Additional Debbie Rowe commentary on motherhood.

Further excerpts from 2003 Debbie Rowe interview (see previous post with transcripts). Debbie claims that just because she is the biological mother doesn't mean she earned the title and that her kids don't call her 'Mom' because she doesn't want them to. (Starts at 1:13).

Notable quote:

"Parenting is an art. You earn the title 'parent'. Because you give birth, because you impregnate someone, doesn't automatically give you that title of mother or father. You earn that title. My kids don't call me 'Mom' because I don't want them to. They're Michael's children. It's not that they're not my children, but I had them because I wanted him to be a father...I could do something for him and this is what I wanted to do."

These interviews will come back to haunt Debbie Rowe and would be devastating in court if she pursues this matter legally.

(FYI: For anyone understandably concerned about the children being around Joseph Jackson, he does not live with Katherine - she lives in Encino and he lives in Las Vegas).

Michael Jackson funeral arrangements still up in the air.

It seems the Jackson family has not yet shared funeral plans with the public. There were rumors circulating around the internet that the family planned a public viewing at Neverland Ranch. This was not confirmed by the family at the time, yet the media continued to advertise this, resulting in sold out hotels all over Santa Barbara, CA. During interviews with family lawyers to the media this week, the lawyers had said no plans were set in stone. I'd like to urge people to question the information they receive and to be vigilant against media inaccuracies (the reason I created this blog - to present fact from fiction). If anyone made plans for this occasion, they should have waited until the family themselves issued a statement.

Today, the media are reporting that a Jackson family "spokesperson" has issued the following statement, supposedly from the Jackson family:

"Contrary to previous news reports, the Jackson family is officially stating that there will be no public or private viewing at Neverland. Plans are underway regarding a public memorial for Michael Jackson, and we will announce those plans shortly."

As this individual was unnamed, and as many fake interviews and statements are circulating, I cannot confirm the accuracy of this report either way, and caution anyone who wanted to make plans to attend to wait for an official statement that can be confirmed (just because it's on CNN doesn't mean it's true. 'America's most trusted news source' has certainly taken many creative liberties in the past to fill in air time, sadly.

At PopSpiracy, we will continue to report the TRUTH as it happens.

On a personal note, I have mixed feelings about a Neverland ceremony or the notion that it might one day turn into a museum like Graceland. First of all, Elvis Presley lived at Graceland during the height of his career and life and lived there until the end. The decor, particularly in the upstairs room, hasn't been altered much at all and was much as he'd left it. Neverland Ranch is a shell of its former self at present. The items have been moved, sold, or are in storage facilities and in the hands of private collector's. To be able to recreate Neverland in it's hey-day (purchased in the late 80s, when Michael's career began a slight decline) would be extremely difficult. I do not believe rumors that he was supposed to be buried there, again, I'm sure the family will release details in due time. Michael apparently didn't leave specific wishes (at least none have yet turned up that were made public) so his family ultimately has the final say. Michael Jackson didn't live in Neverland when he died nor the last few years leading up to his tragic passing. I had the joy to visit Neverland when it was fully operational and Michael was alive and vibrant. It was a gorgeous place, and held a certain magic that simply can't be recreated. Graceland is the real thing, Neverland would be a recreation to try to assemble. Part of the magic of Neverland was Michael's influence and inspiration which could be felt in every corner of the ranch from it's decor and layout (you could see the perfectionism and long range of his genius to be able to create something so astounding). Sadly, Michael is gone, and so too is the spirit of Neverland Ranch, which is simply bare at present. The idea behind J.M. Barrie's Neverland was that it was a magical place where kids never had to grow up. Michael never got that chance, and I shudder to think of Neverland as a place of death. From a logical standpoint, it would be large enough to accomodate hundreds of thousands of people as it is a few thousand acres large. However, it's a long drive to the middle of nowhere, and would thus make a poor location for a museum. I'm sure people would make the trip, and the residents of Santa Barbara County who clearly moved out there for scenic beauty and a rest from the crowds would be might unhappy. I think any idea to create a museum or memorial for Michael Jackson is appropriate, but I don't know that this place would be a good choice. It didn't represent the finest years of his career or the happiest memories in the end, and it seems Michael himself had moved on from it quite some time ago.

