Michael Jackson: Overlooked Truths About The Greatest Showman On Earth (PHOTOS)
On what would have been Michael Jackson’s 53rd birthday, Lathleen Ade-Brown profiles a collection of rare Michael Jackson interviews, which reveals some overlooked truths about the Greatest Showman on Earth.
At approximately 2:26 p.m. on the day of June 25, 2009, the greatest showman on earth eternally packed his bags for the last time. Perhaps they were filled with his iconic silver D glittered glove or black pants and white socks. Either way, he wasn’t returning. Although everyone has their own definition of death, the reality is all the same, we will never see Michael Joseph Jackson in his living state ever again. Instead, we will remember and appreciate him for dedicating his life to us. Musically sending messages to not only people in America, but around the entire world.
Throughout Jackson’s career he certainly suffered a lot of criticism, but perhaps if we take a look at his childhood we can perfectly understand the misconceptions of his adulthood. On February 10th, 1993 The Oprah Winfrey Show was granted access to Jackson’s home. Then, this was Jackson’s first interview in 14 years. When asked about his childhood, Jackson replied, “I remember precisely going to Motown studios to record and right across the street from the studio was a park. I could hear the roar of the little league team and they were playing soccer, football and volleyball. They were playing baseball and I remember a lot of the times really hiding my face and crying, I wanted to play sometimes but I couldn’t, I had to go to the studio.”
If we put ourselves in Jackson’s shoes for 30 seconds, using a fair imagination, imagine not being able to be a kid. He explains further, “because I didn’t have a childhood then, I compensate for that {now} I mean people wonder why I always have children around, because I find the things I never had, through them. Disneyland, amusement parks, arcade games, I adore all that stuff because when I was little it was always work work work, from one concert to the next.” The fact that his circumstances eliminated his childhood explains his Neverland ranch built in 1987 to duplicate the fantasy island of Peter Pan, the kid who never wanted to grow up. Allowing the make believe story of Peter Pan come to life may not have been the only thing strange about Jackson’s childhood. Ashamed he explains to Oprah what may have also been damaging to his adult sex life. “I had to share bedrooms with one of my brothers on the tours, and there was some action {sex} going on in my room every night. I could hear it, and my job was to play sleep, and I was told by one of my brothers, ‘no matter what don’t get up, don’t open your eyes’, and I go, ‘I promise I won’t’, and I would hear these girls come in, — and I would hear everything {sexually noises}.”
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Could the sound of sex at such a young age leave Jackson timid about the subject matter forever? During the Oprah interview Jackson’s face is blank until asked a deep personal question. Completely embarrassed his pale skin immediately turns red when asked if he was a virgin. At the age of 35, grinning from ear to ear he simply replied, “I’m a gentleman,” he says smiling, “that’s something that’s private and shouldn’t be spoken about openingly … you can call me old-fashioned if you want.” In a 2003 interview with journalist Martin Bashir, he exclusively describes a sexual seduction of long time girl Tatum O’Neal. “My first girlfriend who I really loved a lot was Tatum O’Neal,” he admits. I don’t think I was ready for the {sexual} things she was talking about, I was pretty naïve, I’m not joking. I hope she forgives me for telling this story, I remember her telling me to come over her house, Beverly Hills house too, and what she’s going to do to me when I come, all the sexual stuff, and I’m scared to death, because I’ve never done anything like that, so I come over there trying to be mister big shot and brave, I remember she cut off all the lights in her bedroom, opens the curtains, and you can see the whole skylight of the city, it was beautiful, and she told me to ‘go over and lay on the bed’, and I did. She slowly walked over, and she touched the button of my shirt to open it and I took my hands like this, (covered his face) and I wouldn’t let them down, and she just walked away, she knew I was to shy for it, that’s what happened. I was afraid {to have sex}.”
A lot of Jackson’s fans truly appreciated his brutal honesty. However, the one thing that left the world suspicious was the color of his skin. He explains from his own mouth during the classic 1993 interview with Oprah. “Okay number one, this is the situation, I have a skin disorder that destroys the pigmentation of the skin, this is something that I can not help, okay, but when people make up stories that I don’t want to be who I am, it hurts me, it’s a problem for me okay, I can not control it—it’s in my family, my father said it’s on his side, I can’t control it. I don’t understand, it makes me very sad, I don’t want to go into my medical history, because that’s private — I’m never pleased, I try not to look in the mirror, because I am not happy with what I see.”
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The name of the skin disease that Michael Jackson suffered from was called Vitiligo. It caused blotches to appear all over the pop star’s skin; makeup was one way to tone it out.
However, despite the skin diseases and the sensitivity towards sex, the media just couldn’t get enough. But, out of all the countries, all over the world America was the most ignorant towards Jackson. In 2001 his album Invincible reached number 1 in every single country around the world except America. Jackson expected it. If Jackson were still alive in 2011, his music might’ve not been as chart topping as it was in his prime, mostly because he is outdated. Like his sister Janet, he would probably be traveling the world, touring and making money.
The little boy from Gary, Indiana, whom shared a two-bedroom home with nine brothers and sisters, Michael Joseph Jackson gave up not only his childhood, but also his entire life to entertain us. The press never appreciated that; they destroyed him to pieces with their scrutiny. They gave him hell on earth, and for that on June 25, 2009 he finally deserved peace.
~Rest In peace Michael Jackson.
Lathleen Ade-Brown is an entertainment reporter and freelance writer. She spends most of her time writing.
