Michael Jackson is Dead

[bluesman]

Another very significant sign that times do change...its a very different world we live in today....I wonder who will/can be touted as the next reigning King of Pop?

[acjetnut]

Another very significant sign that times do change...its a very different world we live in today....I wonder who will/can be touted as the next reigning King of Pop?

Just please no one say Justin Timberlake - you will be banned! BANNED!

[;ivlunsdystf]

Another very significant sign that times do change...its a very different world we live in today....I wonder who will/can be touted as the next reigning King of Pop?

Tie: Donald Fagen and Walter Becker.

[chris harris]

None of the abuse charges were ever proven. To assume that he was guilty and just write him off because he was weird and there were rumors and accusations is fucking lame. Pete Townshend was accused of being a pedophile, too. Have you written him off as well? Will it be "good riddance" when he passes?

The guy was eccentric and weird and troubled... But, to JUDGE HIM for that and to continue to hurl around unproven accusations is fucking weak.

His talent and his musical accomplishments are undeniable. If you want to write all of that off because of his weirdness and the (unproven) accusations leveled against him, then fine. But, to soil a thread like this by trotting out those accusations (again, UNPROVEN) yet again, at this time, is incredibly tacky and classless.

[rwc]

I feel bad posting this because I completely agree with subatomic pieces, and it makes me look like I am arguing against it. I still feel this should be pointed out.

Pete Townshend was accused of being a pedophile, too. Have you written him off as well? Will it be "good riddance" when he passes?

Pete Townshend didn't have an amusement park for children built in his backyard. I don't feel this is a fair comparison.

[Nick Sevilla]

None of the abuse charges were ever proven. To assume that he was guilty and just write him off because he was weird and there were rumors and accusations is fucking lame. Pete Townshend was accused of being a pedophile, too. Have you written him off as well? Will it be "good riddance" when he passes?

The guy was eccentric and weird and troubled... But, to JUDGE HIM for that and to continue to hurl around unproven accusations is fucking weak.

His talent and his musical accomplishments are undeniable. If you want to write all of that off because of his weirdness and the (unproven) accusations leveled against him, then fine. But, to soil a thread like this by trotting out those accusations (again, UNPROVEN) yet again, at this time, is incredibly tacky and classless.

Not to throw dirt on this, but the case where he settled out of court, for a undisclosed amount? The court case did not get to the point in which the evidence was trotted out... so we will never really know what happened there.

Now, I know MANY lawyers, and every one that has ever talked about when they settle out of court, is that someone is guilty, and wants to avoid public shame / jail time. 100% of the time.

That said, he could sing his arse off. It is the end of an era, when albums sold that many that fast, and artists endured for that long.

I do hope there are other artists in our future that can inspire musicality. So far, I hear no one getting that big.

Cheers

[centurymantra]

There is a thread over at GS in which several folks who have worked and/or know MJ personally recount some outstanding stories about working with him. It is well worth the read if you haven't checked this out yet.

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-much- ... ut-mj.html

[chris harris]

I didn't mean to imply that their situations were exactly identical. Just pointing out that they were both labeled by the media as "pedophiles" and that neither were ever convicted of anything. I agree that MJ's situation LOOKS much worse. But, I still believe that you're innocent until PROVEN guilty. I think that it's unfortunate that so many have gone ahead and convicted him in their minds because he was weird or eccentric.

[Snarl 12/8]

I didn't mean to imply that their situations were exactly identical. Just pointing out that they were both labeled by the media as "pedophiles" and that neither were ever convicted of anything. I agree that MJ's situation LOOKS much worse. But, I still believe that you're innocent until PROVEN guilty. I think that it's unfortunate that so many have gone ahead and convicted him in their minds because he was weird or eccentric.

I really don't think "convicted" = "proved". I've read enough of the transcripts to be really sick to my stomach. Let me ask you this, would you have let MJ babysit your child overnight at his house? What if your kid had cancer and MJ was paying for the treatments? 1) I don't think you can fairly answer those questions if you don't have kids. 2) If the answer to the first one is "no", then you've convicted him a bit in your mind too. And I'm asking you to answer those questions in the head space of the post acquittal - pre baby dangling off the balcony days.

Have you read the transcripts? But for his fame and money he would have been in jail for a long time. By your logic anyone convicted on equal or lesser evidence should be set free.

I don't want to keep posting on this. Maybe somebody could start a new "wasn't MJ the greatest" thread, and I promise I won't come and piss on it this time.

[JGriffin]

The accusations against MJ make it an extreme example, but I'm always curious to see what extent people are willing or unwilling to keep their knowledge of an artist's personal life separate from their appreciation of the art. There's, of course, a range:

Phil Spector, convicted murderer. Should we stop listening to the myriad "Wall of Sound" hit records, should we stop talking about what a genius he was as a producer?

John Lennon was, through the 1960s, an inattentive father and the poster boy for infidelity, not to mention a hopeless addict and occasional asshole. Toss out the Beatle records?

Mel Gibson. Mel. Gibson. Can we still watch "The Road Warrior" without feeling weird about the Holocaust?

Jeffrey Jones, the principal from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" --also brought up on pedophilia charges, pleaded no contest, is a registered sex offender. Can I still watch him in "Deadwood?"

I'm sure everyone's line is in a different spot.

[Gentleman Jim]

Maybe somebody could start a new "wasn't MJ the greatest" thread, and I promise I won't come and piss on it this time.

Or you could just go through and edit your posts in this thread, making the new thread moot.

[;ivlunsdystf]

Woody Allen is my personal poster boy for "let the art exist independently of the weirdo who made it"

[signorMars]

Now, I know MANY lawyers, and every one that has ever talked about when they settle out of court, is that someone is guilty, and wants to avoid public shame / jail time. 100% of the time.

Not always. Sometimes they simply weigh the cost (financial, emotional, public relations, etc) of going through the full court case and the cost of the settlement and settlement is the wise choice. This is how many of our regulatory agencies get quick payments out of large companies. Hell... it's how a lot of individuals grift quick payments out of large corporations. Slip and fall cases and such often settle, even when the individual suing is 100% responsible for their own actions. If I sue you and am willing to settle for $10 million, and going to trial would cost you $20 million in fees for your cadre of lawyers with no guarantee of victory, which would you choose? This is why we have warning labels on EVERYTHING. I personally don't need a warning label telling me not to put my hand in a blender, but if I did and the manual didn't warn me, I could probably get KitchenAid to settle out of court.