Wherever Michael ends up, I hope it's a place where he can finally get the peace he deserves. Some part of me wishes for a burial at an undisclosed location (but I'm sure that would also be a source of rumors for years to come) or possibly an ash spreading at a secret place or ashes kept by the family, to retain the privacy he should have always had. The man is gone and owes the world nothing else, he gave all he had to give. I respect the family's wishes either way. I personally would hate to see his gravesite become a tourist attraction.

The nanny of Michael Jackson's children issues a statement, her 'interview' was fake.

Today's official statement from MJ's children's nanny, Grace Rwaramba:

“Michael Jackson was an exceptional Human Being. He was gifted, deeply compassionate and brought joy to the lives of so many. He loved his family dearly, and above all, his beautiful children.

In addition to being my employer over the past 17 years and entrusting the care of his beloved children to me, he was my dear friend. While our friendship had challenges, as do all friendships, he was loyal to the end. I cherish and honor his memory.

I am shocked, hurt and deeply saddened by recent statements the press has attributed to me, in particular, the outrageous and patently false claim that I “routinely pumped his stomach after he had ingested a dangerous combination of drugs". I don’t even know how to pump a stomach!! In addition, I have never spoken to the Times Online, the original source of the story that has now been picked up worldwide. The statements attributed to me confirm the worst in human tendencies to sensationalize tragedy and smear reputations for profit.

I convey my heartfelt and deepest condolences to Prince, Paris, Blanket and the entire Jackson family. The pain and sorrow I feel over the loss of Michael pales in comparison to what has been taken from them forever.”

-Grace Rwaramba


This was issued in response to a fake interview circulating in which Grace supposedly admitted she repeatedly pumped Michael Jackson's stomach, not allowing the children to see him on drugs, trying to stage an intervention between Michael and his family, and Michael's mother Katharine demanding the location of Michael's cash.

It's a shame these rumors and fake interviews continue to make rounds, we at PopSpiracy will keep reporting and standing by the FACTS, not rumors.

NOTW interview fake, excerpts from REAL Debbie Rowe interviews.

Michael Jackson's ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, confirmed that the News of the World interview circulating currently is a fake. Debbie has not yet done an interview that has been released by the public since his death. However, I dug up clips from two Debbie interviews she conducted around the time of the birth of Michael's children. Here are clips of Debbie in her own words, where she claims birthed her children to be raised by Michael Jackson, that having children was her idea, and that she didn't want to be their caretaker. She also states that their divorce was her decision.



From "The Jackson 3" NBC news segment:

Debbie Rowe comments:

On media:
"I didn’t think it was going to be this brutal. It’s very hurtful, even if it’s a lie and I don’t care what the Enquirer says, they’re not truthful. They don’t go for the facts. They go for the sensationalism, they go for the story. They don’t care who they hurt."

On MJ:

"There’s nothing that Michael could do that would humiliate me, nothing. My friendship with him is the most important thing to me and if this marriage gets in the way of that friendship, we’ll put the marriage aside but I want to go on as friends. That’s more important to me than anything else, especially with having kids."

On what kind of dad Michael is:

"The best."

On daughter, Paris, and having children:

"We’re going to name her Paris because that’s where she was conceived. I hope we have a lot of kids together. He’s such a great dad.

From Michael Jackson: The Interview You Never Saw on FOX

Debbie quotes:

On rumors:

"What’s happened in the past is things have been taken out of context, twisted around. If I can help straighten it out, as much as I don’t speak about my family, I will. Right now."

On motherhood:

"My kids don’t call me mom because I don’t want them to. They’re not…They’re Michael’s children. It’s not that they’re not my children but I had them because I wanted him to be a father. I believe that there are people who should be parents, and he’s one of them. And he is such a fabulous man and such a good friend and he’s always been there for me. Always. From the day I met him. I could do something for him, and this is what I wanted to do. I think it was 18 years, 17-18 years that I knew him when I had Prince."

