The Real Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson’s family and friends, colleagues and fans, have been trying to tell you something for a long time. They have been trying to get your attention. They have been trying to tell you the truth.

But nobody has been listening. And maybe we’re partly to blame for some of that. But there is a reason we’ve been trying so hard. At times, some have seemed defensive, frenzied and ungrounded. It is because of this fierce sense of urgency and the constant barrage of injustice that comes at Michael, his work, his image and his legacy. We feel a responsibility not just to him but to his grieving family and to you– yes you, the public. And yes, some of us have been running around like headless chickens screaming ‘the sky is falling’– but it’s not the sky that’s falling; it’s something else.

Basic, core standards of decency, culture and humanity are eroding. And it’s affecting the whole of humanity. That’s me. That’s you. That’s all of us.

Not all Michael Jackson fans, supporters and admirers are the same. Some are young and passionate, some are older– and know what Michael Jackson meant and still means.

But the ridicule is tough to deal with. And the description of “crazy” is tough to deal with. And either prevents us or stops us from being heard. We are going to try again as a sane, rational and intelligence voice.

Imagine Discovery’s manufactured image of Michael Jackson on a gurney wearing his signature sequined glove here:

It was not kind.

We want to believe in a kind world. That is what Michael taught us.

He believed.

These people also believed and some called them crazy:

• Galileo, who tried to tell us the sun was the center of our solar system
• Socrates, who tried to bring wisdom and truth
• Winston Churchill, who tried to warn about the Third Reich
• Chief Seattle who tried to say we are all responsible for the land, the Earth.

Sometimes it’s the crazy ones who bring us the truth. But the truth, when revealed is often resisted. Yet when people learn that the truth they have been sold is a story, they are reluctant to accept it. Whistleblowers are often mocked, sometimes even threatened– but more importantly, they are sometimes silenced.

Who was Michael Jackson?

Michael Jackson actually tried to have a personal life because he truly was a very private person. After being catapulted to superstardom, that “private person” thing didn’t work so well for him. There was something about Michael Jackson that was unique and magnetic and drew people to him.

Some of the people Michael drew into his orbit were unscrupulous. Unfortunately deep pockets and fame have a way of attracting those with less than complete integrity. Many things were said and written about Michael Jackson but we ask you to consider where you heard them and who told you.

If you saw This Is It you were already asking questions.

Michael Jackson was a movie and film afficionado. As he prepared his farewell concert, he filmed the rehearsals for his library and the footage was very revealing. It demonstrates the true nature of the man. That is why those who saw it and remembered the tabloid version of Michael’s life felt the disconnect. That is because there was a disconnect—a huge one. People who personally knew Michael Jackson and who worked with him tell a much different story about who he was and what he valued.

The Fascination with Michael Jackson:

When you are the most famous person in the world, a prolific artist and your name is on the tip of everyone’s tongue, people are fascinated. And some of those tongues will wag, telling stories. People who covet what other people have are particularly vicious when they attack the rich and famous.

Michael was a megastar. He was the most famous man on the planet. He amassed a fortune by sharing his talent. He kept changing his appearance, including having surgical procedures. His skin color changed. He wore a mask. His behavior was labeled “strange.” He was called a child-man. He seemed an enigma and puzzled people. These “facts,” when taken out of context paint a strange man whose motives are easy to question. When viewed in the context of a life lived in naive innocence and in a fishbowl, they seem natural.

When things are taken out of context, quoted out of context or used as hyperbole, they grab people’s attention because people like to be in the know. Public fascination is understandable.

The Quiet Humanitarian

People who knew him say he was an extremely shy individual who didn’t like to speak publicly; he preferred to sing. He was an accomplished artist, but not a polished orator. Had he been more like Barack Obama, he might have avoided speculation because he would have cleared things up better. And some of that reticence was a strategy to perpetuate the mystery; it’s a tactic all artists use. Mystery provokes and perpetuates interest. All Hollywood greats monitor their exposure. Michael recognized that he had amassed a huge audience by using his god-given talent and he always gave credit for his creativity to his creator.

