This is the 13th edition of Random Thoughts and there is so much to discuss. First up, there are plenty of books that are and have already come out dealing with or about Michael. A couple deal with his legacy and one book looks like it is going to get into Michael's personal life. I will tell you what I think about all of this. As I was on social media, I notice that the MJ fans are making unusual assumptions about certain things regarding the fans and the people in Michael's life. I feel that assumptions are dangerous and I am going to tell you why I feel that way. There have been people speaking for Michael and his legacy in the fan community and a couple of people should really stop doing that. Michael's children are growing rapidly and I will keep you updated on what is going on. The Off The Wall documentary is happening and pictures have been posted. I will tell you why I think this is the only documentary on Michael worth seeing this year. Finally, I have a few things to state that have been on my mind and I will tell you what they are and I will be dedicating this entry to three people who passed away this month. Read and enjoy this great blog post.
Books on Michael - 2015 Edition, So Far
Anyone that knows me knows that I love to read but I have to admit, I have not read a book in a while. Even though I want to read my books, I just cannot find the time to read any of them. I noticed that there are five new books on Michael that are or about to come out that have sparked my interest. Well, actually three because the other two books are not my cup of tea. I will get into that in a minute but I want to describe to you each book and tell you what I really think about them. Dieter Wienser, a former manager of Michael's is going to release a book about Michael and he posted a youtube video about it. You can watch it here.
http://www.inquisitr.com/1849453/new-michael-jackson-book-to-come-out-despite-millions-spent-to-block-it/
When you read the article, you would know that a company bought the rights to the book and their comment about their mission bothered me. They stated that,
The next book that is already out is called The First Book of Michael that is written by a fan name Syl Mortilla. When I read that he was doing a book on Michael, I was interested and wanted to get the book. As I read the information on the book, I read that Karen Faye wrote a foreword of the book and I became horrified. The last thing that I ever wanted to do is to purchase a book that remotely has anything to do with Karen. After all of the things that she did and stated about Michael after his death, why would a fan, who I respect regardless of his satire towards Michael that he did in 2009, would team up with her and allow her to write something on Michael? I lost interest immediately and not only did Syl allow Karen to participate in the book but he did an interview with Jordan King, a blogtalk show host who is a very nasty, disrespectful person, to promote his book. I believe that Syl means well but I cannot support his book for the obvious reasons. If you are interested in what his book is about, please click on this link -
http://sylmortilla.com/2015/01/17/the-first-book-of-michael/
The next book that looks interesting is a book called Traveling With The King and it is an interesting concept on Michael that deals with the various places that Michael visited or is connected to Michael. You can look at this as more of a visual tour guide to anything Michael. The book is translated in various languages and according to the website, an English version of the book was supposed to come out in late 2014. If you want to read more about the book, you can check out this website -
http://surlespasdemichaeljackson.com/en/
In 2013, I did a Spotlight Series entry on the website Michael Jackson Archives and one of the founders of that website, Chris Cadman, is the author of the book For the Record among the various books on Michael's sister Janet and other singers and performers. This time around, Cadman, who I feel should be in every music based documentary on Michael, has released the second volume to his popular book called Michael Jackson The Maestro The Definitive A-Z of his Life and Times. Vol. II: K-Z. Now, this is a book that I will definitely purchase because I have made it a must to only purchase books on Michael that focus on his music and legacy. If you want to know more information about the book, you can click here -
http://www.michaeljacksonthemaestro.com/
Finally, the last book that I want you all to know about was a book I found out about literally a week and a half ago. The book is called Xscape Origins: The Songs and Stories Michael Jackson Left Behind by fellow fan Damien Shields. This is another book that I will purchase. Now, I know you might be thinking that I stated that I did not want to support the Xscape album or anything relating to Sony Music or the Michael Jackson Estate so why support this. Well, this book is done by Damien who is a true fan and historian on Michael and I will always support fans who do the right thing by Michael. Also, his book is not endorsed by the Estate or Sony Music. If you read Damien's book, you will know that on some of his blog posts he discusses the origins of the songs that were on the Xscape album. He probably had more information and decided to use the information in a book. The people that Damien interviewed for the book all worked for Michael and are very credible. He is also meticulous in his work and very dedicated to making sure that the information is correct and factual. I totally respect someone that takes the time to work on something that can greatly benefit Michael's legacy. The Xscape album, regardless of my views about it, did very well on the billboard charts and there are probably people out there that would like to know the behind the scenes stories of the songs and where the original songs came from. What better way to know about that by getting the information from people who know the actual stories? So, if you want to know more about the book, please click on the link below -
http://www.xscapeorigins.com/
Why The Assumptions?
I know that certain things will never change in the MJ fan community, online and offline. There is a major division in that fan community that is so deep that there is no way that fans can ever have a simple disagreement about Michael and his life without some type of nasty argument. These types of disagreements have turned from reasonable to down right ridiculous and it can cause some serious problems. I have had fans block me on social media all because I did not support the Estate executors, Karen Faye, certain fans, Joe Vogel, etc. Even though we love the same man and will defend him to no end, a simple disagreement with a fan will cost me a blocking on social media. I usually do not take it seriously because I do not need the fans to define my fanhood. However, it is scary to realize that this is how the members of the fan community deal with certain topics about Michael. Most of these fans are grown, have jobs/careers and educated and I would think that they would have a better way of handling a difference of an opinion.
When I read comments from fans about the people in Michael's life, I almost laughed at what they stated. I want to start with Michael's father, Joe Jackson and the executor to Michael's estate, John Branca. I read that Joe was a "gangsta" and he is the "reason" why Michael made certain decisions in his life that hurt him in the end. Here is the thing, none of us can prove that Joe is even gangsta or have gang ties. That assumption isn't right and I kind of see that as racist because Joe is not someone that was kind to people when he managed his children's careers. In that process, he made a lot of enemies. Those people stated things about Joe that were not positive to him. Just because Joe was mean to many people in the industry, does not mean that he was a "gangsta" or have gang ties. I do not care what anyone states. To accuse someone of being that way, you have to prove it and I have not seen any proof. Michael made many bad decisions in his life because he chose to see the good in people and want to give people a chance. So, if Michael were to see things about the people he knew that did not show them in a good light, he will ignore that red flag and focus on the person's good qualities. You would think an MJ fan would know that, but they decided to place blame. John Branca, based on what is known, is not really a good guy to Michael and the fact that Michael fired him various times tells me that Michael had his issues with him. I would continue to discuss John Branca and his ways, but I already stated that on my previous blog posts. Going back to the gangster talk, the other executor to Michael's estate, John McClain's father knew a gangster name Benjamin "Bugsby" Siegel and you can read it here -
http://articles.latimes.com/1998/mar/26/business/fi-32786
Interesting, isn't it?