On MJ being fun:

"Yeah, we had a good time. He’s always a lot of fun."

On the decision to have children after his divorce with Lisa Marie:

"No, they had broken up and I was trying to console him because he was really upset and he wanted to be a dad. So I said, be a dad. And I said, let me do this. I want to do this. You’ve been so good to me, you’ve been such a good friend. Please let me do this. You want to be a dad. Please let me do this. And I nabbed him into it, if you will."

On Michael warning her about the perils of fame and her living in the public eye:

"He said, you don’t know what they can do. And I said, come on. We’re having a baby, come on. How can that be weird? We’re having a kid. If anything, that’s beautiful, it’s wonderful, it’s great. Boy was I wrong. I found out a picture of me pregnant was worth half a million dollars.

On childbirth:

And we were very excited. Michael was definitely more excited than I was. He was so excited when I had a contraction and he was there. We had videos, we had music, and it was long. It was 23 hours. And I had very colorful language and everytime I went to say something, Michael would cut me off with ‘shoot’or 'fudge’ (i.e. Debbie's cursing). He didn’t think it was necessary when there were other words to do so. But he was there the whole time to hold my hand, stroke my head, I think I puked once and I was so embarrassed and he was like 'Stop, you’re fine. This is beautiful, this is wonderful.' I said, 'I’m going to die.' 'No your not going to die, this is great. Oh my god, this is so beautiful.' Having come from a medical background, there’s no way blood is beautiful. But he was welling up. And then his son was born. And the look on his face (Debbie begins to cry as she speaks): Talk Amongst yourselves. I’d never seen him that happy. And that’s what made it wonderful for me. Was to see the look on his face.

On the non-traditional circumstance of having your children raised by someone else:

"People don’t understand that and they want a traditional – they think someone has to be traditional and they have this notion of Beaver Cleaver. That wasn’t reality in the 50s and that’s not reality in the 21^st century. We have a non-traditional family and if that makes people uncomfortable, it’s a shame that they’re not more open. We are a family unit. I will always be there for him."

On leaving her kids:

"Left them? I left my children? I did not leave my children. My children are with their father, where they are supposed to be."

On the reason for their divorce:

"We split up because I it got to a point where I couldn’t go to a grocery store. One, I’d get followed. Two, I’d have to look at crap on the newsstands at the registers as you go out that wasn’t true. I wasn’t used to it, I like doing things for myself. I was more than generous. I didn’t have to go to the grocery store but I want to. I want to go back to what I can go back to, that’s what I was used to. It’s what I was comfortable with."

I can't confirm that Michael was or wasn't the biological parent of Debbie's children though he claims he was. I am simply presenting a transcript of Debbie's only known interviews to counter the fake recently released.

Michael Jackson Rumors Debunked

Michael Jackson was long the target of many rumors during his brief lifetime. If you are looking to hear about the court trials or Michael's skin disease Vitiligo, please refer to earlier posts for detailed information and photographs.

Other rumors will be addressed here.

Q:Did Michael sleep in a hyperbaric chamber to make himself younger?

False. Michael was a frequent guest to many hospital wards over the years where he would stop to visit and cheer up patients or visit terminally ill children. On one visit, he saw a hyperbaric chamber and asked the doctor questions about it. He wanted to know what it felt like to be inside of it, so he climbed in. Someone snapped a shot and it went around the world and the rumor was born.

Q: Did Michael buy the elephant man's bones?
False. When asked this question during an interview, Michael got a hell of a kick out of it. Despite his eccentricities, Michael was intrigued by the rumor but wondered why people thought he would buy them or where he would put them if he had.

Q: Did Michael propose to Elizabeth Taylor?
Possibly. Elizabeth Taylor denied this in a somewhat sarcastic manner when asked, but given Michael's attachment to her, it's not altogether unbelievable.