Maintaining his visibility and his mystery is what gave him a continuous forum to speak about humanitarian initiatives. He saw the opportunity as a gift and he used it continually and consciously; he saw it as part of his life mission and he accepted the magnitude of that responsibility with grace.

Michael Jackson knew that he was two people—Michael the person, and Michael Jackson the musical icon and superstar. He confided to friends that he was not an important person but “Michael Jackson” was. He felt his work was inspired work and he knew that people, particularly youth, would be impacted by what he said, his work, and his music. He knew he had a worldwide platform and he deliberately used it for humanitarian purposes. Most people, however, don’t know about that side of Michael Jackson because the “superstar” persona when highlighted by the media would overshadow his philanthropy.

Early in Michael’s career, he recruited other artists and encouraged them to lend their fame too, bringing awareness to people in need. From Africa to the world, his humanitarian work expanded throughout his life. And he never stopped using his image and name to influence people for social good and conscious stewardship globally. You didn’t hear much about that because it didn’t sell newspapers.

The Mask and the Man Behind it:

Some people found the mask that Michael Jackson often wore in public to be strange. Some made fun of it. Some found it sinister. The truth of the mask is simple: Michael Jackson was the most photographed man in the world. The paparazzi chased him everywhere even into bathrooms in hotel rooms, behind mirrors, climbing trees and using helicopters to get photos.

Those stolen photos often ended up in tabloids with huge negative headlines, so Michael’s mask was simply an attempt to foil the photographers who would use his image to vilify him or present him in a negative light. Because that kind of story would sell more newspapers to the curious.

The mask was an attempt to have a modicum of privacy for a man who had none, and lived in a fishbowl– visible to the entire world.

The Umbrella

There was nothing sinister about the umbrella either. Michael had a skin disease called Vitiligo and he had Lupus. Those illnesses require an individual to stay out of the sun and sunlight because to someone with no pigment in their skin or with a severe autoimmune disease, the sun is poison, is dangerous and can cause death. The explanation for the umbrella is simple: he used it simply to save his life.

Michael’s change in skin color was due to a disease called Vitiligo which is incurable and progressive and eventually destroys all the pigment a person has in their skin. When it begins, it is blotchy and for an African American that is particularly disfiguring. For an entertainer who makes a living onstage– it would be deeply distressing. Michael hid it as long as he could with dark makeup and when it had spread over too much of his body, he used therapies to even the skin tone. The light and eventually white skin tone is a hallmark of the disease as it progresses. In Michael’s case, Vitiligo Universalis, the skin became almost translucent. A proud African American, Michael was not trying to be Caucasian.

No other person has ever been vilified for having an incurable disease. The media printed that ‘Michael Jackson claims to have a disease that turns his skin white.’ Nobody ever printed about Patrick Swayze that he ‘claimed’ to have cancer or that Elizabeth Edwards ‘claimed’ to have an incurable illness. No one has ever made late night jokes or drawn cartoons about real people with real life threatening illnesses. Vitiligo can be life threatening.

The Surgeries and the Famous Face

Michael Jackson had a number of surgeries on his scalp and face. The surgeries were to “fix” what he felt was a too large ethnic nose, to open his nostrils and create a facial chamber capable of hitting high notes and holding resonance. He was also aware, as are other artists and famous faces, that it is important to stay youthful looking and attractive in a culture that values youth and beauty.

Cosmetic surgery helps famous faces to stay relevant in a culture that has a short attention span and tends to throw away people—the old, the infirm, the disfigured.

Michael Jackson worked in a highly visible medium. He was an actor, singer, dancer, and stage artist. Having a fresh and relevant face was essential to survival in his industry. Never has a person’s face been so scrutinized, criticized, or vilified. Never has cosmetic surgery been such a huge issue—not for Joan Rivers, not for Priscilla Presley, not for Gene Simmons, Oprah Winfrey, or any other Hollywood or famous face. Michael Jackson was an artist who was a perfectionist in all things including having the “right” look. Perfectionism has never before been “strange” but always admired as a mark of success.