Another comment that I read that angered me was when a fan stated on social media that Joe Vogel is doing great things for Michael's legacy and if fans do not support him, something is wrong with them. First of all, how can one fan even make an assumption about fans all because they do not believe Mr. Vogel should be the expert in all things Michael? I have nothing against the man but Mr. Vogel he treated me with disrespect two years ago when I reached out to him to do a Q&A session with him. I was so disappointed with him that I discussed that on my blog. I want to post the link so you all can read what happened so you know why I find that assumption laughable -
http://michaelandthetruth.blogspot.com/2013/01/random-thoughts-part-4.html
Lastly, probably the dumbest assumption that I read from fans about fans - the fans that do not support the Estate has an "agenda". Excuse me? I am a fan who has never and will never support the Estate and because of my stance, I have an agenda? Do you see how stupid that sounds? The things that the Estate executors have done for Michael's legacy since his death have been suspect at best. Yes, at times, the Estate executors have done things I can respect and I stated so on social media. However, there are so many problems with the Estate that I cannot accept and I stated that many times on this blog and on social media. The problem with these assumptions is not only is it untrue, but they are immature. Why would you care what another fan thinks about certain people that do not make a difference in their lives? We are fans of Michael, not his hired help, family, business people, book authors, etc. We are all free to express our views about Michael but we should not be damned because of it. Nearly three years ago, I did a blog post where I listed fan websites/social media sites that I feel were not supportive of Michael. I did that out of anger and frustration but when I decided to have a changed of heart after certain realizations, I made the decision to remove the blog entry because I feel that judging fans based on their views is not right. We are a diverse fan community and we have to respect the point of view of all of the opinions even if we disagree. Instead of assuming, lets start understanding one another and maybe we can have a reasonable discussion about the great Michael.
Who Should Speak For Michael in the Fan Community?
It is weird that after discussing assumptions and the fan community, I am going to get into a subject about people who speak for Michael. I have made it clear that the only people that can speak for Michael are his children and his fans. The reality of his fans is that a certain percentage of them are not really fans but more like fans of Michael's troubles. There are people that love a train wreck and even if there is nothing there to see a train wreck, there are people who would want to continue to view Michael as a man who attracts the unfortunate. I was on social media when I saw an images of certain comments that a journalist name Charles Thomson stated about Michael that angered me.
I do not consider Charles a fan because he is very judgmental about Michael to be one. He is a journalist and one can't be a fan because being a fan of any celebrity means that you are not objective towards that celebrity. Charles is always being the one to do an article on Michael about his life but at the same time, throws shade and insults about the man which makes me think as if he is making a mockery of the fans and our effort to change the way Michael is perceived in the media and public. Also, Charles' background is a extremely suspect and I saw information that makes it seem as though he had ties to a certain UK tabloid.
The first image that I want to show is this -
Read carefully the red underline parts - now, this man claimed to be a fan and he had the nerve to state that he was working for a tabloid. How in the world that he go from writing articles for somewhat respectable publications to a trashy tabloid? He stated that he sold stories about Michael to the Sun tabloid that came from "exclusive" sources including Michael's family. This is disturbing. After reading this, I wanted to vomit. I have read rumors of Thomson stating very foul things about Michael before he passed away but none of it was confirmed. When I saw this information, the rumors were indeed true about him.
It should not shock me that Thomson would be on a Facebook group that specializes in combating the defamation that Michael receives from the media in which he calls Michael a "liar" when discussing the paternity of Michael's children. Read the image below -
So, because Michael stated to Martin Bashir two different stories about Blanket's existence, Michael is a "liar"? Why does any of that concerns Thomson? He, and the other Jackson family supporters, like to list all of Michael's problems but seems to not realized that unlike some of those Jacksons people they blindly defend, Michael was never a dead beat father. Charles seems to be one of those "fans" that was angry that Michael's popularity never died down after he passed away. This man always gets the chance to trash Michael when it shows that Michael is not viewed as a man who was crazy. Thomson did an article on the media's treatment towards Michael during the 2005 trial years back and I would think that he would have learned from what Michael went through and not continue the nasty trend of the media bashing Michael and discrediting him. This man goes on a Facebook group page and crapped on this man. A group page that is dedicated on defending Michael's good name. So hypocritical.
Charles Thomson is no different than another "journalist" that revealed her true colors: Aphrodite Jones. Jones wrote the book Conspiracy in which she detailed how Michael was completely innocent and how everything was a conspiracy. Jones wanted to be close to the fans so they can buy her book and she wanted to be close to the action so she can get the latest tea on Michael and the Jacksons. A few years after Michael died, Jones went on Jordan King's radio show and revealed that she is not sure if Michael is innocent in regards to Jordan Chandler's false claim on abuse. Jones admission confirmed to me that the media and Michael Jackson fans should never mix, ever. I would think that after all of the information that is revealed about Charles Thomson, that MJ fans would stop communicating with that man and rip him to shreds. This man should never speak for Michael because if he feels that Michael is a liar, why is he participating in the fan community? What does he care what is going on? What is his point of talking and writing about Michael? I hope that something is done so Thomson can be rid of just like Aphrodite Jones was.
Michael's Kids are Growing
It seems like everyday, I see new pictures of Michael's children on social media and it is good to see what they are doing now. This year, Michael's sons Michael Jr. and Prince Michael, celebrated milestones in their lives. Michael Jr. turned 18 and posted a very loving message about his milestone and thanking the three people who raised and molded him -
When Prince Michael turned 13, he did not post any message (he is not on social media), but family friend, Omer Bhatti, posted a sweet picture of him on his Facebook account.