Q: Was Michael a Jehovah's witness?
True. Not towards the end of his life, but as a child and up until his mid 20s. His mother is a devout Jehovah's witness and Michael himself went door-to-door (in a disguise) at times as a young man. During the Thriller era, Jehovah's Witnesses took issue with his Thriller video and did not want it released as they thought the images were satanic. This is the reason there is a written message at the beginning of the video in which Michael expresses that the video has nothing to do with his personal beliefs in the occult. Michael left the church and by all accounts was a great scholar of religion. He didn't chose a definitive one the rest of his life, but enjoyed learning about all different religions and would attend a Baptist Church one day and a Synagogue the next. There was a picture taken of Michael's bedroom in the 90s. There was a painting of Jesus above his bed.

Q: Was Michael's marriage to Lisa Marie real?
True. Lisa Marie never wavered on this, both in her statement relating to his death as well as through their marriage and the difficult and angry times afterwards. I used to own a wedding card that these two sent to their family and friends after the wedding. It was a secret wedding so the Jacksons weren't present, though secret marriages tend to be common in their family. The world found out through the judge who married them that blurted it out to the world a month after they tied the knot.

Q: Was Michael's father abusive?
True. Michael never went into great detail about the abuse, though he did acknowledge to Oprah Winfrey that his father beat him and he mentioned that his father used to tell him he was ugly. He also confided that he would become physically ill at the sight of his father even as an adult and used to throw up upon hearing that his dad was coming to visit him.

Q: Did Michael own a chimpanzee?
True. Bubbles the chimp was one of countless exotic animals Michael owned (others included giraffes, elephants, panthers, a crocodile, peacocks, rams, etc, though Michael oddly enough had a fear of dogs. This wasn't always true as he had guard dogs as a child). Bubbles was raised with Michael until he grew too big and became dangerous. He is still alive and being cared for outside the family. Michael was a huge animal-lover and among those who funded the release of Keiko, the whale from Free Willy. He was vegetarian most of his life, at 16 vowing not to eat meat. He cheated from time to time over the years.

Q: Did Michael have a flesh-eating disease?
False. This peculiar rumor appeared and vanished in the last months of Michael's life. Michael did have Vitiligo and Lupus.

Q: Did Michael have plastic surgery?
True. This one is sort of a no-brainer. Michael had multiple surgeries, the first on his nose which was practical and a medical procedure as he broke his nose upon falling on stage when he was 20. He had numerous nose jobs and a cleft put into his chin. Michael's siblings greatly teased him about his big nose as a child, probably adding to his insecurities physically. He also didn't want to see his father Joseph in the mirror.

Q: Did Michael invent the moonwalk?
Partly. According to Michael, the inspiration from the Moonwalk came from kids he saw in the ghetto, who did a certain version of it. He took their steps and added changes and developed the Moonwalk.

Q: Was Michael gay?
Michael never directly addressed this question, and it was never directly asked on an interview. Both of his ex-wives claim they had sexual relations with him. When Oprah asked him if he was a virgin, he laughed and blushed, claiming that he was a gentleman and didn't believe such things should be spoken about openly. Michael was known to have crushes on girls as a boy and growing up. Despite his androgenous look, no evidence ever came to light that he was gay. In fact, some friends and even fans claimed that Michael was quite fond of flirting and hitting on women, which can also be evidenced in clips of "Living With Michael Jackson" the documentary.

Q: Are Michael's kids really his?
You got me. Michael's father Joseph had red hair and green eyes as a young man. LaToya also has green eyes. Michael's daughter Paris and oldest son, Prince, definitely are at least partially Debbie Rowe's which can very easily be visually identified. Michael never revealed the source of who Prince Michael II (Blanket)'s mother was, though he does bear a slight resemblance to Michael by coincidence or truth. Michael never revealed any donor information. I imagine only a handful of people know the answer to this question.

