I think there is some societal-level bystander effect going on there as well. “If everyone else is accepting this, I guess I am too?”

I think a lot of people have trouble reconciling that this seemingly naive, childlike man could also be a confident, practiced, and probably remorseless liar. I think he got away with it for so long in part due to the fact that it was easy to convince ourselves that he was naive and innocent enough to not know what he…

I agree. Take Hollywood for instance. Everyone knew what was going on before Time’s Up and #METOO came along. They may not have realized how prevalent, but they knew. Even a random ass person in Middle of Nowhere, USA was at least somewhat aware of the nonsense going on there. Why? Because our TV shows told us. Those…

I agree with your first sentence. I can’t say I agree with your second sentence. We have a system that rewards, protects, and exploits artists who are fucked in the head. That kind of ecosystem is going to select for a higher proportion of very messed up people, but by no means do I believe most artists are fucked in…

This is a great comment with a lot of thought put forth, but it highlights something that’s always bothered me. Somehow we have literally separated Jackson’s appearance and physical ‘issues’ from his bedroom proclivities and pedophilia and grooming. I, too, do the same, when thinking about him, or these issues.

We made a devil’s bargain

It speaks to the power of self-rationalization and parallels the actions of so many politicians today. If you can convince yourself that all you do is right, then there is no wrong. It is a powerful tool to those with the ego to brandish it.

At the time I was newly introduced to Triumph of the Will and the similarity was unmistakable. I always had a creepy feeling regarding the military styling combined with the overwrought, screaming and fainting “fans”. I have a memory that Jackson and his label had a bunch of those statues made and were doing their…

I had never seen this video either. What the ever-loving fuck? The man truly believed that he was invincible and unstoppable. And I guess that for a time there, he was.
Post-Thriller MJ always creeped me out. I was still a kid, but I believed those allegations from Day 1.

I was too young to follow the scandal at that time, but did people REALLY not find any fault with his credibility in this interview?

This is the first time I have seen the Triumph of the Will themed video of his. I'm surprised that there wasn't much of an outcry when it came out. It's just downright awful in a million different ways. Ugh.

Yup, I bought into all of the excuses because I liked his music. The whole “he never got a childhood so he likes hanging around kids”, “he’s like an asexual man boy, he doesn’t look at anyone sexually - see how awkward he was with that “marriage” with Lisa Marie Presley”. It was only when I got older I started to…

I just heard Off the Wall in my car and it is a killer tunes. I just kept telling myself thata it was OK, Jackson was fine when he was black.(cognitive dissonance talking) It was when he became a superstar, got really wierd and having all the surgeries that the little kids show up.

I do believe he made the word “harm” do a LOT of work to obscure his misdeeds, but watching the Bashir documentary “Living With Michael Jackson,” what I am struck by is that he stringently claimed that his relationships with children were appropriate, innocent, and non-sexual in THE SAME INTERVIEW where he absolutely…

Thank you for this. As a lifelong dyed in the wool fan, I watched the documentary with equal tension and relief. I ‘m ashamed I was a WHERE’S THE PROOF? fan, although by the time 2005 had rolled around I had experienced sexual assault and became acquainted with the legal system’s handling of it. As I still regularly…

Smelly crotch smelly crotch it's not your fault.

First, the author left out the reason that the good Dr thought it could be from the diet, but not just this diet, frankly any diet that puts your body in Ketosis.

Smelly crotch, smelly crotch, what are they feeding you?

Or “Paleo Pudendum”?

Keto Crotch.