"Us" article: Inside Michael's World
Jaime Jeske
Inside Michael's World
Yikes! Now everybody knows that Michael Jackson shares his bed with
children, writes his songs in a tree and is obsessed with Peter Pan. But
you haven't heard the half of it
By Joey Bartolomeo & Jennifer Tung
On February 6, 27.1 million Americans sat riveted before TV's biggest
train wreck: ABC's two-hour "Living With Michael Jackson" documentary.
The next morning, water coolers across the country reverberated with
talk of Neverland, plastic surgery denials and baby "Blanket," a.k.a.
Prince Michael II, Jackson's 1-year-old son. British interviewer Martin
Bashir may have asked the tough questions, but it was clear that his
film raised more questions than it answered. (Jolly Green Giant,
anyone?) The pop star, 44, has since announced plans to release his own
video of the interviews -- filmed by Jackson's own cameraman -- to prove
that Bashir's documentary portrayed "a wholly distorted picture of his
behavior and conduct as a father." Until then, let "Us" clear up some of
Jackson's most intriguing mysteries.
Can his three kids be taken away?
Not without more evidence that Prince Michael I, 6, Paris, 4, and Prince
Michael II are in danger. According to a press release issued by the
District Attorney's Office of Santa Barbara County last week, the
sexual-abuse case against Jackson that was first investigated in 1993
"remains open but inactive." And California law specifies that merely
sleeping in the same bed with a child does not satisfy the statutory
requirements. But apparently the Gloved One's disturbing comments to
Bashir were enough to raise concern: A California child-welfare insider
tells "Us," "It's icky, it's inappropriate, it's bizarre. But we don't
have solid enough evidence to get a subpoena or a warrant of any kind.
Still, we'll put together everything we've learned from the TV
interview, contact some of the associated parties and then see what our
options are."
Could his kids be scarred from wearing masks -- and knowing that other
children are sleeping in Dad's room?
Without a doubt, says Dr. David Gottesfeld, a New York City child
psychologist. "Those veils separate them from the rest of society and
will make them very afraid. Jackson is imposing his own fears and
paranoias onto the kids. We all do it to some extent, but this is an
extreme case." Keeping his kids out of a regular school will have the
same effect. "Home schooling is fine if you do it for the right
reasons," says Gottesfeld, "but again, he's separating his children from
the world. His wacky lifestyle is their reality." As for the slumber
parties with other kids, says Gottesfeld, "God knows what he's telling
them. The 6-year-old can probably pick up on a lot of stuff."
Is he really the father of those kids?
Paris and Prince Michael I certainly seem to look more like their white
mom, Debbie Rowe, than their black dad, and blond baby "Blanket" appears
to share his siblings' light coloring. But don't judge paternity by the
color of someone's skin. "It is indeed possible for children to look
very different from their parents," says genetics expert Ricki Lewis.
"It is possible for a biracial couple to have children with light hair,
eyes and skin. The reason is something called polygenic inheritance....
Michael may have several recessive variants that contribute very little
melanin to the skin."
It looked like Prince Michael I's blond hair had dark roots. Has his
hair been bleached?
Only Jackson knows for sure, but several hair-color experts tell "Us"
that Prince Michael's hair looks bleached -- a procedure that could be
unsafe for a young child. "Bleaching can eat through the hair cuticle
and skin," says Los Angeles colorist Kim Vo. "For it to be safe, it has
to be done really precisely using the lowest, most gentle level of
peroxide. A kid's scalp is much more sensitive than an adult's." A
customer-service representative at Clairol concurred: "You would have to
use a harsh lightener to turn medium brown hair light blond," she told
"Us." "It would be very, very uncomfortable for the child, and you'd
have toretouch the roots every four to six weeks."
What was with that near-nude painting of Jackson surrounded by cherubs?
Art historians contacted by "Us" say that the enormous image of Jackson
in a loincloth surrounded by angels recalls the style of late
nineteenth-century French artist Adolphe-William Bouguereau. The artist,
according to University of California at Berkeley professor Loren
Partridge, "was known for his somewhat erotic, sexualized imagery." The
painting itself is full of symbolism: "Mr. Jackson is depicted with the
satyr's pan-pipes and grasping a shepherd's crook, both of which evoke a
kind of precivilized netherworld," explains art historian Rachel
McGarry. "It is a kind of romanticized image of innocence." But not
*that* innocent. "The pipes of Pan, like the flute, are symbols of
lust," she adds. "Jackson is surrounded by naked flying putti [winged
children] with the symbol of lust at his side."
What was that video game he was playing in his Vegas hotel room?
It's a $3,000 high-speed scooter simulation game called Frenzy Express.
