuriated me, she thought her report was so important – she was begrudgingly letting the person go, seemingly indifferent to that person’s safety.

In conclusion, the worldwide media sucks!

Dr Murray's Alphabet of Excuses

I really try to be as positive as I can - especially here in my blog - but I have had enough and just can't keep quiet any longer.

I am totally fed up with Dr Murray's lame, pitiful, ridiculous and insulting excuses for causing the death of Michael Jackson.

Do you guys remember a TV show called "The Practice"? Well they had a name for their approach to defending their clients:

 "However, the firm is far more notorious for employing a strategy they refer to as "Plan B", which involves creating doubt with the jury as to their client's guilt by accusing a third, usually innocent party of the crime in order to plant the seed of reasonable doubt."

Initially, Dr Murray's defense did seem to be targeting Michael as the "third, usually innocent party" but now I think they've gone one step further - they are doing Plan A - Z! Let me explain it this way...

Dr Murray – A is for Michael was an Addict - so I’m not responsible for his death…

 is for Autopsy which does not support Michael being an addict. Take this one, Seven - click here 
 A is for why did Dr Murray leave Michael Alone? Click here 
A is for was it an Accident? 
A is for was it Aliens that came in and injected the propofol - courtesy of Twitter!

Dr Murray – B is for a Burglar came in and killed Michael - so I’m not responsible for his death…

Prosecution - B is for Bed. Dr Murray left Michael on the bed rather than place him on the floor when administering CPR.   

This B eautiful B edroom is in the Los Angeles home Michael was living in as he rehearsed for the upcoming ‘This Is It’ tour. As you can see there is ample floor space. However, there have been reports that this wasn’t the room Michael was using that fateful night. In any event, space was not the issue as to why Michael had not been moved to the floor to perform CPR – it appears a lack of knowledge was the cause?

B is for Bumbling. Also see “I” for Incompetent and “N” for Negligent…

Dr Murray – C is for Michael was Cash strapped – now see ‘D’

 is for C.P.R which apparently Dr Murray didn’t know how to do properly? 
 is for Contradictory and Conflicting which is what Dr Murray's statements to police have been

C is for Cardiologist – This is what Dr Murray is – not an anaesthesiologist – so he had no business administering propofol to anyone, let alone Michael Jackson in a home setting.

Dr Murray – D is for Michael was Depressed because of ‘C’– now see ‘S’ 

Dr Murray – D is for Demerol. What do you mean the autopsy report Didn’t show any traces of that in Michael Jackson’s system? But the media all said he was addicted to that…Perhaps the jury won’t notice the autopsy report and just believe what they had seen or read in the media?

Prosecution - D is for Dipravan – another name for Propofol and a Dose that was way too much of it was found in Michael’s system according to the autopsy report.

Prosecution - D is for Distracted. Which Dr Murray seemed to be given the number and duration of his phone calls? Read more about these calls from Nikki Alygator's blog here.

Dr Murray – E is for the monitoring Equipment I requested from AEG was not provided – so it’s their fault…Seven, please tell them...click here

Prosecution - E is for Evidence which does not seem to support Dr Murray’s account of that fateful morning.

Dr Murray – F is for Fingerprints.  Mine weren’t on the syringe - so I’m not responsible for his death…

Prosecution - F is for Dr Friedberg - a propofol expert who says this: "Dr. Murray failed to watch and monitor his patient and nothing else matters" adds Friedberg. "No amount of legal defense attorney posturing can relieve Murray of his responsibility to have watched and monitored his patient.  

Dr Murray – G is for Get out of here! You’re not buying any of my excu…I mean…statements? Oh, you’re MJ fans! Typical! ….What? You’re not fans… and you still don’t believe me? What’s wrong with you people!

Prosecution - G is for Gloves which is the most likely explanation for why Dr Murray’s fingerprints don’t appear on the syringe.

Prosecution - G is for Gross Negligence

Dr Murray – H is for Hippocratic Oath. Ever heard of it Dr Murray?

Prosecution - H is for Hospital – the setting propofol should have been administered in – instead of Michael’s Holmby Hills Home.

Prosecution - H is for Homocide

Dr Murray – I is for Nation of Islam. Michael was involved with them - so somehow it's their fault he died

Prosecution - I is for Involuntary Manslaughter. Involuntary manslaughter is defined as "the person's act either was by its nature dangerous to human life or was done with reckless disregard for human life. (In addition) the person either knew that such conduct was a threat to the lives of others or knew of circumstances that would reasonably cause the person to foresee that such conduct might be a threat to the lives of others."

