Repost from last Feb...

Before I left for Bern I came across this entry I wrote last February, after the Bashir documentary, and thought about posting it again as it seems strangely topical right now. Didn't get round to it, but now I've read this entry by Anne, I thought of it again so am posting it now.

We ain't nothing but mammals

Ever since the Living with Michael Jackson special there has been nothing but abuse and negativity towards MJ and his fans - in the press of course as I'm sure you've all read and seen, & in the general public too (e.g. I've been getting a lot more e-mails telling me to "get a life" and that MJ is a disgusting paedophile, and I've had to close my guest book because I was tired of deleting abusive entries).

I know we as fans should be used to this by now, but to be honest I'm not, and I don't understand and won't accept that it's so socially acceptable and even "normal" to hate on Michael Jackson & call him a freak or worse, a criminal, with NO arguments that will actually stand up against closer scrutiny. And it makes me very angry that we the fans, and generally the minority of people who do stand by him (be it friends or open-minded people, even some media people) have NO chance of educating the general public about the truth - because the truth is not what they're interested in! What they want is gossip, anomaly and something to get outraged about. What motivates them is jealousy, fear and ignorance.

They don't want to hear that MJ has a well documented skin disease called Vitiligo. What they want is the image of a psycho who's ashamed of his own race and wants to be white. They don't want to see a caring, loving man who's so remote from our own evil, violent and devious world that he can't see why it would be "weird and unacceptable" to spend his time with children. They want - indeed they can only imagine - a deranged man with sexual intentions. They do not WANT to learn the truth & expand their horizon - they deliberately choose to ignore the arguments they would need to move beyond their limited & selective knowledge.

There is no point in reasoning or arguing, and maybe that's what's most frustrating. Even if you do explain, illustrate, prove, exemplify why their conception of Michael Jackson is wrong, you will not succeed in convincing them because this is not what they want or expect. Such a representation of MJ simply does not function in their world, therefore whatever you say has to be deluded and misguided, however convincing it sounds.

This is not about Michael Jackson. It's about people, about our society, about the human race, and about what makes us tick. WHY the need to condemn, to crush, to destroy someone like MJ? Why this viciousness, the reckless cruelty with which the media (who only feed the expectations of the masses) tear apart a good person, someone with a big heart, and a vulnerable one at that - and above all, an amazing artist who should at least be recognized as that?!

Well the reason is in my headline I believe. We're animals. Our instincts tell us: the unknown is always dangerous. Whatever doesn't belong to our own little herd, village, nation, faith and so on, must be destroyed, because it is the enemy. It might come and slaughter my family tomorrow if I don't slaughter it now. Be that Communists, Muslims, homosexuals, Jews, Americans (if you're muslim fundamentalists), or quite simply eccentrics, they're all dangerous because they're different. Culture, civilisation, it's all just a thin layer unable to hide that underneath we're nothing but beasts. See, I find that easier to accept than the idea that people are stupid and vicious. Then again, I believe that too. I'm cynical like that. My cynicism too protects me.

-- End February entry. I still feel much the same. I'd like to add now that I still love him, trust him, believe in him. And I still despise people, I always will, and tbh I see nothing wrong with it as they suck. The human race has nothing to speak for itself, nothing at all. Morons all around. Maybe 5% of the world population are worthy of praise and admiration. Hehe, thank God quite a few of them happen to be my friends. I could never bear having moronic friends. Thus I end on a positive note. Somehow.