A spokesperson for the manufacturer, ICE, says, "It's most popular with
teenagers." Oh.
Why were his fingertips bandaged at the end of the show?
It's unclear, but when they weren't covered with tape, his nails looked
brown and gnarled. C. Ralph Daniel, a clinical professor of dermatology
at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, says the most common
causes of nail discoloration are allergic reactions or side effects from
such medications as minocycline and tetracycline. "Colorant can leach
out of a dark nail enamel and turn nails yellowish or brownish," he
says. "It could also be an allergic reaction to an acrylic nail or the
glue used to attach artificial nails." Another common cause? Fade creams
containing hydroquinone, which people use to lighten their skin. "For
some reason, they stimulate the pigment-producing cells in the nail
plate and make them darker rather than lighter," says Daniels. *Hmm*.
Is there significance to the number 33 on Michael's go-kart?
According to astrologist and numerologist Cheryl Lee Terry, 33 is one of
the "master numbers that we say emit high vibrations. A person might
wear or display one of these numbers in order to gain power." But, she
adds, taking advantage of the number's attributes isn't so easy. "In
order to align yourself with 33, you need spiritual knowledge. When you
do not have that framework, you become unstable and, in many cases,
crazy."
His go-kart was green, he was wearing an emerald-colored shirt, he loves
Peter Pan and the Jolly Green Giant. What's with his fixation with the
color green?
Jacko may be a multi-millionaire, but the shade signifies more than the
color of money. "You always have to think of colors in the context of
their usage," explains color expert Leatrice Eiseman. "In the context of
Peter Pan and the Jolly Green Giant, green takes on a benevolent,
protector-type of role. So green means fantasy, friendly, benevolence.
By wearing green, he imbues himself with the same qualities of the
characters he loves."
He said, "I'm Peter Pan in my heart." Does that mean he doesn't want to
grow up?
That's probably just the beginning of it. "Peter Pan symbolizes the
creative spontaneity that we associate with childhood," says Ann Yeoman,
a Jungian analyst and the author of "Now or Neverland: Peter Pan and the
Myth of Eternal Youth." "We all have that part in us," she explains, but
"the goal is to bring that into adulthood in a mature way." The problem
is, some people can suffer from arrested development because of abuse
(which often leads the person to create his or her own safe fantasy
world -- Neverland Ranch, perhaps?) or because of a childhood lost.
People who identify strongly with Peter Pan have an "aggresive,
infantile attachment to childhood and [refuse] to move into the
conscious world. They become a prisoner of fantasy."
What really happened in 1993 with those sexual-abuse charges by the
unnamed kid?
We now know that the civil case (which was settled out of court for a
rumored $20 million) was filed by the family of then-13-year-old Jordan
Chandler. In deposition testimony bared recently by TheSmokingGun.com,
Chandler, now 23, claimed, in graphic detail, that Jackson had demanded
sexual favors over the course of their friendship, which ended in July
1993. "Physical contact between Michael Jackson and myself increased
gradually," stated Chandler. By May 1993, during a trip to Monaco,
alleges Chandler, "the whole thing got out of hand" -- he claimed
Jackson masturbated in front of him and performed oral sex on him.
Jackson has repeatedly denied the allegations.
Could Jackson really have taken daughter Paris, covered in placenta,
home from the hospital minutes after birth?
"Ridiculous," says Dr. Arthur L. Wisot, an OB-GYN and
reproductive-health specialist in Beverly Hills (who did not deliver
Paris). "When a baby is born, so many things have to be done -- the
nasal passages are cleaned out, and the baby is wrapped up and kept warm
and observed to make sure everything is OK. I don't care if it's Michael
Jackson or Joe Blow, this is protocol that any reputable medical
facility would have to follow -- that they are duty-bound to follow."
What are Michael's friends saying about the documentary?
"I felt betrayed," says mentalist Uri Gellar, who actually introduced
Bashir to Jackson. "[Bashir] promised to do a constructive and positive
documentary." Gellar tells "Us" that he's afraid the betrayals might
even have hurt his friendship with Jackson. "It's not the right time for
me to find out exactly how [Michael] feels, but he has my support."
Producer Bryan Michael Stoller, who visits Neverland almost once a week,
says, "I actually didn't think it was that bad. I thought this Martin
guy was a bully. But I think the childlike innocence in Michael came
across very clear."
Meanwhile, Jackson pal Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, who says the star sent him
a long e-mail just a few weeks ago, tells "Us" that he was disturbed by
some of the footage. "It made me nauseous," he said. "He's a man that I
care for and he was self-destructing on national television. Why he
would allow a crew to follow him for eight months is beyond me."
