Poll: Was Michael Jackson guilty?

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Scarim Coral

Jumped the ship
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Oct 29, 2010
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I don't think so, I believed that the verdit was correct during the court (I can't remember the exact thing but one of the kids actually lied to get money and other stuffs).
 

Roofstone

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May 13, 2010
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Michael Jackson was unquestionably a weirdo.. But not as much of a weirdo as we liked to claim.

So no, I don't think he did.
 

RJ 17

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Nov 27, 2011
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Do I think he went around molesting kids? No. Do I think he had some serious mental issues that caused him to behave in seriously suspicious ways? Yes.

Case in point, look at the interview he did with 60 Minutes:

Q: Do you believe it's appropriate for a 45 year old man to sleep in the same bed as 12 year old boys?
A: Yes.

Q: Would you let your child sleep in the bed of a 45 year old man who has been accused of child molestation?
A: Yes.

Again, I don't actually think he did anything inappropriate with the kids he had out to his Neverland Ranch (or whatever that place was called), I believe that - as completely f'ed up as his childhood was thanks to his own father - he had an obsession with children and, when he had all the money in the world, he now had the means to buy himself the childhood that he was never able to enjoy himself. Still, you can't go around saying some of the things he said or doing some of the things he did without looking rather suspicious...

Say what you want about him, though...dude could frickin' dance. :3
 

Vykrel

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Feb 26, 2009
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don't know. i do lean towards not guilty, though. he seemed pretty damaged and honestly it seemed like he just really wished he had a childhood, so he made up for it by spending a lot of time with kids. i remember seeing that one video of him and a bunch of kids during Easter, and none of them looked like he had ever laid a hand on them.
 

Signa

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I never thought he did it. I felt like that might have been wishful thinking a bit, but the more I found out about him and the case, the more it made sense that he didn't do anything. He had a horrible life, but spreading his misery to another seems too far out of character for him. No, everything he did was at face value, even if there are strong implications of his actions.

I also have to add what a piece of shit his dad was. Holy fuck! I remember hearing a clip from an interview with him after MJ died, and his reply was along the lines of "yeah, it's sad, but here's a shameless plug for my new project. Check it out!"
 

sageoftruth

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This thread gets first prize for the most unusually-timed question I've seen on the Escapist.
While we're on the same subject, is Richard Nixon really a crook?
 

WolfThomas

Man must have a code.
Dec 21, 2007
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No. I'm no Michael Jackson fan and I think he was one well of weird person. But he was never convicted and when you look at some of the details around the cases they get really dodgey. Like testimony from a child after his father drugged him with dental anaesthetic. Like WTF?

Would I want my children to hang out with him. Hell no. Firstly even if he was completely harmless I don't want my children to think such behaviour was normal from adults. Plus you know hanging out in a mansion gives some unrealistic expectations.
 

William Ossiss

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Apr 8, 2010
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The first time he was accused... I would have said " I don't know for sure."
The second time it happened...
Well, MJ was accused twice. I happen to think that, even if he was found innocent, he really wasn't. There was a reason he was poor as hell after that second case.
 

Johnny Novgorod

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Obviously none of us knows for a fact. I tend to think the worst, but that reflects more on me than on Michael.
 

Starik20X6

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Oct 28, 2009
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Mutant1988 said:
Another relevant Cracked article. [http://www.cracked.com/article_19552_5-insane-celebrity-conspiracy-theories-that-make-sense.html] And to be honest, there's not a lot about that theory that doesn't make sense, insane as it may seem.

So no, I don't believe he did anything, but I guess I'll never know for sure.
 

Cid Silverwing

Paladin of The Light
Jul 27, 2008
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Never.

He got framed - that one kid's dad coerced his son to falsily testify in court, but then the kid withdrew his testimony rendering it inadmissable. Said dad later admitted he was extorting Michael.

Why no one focuses on the shithead who literally had his son break the law for him just to get cash instead of Michael proves how shitty society is.
 

Jamieson 90

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Mar 29, 2010
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He was found innocent by a court of law. Yes, of course the judicial system can be wrong and people can be bought, but the judicial system is still a more concrete way of proving guilt or innocence than your everyday average joe going "I think he did it!" or "I don't think he did it!"

I think he was a very weird man who had some serious issues but in the end was a man who loved children and probably wanted to be one himself. He didn't do himself any favours in what he did or said but I don't think he was molesting children.
 

Thaluikhain

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sageoftruth said:
This thread gets first prize for the most unusually-timed question I've seen on the Escapist.
While we're on the same subject, is Richard Nixon really a crook?
Oh, that's a good one. While it would seem he was definitely guilty, by what standards do we judge the PotUS?
 

Thaluikhain

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Here Comes Tomorrow said:
I don't think he was, simply because if someone molests your child, what parent would accept money over justice?
Oh, there's an unfortunate amount of parents that might.
 

CrystalShadow

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Apr 11, 2009
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William Ossiss said:
The first time he was accused... I would have said " I don't know for sure."
The second time it happened...
Well, MJ was accused twice. I happen to think that, even if he was found innocent, he really wasn't. There was a reason he was poor as hell after that second case.
That seems like some spurious reasoning. And in fact, especially the part about being poor. That's effectively a self-fullfilling prophecy brought about by people who reason the way you do.

His wealth came from music and fame. If you lose your reputation in that situation, you lose your ability to make money. Especially if the reason your reputation is in tatters is because of something like this.

And as you've demonstrated with your own remark, in a case like this the accusation alone will go a long way towards destroying a person.

Proved innocent in court? Twice?
Must be guilty or he wouldn't be being accused of such things in the first place.

It's an interesting, but very disturbing bit of twisted psychology...
 

Imperioratorex Caprae

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May 15, 2010
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My view has always been that no, he didn't molest any kids. I don't think his attitude toward children was anything of a sexual nature. What one has to consider is that Jackson never really had a childhood, he was a picture perfect example of arrested development. An adult that never ever grew up, due to his history with his father and the very public life he led as a child in the Jackson 5. Sure he was an AMAZING musician, the true King of Pop, but I don't think he really ever believed he was an adult despite y'know physically growing up. As I can see it, he was a kid at heart and mentally and felt more comfortable being with children than adults.
That being said, it wasn't right but it wasn't near anywhere in the realm of abuse, or pedophelia as the media portrays it. I believe personally he needed a shitload of therapy, yes. But ultimately I don't think he was a danger to children, just a weird guy who didn't want to ever be an adult and chose to live like a kid.
Seriously, he built his home into an amusement park. I mean yeah I'd love to have that but I'm not about to have slumber parties with kids either.
So my answer? Hell no he didn't do anything wrong, and as some of the accusers have come out and said it wasn't true, I'm very much inclined to believe that he was nothing more than a guy who needed a lot of help and was taken advantage of by a lot of people. He was as naive as a child and people abused him and his childlike nature to get what they wanted (money) from him. I'm even half-convinced there was some fucked up things going on surrounding his death but I don't have evidence or know what exactly happened there.

I feel the guy was maligned unfairly, and ultimately died tragically and tainted by other people's greed and malice. RIP MJ, you were right... people are ignorant.
 

Thaluikhain

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CrystalShadow said:
Proved innocent in court? Twice?
I don't disagree with your overall point, but he wasn't proven innocent, he was merely not found to be guilty.
 

mysecondlife

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Feb 24, 2011
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I am of somewhat popular opinion that: Michael Jackson never had much of childhood so his pursued his need during the twilight of his life hanging out with children.

I just think he was naive as fuck and didn't see the implication with the eyes of adult.