I can't imagine what on earth would have to be said in the second half, .but I understand that something like this is very important to be aired, ( but only if it's true).. I kinda think it's probably true but only those 2 guys know for sure...
Seen it... the generation today would never allow it to happen now, there would be hell to pay a white man blacked up.. but it was of it's time...
Don't know, @Holly Saunders. Stage Moms do some terrible things to their children if they think it will gain them or their children fame. It is a bit like Munchausen by Proxy.
I know Don... believe me, I know... but even if the mothers were complicate where were the fathers, or the rest of the families..why was no-one questioning what was going on>...rhetorical question of course..
I watched the 2nd half last night. I feel so bad for those 2 men for what they went through. The entire audience was made up of victims of childhood abuse and my heart goes out to each and every one of them and their families. We will never know how many on the face of this earth have been abused. Let me first say that IMO Michael Jackson was an incredible entertainer and to this day I still enjoy his music. However .. in no way, shape or form do I approve of his demented activities. When accusations first came out, many years ago, I didn't believe them but it didn't take long to change that disbelief into maybe it's true. Eventually I had to submit to the realization that something was happening and there would be some who would take advantage and claim it had happened to them also. I'm sad that he was never prosecuted for what he did. He destroyed - at the minimum - 2 lives. But this story isn't just about Michael Jackson .. it's about child predators and they are everywhere .. you know some of them .. you work with some of them .. you worship with some of them. This story is about how they do what they do and how they "groom" the victims and their families. They are selective .. and sadly they are successful. As for the Jackson family and their "statement" .. they either know what he was doing or they didn't have a clue. It is for sure that they were not in the rooms when the victimization was occurring so their statements have zero value. For everyone who doesn't want to watch this documentary .. I get it. Nobody with a sane mind wants to hear the details of child molestation .. but at the very least you NEED to see the 2nd half so you can see the 2 victims who have come forward and listen to them and begin to understand how this sort of thing can happen. It's valuable information and at some point in your lives you may be able to see someone doing this very sort of thing and help to save a child.
Good post Maggie May... but as a Victim myself as a child, I cannot bring myself to watch and listen to other victims' accounts.. It's the only way I can keep my sanity!!..however anyone who hasn't been a victim or even those who can bear to have all the horrors of their past revived, then of course, it's an absolute must to watch and to learn exactly how predators and molesters work, and how it affects children right into and through their adult lives...
@Maggie May - good post. The Oprah commentary after the 2nd half of Leaving Neverland was worth watching. I'm not a fan of Oprah, but she is extremely good at getting out a message. My biggest issue with the whole thing (and I'm still struggling with whether I totally believe it) is WHY on earth were their families so complacent? I cannot imagine being so star-struck or greedy that I'd sacrifice my child. That's the part that bothers me most; that the mothers did not protect their children. If they had, MJ would not have been able to abuse them. One reason I struggle with believing the accusers is that one of them has already tried to sue for money; that always colors my opinion. And don't get me started on the Jackson family; their "support" of Michael is totally mercenary...they want all they can milk from the estate; a blemish on him depletes the golden goose.
Holly .. first of all I'm so very sorry you are a victim. And I can completely relate to your comment about not bringing yourself to watch or listen. I am a survivor of a brutal rape .. back in 1969 .. and today it is as real to me as if it had happened yesterday .. so I get it. I can't watch or even listen to any movie that is violent nor can I tolerate any of these rappers who "sing" about it or even watch music videos because they all seem to portray that very thing. I am repulsed at ads on the TV and in magazines .. and all because of what happened to me. I am angry at how it has formed the life I live today .. so ..I do understand .. and again .. I am so sorry it happened to you. Many people read about this sort of thing or see it in the news and just turn their heads. I am sad to say that my husband did exactly that when I mention the program .. he grimaced and said I don't want to know about it. But I pressed on and engaged him in conversation and in the end he was glad I did. I just want to encourage others who would prefer to ignore this problem .. to at least educate themselves. The problem is not going to go away and if people are educated about it, the life of a child may just be saved one day because of some little thing they noticed. Too many victims .. not enough punishment and certainly not enough of the predators getting caught .. that needs to change.