Fans
Michael had fans across the world in all nations, races, peoples. His fans number more than 250 million. More than 100 million purchased his Thriller album alone; and his total sales is said to top 750 million; his reach was worldwide.

Michael Jackson fans have been labeled “crazy” by some because they have been fiercely loyal and steadfast throughout his life and now commit that same loyalty to his legacy. They know something the rest of the world doesn’t know. They are privy to some knowledge that the general public is not. And that information they hold is important to the entire world. Their message is crucial to humanity.

Michael Jackson did love his fans and they loved him back. What rock star maintains a loving bond with his fans through a lifetime? What measure of a man always acknowledges those who have made him what he is today and thanks them and loves them publicly?

It was the way Michael cared for his fans. At each performance, he brought a female fan onstage and cupped and cradled the back of her head as if he were holding a sacred object while singing to her. It was the way he touched them. He touched children that same way– reverently.

His work with children was anything but sinister. He donated a large piece of equipment to every hospital in every city on every tour. He brought in sick and disadvantaged kids to every concert– some of them on stretchers.

Neverland

Rolling hills, mossy green valleys, wildlife and an ancient and sacred spirit– a piece of land needed a steward who would respect and cherish the once sacred territory of the Chumash Indians. Michael Jackson, because he could never have privacy in a very public place, needed a private sanctuary. That sanctuary was Neverland Valley Ranch.

Michael loved animals and he loved nature. He developed Neverland to share it with those whose lives were less fortunate. They came from the inner cities, disadvantaged circumstances, orphanages, hospitals and civic groups —  bussed in every few weeks to enjoy Neverland at Michael’s invitation whether or not he was there. For many, it was the event of a lifetime. Imagine it. Imagine what a day at Neverland would have meant to a child. To have ” Michael Jackson Superstar ” — care about you and gift you with a life-changing opportunity was enough to inspire some for a lifetime.

Michael loved animals and he cared about all the children of the world. He knew ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ so he built one– Neverland. Then he shared his music and lyrics and tried to build a world village by inviting us all to join him in stewardship­ for children; the Earth; the animals; people; and the world.

In a world of gangs and violence, corporate greed and terrorism, what is wrong with trying to ‘heal the world’ and ‘save it for the children’ as Michael taught through his lyrics? Have we lost all sense of propriety?

There was nothing deviant about Michael Jackson’s love for children. One only has to watch a few videos and observe how he touches them. It is with reverence — with gentleness — borne of a man ‘s deep respect for children  — and childhood.

To harm a child was simply not in him. A beautiful sanctuary for children was sullied by people who sought to extort money from a wealthy man by accusing him of unspeakable things. By unscrupulous cut-and-paste journalists and filmmakers, and by those with a dark agenda seeking worldwide attention for themselves. Those with an eye on deep pockets and a desire for vicarious limelight targeted a man they considered a ‘soft target.’

The unscrupulous will always take advantage of the trusting and generous among us. Researching the official documents tells the real story. Many have done that work and have come to a very different conclusion from the one the prosecution and press sold you about Neverland.

Neverland was Michael’s sanctuary, and it was turned into a crime scene by those who saw its rides, and cinemas, sweet fountains, and animals as a place of danger. They couldn’t see the innocence there—perhaps because they couldn’t find it within themselves and because they turned their back on its existence a long time ago.

Michael Jackson’s Neverland was part of his vision for a joy on Earth — a paradise. Maybe one day, it will be so again.

The truth will not be handcuffed forever

Michael Jackson was not a criminal. He did not harm children. He was not the “freak” some people made him out to be. There are those who, over his lifetime sold you the sensational and fabricated version of Michael Jackson. There were also those who gained monetarily and grandly from riding on the coattails of Michael’s fame. They included “biographers,” disgruntled competitors and employees, the cut-throats of the music industry, managers, financial overseers and a host of others.