Q: Why did Michael's kids wear masks?
Michael knew what it was to live life in the spotlight with a camera shoved in your face since he was a child. He never wanted his children to share that fate but always wanted to be a dad, even as a teenager. The masks served to shield his children from prying cameras. The media did not have an accurate idea of his children's faces so they were able to go out in public without masks and live more normal lives without being followed when not with their father. They didn't wear masks at home.

Q: Who was the female voice on 'In The Closet'?
Most people think it was Naomi Campbell as she was the girl in the video. It was actually Princess Stephanie of Monaco, who supposedly briefly dated Michael. Food for thought, you can also here Notorious B.I.G. rap with Michael on his song 'This Time Around' on the HIStory album and the girl having a steamy phone conversation with Janet Jackson on her Velvet Rope album is actually Lisa Marie Presley.



Q: Did Michael ever want to act?
Michael starred in many films, not only his own videos. He was in 'The Wiz', 'Captain Eo', 'Ghosts', 'Men In Black II', and 'Miss Castaway'. He was in talks to play Edgar Allan Poe in a film that never materialized and had a desire for parts that eventually went to Johnny Depp, including Edward Scissorhands and Charlie & The Chocolate Factory. Marlon Brando gave him a few acting lessons.

Q: Did Michael do any other types of art?
Michael did the storyboard illustrations for the movie 'Mars Attacks'. He also did some sketches for Walt Disney World. Michael also did voiceover work under a pseudonym for certain episodes of the Simpsons. He was an artist of all trades.

Feel free to add or send in more questions or rumors, we will dig up the answer.

A long, necessary, heart-felt tribute to the King of Pop

A lot of people in my life have wondered over the years what it was about Michael Jackson that I loved so much. What they didn’t know was that I wasn’t unique. The media lived to say that Michael was a has-been that no one cared about anymore post-Bad era. Having been part of the fan community for nearly 2/3rds of my life, I can say this was categorically untrue, as clearly evidenced by Michael recently selling out 50 concerts (750,000) tickets in five minutes flat. While it is true that he had a more favorable reputation overseas, his USA fan base was quite extensive.

I remember the things most people do about Michael Jackson in the 80s… I remember listening to the Thriller album and jumping on the bed to the tracks with my babysitter. I remember a friend of ours who had ‘The Making of Thriller’ on VHS. I used to hide my five-year old face behind the pillow. That video is damn scary at that age. I don’t recall anything about the Bad era at the time oddly enough. My re-introduction to Michael Jackson (and ultimate fandom) resulted from “Dangerous”. I was a strong advocate against racism and frequently wrote pieces about the topic. I remember hearing ‘Black or White’, the only song on the radio at that time professing the same ideals I believed in. That’s what initially got me started. I bought the album and every track blew my mind. It was the premiere of the ‘Black or White’ video that first caught my eye. Michael literally bought a prime-time slot on FOX (right after the Simpsons) just to premiere the long version of his first video off the album. I admit I initially tuned in largely because of Macaulay Culkin who I thought was the cat’s meow. Every 11 year old did! The second I saw Michael, poor Macaulay was but a distant memory. I was transfixed. I’d never seen anything like him. Visually, musically, artistically, in any format. But what truly cemented me as fan extraordinaire was the Oprah Winfrey interview in 1993. I have seen just about every recorded interview of Michael since day one, as I own one of the largest private collections of Michael Jackson footage in the country (I’m willing to bet money on it). Of all the interviews I’ve seen, this was by far the best. They say a great interview is supposed to show you what it’s like to be that person. I have never seen Michael Jackson in rawer form. This is a testament to Oprah. Every other interviewer since (Diane Sawyer, Barbara Walters, Martin Bashir, etc) treated Michael like a freakish animal they despised. They had a judgment and it clearly showed. Who wouldn’t be terribly uncomfortable and not able to be themselves? Oprah approached Michael as the human being he ultimately was. And naturally, she was delivered gold. There was so much about that interview that stung me a certain way. I guess we chose to appreciate people we can relate to. While 99% of people didn’t seem to get Michael, for whatever reason, I did. When I heard him talk about the alienation that was part of his life, the rumors, the judgment, just wanting to do good in the world and being met with so many roadblocks, it paralleled my childhood at the time. It was the first time I realized that I wasn’t alone, odd as that sounds. I was a misunderstood artsy kid. I just wanted to entertain people and make them laugh, but most didn’t understand and the laughs tended to be on me. There was this discrepancy between who I was and who people thought I was, and it seemed there was no way I could shake my label. It was also the first time I realized the power of being different. I’d always viewed it as a negative, as kids never ceased to take every opportunity to point it out. They tried to make me feel bad about it, and overwhelmingly succeeded. But when I saw Michael Jackson that night, the pain in his voice and the conviction in his soul, I suddenly was overwhelmed with strength. I realized that people who were “different” were blessed and had the ability to change the world and shape perception. They are in essence leaders and people who take our species to new and exciting places, testing the boundaries of what was possible. Suddenly my “flaw” had value and was something to be proud of. The effect it had on me was something I can’t put into words. It literally changed everything.

