|
Post by Liberian Girl on Aug 1, 2017 12:27:55 GMT
I know our lives are made up of intricate pathways - each decision, both big and small, has an impact on where our lives take us. Everything: from which restaurant to eat one night (perhaps the one we don't attend is involved in a serious fire, or the one which we do attend is where we meet the love of our life?), or which university to attend, or even where to buy a house. Each thing we do has an impact on the larger picture. I've always wondered how different Michael's life would have been if it wasn't for the Bashir documentary in 2003. I have discussed this with fans before, and although it's obviously just speculation/theory, I do think Michael would be here now, enjoying his life and still being productive, if it wasn't for what happened during Living with Michael Jackson and the subsequent trial.
I've heard other fans say that they think it was the first set of allegations with the Chandlers that set him off on the awful chain of events. I guess they are right - to some degree - but I always felt as an outside observer, that Michael recovered well from this set of false allegations. I feel he was able to regain his strength, return to his career (stronger than ever, creatively?), build himself a family etc. It was his trust of Bashir and the airing of that documentary that started things on a path that ultimately caused the catastrophic events of the Arvizo trial and his passing away. I think the Arvizo's eventually saw the footage of Gavin looking intimate and close to Michael as something they could frame as sinister. I think the way the media subsequently tried to undermine his parenting because of the footage it contained (the way they mocked the children wearing masks; how frantic Michael looked when holding Blanket in one scene; the window debacle where Michael held the baby over the ledge etc). And, of course - what never helped at all? Bashir's voice over towards the end, where he tried to make himself look suspicious of Michael.
I have also always thought Bashir tried to make Michael look silly to the public. It really, really annoyed me how he would question Michael about something at one point, then several months later (don't forget, this show was filmed over many, many months), he would ask Michael again the same question, or word it differently, and Michael would respond differently and Bashir would add that to the final edit, as if he wanted people to mock Michael.
Either way, I feel that if this documentary hadn't been made, things could POSSIBLY have had a very different outcome for Michael Jackson. He never did anything wrong - Michael was always honest to who he was. He has always freely admitted having a home open to children to stay, has always wanted children and never did anything wrong by raising them alone, because it was with the mother's consent; his holding the baby over the ledge was never an elongated moment where he dangled the baby dangerously. This was all made to look bad by Bashir who, I feel, ultimately let him down. He promised Michael a fair and honest show, but didn't truly deliver it. I can see why Michael was angry when he watched the final result.
So, the result of that 2003 show? The media backlash refreshed itself and started anew. I remember so many stories, so negative (!) that sprung from that show. And I wouldn't be surprised if the sinister legal guys who approached the Arvizo family had seen that footage and encouraged them to come forward with allegations - it was too good an opportunity for them to miss.
I don't know. People can speculate as much as they want. I know I could be totally and utterly off the mark, but this is how I feel, this is my impression of things. I feel a lot of negative things happened to Michael in his life, but I feel he recovered well from. Somehow, I feel 2003 was the final straw. I think it changed his path and set things to the sad outcome which we are all sadly aware of. ..
There's a reason Michael felt so moved to make a rebuttal video. Even he saw how damaging that documentary tried to be towards him, after Bashir's edits to make him look a certain way.
I'd love to know your thoughts?
|
|
|
Post by Russg on Aug 1, 2017 13:28:09 GMT
I think you're right.
I don't know why or what possessed MJ to think that he could try and get people to better understand his love of children. It was incredibly naive of him to think that this was a good idea, and really highlighted how out of touch he was at the time.