They took advantage simply because they could. Because he was famous. Anything for money. Just like this Discovery program, there was no social value in anything those people contributed to the culture of the twentieth century.

Michael Jackson, however, contributed to the humanitarian effort to make the world a better place. How he did that is now being revealed by those who knew him best and benefitted from his generosity and philanthropy. As time goes on, the world is gradually finding out who the real Michael Jackson was.

What if the picture you were sold of Michael Jackson is wrong?  Never in the history of this planet has anyone so innocent, been so bullied. The real story is in the court records; the FBI files; the grand jury transcripts of 2004; the personal testimonies of those who spoke in Michael’s defense at his trial in 2005; and the words of those journalists and writers who broke ranks and told the truth about Michael Jackson: Among them — Andrew Cohen, Charles Thomson, Barbara Amiel, Matt Semino, Linda Deutsch, Armond White, and Aphrodite Jones. And it’s in the remembrances of a thousand friends and collaborators — who knew who this man really was — and what he was not.

When you are ready to know the real Michael Jackson… we are willing to introduce him to you.

(C) All Rights Reserved. Do Not Copy Without Permission

A LINE HAS JUST BEEN DRAWN FOR HUMAN DIGNITY

The line of human dignity was almost crossed…

 

Imagine in that frame, a photoshopped image depicting a corpse on a steel gurney covered by a sheet with a hand sticking out wearing a signature sequined glove. It was created by Discovery Channel to “sell” to Discovery Channel viewers, a graphic re-enactment of Michael Jacskon’s autopsy.

We couldn’t imagine it either. But there it was– an advertisement for Discovery Channel’s program: “Michael Jackson’s Autopsy: What really killed Michael Jackson” released on December 21, 2010. And it was popping up all over the internet. People were asked to take it down or refrain from spreading it so as to not drive traffic to the program.

Meetings commenced. Plans were made. Petitions were circulated. Letters were written. Discovery’s sense of decency, ethics, integrity was invoked. Fans started expressing their severe distaste for the program at Discovery’s website. The answer:

“Dear Viewer:
Michael Jackson’s Autopsy will air on Thursday 13th January 2011 across several of our Western European networks. Michael Jackson was one of the world’s most important music artists in modern times. Throughout his life there was wide-ranging speculation about medical conditions that affected him.

This documentary examines at the actual medical facts around those conditions to determine the true cause of his death, utilizing the official coroners’ report and professional opinions from a range of leading medical experts.

Michael Jackson’s Autopsy makes its world premiere at 9pm GMT, 10pm CET on Thursday 13th January throughout Discovery Western Europe. It will air on Discovery Channel in UK, Spain, France, Portugal, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark. It will air on DMAX in Germany and on Real Time in Italy.”

Then came a letter to Discovery’s CEO David Zaslav from John Branca and John McCLain:

“We were especially outraged when a sickening print advertisement for the program appeared making light of Michael’s death by depicting a corpse sprawled on a steel gurney covered by a sheet with a hand sticking out wearing Michael’s signature sequined glove. Discovery obviously views this as clever advertising and creative “branding” for its program. But in fact, the ad is debased, sick and insensitive. No doubt this fictitious, morbid image is being spread worldwide even now on the Internet, viewed by Michael’s loved ones, and even accepted as authentic by those who may be unaware that Discovery made it up.

On behalf of Michael’s family, fans, common sense and decency, we urge you to reconsider and cancel this program.” ~John Branca et al

The program was to depict a synthetic corpse of Mr. Jackson going throught the process of his own autopsy. Michael Jackson fans everywhere were stunned. “Surely this is  a hoax!” Just one more sick joke about a man who made history with his music and whom is still beloved by millions around the world. A re-enactment of an autopsy? Not possible because humanity is better than that, right? Discovery Channel produces educational programs for children; surely this is a mistake.