I’m not the first person to hear about Michael’s “healing” effect. I had a good friend in New Jersey, Diana, who was a cancer patient. She was battling a form of rare cancer and survived, crediting Michael’s music and the power of his message with giving her the strength to keep fighting. Countless stories like that have been echoed by fans everywhere and I’m sure that will long continue. Most dancers all site him as their major influence. Many of the biggest artists of our day also claim they wouldn’t be doing what they have were it not for him.

His good deeds also changed countless lives. I’d like to talk about that for a second, because it’s one of the most understated and precious qualities the man had. You never heard about it in the media, and the rare time it emerged, it was usually met with “I’m sure he just did that to promote a concert” or some such refute. It’s not surprising he never publicized his charitable work. He didn’t do it for career advancement, he already had that in abundance. The truth was that Michael Jackson had one of the biggest hearts in the business, in spite of having been the most famous man of his time as well as once being among the wealthiest and certainly most successful. He never forgot his roots as a small town poor boy from Gary, Indiana. Michael made the Guiness Book of World Records many times, not just for his countless musical achievements but for being the world’s most charitable pop star, having donated to over 40 worldwide organizations including his own. There were small stories, not counted by the press but by his fans or anyone lucky enough to bump into him on the street. Here are a few.

-There was a boy from the Middle East that Michael met at an orphanage. He needed a liver transplant which cost $250,000 to save his life. His family couldn’t afford it. Michael footed the bill and supposedly kept in touch with him via letter.
-It is well known that Michael started charity work very early in his life and always used his parents home and Neverland to send busloads of terminally ill children over and frequently visited orphanages and hospitals on every stop of his tours. He particularly took every opportunity to meet with dying children and tried to give them incentives to hold on. Such as, giving a young fan an article of his clothing and telling them he was performing in concert at such and such a time and wanted them to be there wearing that piece. He frequently wore the things they made him in remembrance once they past, such as wrist bracelets. The armband he famously wore around his jackets represented sick and dying children and he wore it as a reminder. At Neverland, he had beds built into the walls of his theater for kids that were so terminally ill they had to lay down and couldn’t sit or stand so they could watch movies. I’ve been inside of one of these there and the room also included volume controls so they could adjust the feature to their liking as well as small details like a jar of potpourri to add a touch of home.

Michael was no stranger for doing nice things for people in any condition, as evidenced by tales of people who met him over the years. I remember a guy named Brian I knew from college. He worked at the Virgin Megastore in Orlando. He claimed that when Michael came through there one night, he bought 20 DVDs for every employee that helped him and hung out in the DJ booth with the employees for hours. When he was walking around Church Street Station, he spent hours on the streets mingling and chatting up passerby’s. While he was known for being shy, he had his moments. Rarely around press, but always around fans and everyday folk. He was also known for renting out huge theater multiplexes and even Disney World (who else can do that?!) for his family and friends. He was on a commercial flight in the 90s and an old woman fell. He was the first person on the plane to rush to her and help her up, came back and checked up on her throughout the flight, and offered to drive her and her husband in his limo to their home upon the plane landing. I was at Michael’s 45th birthday party and I recall an instance where a girl got so excited seeing him she lost her shoe. Michael saw it, picked it up, went over to her and bent down on one knee and slipped it on her foot Cindarella style. The media liked to chalk Michael up as an egotist. This was absolutely untrue. I’ve never seen an artist with more humility towards their fans, he even bowed to them in thanks constantly and invited them to hang out in his hotels and wherever he went when possible. I never heard one single bad story, though I did hear he gave great hugs and squeezed you as tight as you squeezed him.

