Michael Jackson and his brothers were propelled into the orbit of stardom in the late 1960’s. With countless number one hits as the lead singer of a family group and later as a solo artist, Michael became larger than life at an age most children are learning basic mathematics. Whilst it is safe to say that 1984 was the absolute height of his career, it was also the year the trajectory of Michael’s life altered considerably. On January 27, 1984, which ironically was exactly halfway through his life, Michael was the victim of a severe scalp burn during the shooting of a Pepsi commercial after his hair caught fire due to fireworks used on set. An event, some argue, that resulted in his addiction to prescription pain medication and was undeniably a turning point in his life. Thirty-two days later Michael received no less than eight Grammys, the record for most Grammys ever won in one night by a single artist and a record which he still holds to this day, although shared with Santana who tied his record in 2000. On July 6th 1984 the Victory Tour headlined the Jacksons and showcased Michael's new solo material to more than two million enchanted Americans. It was the last tour he participated in with his brothers. On December 9th 1984, after months of mounting tension between the Jackson siblings, Michael announced on stage that the Victory tour would be the Jacksons’ last tour together. Come January 1985, Michael began recording his seventh studio album “BAD” and in August of 1985, his purchase of ATV Music was finalized. With Michael Jackson already untouchable in the eyes of the public, the acquirement of the catalogue only served to make him an even bigger force to be reckoned with and therefore the media attacks intensified. His life, work, appearance and privacy came under constant scrutiny and a deluge of farcical stories about Michael were printed in various newspapers and magazines on an almost daily basis. In June of 1987, in a magazine called “SPIN”, it became clear that the media were in no way interested in Michael’s artistic work, but were simply so focused on slandering him personally that journalistic integrity was thrown out of the window faster than the clothes of a man found in bed with his wife’s sister. The first article by an unknown writer reads: <blockquote> "At 29, Michael Jackson looks barely 19: in his white pancake makeup, he looks like a ghost. Assimilation has traditionally been a social phenomenon - blacks, Hispanics, and Asians moving into white society as they prospered - but Jackson redefines it. Through cosmetics and plastic surgery, he has assimilated himself biologically, recreating himself in a Caucasian image."</blockquote> In that same article, not satisfied with accusing Michael of being “too white” physically, the writer then concludes that Michael 'doesn't fit the model for rock critic idolatry' because he's too black. In the same magazine but a different article by Quincy Troupe, Michael is attacked for his seclusion, plastic surgery and the hyperbaric chamber story and is literally called a "national joke". Troupe argues that Michael "in record time, has gone from being one of the most admired of celebrities to one of the most absurd". This is just an example of the media smears Michael would have to endure throughout the rest of his life. His anger towards the assassination of his character becomes apparent when “BAD” is released in August of 1987 which featured songs like “Leave Me Alone” and “BAD” amongst other classic hits. “BAD” became the first album to produce five US number-one singles. Although Michael’s popularity among the public was still immense, his work never received the credit it deserved from the industry form that point onwards. Michael still received awards throughout the rest of his career, but he was never able to top Thriller awards wise, despite the fact that his later work was lyrically and creatively superior and ahead of its time. The more vocal Michael became and the more albums he sold, the more the media attacked him with a vengeance and an agenda. But the public still loved him, which is why a different approach was necessary. Once it was abundantly clear to the powers that be that Michael was not backing down or surrendering to the immense pressure put on him, it was time for their final ploy to ruin a man now too powerful for their liking. This is when the child molestation accusations by the Chandlers in 1993 and eventually the trial in 2005 became their atomic bomb to use against Michael Jackson. After all, who would trust, listen to or love a child molester? It would seem they figured this approach was one that left them unable to lose in their plot for destruction. Best case scenario for them was Michael rotting in solitary confinement for the rest of his life, worst case scenario still left a question mark over his legacy. They got their worst-case scenario, and they were apoplectic with their inability to manipulate a jury in to doing their bidding. And so, despite his acquittal on all charges on June 13th 2005, the media not only continued but amplified their attacks and falsehoods. This character assassination continued until his passing in 2009, after which he was suddenly praised and celebrated by the same powerful media