catapult magazine

Was anyone else as repulsed as I was upon viewing the acts of Michael Jackson hanging his baby, by its waist, over a balcony in Germany? What ramnifications will there be when he arrives back in the US? I knew the guys was strange…but really, what was the man thinking?

I did see Jacko’s actions on the front of the NYC Post. I think my dad hung me over the balcony a few times when I was younger, no one cared though. My main feeling when I saw the picture was, who really cares. And of course the answere is, most of the world. Perhaps the real question should be, why do do care so much?

Baby off a balcony, sure, sure, whatever. What I want to know is WHAT DID THE BABY LOOK LIKE? I’m more curious (at this shallow lull in my evening) about what Michael Jackson’s mysterious offspring look like than what he might be doing with or to them. Hey, he’s fed the mystique by hiding them all the time. I blame Michael for my insensitivity.

All I saw was a father who wasn’t much used to handling babies.

This is like a few weeks ago when we all saw this video of a woman smacking her kid around in the parking lot of mall. Ok, fine, that’s wrong. But what resulted was a nationwide hunt for this person and constant new updates on the progress of this story.
Why does the media cover these things? Why not cover the thousands of other domestic violence incidents that happen everyday in this country? There seems to be this movement as of late to use incidents like these to just stir up hatred and contempt. That’s the only reason these things are reported. Now, you can blame the media for showing it, or the audience for taking part in it, but as a result of these moments, we can all feel better about ourselves and pronounce judgement on this person who is obviously doing something wrong.
Another example: I was watching Fox News, and they have this news ticker that runs at the bottom the screen, and one of these little fragments reported that Woddy Allen was quoted as saying that “Bush knows nothing about about anything.” Ok, why was that reported?! Besides the fact that we don’t know the context in which it was said, and that he’s someone we are already supposed to hate, there’s still no need for us to know that. Who gives a shit, really? That little bit was there simply so we can all get mad at Woody Allen. That dirty little pedophile Jew. How dare he!

In 1984 (I’m almost positive its 1984, but I could be wrong), Orwell talks about these moments set aside during the day where everyone gets together and hates their nation’s current enemy for about 10 minutes.

Yikes.

I think what bothers me more, outside of the disregard for his child’s safety, is the stance that the CA child welfare commission haqs taken. In an interview yesterday they said that nothing will be done about this due to sveral factors: 1. If they were to take the children from him…where would they go? Their contention was that they would probably end up with another Jackson family member due to the celebrity status which would make it hard to place the children in the conventional foster care system. and 2. They do not have the resources (financially) to take on Michael Jackson, and would probably lose anyways due to that incapacitation.

In other words…money talks. Mr. Jackson has alot of it and there is no way that they can touch him due to that.

I am also bothered by the present day media coverage of high profile cases, but the lack of interest in the “small potatoes”. The media seems to thrive on shock value, and follow whatever story will stir up mass condemnation. There are very few articles or spots on the good that is being done within our nation, only the negative and disheartening storys ever come to light. Is this all that the public really cares to see or is this just a way to steer our eyes from what is really going on?

There is no way the balcony incident should be used to take away his children. Everyone makes mistakes. Give the guy a break.

And about television: Does anyone really want to watch good wholesome stories about normal people all the time? That would be pretty boring wouldn’t it?

Michael Jackson is strange by most people’s standards. It’s strange to put a towel over your kid’s head and lift him slightly over a balcony railing. I don’t think it’s all that dangerous. Loads of people lift their little kids up over their heads, throw them two, three feet in the air, and then catch them again. Scares the crap out of me when I watch it, but I don’t think it’s exceptionally dangerous.

I just realized that we now have two separate discussions devoted to Michael Jackson. That seems about right.

Shiver. The thought of Michael Jackson sends chills up my spine. I think that he used to be good with the Jackson five, but then when he started his own little thing, it went down the tubes. Of course he claims that he’s never had major plastic surgery or anything, other than two nose jobs that needed to be done. W/e. Well whatever he says, he gives me the heebie-jeebies.

I agree. I don’t think there’s any person alive who would freak me out more if I met them in a dark alley.