I don't talk about this a lot because it's not up for debate (& this is mostly a metal blog), but I'm a lifelong Michael Jackson fan. I traveled extensively, had incredible experiences with people from all over the globe & was in the goddamn trenches when the world was especially ugly to him.
I was lucky enough to be in his orbit numerous times & was there in the aftermath of his passing. Michael was special. He had an aura of confidence & calmness, but there was a profound sadness about him. Everyone always wanted something from him.
There is a moment in the new movie where he says something along the lines of "they're not my fans, they're my family." That was true. He was extraordinarily kind to us, but especially towards the end when he was just so damn tired & isolated. He always asked if *we* were okay, or if we needed anything.....even when his world was falling apart. We always told him that what we needed, was for him to take care of himself.
MJ was stubborn as fuck. This was well known amongst traveling fans. He had a consistently terrible PR team, & was too damn trusting of people. Even though he did seem otherworldly, he was a human at the end of the day (a funny as hell, sarcastic, curious one). He wasn't stupid, but as the most famous person on the planet, he didn't want to hear the word "no." There were many moments when he should have listened to ppl with his best interests in mind & he wouldn't budge. Being set in his ways & an occassional pain in the ass (he was a virgo after all π€£), was all that he was ever truly guilty of.
I'm not a fan who is willing to absolve him of every bad decision, because he wasn't infalliable. He was in a prison of his own making to a certain extent. There were times when many of us wished he'd stop trying to over explain himself to people who were never going to listen. And moments where all we could think was "Michael, shut the fuck UP." He was complex & deeply misunderstood, but not a monster.
He's been dead almost 20 years & without fail, each time he starts to win, grifters (who are seemingly always in the middle of a financial crisis - funny how that is), drag themselves out to yell from the mountain tops. It never fails. It's always when the money is at peak flow π
I do wish the estate would do more to combat the nonsense narratives & protect his legacy, but here we are. We're better than where we've been in a minute, but I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop. π€·ββοΈ
The movie has been a welcome redirect, but there are so many more things the estate *should* be doing. I just pray Michael: Part 2 is handled with extra special care.
And while the last few weeks have been incredible seeing him celebrated by everyone far & wide, I'm always suspicious of people's true intentions. You're welcome to come on board but...buckle up. Because they will never let him rest.
Unfollow me if this post makes you feel a certain way. It's not up for debate on this blog. I'm not entertaining opinions from the ether because I was there. I wouldn't trade those memories & moments for anything. I was part of the peak madness, the magic, the joy & the ugliness. All of it. There will never be another person like him. Ever. And I miss him terribly β€οΈ
It's 2026 & my MJ brain is loud again & I'm gonna stay here a while. If you're a moonwalker (esp one from way back), my DMs are always open & I'd love to give you a follow β€οΈ
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