This is highly controversial new documentary that apparently raises huge discussions around the world and leads to arguments between the fans and non-converted - at the end it all boils down to the fact which group you belong. It is also much, much more than story about particular case but in my opinion its about how the perception of someone widely known might change with time and are we actually able to accept the truth, no matter how unpleasant it might be.
I saw the two-part documentary recently and it made my blood boil. Honestly, I don't know what do I find more upsetting: the horror of obvious crime case, the fact that this all happened again and again in front of the whole world, the parent's obvious complicity and refusal to accept something is strange and unusual in letting their little boys sharing bed with a grown up man (on tours, while parents were tucked away elsewhere in hotels), visible distress of the victims who to this day are confused between their love and loyalty to man who abused them or - perhaps worse of all - reaction of the fans around the world calling for boycott of this documentary without actually seeing it and claiming its simply not possible, that it can't be because "he won so many awards".
For the start, let's go back in time a little bit and look closely at Michael Jackson - hugely successful pop singer who literary grew up under the TV cameras from adorable little black boy into weird and creepy looking eccentric, transformed into unrecognisable, effeminate creature who walks under the umbrella and hides his face under the mask. That, for the start should already be alarming but strangely enough, it seems the world accepted him as a harmless eccentric who simply loves to have children around because his is just a child himself. Hm. Than this person builds a entertainment park on his property where starstruck kids come to him. And parents of these kids are so impressed with his wealth, lifestyle and everything he can provide that they go with it, completely blinded with his fame and smiling happily as their little boys sleep in Jackson's bed. Than we have TV footage's from Jackson's tours where he always walks around with little boys (never girls) and still no one finds it unusual or alarming. And no one questions it, no one finds it unusual why would grown up man surround himself with boys instead of having adult partner around. After a particularly nasty court case and accusations, Lisa Presley enters the picture as obvious cover-up wife and leaves five minutes later. Wife nr. 2 provides children (?) and leaves with truckloads of money as well. Still, the public thrives on Jackson's fame and refuses to believe that someone so hugely popular could possibly harm children.
Documentary is not about Jackson but about his victims - Wade Robson and James Safechuck were both separately abused by their idol for years and years, protected him on a court and lied to themselves and to their parents. The obvious question is: why did they change their mind now, so many years after the fact and when Jackson is no more around to react and protect himself. As expected, many people believe it's all about the money and financial gain - this kind of perception just shows how these people see life around them, as constantly materialistic world where things are sold and bought. I have seen documentary, seen the trembling hands and felt the deeply stressful and traumatic state of both (now grown up) men and I absolutely believe they are telling the truth. Psychologists who specialised in child abuse claim its actually very typical that victims of such crimes take a lifetime of accepting what happened to them and most of the time, memories are covered under layers of self-defence. To this day you can tell that both Robson and Safechuck idolise the man who destroyed their childhood but at the same time they are horrified with all of it.
One of the interesting things that I immediately thought of, is how much Jackson always cultivated the image of harmless, child-like Peter Pan: from experience I know that when people so strongly build a certain public persona, reality is probably completely different. It's an act. Look closely at his whispery, giggly talk and facial expressions, everything points how artificial and unreal this is - when he was finally arrested, his mug shot shows someone clearly deranged and self-delusional. He got away with court case by paying everybody off, but the dark clouds of shame and scandal never got away completely and now the truth finally came out. I have no doubt what these men are saying is truth and to everybody who has actually seen documentary its very clear and obvious these people were victims. And the parents - this is so infuriating - these people are so delusional that I wanted to jump into TV screen and beat them up. Absolutely infuriating. Strangest of all is the reactions of fans around the world who refuse to believe it, because Jackson's music was part of their lives for such a long time, they simply can't accept this. Personally, I have always felt Jackson was a creep so this don't really come as big surprise, its just upsetting that the world refused to believe what was very clear and obvious.
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