But it was not a mistake. It was an abomination that was all too real. Fans moved quickly to try to stop a program that they felt would not only drag down Michael Jackson but all of humanity. What was happening to human dignity?

With the excoriating letter released by the Jackson estate, the friends and fans swung into action and released a worldwide universal statement condemning the program and Discovery’s bad taste. 

 “The Discovery Channel has provided for many years valuable documentary programming focused primarily on popular science, technology and history. With this backdrop in mind, I find it incredulous that Discovery would exploit the recent death of Michael Jackson to increase their viewership at the expense of the integrity and positive educational track record of their network. The insensitivity and unprofessional tabloid approach that Discovery has decided to pursue is not only hurtful to the future of the network, but is deeply hurtful to the Jackson family, friends, colleagues and millions of supporters throughout the world… Please re-consider airing this dreadful re-enactment.” ~Statement from Stuart Backerman, Former Press Spokesman for Michael Jackson

“L.A. County Coroner Ed Winter joins the criticism of the Discovery Network’s upcoming special reenacting Michael Jackson’s autopsy. Discovery Producers asked him for an interview earlier this year to describe the autopsy: “I told them no, we had no interest in doing it and it was a pending case… I think it’s unprofessional and I wouldn’t do it out of respect for the family.” ~Assistant Chief Coroner, LA

“Dear Sir, As a personal friend and previous physician to Michael Jackson for some years, I would like to also add my name to the growing number of people who feel that the special show to air in the UK on January 13th called “Michael Jackson’s Autopsy: What Really Killed Michael Jackson,” is being done for the wrong reasons and transgresses the boundaries of prudence and good taste. Autopsies, either forensic or academic should only be performed for legal or medical purposes, rather than for entertainment. A forensic autopsy should be only performed, as in this case, whenever the cause of death may be a criminal matter and this is the reason you do not intend this production within the US jurisdiction. Your show debases what is accepted decent behaviour within legal and medical practice in western civilisation since possibly two and a half millennia. Forensic autopsies have been performed under established clear regulatory parameters since 150 BC, including that of Julius Caesar in 44BC, which showed the second stab wound was the fatal one. Permission is normally required from next of kin is usually required for autopsy, although in this case you are circumventing this by use of a synthetic cadaver. There is a copy of the official coroner’s report on public record so I don’t presume the viewers will learn anything new from your production. It seems to me that the Discovery Channel is attempting to cash in on the misfortune of mythically famous cultural icon, with no respect either for human decency or the feelings of his children. Shame on you, ~Dr. Patrick Treacy, Medical Director– Ailesbury Clinics Ltd., Dublin,

Michael Jackson friends and fans knew that they were not just in a battle for Michael’s family, image, and legacy but they were engaged in a war defending human decency and dignity. It’s a war they are very familiar with. It’s been going on a long time.

Michael Jackson friends, fans and admirers released a universal statement that appeared on almost every fan and advocacy site in the world– the U.S., France, Germany, Mexico, Belgium, Viet Nam…

In that statement was the image released by Discovery– the body on the gurney with one sequined glove. It was an agonizing call. But there had been days of debate with people who thought the program might be “informative”– some of them even in the fan base. The image was already visible on hundreds of websites and time was running out… so the decision to include it was made because in viewing that Discovery advertisement, the debate about Discovery’s real intentions stopped dead. It was clear.

It was clear to non-fans as well because within the first hour of releasing the universal message ten thousand people joined the protest and almost fifteen hundred took a look at this site. 

They all began to use social media to spread the word… and the rest is HIStory.

As word came that Discovery Channel came to their senses and “postponed indefinitely” their plans to air the program, the fans released this statement:

“Congratulations, Discovery. You just helped the light of human dignity to shine a little brighter. We thank you for your conscious action.

You were about to cross a line of human decency, worth, privacy and respect for life had you gone ahead with your planned re-enactment of Michael Jackson’s autopsy using a realistic synthetic cadaver that approximated his body. Discovery, you have shown courage and decency in the cancellation of the programs you planned to air from January 13, through January 16, 2011 in Europe.”