As for Paris, she will turn 17 in April and looks happier and healthier than ever even if her body language looks like she did not want to pose her with Grandmother and aunts.
Prince is making some news lately because he along with Omer, got a chance to listen to Kendrick Lamar's new album To Pimp a Butterfly before he released it online and people were talking about it.
Prince is also making news because he is about to make a big decision that will change his life forever. He is a senior at Buckley and he is going to make a decision about what university that he is going to attend next year. Here is an article discussing it -
Lastly, there are pictures of Prince and Paris that fans are discussing that are causing a commotion. There are pictures of Paris with a guy and they look they are a couple and I am not sure what is going on. If it is a boyfriend, I feel she is a bit young to be in a relationship right now. Then, there are pictures of Prince smoking what appears to be weed and if it looks like a duck and it quacks like a duck, then it is a duck. The way he is holding the object screams to me that he is smoking that mess. I hope that it does not become a habit because if it does, it will not be a good look.
Off the Wall Documentary is Happening
To mine's and the fans' surprise, Spike Lee pretty much confirmed that the Off The Wall documentary is totally happening thanks to the picture he posted on social media. Based on the pictures that were seen, it looks like this documentary is going to be awesome.
This documentary will be the only one of Michael's that I am excited about. I stated in one of my previous blog posts that Spike needed to add family members into his documentaries on Michael and he added them which I am happy to see. I am interested in what his parents have to state. Excited for this upcoming event.
Jackson Family Baby Shower and New Edition
A couple of weeks ago, TJ became a father again for the last time when his wife, Frances, gave birth to their son, Rio.
Now, if you were counting how many children TJ now has, you will be counting a music group now. I honestly have no idea how many children TJ has now and even counting the children I know he has, I still do not know if that is correct. Before Rio was born, the Jackson family threw a baby shower for Frances and some of those pictures were posted on social media. You can check out some of the pictures below.
It looks like the family and the friends had a wonderful time. Congrats to TJ's family.
Clarification on a Blog Post
I did a previous blog post about the second generation Jacksons and everytime I do one, I am always missing something. At times, I cannot catch up on what they are doing and who is in the family. Here is the current one -
http://michaelandthetruth.blogspot.com/2014/12/second-generation-jacksonsbrowns-part-3.html
For the life of me, I do not know how I can forget to add Yasmine Jackson. She is the daughter of Jo'Vonnie Jackson, the illegitimate daughter of Joe Jackson. Everytime I do this feature for my blog, I forget to add her. However, in the current one, I remembered her but I did not include her in because I did not know her date of birth and age. After I published the entry, I found Yasmine's Facebook account and the information that I need was there. Ugh. So frustrating.
On that same blog, I did not mentioned that Randy Jr. has a girlfriend because I did not know the girl's last name. After I published the post, I found out that Randy Jr. has a Facebook account and so did his girlfriend and I found out her last name. Now, I know.
Will Living with the Jacksons Ever Come on Television?
Speaking of Randy Jr., he, his mother and siblings/cousins were/are doing a reality show called Living with the Jacksons for the REELZ network. I have mentioned this information one time on the blog but I did not mentioned that I reached out to the network to see what was the deal with the show. A trailer of the show was posted on social media but was quickly removed. There have been rumors that the show will not come on television. I wanted to know for sure what was going on so I contacted them. They responded telling me that the show will happen. Weeks after that response, I contacted them again and they told me that they have taken down my contact information and will let me know when the date and time will be set. I got that email response December 22, 2014. It is pushing April. I am going to be honest: I do not think the show is going to happen. As much as I want it to happen because I really want to see this, I doubt it will happen. I cannot see the Jacksons allow Alejandra and her children put their business out there.
When I saw of picture of Alejandra with Katherine, I had a feeling that Katherine was trying to get Alejandra to not do the show. I could be wrong but what is taking so long to put it on television?
Madonna on Michael
I try not to pay attention to anything Madonna states about Michael but when she would post pictures of her and him together on social media, I, and many others wanted to know why. When it was revealed that she was doing a new album called Rebel Heart, it made sense to have him on there. I mean, people use Michael to promote their work so why not Madonna? Recently, Madonna did plenty of media rounds promoting her album and talking about the men she was with in her life. Of course, talk soon went to her time with Michael and there were things that she stated that bothered me. Let me post what she stated to Sirius Radio host and Michael hater, Howard Stern, about Michael -
Ok, so I did not read the whole quote that she stated about Michael. I only read the last part and that is what happens when you prejudge things instead of reading the whole thing for yourself. I was going to let her have it but nevermind.
Then, she did an interview of sorts with the tabloid Us Weekly in which she stated about Michael -
http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/madonna-id-be-invited-to-white-house-if-wed-to-jay-z-25-things-2015233
Well, she is not the first one to get Michael drunk. David Gest stated in his book that he got Michael drunk once and he could not hold in alcohol. Madonna made it sound as if she was the first one to get Michael drunk. Ha!
Is Joe Jackson Really On Social Media?
The Internet is full of people that can state anything that is anything in order for people to believe them. When Joe Jackson decided to get an account on Facebook and Twitter, I did not think that what he would supposedly state would be in question. When Joe joined twitter, I decided to follow him and I read his tweets and for the most part, it seems as though Joe was probably on twitter. However, in the back in mind I always thought that I could not see a man, born in the 1920s, sit down and type anything on a computer or laptop. I could not see him use a computer or laptop and when he stated certain things on twitter, I started to question them.
All of his accounts are his accounts but I do not think that in anyway, especially after the tweet that he "made", that he is actually on social media typing these comments. Two weeks ago (3/15), Joe "stated" something about Michael that angered his fans. He "stated" that -
I guess I have to kiss their rear so they can do a session for my blog. Anyway, back to Angel, the fact she blocked me confirmed my suspicions that not only is Joe not making any of his tweets, but he is not doing the status updates on his Facebook page and he is not updating his website. Angel is doing all of those things. For now on, this blog will not post ANYTHING from any of those accounts that hail Joe Jackson's name, image or likeness simply because, in my opinion, he did not create those comments and updates.