Dr Murray – J is for Jail which I'm trying desperately to avoid...

is for Justice. 



We agree, J is for Jail and this is where we expect Dr Murray will end up!

Dr Murray – K is for its Dr Klein’s fault. He got Michael addicted - so I’m not responsible for his death…Seven will tell ya...click here

Prosecution - K is for Killer

Dr Murray – L is for there was no Landline phone so I couldn’t call 911 so I’m not responsible for his death…

Prosecution - L is for Ludicrous Lies

Dr Murray – M is for 'Michael’s kids are like my own'.

 (MJ fans in unison: ‘NO, THEY’RE NOT!’)

Prosecution - M is for Murderer

Prosecution - M is for Medical License. Why does Dr Murray still have his? 

Prosecution - M is for Motive, Means and Opportunity –the trifecta when it comes to premeditated murder. WE can clearly establish the latter two but not the first; hence our decision to pursue the lesser charge of Involuntary Manslaughter.

Prosecution - M is for Means – Dr Murray had the means to commit the crime. He prescribed, and by his own admission, administered the murder weapon, propofol.

Dr Murray – N is for Nation of Islam. Michael knew them - so somehow it's their fault he died

 is for Nurse. Why didn’t Dr Murray have one to assist him monitor Michael? N is for also for Negligence

 Dr Murray – O is for Orange juice. Michael put the propofol in there and drank it. What? A moment ago I said a burglar snuck in (got past Michael’s security team undetected) and gave him the fatal dose. Did I? Are you sure? And how can I explain how only trace (definition: An extremely small amount. A barely perceivable indication) amounts of propofol were found in Michael’s digestive system? Well...um...[desperate pause]...Next letter!

is for Orange. Do you think this color suits him?

(MJ fans in unison: ‘WE DO!’) 

Prosecution - O is for Opportunity. Dr Murray was the Only One with Michael.

Dr Murray – P is for I will Plead the 5^th. Come on now, you didn’t honestly expect me to open myself up for cross examination did you? The prosecution would destroy me!

Prosecution - P is for Propofol – the murder weapon. P is for also for Prison where Dr Murray should spend at least 4 years.

 Dr Murray – Q is for Quick! The trial is about to start. Which story are you buying? What? …None of them? [grumble] You people are just so annoying! Alright, let me think of some more…

Prosecution - Q is for it is Quite obvious that Dr Murray caused Michael’s death.  

Prosecution - Q is for Question is – was is it an accident or premeditated murder?

Prosecution - Q is for Quantity of propofol given by Dr Murray. Only Question for the jury is do they believe the doctor?

Dr Murray – R is for Really? You’re not falling for any of my crappy excuses?

Prosecution - R is for Ridiculous. Dr Murray’s attempts at defending his actions are ridiculous.

Prosecution - R is for why did Dr Murray Refuse to sign the Death Certificate?

Prosecution - R is for Red Herrings - which is what all these lame excuses are.

Dr Murray – S is for Suicide. Michael Self-injected the propofol because of ‘C’ and ‘D’

is for Stop all these Stupid excuses and admit your role in Michael’s death.

S is for Second Degree Murder - which is what some people think we should have charged Dr Murray with instead of Involuntary Manslaughter.

Dr Murray – T is for I was Tired so I wasn’t responsible for his death…

Dr Murray – T is for ‘I Told the Truth’ …What do you mean which time? All the time! …What do you mean that’s not possible? Oh God, please save me from these pesky MJ fans!

Prosecution - T is for Truth – the real kind not Dr Murray’s delusional interpretation of it. Hopefully the outcome of his trial…

Prosecution - T is for Take responsibility for one’s actions – something we all wish Dr Murray would do…

Dr Murray – U is for Unbelievable? How can you say that? I think I’ve been very creative…

Dr Murray – U is for Uncertain. We are aiming for at least one member of the jury to be unsure and confused…Is it working?

Prosecution - U is for Unmonitored and Unattended – possibly for as much as 47 minutes, Dr Murray left Michael Jackson unmonitored and unattended. Why?

Prosecution - U is for Urine analysis. Nikki Alygator wrote a terrific piece on this.

Dr Murray – V is for drug Vials. Quick let me hide these. …What? Well, yes I was in the middle of CPR…But it’s important that I hide these, dude!

  

·         Paramedic says Jackson doctor scooped up drug vials

Prosecution - V is for Vital signs. Michael had none when the paramedics arrived.