I saw Michael in person four times. The first was in 2001 the week of September 11th at Madison Square Garden in NYC. I remember seeing the black umbrella surface surrounded by countless bodyguards. He strolled the entire length of the auditorium just to create the kind of mass pandemonium and panic only he could. He always knew audience. The Jackson Five reunited, I never thought I’d ever see that. Not to mention Elizabeth Taylor, Marlon Brando, Macaulay Culkin, and a zillion other legends one would be so lucky to watch. I’ll never forget the show was plagued with technical problems and Michael picked up the long pauses by cracking jokes and being funny. He was actually hilarious and had an amazing sense of humor and was tremendously charming and engaging. Each time I saw him, he was nothing like I’d read about or expected. As previously mentioned, I was at his 45th birthday bash. It was held at the gorgeous Orpheum theater in downtown LA. Crowds blocked off the streets and a live marching band even strolled through illegally just to pay their musical tribute. Inside was a two-hour long fan tribute. It was a Michael Jackson celebration party planned and orchestrated by the fans. A lot of people outside the fan community don’t know, but his fans usually planned big parties in major cities around the world on his birthday. On occasion, he would show up to one and freak everyone out. This was the case that day. I remember the fans screaming and the usual pandemonium, but he quietly sat in the wings and gave his undivided attention to the fans performing. He wasn’t there for an ego trip and made that very clear by focusing on the acts on hand and giving little attention to fanfare. He wanted to support the fans and watch them perform for a change. Eventually he went up at the end of the night and said a few humble words.

The last two times I saw him were court related. I had long been a disbeliever that he was a pedophile. Not because I was a fan and didn’t want to believe it or couldn’t have, but because I actually didn’t get my news from National Enquirer. The facts of the matter were that in both cases, the “accusers” had parents with criminal histories for suing for false claims. They claimed everything from being kidnapped and held against their will to Michael trying to steal the family and jet them off in hot air balloons to South America. It was the most ridiculous thing ever and the court transcripts were readily available everyday. A great experiment was to read what happened in court then read what papers were reporting. It was unbelievable. Very George Orwell 1984. The public ate up every ounce of it and a lot of friends in my life accused me of being stupid or gullible for not believing the same thing they did. I can tell you that I’ve read more on the topic than just about anyone and can absolutely say as a reasonable intelligent person (and objectively) that I in no way believe he was guilty. An odd appearance and a Peter Pan complex do not make anyone necessarily criminal. ::For a full markup of reasons Michael isn’t guilty and for photographic evidence that Michael did indeed suffer from Vitiligo, the rare skin pigmentation disorder, check out previous entries of this blog:: The day of the first arraignment, I was handed a white envelope by the Nation of Islam, who were working as Michael’s bodyguards at the time. It was an invitation to lunch at Neverland that day, one of the most surreal and greatest experiences I ever had. I was able to roam the ranch for hours, going wherever I wanted and doing what I wanted (within reason, haha). The second time I went to see him at the courthouse, he bought us all pizza. My vote for his innocence was not affected by this generosity, though it was a great example of the humanity I’d heard about.

(I will post about my trip to Neverland in a future posting for anyone interested. I can copy-paste the details from my e-Diary).

