Posted on 06/14/2005 7:32:32 AM PDT by Asphalt
Michael Jackson's fans were cheering and hugging each other Monday outside the courtroom where he was acquitted on all counts in his child molestation case. But it was impossible for us to get excited over the verdict. You could feel relief that this case was over and the 46-year-old "King of Pop" had gotten his day in court, but no number of "not guilty" pronouncements could erase the taint of the "lifestyle" choices that got him into trouble.
As Jackson was driven away in a funereal black vehicle, under the gaze of a now standard-issue helicopter camera, we wondered how he will respond to being freed of accusations some experts were sure he would be convicted of and even those who thought otherwise acknowledged came dangerously close to criminal behavior. Will the owner and aging lost boy of Neverland continue to insist he is pure of heart and spirit, did nothing wrong in sleeping with underage boys and faces no greater challenge than being misunderstood? Or will he respond to his brush with years in prison by facing up to his psychological problems and seeking help for them?
In saying "the healing process must begin," Jesse Jackson may have been talking about recovering from the grueling trial and its coverage. But Michael Jackson has deeper personal issues to deal with -- including, possibly, being in a state of denial. His strange appearance at the courtroom in his pajamas, his stomping on the roof of his SUV, his mystery trips to the E.R. certainly did nothing to establish his stability.
He will live with the knowledge that he owes his freedom to the prosecution's haphazard case as much as his pleas of innocence or any skillful turns by the defense to support them. This was a case, built and rebuilt over a decade by Santa Barbara County District Attorney Thomas Sneddon, undone by prosecution witnesses seemingly hired by the defense. They included a young accuser who kept changing his story; the accuser's mother, who came off as a gold digger and, in allowing him to sleep in Jackson's bed, a derelict parent, and an ex-wife of Jackson's, Debbie Rowe, who was brought in by prosecutors to testify against him but spoke of what a wonderful father he was. This despite being involved in a custody battle with him.
In the end, even as this verdict is applauded for showing you're not guilty until proven so in this country, it will, for some, confirm the notion that celebrities get their way in the justice system. Will Jackson's biggest media moment since "Thriller" recharge his career, which was on an artistic and commercial decline before the molestation charges were raised? Perhaps if he stops blaming other people for his misfortunes and starts taking responsibility for them. But if he continues living in his fantasy world, any buzz from this trial will wear off as fast as cable news can find another scandal to obsess over.
Grow up.
Newbies.
It seems that the prosecutor didn't even know how his witnesses would answer his questions.
His own witnesses.
Something is really rotten in Denmark.
I will only if you go to hell first. How's that?
I don't think "The Boy" is normal reading literature for a 45 year old man - unless he happens to be a 45 year old man who also admits to sleeping with little boys in his bed. We saw some pics from "The Boy" earlier - while it may not qualify as outright pornography, it is exceedingly creepy. I have never seen anything like it in my friends' houses and some of them actually ARE photographers. I think it's safe to call it a nice piece of pedophilic erotica.
Do you have a copy of "The Boy" in your home?
I don't know what to make of Drudge at times - he seems to be a fence sitter. WHo knows - Drudge might have been in the dog kennel next door :)
I heard about these pics so I'm not surprised that this creature would be defending a pedophile. I'm sure Meseareau is a no holds type of guy. Maybe we should start calling him Meseareauble.
Just how naive are you? Is this how YOU live? Do you think it is okay for a 45 year old single man to having unrelated young boys sleeping in his bed night after night? He has ADMITTED OPENLY AND PUBLICLY TO THIS. I don't give a damn if he's eating milk and cookies with them - I'm sure that's just the beginning. This is highly abnormal and suspicious behavior. Are you trying to defend it?
Incidentally I have no idea what you mean by catching "live-in boyfriends in the same trap". If you are referring to women with live-in boyfriends who end up sleeping with their girlfriend's young sons in the same bed, then you're damn right . I WANT them to be caught in that trap because they're molesters too.
Blueblazes is good at that too.
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Here's some extras you can cut and paster so you won't have to tire yourself out by typing it anymore.
sinkspur and I disagree on this topic radically but apparently you don't like either of us. So where does that put you?
I guess what I'm saying is: What are YOU saying?
It is not porn.
And you didn't check out the testimony about the content of this book either, I'm sure. You either have this book in your 'art' collection and get off to the pictures or you're too stupid to figure it out. Pick one.
I don't think this book is being sold on Amazon. The actual book in question is called "THe Boy: A photographic essay". I posted a link earlier that had some pics - some, not all. So I don't know what the complete content is. I have to say the pics I saw were kind of creepy, especially in the context of a man accused of pedophilia. It's the kind of thing you'd expect him to be reading - almost a cliche. It is not the kind of book you would ever see in any normal single man's house. I think that's a pretty safe bet. Not that the books is pornographic, but if someone is a pedophile I think the book would be very erotic.
LOL! And don't you know I really believe that to be the truth! Just as I really believe in the tooth fairy, Santa Clause, and that Bill Clinton only inhaled! And oh, almost forgot--that Bill Clinton never had sex with "that woman!"
Reality check: Men in their 40's do not hae innocent sleepovers with little boys who are not their own children. Anyone who believes that should not answer telemarketing calls.
One almost suspects "all of the above..."
How about fathers who occasionally sleep with their male sons, or an older brother sleeping with a younger one?
You've got, shall we say, a very active and suspicious mind.
Another rather bizarre statement. What's the difference, since you brought it up, between erotic and pornographic?
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