Now, you see, I'm prepared to give a little benefit of the doubt here.

The actions we saw through the media are difficult to comprehend. However, remember the man literally had no childhood. He first appeared in front of The Jacksons at the age of 4. His first hit record was at 10. He was allegedly beaten by his father. I think he had some serious issues stemming from his childhood (lack of) and the way he was handled through his career.

So, perhaps once he'd found fame and fortune, it was understandable he'd try to recapture something of the innocence of a lost childhood. Sadly, that is not the way it came over to the wider world.

I agree with that. It is sad, but I don't really understand all the public assemblies for it - still, have you ever seen the footage or photos of Valentino's laying in state and burial?

Well said.

I always saw the furore surrounding Jackson and his penchant for hanging around with children – an act to recapture an ideal, something that he would and could never experience – a sad inditement of the stupid, short-sighted, black and white media-led heard mentality of the prols.

He looks different to us and spends his spare time in the company of children = BURN HIM! BURN THE PEDOPHILE!

After all the surgery and his, at best, tentative mental state, Michael Jackson was never going to reach a ripe old age and star in a Worthers' Original advert.

This isn't a joke by the way.

Kelly Rowland has paid tributes to Michael Jackson with the words "Michael you left such a legacy on this earth, have touched so many!". I made that mistake earlier in the thread, but she should have read it back before publishing it.

Peter.

To be fair, by the end, he didn't look that different to me.

Misunderstood random posting by moi.

a bunch of my friends have it on FB status updates. i wasnt a great fan of his music, and with or without child molestation he was still a bit weird, but its sad to see him go nonetheless

Actually....
paying someone $20m to shut up
building a fairground in your back garden and inviting the kids round
another court case with accusations of molestation
= burn the pedophile

Admit it, if that was someone living on your street you wouldnt be so lenient.

If he was innocent, then paying the $20m was such a massive mistake.

Personally, I see that as an admission of guilt. *shrug*

Looking at it another way...

If you were a parent of a boy who had spent time with Michael Jackson (a guy who had almost limitless funding, at the time) I'm willing to bet you'd like to get your hands on some of the money.

What better way than to accuse him of molesting your son and asking for compensation. Besides, people have done it before and got away with it.

I see it as naivety (sp?) but also the fact that he didn't want anything like this in the public eye and, to him, the easiest way to do this was to pay the people.

It has gone to court before and every time he has been found innocent.

Either way you all want to take this.

He's still JUST passed away.

If this was, as many of you are refering to, your next door neighbour, would you be so cruel as to mark out the bad things that they did in their lifes?

No, you wouldn't you'd respect that wounds are still open, and you pouring salt int hem is making matters worse.

So yeah. He is human, although he might not look like one now! He has family, and friends, and they are all mourning him now. So just, leave it be?

It's a rest in peace thread, not a rip in pieces thread.

I totally agree.
Folks, if you've nothing good to say about the recently departed then please, don't say anything at all.
This thread is for those that will actually miss Michael Jackson to say how he/his music affected them, please try and be a little considerate.

Mark