Dedication: I want to dedicated this blog post to three people who are no longer with us. Sophia Hillier, a fellow MJ fan who was a supporter of this blog, Charmayne Maxwell, one of the singers of the group Brownstone, that Michael founded in the 1990s for his MJJ Records and Sergeant (posthumously) from the Philadelphia Police Department, Robert Wilson III. May God bless them all and my prayers to their families.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
References:
Articles/Books/Blog Entries -
Soultrain.com Exclusive Q&A: Joe Jackson In His Own Words, Shameika Rene, October 31st, 2014.
http://soultrain.com/2014/10/31/soultrain-com-exclusive-qa-joe-jackson-words/
Information about Dieter Wiesner's book -
http://www.inquisitr.com/1849453/new-michael-jackson-book-to-come-out-despite-millions-spent-to-block-it/
First Book on Michael -
http://sylmortilla.com/2015/01/17/the-first-book-of-michael/
Traveling with The King -
http://surlespasdemichaeljackson.com/en/
Michael Jackson The Maestro -
http://www.michaeljacksonthemaestro.com/
Xscape Origins -
www.xscapeorigins.com
"Back In the Club", Los Angeles Times, Chuck Phillips, March, 26, 1998
http://articles.latimes.com/1998/mar/26/business/fi-32786
"Random Thoughts Part 4", Michael and the Truth (blog), Belinda O, January 6, 2013,
http://michaelandthetruth.blogspot.com/2013/01/random-thoughts-part-4.html
"REPORT: Prince Jackson Chooses Which College He's Attending — Wants to Pursue a Career in Film!", Stefanie Favicchio, Life and Style Weekly, March 12, 2015
http://www.lifeandstylemag.com/posts/prince-jackson-chooses-which-college-he-s-attending-wants-to-pursue-a-career-in-film-53719
"Madonna Reveals She Dated Tupac Shakur and Much More on Howard Stern", billboard.com, March 11, 2015
http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/6495261/madonna-howard-stern-interview-tupac?utm_source=twitter
"25 Things", Us Weekly, March 23, 2015
http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/madonna-id-be-invited-to-white-house-if-wed-to-jay-z-25-things-2015233
Pictures -
Prince Michael Jackson aka "Blanket" with Omer Bhatti from Omer's official Facebook account.
Paris Jackson with his Grandmother Katherine and aunts LaToya and Rebbie Jackson from LaToya Jackson's twitter account, @latoyajackson (verified).
Michael Jackson Jr. aka Prince and Omer Bhatti with Kendrick Lamar from Prince's twitter account, @princemjjjaxon (verified).
Pictures of Joe and Katherine Jackson, Siedah Garrett and Stevie Wonder came from Spike Lee's official Facebook account and a google.com search.
Picture of Michael with his children in 2003 from a google.com search.
Picture of Royal Jackson holding his brother, Rio Jackson from his father's TJ Jackson's official instagram account.
Brenda Richie and Frances Jackson with Cordia Wright from Ms. Wright instagram account.
Randy Jackson Jr. with his girlfriend Jessica Cuiellette from his twitter account.
Alejandra Jackson with her children Genevieve, Randy Jr., Donte, Jaafar and Jermajesty Jackson from a google.com search.
The Jackson women, Katherine, Rebbie, Alejandra and Genevieve Jackson at Frances Jackson's baby shower from Alejandra Jackson's instagram account.
The other pictures came from my personal harddrive.
Facebook and Twitter -
Images of journalist Charles Thomson's comments about Michael from Facebook and Twitter.
Michael Jackson Jr. aka Prince's comment on turning 18 from his twitter account, @princemjjjaxon. (verified).
Joe Jackson's "tweet" about the questioning of Michael's death from the twitter handle @kouliomj.
Picture of Angel Howansky with Pearl Jr. and Raffles Van Exel from the twitter handle @Loveusev.
Image of Angel Howansky blocking me from my personal twitter account.
Michael performing during the Dangerous tour in 1992.
Books on Michael - 2015 Edition, So Far
Michael shopping in 2008.
Anyone that knows me knows that I love to read but I have to admit, I have not read a book in a while. Even though I want to read my books, I just cannot find the time to read any of them. I noticed that there are five new books on Michael that are or about to come out that have sparked my interest. Well, actually three because the other two books are not my cup of tea. I will get into that in a minute but I want to describe to you each book and tell you what I really think about them. Dieter Wienser, a former manager of Michael's is going to release a book about Michael and he posted a youtube video about it. You can watch it here.
http://www.inquisitr.com/1849453/new-michael-jackson-book-to-come-out-despite-millions-spent-to-block-it/
When you read the article, you would know that a company bought the rights to the book and their comment about their mission bothered me. They stated that,
“It is time for the public to know, first hand, who Michael was, what actually happened. Not only from Mr. Wiesner but also directly from Michael! Artlima stands behind freedom of speech and information. We are happy to financially support this project.”The public should know who Michael was by a book written by a man who ripped him off and messed up his empire? Can the public learn about the man through his music and speeches? A book is not going to tell people about the whole person. This is another company that wants to be promoted so they jumped into this "venture" and help this Dieter person release his book about a man who did not like him. I will pass on this one. After the joke that was the Bodyguard's book, I am not going to purchase any book that deals with Michael's personal life.