Could Jackson actually be mentally ill?
His friends say no, but professionals might disagree. "There is
definitely some suspicious behavior that needs to be clarified," says
Dr. Linda Hamilton, a psychotherapist who specializes in treating people
in the performing arts. "Two things especially have me concerned: his
preoccupation with his appearance and the obvious changes that have
occurred... and his fascination with kids." Dr. Michael Nuccitelli, the
executive director of SLS Health, a behavioral health-care facility in
Brewster, New York, also finds Jackson puzzling. "The question is, Is
this a man who's suffering from a moderate-to-severe delusional
disorder, or is this an individual that, because of being a pop icon and
because he's extremely wealthy and has global notoriety, perceives
himself as being above all legal and moral principles? His behaviors are
so bizarre that even as professionals, we doctors are clueless about
what to make of it."
* With reporting by Ken Baker, Tina Dirmann, Jed Dreben, Leslie
Gornstein, Jill Ishkanian, Daron Murphy, Kevin F. Sherry, Mia Sulpor &
Sophie Vokes-Dudgeon in Los Angeles; Jacqueline Gallo, Shirley Halperin,
Michael Lewittes, Leanne Shear, Gina Way & Jaimee Zanziger in New York
City.
A Timeline of Jacko's Odd Life
1970: The Jackson 5 become megastars with Michael, then just 12, the
frontman.
February 1983: The singer, 24, hits the town with 3-foot-4 Emmanuel
Lewis, 11, star of "Webster" (below). Jackson often carries Lewis in his
arms.
January 1984: Jackson is rushed to a hospital when his hair catches fire
while filming a Pepsi commercial (right). He suffers third-degree burns.
1986: Bubbles, a chimp rescued from a cancer research lab, becomes
Jackson's constant companion, often wearing matching outfits with his
owner. Later, Janet Jackson would say that Bubbles "had more clothes in
his wardrobe than I did."
December 1993: On live TV, a noticeably paler Jackson refutes
allegations that he sexually molested a 13-year-old boy. "Don't treat me
like a criminal," he says. He settled with the boy's family for a
reported $20 million.
September 1994: Five months after their May wedding, Jackson and Lisa
Marie Presley kiss onstage at the MTV Video Music Awards. (Presley files
for divorce in January 1996.)
April 1997: Jackson, second wife Debbie Rowe and son Prince Michael I
pose for England's "OK!" magazine. "I want my son to live a normal
life," he says.
July 2002: Jackson leads a bizarre protest in New York City against his
record label, Sony Music, saying the company's then-chairman, Tommy
Mottola, "is a racist, and he's very, very, very devilish."
November 2002: In Berlin, Jackson dangles, Prince Michael II, covered in
a blanket, from a fourth-floor Berlin hotel room. [JJ adds: The comma
after "dangles" appears in the magazine.]
Michael's Women
Captions read, from left to right: "He says he was 'scared to death'
when girlfriend Tatum O'Neal, then 12, tried to initiate sex. She has
issued a statement saying, 'He has a very vivid imagination.'" "Jackson
and Lisa Marie Presley wed in May 1994 and surprised few when they split
20 months later 9she later split from Nicolas Cage). Presley's debut
album, To Whom It May Concern, will be out in April." "Debbie Rowe, who
married Jackson in 1996 (they divorced in 1999), stands by her ex. Rowe
recently told reporters: 'My children are with their father, where they
are supposed to be.'"
Copyright 2003 by Us Weekly LLC. All rights reserved.
JJ adds: There are some cute photos of Prince Michael I, sans mask and
any black facial features, on pages 10 and 11. He's a cute kid.
Jaime
DustBunny
"Jaime Jeske" <jaim...@cox-internet.com> wrote in message
news:v50ctvc...@corp.supernews.com...
> "Us Weekly," February 24, 2003, Issue 419, pages 42-47
> Inside Michael's World
Speaking of the US article, somebody posted something about his weird
hands...I can't find the original thread anymore, but I looked at the pic
and they do look bizarre. His fingers seem too short for the overall size of
his hand or something. Aacck. One more nightmare Wacko Jacko image I now
can't get out of my brain : P
Evelyn
~ Liz~
"DustBunny" <who...@earthlinc.net> wrote in message
news:y%W3a.5642$_c6.5...@newsread2.prod.itd.earthlink.net...
:
: "Jaime Jeske" <jaim...@cox-internet.com> wrote in message
I thought his hands looked extremely wrinkled, like an old man's and his
nails dirty and discolored. Makes me wonder if he ever washes his hands
and what happened to them to make them look like prune skin.
--
Liz
the GreenEyd Princess
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