Michael Jackson: no longer a thriller, now a freak show

Michael Jackson's family, friends, fans and lawyers are claiming that the Jackson is being framed. We see no evidence of that. But if he is, he made it easy for anyone inclined to frame him by continuing to entertain young boys overnight at his "Neverland" home/amusement park.
A 45-year-old man who can't overcome his compulsion to entertain prepubescent and young-adult boys is obviously troubled and asking for trouble.
Ten years ago, Jackson was accused of improper conduct with a young boy. The silence of that boy and his family was bought for millions of dollars, and the Santa Barbara County prosecutor was told the boy would not testify against Jackson. We said at the time that the prosecutor was being far too solicitous of the boy and his family. They should have been subpoenaed and forced to testify.
Whatever happened at Neverland in the 1990s should not have been buried under millions of dollars in hush money.
History repeats itself
But it was. And now, Jackson is once again the focus of accusations that he touched a young overnight guest improperly. In this case the boy was a cancer victim, who, some say, was once near death, rebounded, and is now in failing health.
Jackson has been arraigned on child molestation charges and released on $3 million bond. Following his arraignment he released a statement in which he said that lies run sprints, while the truth runs marathons. The truth, he said, will come out in court with his acquittal.
Since then, questions have been raised about the credibility of the boy and his family, and Jackson's lawyer, Mark Geragos, responded by vowing to "land like a ton of bricks" on anyone who besmirches Jackson's reputation.
"If anybody doesn't think based upon what's happened so far that the true motivation of these charges and these allegations is anything but money and the seeking of money, then they're living in their own Neverland," Geragos said.
Jackson's lawyer may rant all he wants, but had Jackson simply behaved like a normal middle-aged man, none of this could have happened.
Jackson is obviously a troubled person, victim to any of a number of obsessions. His construction of an amusement park at his home that cost tens of millions to build and $3 million a year to maintain, decades of surrounding himself with companions far younger than he and the mutilation he has subjected himself to at the hands of plastic surgeons are obvious signs of dysfunction. Going on buying binges, dangling one of his own children from a balcony and appearing for his pre-arranged mug shot in bright lip gloss are minor manifestations of the demons he must be battling.
"Michael Jackson is not going to be abused," his lawyer, Geragos, said. "Michael Jackson is not going to be slammed. He is not going to be a pi & ntilde;ata for every person who has financial motives."
But if Michael Jackson is a pi & ntilde;ata, he is one of his own making.
He can afford good help
He has boasted that he is worth $1 billion. Reliable sources have estimated his worth at $350 million. While there are indications that an extravagant lifestyle and a number of lawsuits may have left Jackson with little disposable income, this much is certain: He can still afford to get the best medical help that is available. And he should do so.
If Jackson is found guilty of abusing a child, he should spend time in jail. Lots of time.
If he once again dodges the bullet, he should do what he should have done 10 years ago. Get the counseling that is necessary for him to see how very wrong it is for him to indulge his fascination with children and to entertain them overnight.
Meanwhile, parents who abandon turn children to unsupervised visits with Jackson should face child endangerment charges. Parents who are so blinded by Jackson's celebrity that they cannot see the danger of turning their children over to him to be treated like living dolls should be held to account for their abominable lack of judgment.