The First Book of Michael, 2015
The next book that is already out is called The First Book of Michael that is written by a fan name Syl Mortilla. When I read that he was doing a book on Michael, I was interested and wanted to get the book. As I read the information on the book, I read that Karen Faye wrote a foreword of the book and I became horrified. The last thing that I ever wanted to do is to purchase a book that remotely has anything to do with Karen. After all of the things that she did and stated about Michael after his death, why would a fan, who I respect regardless of his satire towards Michael that he did in 2009, would team up with her and allow her to write something on Michael? I lost interest immediately and not only did Syl allow Karen to participate in the book but he did an interview with Jordan King, a blogtalk show host who is a very nasty, disrespectful person, to promote his book. I believe that Syl means well but I cannot support his book for the obvious reasons. If you are interested in what his book is about, please click on this link -
http://sylmortilla.com/2015/01/17/the-first-book-of-michael/
Traveling with the King, 2015
http://surlespasdemichaeljackson.com/en/
Michael Jackson The Maestro, 2015
In 2013, I did a Spotlight Series entry on the website Michael Jackson Archives and one of the founders of that website, Chris Cadman, is the author of the book For the Record among the various books on Michael's sister Janet and other singers and performers. This time around, Cadman, who I feel should be in every music based documentary on Michael, has released the second volume to his popular book called Michael Jackson The Maestro The Definitive A-Z of his Life and Times. Vol. II: K-Z. Now, this is a book that I will definitely purchase because I have made it a must to only purchase books on Michael that focus on his music and legacy. If you want to know more information about the book, you can click here -
http://www.michaeljacksonthemaestro.com/
Xscape Origins, 2015
Finally, the last book that I want you all to know about was a book I found out about literally a week and a half ago. The book is called Xscape Origins: The Songs and Stories Michael Jackson Left Behind by fellow fan Damien Shields. This is another book that I will purchase. Now, I know you might be thinking that I stated that I did not want to support the Xscape album or anything relating to Sony Music or the Michael Jackson Estate so why support this. Well, this book is done by Damien who is a true fan and historian on Michael and I will always support fans who do the right thing by Michael. Also, his book is not endorsed by the Estate or Sony Music. If you read Damien's book, you will know that on some of his blog posts he discusses the origins of the songs that were on the Xscape album. He probably had more information and decided to use the information in a book. The people that Damien interviewed for the book all worked for Michael and are very credible. He is also meticulous in his work and very dedicated to making sure that the information is correct and factual. I totally respect someone that takes the time to work on something that can greatly benefit Michael's legacy. The Xscape album, regardless of my views about it, did very well on the billboard charts and there are probably people out there that would like to know the behind the scenes stories of the songs and where the original songs came from. What better way to know about that by getting the information from people who know the actual stories? So, if you want to know more about the book, please click on the link below -
http://www.xscapeorigins.com/
Why The Assumptions?
A candid picture of Michael, 1988
I know that certain things will never change in the MJ fan community, online and offline. There is a major division in that fan community that is so deep that there is no way that fans can ever have a simple disagreement about Michael and his life without some type of nasty argument. These types of disagreements have turned from reasonable to down right ridiculous and it can cause some serious problems. I have had fans block me on social media all because I did not support the Estate executors, Karen Faye, certain fans, Joe Vogel, etc. Even though we love the same man and will defend him to no end, a simple disagreement with a fan will cost me a blocking on social media. I usually do not take it seriously because I do not need the fans to define my fanhood. However, it is scary to realize that this is how the members of the fan community deal with certain topics about Michael. Most of these fans are grown, have jobs/careers and educated and I would think that they would have a better way of handling a difference of an opinion.
When I read comments from fans about the people in Michael's life, I almost laughed at what they stated. I want to start with Michael's father, Joe Jackson and the executor to Michael's estate, John Branca. I read that Joe was a "gangsta" and he is the "reason" why Michael made certain decisions in his life that hurt him in the end. Here is the thing, none of us can prove that Joe is even gangsta or have gang ties. That assumption isn't right and I kind of see that as racist because Joe is not someone that was kind to people when he managed his children's careers. In that process, he made a lot of enemies. Those people stated things about Joe that were not positive to him. Just because Joe was mean to many people in the industry, does not mean that he was a "gangsta" or have gang ties. I do not care what anyone states. To accuse someone of being that way, you have to prove it and I have not seen any proof. Michael made many bad decisions in his life because he chose to see the good in people and want to give people a chance. So, if Michael were to see things about the people he knew that did not show them in a good light, he will ignore that red flag and focus on the person's good qualities. You would think an MJ fan would know that, but they decided to place blame. John Branca, based on what is known, is not really a good guy to Michael and the fact that Michael fired him various times tells me that Michael had his issues with him. I would continue to discuss John Branca and his ways, but I already stated that on my previous blog posts. Going back to the gangster talk, the other executor to Michael's estate, John McClain's father knew a gangster name Benjamin "Bugsby" Siegel and you can read it here -
http://articles.latimes.com/1998/mar/26/business/fi-32786
Interesting, isn't it?
Another comment that I read that angered me was when a fan stated on social media that Joe Vogel is doing great things for Michael's legacy and if fans do not support him, something is wrong with them. First of all, how can one fan even make an assumption about fans all because they do not believe Mr. Vogel should be the expert in all things Michael? I have nothing against the man but Mr. Vogel he treated me with disrespect two years ago when I reached out to him to do a Q&A session with him. I was so disappointed with him that I discussed that on my blog. I want to post the link so you all can read what happened so you know why I find that assumption laughable -
http://michaelandthetruth.blogspot.com/2013/01/random-thoughts-part-4.html
Lastly, probably the dumbest assumption that I read from fans about fans - the fans that do not support the Estate has an "agenda". Excuse me? I am a fan who has never and will never support the Estate and because of my stance, I have an agenda? Do you see how stupid that sounds? The things that the Estate executors have done for Michael's legacy since his death have been suspect at best. Yes, at times, the Estate executors have done things I can respect and I stated so on social media. However, there are so many problems with the Estate that I cannot accept and I stated that many times on this blog and on social media. The problem with these assumptions is not only is it untrue, but they are immature. Why would you care what another fan thinks about certain people that do not make a difference in their lives? We are fans of Michael, not his hired help, family, business people, book authors, etc. We are all free to express our views about Michael but we should not be damned because of it. Nearly three years ago, I did a blog post where I listed fan websites/social media sites that I feel were not supportive of Michael. I did that out of anger and frustration but when I decided to have a changed of heart after certain realizations, I made the decision to remove the blog entry because I feel that judging fans based on their views is not right. We are a diverse fan community and we have to respect the point of view of all of the opinions even if we disagree. Instead of assuming, lets start understanding one another and maybe we can have a reasonable discussion about the great Michael.
