Posted by [b]Breaking News: Jackson Interview Premieres on Fox[/b] [b]Feb 6 2005[/b] — An incredible Geraldo Rivera interview with Michael Jackson aired Feb 5 2005 and will be re-aired Feb 6 2005. The interview was stunning to watch partly because it was Rivera asking questions and Jackson answering them. Simple as that. No doomsday voiceovers. No comments taken out of context or assigned a meaning completely opposite of what he meant, and no slicing-up of his words. What a novel idea! Other networks, take note. That’s how you broadcast a Jackson interview. Probably the most important thing was to hear Jackson talk about his life in an unfettered way. He brought out the fact that Neverland is like a prized Farrari, or helicopter, or millions of dollars worth of platinum jewelry to him. Comparable to other material things that other men do, he explains it’s one way he finds his bliss. From the interview:
Jackson: …Other men have their Ferraris or they have their like it’s an airplane, helicopter, wherever they find bliss. My bliss is in giving and sharing and having simple innocent fun.
During the interview, Jackson talks about many things. One of the issues that stuck out with a lot of watchers is the fact that Jackson says he appreciates his parents more the older he gets. He also says he is like his father, Joe Jackson, in some ways. From the interview:
>> Jackson: I’m very much like my father in a lot of ways. >> Rivera: Tell us. >> Jackson: He’s very strong. He’s a warrior. He’s always taught us to be courageous and to be confident and to believe in our ideals. No matter what, no star is too far to reach. And you never give up. And our mother taught us that as well, no matter what. >> Rivera: So you are a warrior also? >> Jackson: Absolutely. >> Rivera: That’s the way you see yourself? >> Jackson: Absolutely.
Jackson also says that his giving is essentially two-fold. He’s very caring anyway, and he was brought up in show business where he’s had experiences with the great artists like Gene Kelley and Fred Astair where sometimes, if he would compliment something they had, they would just give it to him. At one point he described being given literally the shirt off of one of his idol’s back simply because he liked it. Jackson also says that Neverland exists literally because of the reaction he gets from people, including policemen who have chastised him for being out in the public without a disguise and without security. He says in the interview:
>> Jackson: I created Neverland as a home for myself and my children. And it was created simply — it was almost done subconsciously. Like i said earlier, where can i go? It is hard. I’ve tried to go as myself and I’ve had policemen tell me ‘put on a disguise!’ And ‘give me an autograph for my wife’, ‘why are you out here like this with no security?’ and there’s fans everywhere. I do it sometimes but it is difficult.
And there’s much more. While watching this, I just can’t help thinking that this is what we were supposed to see from the Bashir “documentary”. But Bashir had other plans and a script .in mind before he had ever met Jackson. His ideals and plainspoken-ness isn’t something he just recently developed. And this interview with Rivera makes you understand that at the heart of it, Jackson is a human being whether some cynical and disgusting bastards wants to recognize that or not. Stay tuned for more from the interview or keep an eye on the MJEOL Forums thread for up-to-the-minute info. -MJEOL