Overall, being a fan meant for me so many things. I’ve never seen anyone in my life with half as much talent. I’ve never seen anyone who can sing like that, move like that, do anything to that caliber. The thing I admired the most about Michael was his ability to retain humility in the face of everything he experienced, and to continue to believe in himself and in humanity no matter how much they trampled him. He never stopped doing good things and caring about the world, and that made me care about him. I wish the rest of the world had seen what I’d seen and I don’t think people will even begin to fathom what the world has just lost, even in a time of complete unoriginality in entertainment and a lack of basic goodness floating around in the business.

My heart is heavy and my thoughts are profound tonight. I have great sorrow for the Jackson family in particular, many of whom I have met and seen and had varied experiences with, all positive. My thoughts are especially with Michael’s mother Katherine, the heart of the family, who must be taking this the worse of all. At Neverland, the main road within the ranch was called “Katherine St.” I think it said a lot. Also, my heart goes out to Michael’s children, who despite their masks and rumor, are said to be extremely normal well-behaved polite kids who loved their dad. Michael put his life on hold for them since they were born, and I’m sure they were incredibly loved.

And to Michael himself, I’m not sure words really begin to describe how truly awe-inspiring you were and how truly special you were. You were on in a billion, and I will always be grateful to you for the sacrifices you made to entertain the world and the selflessness you held so true. Thank you for being you. If there’s a heaven, I’m sure there’s a giant place for you there, and that you’ve left behind penny-loafers no other entertainer can wear.

Rest in Peace, Michael.

Weeds Season 4 review: I'll pass this weed, FAST.

The catchy theme song we all loved to sing along with while getting excited for the latest episode is gone, replaced by clever logos and an imaginative script. Too imaginative, to say the least. Remember when Nancy was a bad mother who at least tried to do well by her children? When Doug was always comedy gold, Celia was bitchy but loveable, and Shane was innocent? Sadly, those days are over, folks. Never have I seen a cast once so endearing transform into characters I wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole. Thank God for El Andy, who at least retains his charm and seems to be the only character winning over more audience love with time.

Nancy Botwin is now officially a horrible person. One of the fascinations of this show was watching her balance that thin line between Suburbia and the Grasslands while juggling single parenthood. She was imperfect; a poor decision maker for sure, but at least she tried to bridge the gap between her growing(ly distant) sons. Her character has now officially all but given up any effort at all at maternal humanity. She goes through so many men that I’ve lost count and didn’t have time to form any sort of attachment with any of those characters except Conrad, who despite all those seasons of subtle romantic build-up, all but disappears from this latest season. Even Guillermo nosedived into awful. And when did Doug become a grouchy demanding irritant? Wasn’t he everyone’s favorite member of Agrestic? By the way, whatever happened to Agrestic? Oh yeah. Up in flames like everything else in the series. Agrestic played such a central role in the series it was a character unto itself. No more. The Botwins now live by the seaside in Ren-Mar where they engage in plenty of acts that are anything but comical. Celia’s character was initially written to be the next-door-neighbor, mother, and wife from hell (and the friend you should never double cross). Over the seasons, her character has melted into sheer terror. There is NOTHING funny about locking your ex-husband in a closet and abusing him. I’m pretty darn liberal when it comes to my sense of humor, but a lot of what is being pawned off as comedy is atrocious and completely amoral beyond belief, even for a TV show. I’m actually insulted that some of this is intended to be funny and frankly, disturbed by the implications. I guess the only realistic aspect of this show is that Shane and Silas would find their way into the drug underworld relatively early in life given their upbringing.

This is certainly NOT the season I’d ever want to watch. The entire thing was blanketed in a darkness so thick and storylines so unpleasant I dare not purchase the season and will gladly forget it ever happened if Season Five can resurrect any shred of credibility to its twisted fate. What was once ground-breaking comedy is more mangled than Celia's pillbox. Again, not funny. Part of what makes a great comedy last is material that actually accomplishes strong laughs and develops characters we can all relate to and love in spite of their flaws. I can't fathom any liking for any of these people this season. After all that viewing, it appears the show is indeed made of ticky-tacky and like everything else on TV, looks just the same.