Who Should Speak For Michael in the Fan Community?
Michael with his fans in 2006.
It is weird that after discussing assumptions and the fan community, I am going to get into a subject about people who speak for Michael. I have made it clear that the only people that can speak for Michael are his children and his fans. The reality of his fans is that a certain percentage of them are not really fans but more like fans of Michael's troubles. There are people that love a train wreck and even if there is nothing there to see a train wreck, there are people who would want to continue to view Michael as a man who attracts the unfortunate. I was on social media when I saw an images of certain comments that a journalist name Charles Thomson stated about Michael that angered me.
I do not consider Charles a fan because he is very judgmental about Michael to be one. He is a journalist and one can't be a fan because being a fan of any celebrity means that you are not objective towards that celebrity. Charles is always being the one to do an article on Michael about his life but at the same time, throws shade and insults about the man which makes me think as if he is making a mockery of the fans and our effort to change the way Michael is perceived in the media and public. Also, Charles' background is a extremely suspect and I saw information that makes it seem as though he had ties to a certain UK tabloid.
The first image that I want to show is this -
Did Charles Thomson ever worked for a tabloid?
It should not shock me that Thomson would be on a Facebook group that specializes in combating the defamation that Michael receives from the media in which he calls Michael a "liar" when discussing the paternity of Michael's children. Read the image below -
This guy is evil.
So, because Michael stated to Martin Bashir two different stories about Blanket's existence, Michael is a "liar"? Why does any of that concerns Thomson? He, and the other Jackson family supporters, like to list all of Michael's problems but seems to not realized that unlike some of those Jacksons people they blindly defend, Michael was never a dead beat father. Charles seems to be one of those "fans" that was angry that Michael's popularity never died down after he passed away. This man always gets the chance to trash Michael when it shows that Michael is not viewed as a man who was crazy. Thomson did an article on the media's treatment towards Michael during the 2005 trial years back and I would think that he would have learned from what Michael went through and not continue the nasty trend of the media bashing Michael and discrediting him. This man goes on a Facebook group page and crapped on this man. A group page that is dedicated on defending Michael's good name. So hypocritical.
Charles Thomson is no different than another "journalist" that revealed her true colors: Aphrodite Jones. Jones wrote the book Conspiracy in which she detailed how Michael was completely innocent and how everything was a conspiracy. Jones wanted to be close to the fans so they can buy her book and she wanted to be close to the action so she can get the latest tea on Michael and the Jacksons. A few years after Michael died, Jones went on Jordan King's radio show and revealed that she is not sure if Michael is innocent in regards to Jordan Chandler's false claim on abuse. Jones admission confirmed to me that the media and Michael Jackson fans should never mix, ever. I would think that after all of the information that is revealed about Charles Thomson, that MJ fans would stop communicating with that man and rip him to shreds. This man should never speak for Michael because if he feels that Michael is a liar, why is he participating in the fan community? What does he care what is going on? What is his point of talking and writing about Michael? I hope that something is done so Thomson can be rid of just like Aphrodite Jones was.
Michael's Kids are Growing
Aww, look at them. So small and precious, 2003.
It seems like everyday, I see new pictures of Michael's children on social media and it is good to see what they are doing now. This year, Michael's sons Michael Jr. and Prince Michael, celebrated milestones in their lives. Michael Jr. turned 18 and posted a very loving message about his milestone and thanking the three people who raised and molded him -
Prince response on turning 18, 2015.
When Prince Michael turned 13, he did not post any message (he is not on social media), but family friend, Omer Bhatti, posted a sweet picture of him on his Facebook account.
Blanket looks happy that he is sleeping, 2015.
The Jackson Women at Frances Jackson's baby shower, 2015.
Prince is making some news lately because he along with Omer, got a chance to listen to Kendrick Lamar's new album To Pimp a Butterfly before he released it online and people were talking about it.
Prince and Omer Bhatti with Kendrick Lamar, 2015
"Michael Jackson's son, Prince Jackson has a pretty big decision ahead of him.The 18-year-old is narrowing down his choices for college, and reportedly has his eye on two film schools — School of Film and Television at Loyola Marymount University and University of Southern California."http://www.lifeandstylemag.com/posts/prince-jackson-chooses-which-college-he-s-attending-wants-to-pursue-a-career-in-film-53719
Lastly, there are pictures of Prince and Paris that fans are discussing that are causing a commotion. There are pictures of Paris with a guy and they look they are a couple and I am not sure what is going on. If it is a boyfriend, I feel she is a bit young to be in a relationship right now. Then, there are pictures of Prince smoking what appears to be weed and if it looks like a duck and it quacks like a duck, then it is a duck. The way he is holding the object screams to me that he is smoking that mess. I hope that it does not become a habit because if it does, it will not be a good look.
Off the Wall Documentary is Happening
Michael in the 1980 American Music Awards
To mine's and the fans' surprise, Spike Lee pretty much confirmed that the Off The Wall documentary is totally happening thanks to the picture he posted on social media. Based on the pictures that were seen, it looks like this documentary is going to be awesome.
Joe and Katherine Jackson with Spike Lee, 2015
Spike Lee with Siedah Garrett, 2015
Spike Lee with Stevie Wonder, 2015
Jackson Family Baby Shower and New Edition
TJ Jackson.
A couple of weeks ago, TJ became a father again for the last time when his wife, Frances, gave birth to their son, Rio.
TJ's son, Royal holding his little brother, Rio.
Now, if you were counting how many children TJ now has, you will be counting a music group now. I honestly have no idea how many children TJ has now and even counting the children I know he has, I still do not know if that is correct. Before Rio was born, the Jackson family threw a baby shower for Frances and some of those pictures were posted on social media. You can check out some of the pictures below.
Brenda Richie (Nicole Richie's mother, Lionel Richie's ex wife) with Cordia Wright.
Frances Jackson with Cordia Wright.
Clarification on a Blog Post
Michael with his niece, Brandi in 1989.