Dr Murray – W is for I was trying toWean Michael off propofol - so I’m not responsible for his death…

Prosecution - W is for Withheld information. Seeing as Raven is having technical difficulty with her www.allforloveblog.com at the moment rather than providing a link, I’ll include part of what she wrote back on March 22, 2010:

“Here is The News Of The World article, which depicts in graphic detail what went down in those final two hours (after Murray has decided-”sh*&! I’ve f*&%*ed up!)

The article is from the UK, so forgive the “Jacko” references:

‘The report shows paramedics quizzed Murray about “meds” (medicines) after racing to a bedroom at Jackson’s Hollywood Hills home at 12.27pm on June 25 last year.

 Murray told them Jack(s)o(n) was exhausted after a sleepless night and he had given him only the sedative Lorazepam and fluids to re-hydrate him. 

This contradicts what Murray told police and the findings of the autopsy.

Detectives say the doctor also administered Valium, Midazolam, Flumanzenil and Propofol overnight. The coroner found Jackson’s blood contained Lorazepam as well as other anxiety sedatives Lidocaine, Diazepam, Nordiazepam and Midazolam, plus Ephedrine which can be used for sleep disorders and Propofol. The medics left the Controlled Meds section of the form blank indicating that Murray, who was paid £100,000 a month by Jack(s)o(n), had not informed them about the many substances he had pumped into him.”

Dr Murray – X is for X

Prosecution - X is for X

Dr Murray – Y is for Y

Prosecution - Y is for Y

Dr Murray – Z is for Z

Prosecution - Z is for Zoo animals. Why do they get better treatment than what Michael got? Click here.

Photoshop artists debate

This clever Photoshop artist sparked some discussion on Facebook. I was disappointed that a lot of it was critical. Many fans seemed to think that there is no need to generate photos of Michael because enough photos exist already.

Those readers familiar with my blogs will probably guess where I stand on this subject. I have regularly used pieces originating from talented MJ fan-artists. I pick the photos that best match my story or demonstrate the point I’m trying to make. It is true that there are plenty of photos of Michael Jackson – for example on www.fanpop.com there was over 95,000 photos of Michael the last time I checked. It is not surprising really, given the extent of Michael’s fame and the length of time he has been in the public eye.

Instead of condemning others for producing more images of Michael, I applaud them. For me personally, one positive aspect amidst the grief and pain of losing Michael has been the resurgence of my own creativity. I’ve been inspired to write down my little stories; on the odd occasion I’ve fashioned my own artwork and I’ve even made one or two videos for YouTube. I’m very proud of all these items – I guess I had come to the conclusion that I was not the arty type after all – but now, my very favorite past time is trying to convert the stories I’ve concocted in my head into text. To select images that will replicate the story as I see it in my mind’s eye.

By Val Erie

It’s such an enjoyable experience for me – creating these items for my blogs. If other fans feel as I do then I have no desire to disparage their efforts. If they have been inspired to write poetry, to sing, to sculpt, to develop choreography, to dance, to paint or to use Photoshop then I say ‘go for it!’  Anything done out of love for Michael is welcomed as far as I am concerned. 

But perhaps not just me - Michael adored his fans and loved receiving artwork from them. In Part 6 of the ‘Living with Michael Jackson’ transcript, we see Michael imploring his staff to collect even more artwork from his fans. In the below photos look at the way he is checking out the fans artwork – he is not simply humoring them; he is genuinely interested in seeing what they have made for him.

Now, of course, that doesn’t mean that he would have loved every single item. But I don’t think he would want to discourage others from expressing themselves in a way that works for them.

I wanted to write that I thought it was possible Michael would have loved the Marlon Brando homage by the Photoshop artist but it was just my opinion. Whilst I certainly feel like I’ve gained a much better understanding of who Michael really is, I appreciate that I am nowhere near expert status.

Sometimes the fact that it takes me so long to complete my postings (usually several days at least) pays off. Like today, when I was visiting a fantastic blog I’ve recently discovered I found this gem.

“Artwork created by Christophe Boulmé in 1993 to surprise Michael and he loved it so much that he later included it in the HIStory Booklet.”

This artwork is Photoshop too, or at least a version of it. So if he loved this isn’t it possible that he would have loved the Marlon Brando inspired piece as well?

I’m in total awe of some of the artwork these fans have created. A lot of it is truly stunning and I love featuring it in my blogs. Look at this one below – a fan has taken frames from the official short film for ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’ and the performance of that same song at the 30^th Anniversary Concert special. Michael hits the dance step exactly the same! How impressive is that? (And I mean both Michael and the fan that made this…)

And this one, I have no idea how this was done but boy is it clever!