entities that had sought so desperately to eviscerate him. However, this reprieve (counterfeit as it may have been) did not last long. Less than 4 years later he was in the news again, accused of molestation by Wade Robson, the very person who defended him during his trial in 2005. Robson was later joined by James Safechuck, another person who had always claimed never to have been touched by Michael. And so the media had their sacrificial lamb back. And as if that wasn’t enough, a disgusting hit piece so graphically vile that it crossed in to child pornography territory starring serial perjurers Robson and Safechuck was released in early 2019 . This was their last hurrah, their final attempt to assassinate Michael’s character. And this time, they even set their sites on destroying his artistic work with the corrupt media and paid blue ticks shills on Twitter calling for the cancelling of Michael Jackson’s music. They failed. June 25th, 2020 will mark eleven years without Michael Jackson. Never has the world changed at a faster nor more intense pace than it has since he left. Society has separated, divided in to left and right, black and white, Muslim and Christian. Significant changes can be observed in the way we think, communicate, identify ourselves, interact with others, live our lives and believe. Some will argue that this cataclysmic rift within humanity has been for the better, others will argue that we have lost our way and in order to truly progress and succeed in the equality and unity we so desire, sometimes we must make a U-turn and go back to that junction to pick a better direction. Whilst the world may now know more disunion than in recent history, there are two crucial factors that have remained steadfast in the face of such division. One being the unyielding support of Michael Jackson from his fans and those who truly love him, the other being the vicious attacks that continue to fester within the corrupt minds who would seek his destruction over a decade after his passing. There is significant division within the Michael Jackson community on many topics. But the one that seems to cause the most division, is the debate about what exactly happened on June 25th, 2009. Which group holds the truth is not of any significance because despite this division, the community is united in its belief that there has been a conspiracy against Michael Jackson for over three decades which resulted in the events that took place on that fateful Thursday. Not a single person who deeply investigated Michael’s life and death believes that he accidentally overdosed that night. So, here’s the question, who wanted Michael Jackson gone? And why? Why, more than a decade after Michael’s passing, are they still so unyielding in their pursuit to destroy Michael Jackson? And why did they hate him so much in the first place? What were they afraid of? Many will argue that racism is at the source of it all. And although no one will deny racism played a part with some of the people involved, it does not explain why Michael is still being attacked today, in a time where many black people are being celebrated in Hollywood, sports and amongst other professions. It also doesn’t explain why other black artists who became big household names around the same time or even before -many of them very successful- did not receive the same insidious treatment. Yes, plenty of black artists have been mistreated in the past and some are still being mistreated today, but not a single one of them was targeted with the determination and in the psychotic way in which Michael was and still is. So, we will have to look beyond racism. We must look at what exactly made Michael Jackson such a threat to the status quo that they had to get rid of him in any way they could. Who are the people attacking him? Why do they attack him despite all the evidence of his innocence? Who are they connected to and what could be the conspiracy against Michael Jackson that he himself spoke about so many times? Are all these attacks and accusations standing on their own, or is it all connected? In 2019 the Innocent Project had one core focus, to share the truth, to arm those fighting for Michael’s legacy with evidence of his innocence so they could educate the (sometimes willfully) ignorant and to give fans ammunition to stand their ground in the face of the unenlightened. Throughout 2020 we will continue to do this, but we also have another mission. This year we will also be investigating those who have sought to conspire against Michael Jackson and the designs that were used to destroy him. We will not only ask how, but also ask why and we will look at Michael’s own work to try and get to the bottom of this. Although arguments will be supported with facts, this series will be more theoretic in nature, in an attempt to be able to eventually connect the dots in the sinister plot to destroy Michael Jackson. This series will be controversial, enraging and may test everything you believe you know. But it is important. Whatever our divisions and differences, the truth is our goal. Sometimes, in order to shine light on corruption, you must be willing to go to dark places. Join us in our journey to the truth. Justice for Michael, justice for all.
Unlock with Patreon