I did a previous blog post about the second generation Jacksons and everytime I do one, I am always missing something. At times, I cannot catch up on what they are doing and who is in the family. Here is the current one -
http://michaelandthetruth.blogspot.com/2014/12/second-generation-jacksonsbrowns-part-3.html
For the life of me, I do not know how I can forget to add Yasmine Jackson. She is the daughter of Jo'Vonnie Jackson, the illegitimate daughter of Joe Jackson. Everytime I do this feature for my blog, I forget to add her. However, in the current one, I remembered her but I did not include her in because I did not know her date of birth and age. After I published the entry, I found Yasmine's Facebook account and the information that I need was there. Ugh. So frustrating.
Randy Jr. with his girlfriend, Jessica, 2015.
On that same blog, I did not mentioned that Randy Jr. has a girlfriend because I did not know the girl's last name. After I published the post, I found out that Randy Jr. has a Facebook account and so did his girlfriend and I found out her last name. Now, I know.
Will Living with the Jacksons Ever Come on Television?
Alejandra Jackson and her children, 2015.
Speaking of Randy Jr., he, his mother and siblings/cousins were/are doing a reality show called Living with the Jacksons for the REELZ network. I have mentioned this information one time on the blog but I did not mentioned that I reached out to the network to see what was the deal with the show. A trailer of the show was posted on social media but was quickly removed. There have been rumors that the show will not come on television. I wanted to know for sure what was going on so I contacted them. They responded telling me that the show will happen. Weeks after that response, I contacted them again and they told me that they have taken down my contact information and will let me know when the date and time will be set. I got that email response December 22, 2014. It is pushing April. I am going to be honest: I do not think the show is going to happen. As much as I want it to happen because I really want to see this, I doubt it will happen. I cannot see the Jacksons allow Alejandra and her children put their business out there.
The Jackson women at Frances' baby shower, 2015.
When I saw of picture of Alejandra with Katherine, I had a feeling that Katherine was trying to get Alejandra to not do the show. I could be wrong but what is taking so long to put it on television?
Madonna on Michael
Michael with Madonna in 1991 leaving the Ivy Restaurant.
I try not to pay attention to anything Madonna states about Michael but when she would post pictures of her and him together on social media, I, and many others wanted to know why. When it was revealed that she was doing a new album called Rebel Heart, it made sense to have him on there. I mean, people use Michael to promote their work so why not Madonna? Recently, Madonna did plenty of media rounds promoting her album and talking about the men she was with in her life. Of course, talk soon went to her time with Michael and there were things that she stated that bothered me. Let me post what she stated to Sirius Radio host and Michael hater, Howard Stern, about Michael -
"I could certainly relate to him on many levels, but he was also a very shy person," she said of Jackson. "He was famous since he was a child and didn't really have a childhood. He was painfully shy. We didn't really have a relationship about me revealing myself to him, but making fun of the crazy world we were living and working in. We didn't talk about our childhoods. ... I think he felt eternally tortured. It was hard for him to look into people's eyes."http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/6495261/madonna-howard-stern-interview-tupac?utm_source=twitter
Ok, so I did not read the whole quote that she stated about Michael. I only read the last part and that is what happens when you prejudge things instead of reading the whole thing for yourself. I was going to let her have it but nevermind.
Then, she did an interview of sorts with the tabloid Us Weekly in which she stated about Michael -
"25. My favorite memories of Michael Jackson were getting him to let down his guard. He was so shy. The time I succeeded most was after I got him drunk at the Ivy in Beverly Hills. I was driving my Mercedes and dared him to throw his sunglasses out the window. We couldn’t stop laughing. "
http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/madonna-id-be-invited-to-white-house-if-wed-to-jay-z-25-things-2015233
Well, she is not the first one to get Michael drunk. David Gest stated in his book that he got Michael drunk once and he could not hold in alcohol. Madonna made it sound as if she was the first one to get Michael drunk. Ha!
Is Joe Jackson Really On Social Media?
Joe Jackson with his sons in 2001.
The Internet is full of people that can state anything that is anything in order for people to believe them. When Joe Jackson decided to get an account on Facebook and Twitter, I did not think that what he would supposedly state would be in question. When Joe joined twitter, I decided to follow him and I read his tweets and for the most part, it seems as though Joe was probably on twitter. However, in the back in mind I always thought that I could not see a man, born in the 1920s, sit down and type anything on a computer or laptop. I could not see him use a computer or laptop and when he stated certain things on twitter, I started to question them.
All of his accounts are his accounts but I do not think that in anyway, especially after the tweet that he "made", that he is actually on social media typing these comments. Two weeks ago (3/15), Joe "stated" something about Michael that angered his fans. He "stated" that -
Joe stated what on twitter???
If you read very carefully, he asked if Michael is "still alive" and is it a "mystery" and that he does not expect to see him until he dies and that you never know. I did not know this happened at that time because I was not online when he stated this. When I got online and found out why the fans were angry, I was furious. I am convinced that not only did he not state that tweet, that he is not on social media and he does not update his website. His publicist, a woman name Angel Howansky, who has been working for him and the family for over 25 years, is the one who is updating his accounts. When he was called out for his stupid "comment", it was deleted immediately (but a fan saved it before it was removed) and Joe "claimed" that his account was hacked. Yes, and I am the Easter bunny.
It is not uncommon that publicists of celebrities can make posts on the social media accounts of the people they work for to promote certain things like events or tours. So, yes, Angel can updated Joe's accounts and even make tweets if he has something to promote. However, none of the tweets that Joe stated seem to be about that but more about talking about his family, what he was doing and thanking the fans for their support. Yet, one has to wonder what would make Angel create a tweet that even questions that Michael is still alive knowing very well that he is not living.
Since Michael was murdered, a group of fans started to question how Michael was murdered and noticed certain things that did not make sense. These fans started to speak up about what they noticed and came to the conclusion that Michael is faking his death. The way the Jackson family handled Michael's death was very unusual but this is a very off family for the most part so it should not be a shock that his family handled his death in a very odd way. That does not mean that Michael faked his own death. The main ringleader in this sick belief is a woman name Pearl Jr. who is an opportunist and uses any chance she has to prove that Michael is living. You might be wondering what does Angel have to do with Pearl Jr.? Well, look at this picture -
Hmmm, interesting.