It was so cringeful watching MJ offering himself up into the lions den like that. To this day, it astonishes me that his "people" let it happen. Somebody from his team must've known this was going to backfire... I guess nobody wanted to be the one to tell MJ.
|
|
respect77
The Legend Continues
Posts: 10,365
Member is Online
|
Post by respect77 on Aug 1, 2017 17:05:00 GMT
I think it really started in 1993 but maybe it became irreversible in 2003. But I don't think he ever got over 1993 either. 2003 was then the nail in the coffin.
|
|
|
Post by SoCav on Aug 1, 2017 20:53:53 GMT
I've heard other fans say that they think it was the first set of allegations with the Chandlers that set him off on the awful chain of events. I guess they are right - to some degree - but I always felt as an outside observer, that Michael recovered well from this set of false allegations. I feel he was able to regain his strength, return to his career (stronger than ever, creatively?), build himself a family etc. It was his trust of Bashir and the airing of that documentary that started things on a path that ultimately caused the catastrophic events of the Arvizo trial and his passing away. While the Bashir interview certainly was a catalyst to a lot of the things that happened afterwards, I do not think Michael was doing well prior to that. During 2001 and 2002 he really did not seem like himself, whatever the cause of it. I also think that the 2005 trial would not have taken place, had 1993 never happened. All in all I do think that was a more important turning point in his life. At the same time I do wonder what his life would have looked like if he never did that documentary, or if he had decided to do it with David Frost or Louis Theroux.
|
|
|
Post by MattyJam on Aug 1, 2017 21:43:12 GMT
I do not think Michael was doing well prior to that. During 2001 and 2002 he really did not seem like himself, whatever the cause of it. Good point. I think the Bashir documentary came at a really bad time for MJ. He didn't seem fully lucid in some scenes, which certainly made it easy for Bashir to frame MJ in a negative light. Compare some of the scenes in LWMJ to his 1995 Diane Sawyer interview, where he comes across as sharp as ever, witty, on the ball and generally happy. He seems all over the place in Bashir and like he's aged twenty years, instead of just seven.
|
|
respect77
The Legend Continues
Posts: 10,365
Member is Online
|
Post by respect77 on Aug 2, 2017 2:23:46 GMT
Talking about a butterfly effect. Imagine if MJ car had not broken donw in that May 1992. Everything could be so different.
|
|
|
Post by Hazelnut on Aug 2, 2017 2:26:01 GMT
I agree with everything you said, Liberian Girl. Although he did seem to recover from the 1993 allegations, it also helped the media continuously cultivate a negative image about him, hence him wanting to portray a better image with the Bashir interview. It seems to always come back to that. Those awful allegations in 1993 opened the door to everything else, from the lawyers/psychologist involved to the fact that he settled without really having a choice... I feel if 1993 never happened, the rest wouldn't have happened either, they are intimately connected. Its just so very sad that it seems he took hit after hit after hit and it makes you wonder, how come he had so many people that were ill-intentionned around him? I can understand you meet a few people in your life who will betray you but MJ? it seems he was surrounded by sharks ALL THE TIME! His story just seems unbelievable, like evilly planned from the start. To come back to Bashir, another piece of shit who took advantage of him, I'm kinda happy he has a brain tumor honestly lol... but maybe MJ should have just had his own camera crew follow him around for a few months, without all the commentary, which would have really shown who he is and how he lives, instead of having to answer awkward questions about why he prefers climbing trees instead of having sex.. like how does someone (Bashir) even connect the two? would you ask someone who tells you they like to paint if they would rather make love instead? I mean I would have shut that shit down right away if I was MJ. But he was to trusting of people.
Long story short, I think its just an accumulation of events and ill-intentionned people surrounding him that led him to his fate, and part of it is also his character (too trusting) that added to all of it... 2003 being the nail in the coffin. I definitely agree with you on that part.
|
|
|
Post by Russg on Aug 2, 2017 7:17:23 GMT
I think it was the fallout from Bashir rather than the documentary itself that did the damage. Sneddon and co used the fallout to further their agenda against MJ. This was helped made easier by Janet Arvizo being an opportunistic vulture willing to say or do anything in pursuit of financial gain.
I think the 2003 arrest and 2005 trial shook Michael's confidence and self-belief to the core and also probably led to a spiralling of over-reliance of self-medicating to numb the pain etc.
|
|