Official statement from the Executors about Discovery’s change of heart:

“The Estate of Michael Jackson is pleased that Discovery Channel made the correct decision in choosing to cancel this exploitative program. We are hopeful that this show will never run in any market in the future. While Discovery cited legal proceedings and our request as the reasons for its decision, none of this would have happened had it not been for the incredible passion displayed by countless Michael Jackson fans worldwide who knew they stood as one and that their voices could not be ignored.” ~John Branca, Executor for Michael Jackson’s estate.

Michael Jackson fans have real concern about a culture that would even consider this kind of lack of human dignity. And they have an urgent question:

How did we arrive here anyway?

We would now ask them to consider what kind of cultural “norm” might have prompted them to think the unthinkable, or plan the unacceptable and we invite them, as well as all other media, to seriously consider examining their policies and what they consider ethical programming standards.

You may be hearing more from us– the crazy ones who stand up for sanity and human dignity. We invite you to stand with us.

Michael Jackson was a human being. He was a father, a brother, and a son. He was also loved by millions around the world.

We believe in the worth and dignity of every human being. Nobody deserves to be treated in a way that dehumanizes them– not in life, and certainly not in death.

This could have ended in a much different way. Now comes a re-examination of standards that inform the cultural narrative on this planet.

Never before in the history of television or media has anyone ever considered featuring the personal autopsy of a recognized human being using a synthetic cadaver to graphically dismember someone who once lived — and is survived by three young children.

Justice and Fairness Derailed?

What distressed us was that this program was cynically planned for deliberate broadcast in Europe so that Michael Jackson’s family and estate would have no legal reach and would be unable to stop the broadcast. It also included across the board screening in multiple countries and that tells us it was being considered for syndication.

But what concerned us most is that Michael Jackson has three minor children and such a program could not escape them. This image in the collective memory which would have found its way into their world had the potential to scar them emotionally. That rendered this program abusive to minor children.

The airing of the program might have obstructed legal justice since it had the potential to reach the minds of the public and prejudice the jury pool in the forthcoming January trial of Dr. Murray, the physician who administered his medication and was treating Michael Jackson when his death occurred.

It is really disheartening to think that media would schedule a program with this kind of content at precisely the time the public would once again become conscious of Michael Jackson, and that they would piggyback on that focus solely for the sake of ratings and bottom line profits. That isn’t journalism; it’s cannibalism.

Does this kind of programming rise to the level of bullying?

We think so. And we believe Michael Jackson’s children would agree. Their father was bullied in life — and now, it seems there are those who want the bullying to continue even beyond death. His children are the ones who suffer. They don’t live in a vacuum and they are affected by inhumane treatment of their father. We are pretty sure they would like to remember him as their beloved father.

His fans, friends and collaborators who know the truth about him — knew a dramatically different man to the one many believe he was. They knew him as a cherished friend, role model and hero.

It’s time to tell the truth and reveal the deliberate manipulation of that truth. It’s time to show you the real Michael Jackson:

 
Understand that everyone would have become vulnerable.

We cannot imagine that any human being would find this kind of programming in good taste. We wondered: what would stop Discovery or any other media outlet from dismembering and dissecting other beloved figures or celebrities publicly if the program went forward? What if they exhumed Lady Diana? Tim Russert? What if Oprah died tomorrow, or Bono, Helen Mirren, Brittany Spears, or Prince William? We wouldn’t want to see any of them displayed on a slab for profit and before the hungry eyes of invasive voyeurs. We believe we are better than that. And we want the media to believe it too.

The cynical precedent that would have been established with Discovery crossing a line that would have made everyone fair game to exploitation as lab specimens for sensationalism, market share and promoting sponsor’s products.

A Brand has become branded

Discovery Channel was deleted from many cable packages and its sponsors will forever wear a scarlet letter in our eyes, so we would ask that they rethink what kind of programming they support and what constitutes acceptable media narrative.