This picture is of Pearl Jr. on the left, Angel in the middle and another opportunist name Raffle Van Excel at some event. The Jacksons are very familiar with Pearl Jr. and her sick ways so why would their publicist take a picture with a woman who have stated that Michael faked his own death? Why would a publicist of Michael's family deal with a woman who have disrespected Michael's children just to prove that a fraud name Brandon Howard is Michael's "son" when it has been proven twice that he is not his son? Why would Angel deal with a woman that is disrespectful and nasty to Michael's legacy? I do not know exactly the answers to these questions, but I feel and believe that the tweet that she made on Joe's account two weeks ago, was done to simply help her friend, Pearl Jr., get "confirmation" that Michael is "alive". Why even deal with these types of people after you know exactly what they have stated and done to Michael and his legacy?
Once that stunt was pulled through Joe's account, I was starting to question if he was actually on these sites. Why would he even remotely state that knowing his son is not alive? Why even do this to his son? This is the same man that has yet to take responsibility for abusing his children so what he "stated" on twitter should not shock me. However, I still do not believe he ever made a tweet on twitter or posted a status on Facebook. Too many off things that he stated and did on social media that made me look at things with a side eye. Once I started to question his presence on twitter, days later, I noticed that the number changed on who I follow on twitter. When I started to look into it, I searched for Angel's twitter account and I saw this -
I see.
The woman blocked me from twitter all because I started to asked questions on my timeline feed if Joe was even making comments on twitter. This woman is very simple and pathetic. We followed one another on twitter and I asked her via direct message if Joe would do a Q&A session for the blog. Angel stated to me that she would ask him. When I asked her again, she stated that Joe did not have time to do an interview. I found out that he did an interview with a fan of the Jackson family for the soultrain.com website. Here is the interview -
I guess I have to kiss their rear so they can do a session for my blog. Anyway, back to Angel, the fact she blocked me confirmed my suspicions that not only is Joe not making any of his tweets, but he is not doing the status updates on his Facebook page and he is not updating his website. Angel is doing all of those things. For now on, this blog will not post ANYTHING from any of those accounts that hail Joe Jackson's name, image or likeness simply because, in my opinion, he did not create those comments and updates.
Dedication: I want to dedicated this blog post to three people who are no longer with us. Sophia Hillier, a fellow MJ fan who was a supporter of this blog, Charmayne Maxwell, one of the singers of the group Brownstone, that Michael founded in the 1990s for his MJJ Records and Sergeant (posthumously) from the Philadelphia Police Department, Robert Wilson III. May God bless them all and my prayers to their families.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
References:
Articles/Books/Blog Entries -
Soultrain.com Exclusive Q&A: Joe Jackson In His Own Words, Shameika Rene, October 31st, 2014.
http://soultrain.com/2014/10/31/soultrain-com-exclusive-qa-joe-jackson-words/
Information about Dieter Wiesner's book -
http://www.inquisitr.com/1849453/new-michael-jackson-book-to-come-out-despite-millions-spent-to-block-it/
First Book on Michael -
http://sylmortilla.com/2015/01/17/the-first-book-of-michael/
Traveling with The King -
http://surlespasdemichaeljackson.com/en/
Michael Jackson The Maestro -
http://www.michaeljacksonthemaestro.com/
Xscape Origins -
www.xscapeorigins.com
"Back In the Club", Los Angeles Times, Chuck Phillips, March, 26, 1998
http://articles.latimes.com/1998/mar/26/business/fi-32786
"Random Thoughts Part 4", Michael and the Truth (blog), Belinda O, January 6, 2013,
http://michaelandthetruth.blogspot.com/2013/01/random-thoughts-part-4.html
"REPORT: Prince Jackson Chooses Which College He's Attending — Wants to Pursue a Career in Film!", Stefanie Favicchio, Life and Style Weekly, March 12, 2015
http://www.lifeandstylemag.com/posts/prince-jackson-chooses-which-college-he-s-attending-wants-to-pursue-a-career-in-film-53719
"Madonna Reveals She Dated Tupac Shakur and Much More on Howard Stern", billboard.com, March 11, 2015
http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/6495261/madonna-howard-stern-interview-tupac?utm_source=twitter
"25 Things", Us Weekly, March 23, 2015
http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/madonna-id-be-invited-to-white-house-if-wed-to-jay-z-25-things-2015233
Pictures -
Prince Michael Jackson aka "Blanket" with Omer Bhatti from Omer's official Facebook account.
Paris Jackson with his Grandmother Katherine and aunts LaToya and Rebbie Jackson from LaToya Jackson's twitter account, @latoyajackson (verified).
Michael Jackson Jr. aka Prince and Omer Bhatti with Kendrick Lamar from Prince's twitter account, @princemjjjaxon (verified).
Pictures of Joe and Katherine Jackson, Siedah Garrett and Stevie Wonder came from Spike Lee's official Facebook account and a google.com search.
Picture of Michael with his children in 2003 from a google.com search.
Picture of Royal Jackson holding his brother, Rio Jackson from his father's TJ Jackson's official instagram account.
Brenda Richie and Frances Jackson with Cordia Wright from Ms. Wright instagram account.
Randy Jackson Jr. with his girlfriend Jessica Cuiellette from his twitter account.
Alejandra Jackson with her children Genevieve, Randy Jr., Donte, Jaafar and Jermajesty Jackson from a google.com search.
The Jackson women, Katherine, Rebbie, Alejandra and Genevieve Jackson at Frances Jackson's baby shower from Alejandra Jackson's instagram account.
The other pictures came from my personal harddrive.
Facebook and Twitter -
Images of journalist Charles Thomson's comments about Michael from Facebook and Twitter.
Michael Jackson Jr. aka Prince's comment on turning 18 from his twitter account, @princemjjjaxon. (verified).
Joe Jackson's "tweet" about the questioning of Michael's death from the twitter handle @kouliomj.
Picture of Angel Howansky with Pearl Jr. and Raffles Van Exel from the twitter handle @Loveusev.
Image of Angel Howansky blocking me from my personal twitter account.