Discovery’s major sponsors include: Volkswagen, Procter and Gamble, Dow Chemical– as more are revealed and substantiated, we will continue revealing them. It should be noted that viewers’ decisions about boycotting of these brands is suspended pending final word from Discovery about their future plans with this documentary.

Dehumanizing people has consequences

One thing that makes this kind of program possible is when humans dehumanize other humans. When people lack ethics or ignore conscience, human laboratories and other abominations become possible: ethnic cleansing, lynchings, witch burning, human ovens, terrorism and war. So if you think there is no slippery slope, you are wrong. Dead wrong. Our humanity dies when we accept the claim that “anything goes.” Michael Jackson was systematically and falsely vilified over time. His humanity was stolen and our own humanity along with it.

Aren’t we better than this? Aren’t we there yet? Discovery drew this line and we hope they meant it when they drew the other—the line for human dignity. When a line like this is crossed it cannot be ignored, and those who forget the humanity of themselves and others must be called out. This is a global village that we are learning to navigate together. As we learn and go forward, let’s not leave our humanity behind.

We are still at a crossroads in the evolution of a civilization:

Which road will we, humanity take? The high road? Or another road?

If your decision is for human worth, decency, civility and dignity, then:
We are asking that you continue to use your voice when called and to respectfully request a more humane treatment of all humans. And refuse to consume that which reduces people to less than human.

As a consumer, you have power and you can effect change. If you’re offended by something, you can always ask that the offending channel be removed from your cable bundle or have your provider block it. You can write letters and you can stop using the products and companies who sponsor offensive programming.

Then tell the offender what you have done in a letter or email.

“When power leads the media toward arrogance, we will remind them of their limitations. When people narrow the truth about Michael, we will remind them of his richness and love. When the media corrupts the people’s minds, we shall cleanse them”. ~John F. Kennedy and Patrick Treacy (2 great Irishmen)

The truth of why this violation could not ignored still stands:

All previous televised autopsies have been conducted on anonymous cadavers; their faces covered.

• All bodies dissected were formally donated to Medical Institutes and the donors consented to their remains being used for educational purposes.
• Michael Jackson did not consent to his remains– virtual or otherwise being used to satisfy anyone’s morbid curiosity or consent to millions viewing his virtual internal organs.
• The dead remain a part of the living community, to be honored — not used for entertainment.
• For many, this program would have provoked a horrific unease, anxiety, dread or revulsion. For some it would have resulted in PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.)
• Even if a cadaver is synthetic, the process of repeatedly associating the name of a recognized person — is a violation of their name and memory.
• The virtual autopsy of Michael Jackson was a planned publicity stunt designed to exploit inhumane curiosity and had nothing to do with education or fact finding.
• In the same way burial sites are also considered deeply important, autopsies—even virtual ones, should be conducted in private, not on worldwide television.
• Our responsibility is to respect those who once lived and whom they have loved — and who love them still.
• We are not beings isolated within nature; what is done to one of us is done to all.
• We may not be aware of exactly why this was so wrong, but we know that it is — and we will never feel the same way about Discovery again.
• There is no respect or inherent value in this type of programming. It disrespects all peoples. It violates the sanctity of family, of life and memories, of everything we hold to be precious about the lives we are given. It violates humanity, the humane, and every sane thinking person.
• All human cultures recognize the sanctity of human remains and burial and the peaceful non-disturbance of the deceased. This program and the use of a simulated corpse violates those sensibilities and moral codes.
• This program would have been duplicated and parodied on YouTube, and Discovery would have been culpable and held accountable for any damage in the aftermath.
• Mr. Jackson’s minor children don’t care about Discovery Channel’s sync-rights or profits. They care about their father.

Lines exist for a reason. Burial sites are sacred. So are human beings. We might want to hold that as self evident. A line was almost crossed. We are glad it was not.

Now, if you want to know the real Michael Jackson…   GO HERE

(C) 12-2010 All Rights Reserved. Do Not Reprint Without Permission