First, let's state these facts about the human race, and more specifically, about the 5% who are Americans:
1. People will believe any crap, and the facts are useless against a crap-filled belief system.
2. When one bunch of people looks at the problems of another person or another bunch of people, they always ask: how can we make their problems all about us?
These are two of the most powerful operative principles that define the human condition.
Whatever is happening out there — like the early passing of Michael Jackson — you can be pretty sure that your understanding of it 
will depend on these two operative principles. None of us — not even Chomsky, Heidegger or Foucault — is immune to their power.
And here's why:
We live in a world of stories, not a world of events.
Moreover:
We live in a world of stories told by a whole bunch of story-tellers.
Politicians. Philosophers. Experts. Pundits. Critics. Academics. The media. Bloggers. Wall Street. Main Street. Labor unions. Global capitalists. Et cetera.
These story-tellers tell us their stories so they can gain all sorts of goodies for themselves.
Votes. Ratings. Sales. Market shares. Wages. Bonuses. Grants. Nobel Prizes. And so on.
And we believe their stories.
Why?
We believe their stories NOT because they are TRUE stories, but because they are GOOD stories.
They appeal to our story-enjoying selves, the way comedies and tragedies about men, women and the gods appealed to the ancient Greeks, where the template for Western-minded stories was created.
A. SOME AMERICAN STORIES
Today, our American stories include:
1. The right beer or handbag can get you laid or admired or promoted by a person with higher status than you.
2. You can get really lucky and become a celebrity.
3. Celebrities suffer just like us or worse than us.
4. A messiah will arrive among our anointed selves to save our sorry asses just when we need him, and maybe he'll get killed in the process, be he Jesus, FDR, JFK, MLK, Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama, John Lennon, or Michael Jackson.
5. All that is good in this world has been brought into the world by us. Look at how we brought down Soviet Communism, and South African apartheid, and rid the world of dictators like Saddam, Lumumba, Aristide, and Allende. Everything we do and have in America is better, from the iPhone to SUVs to the Ivy League to Hollywood to our Constitution to Springsteen to Barack Obama to Goldman Sachs to our democracy to our sports, which include the aptly named World Series.
Article comments
1 - Elvira Black
Love it, Adam...even if one doesn't agree with your "story," it was one heck of a read.
There's a representative from Long Island who's gotten a lot of press for his alternative "story" about MJ--saying openly things along the line that he was a perv, etc (which was never proven). His main point was that the media extravaganza was out of proportion considering all the everyday people like teachers and firefighters and soldiers and cops who were heroes in their own right.
The video he apparently made (his alternative video story, if you will) was a hit on Myspace, and plenty of people came out of the woodwork who agreed with him.
I was very saddened by MJ's death and thought the memorial service was very moving. But it is also true that, as someone pointed out on some blog or story I read, that the nearly ubiquitous coverage of celebs and entertainers can divert our attention from some of the other very significant events going on in the world as we speak.
Somehow I'm reminded of John Lennon's "bigger than Christ" comment...but Jackson, as it was pointed out, made the Guinness book for the number of charities (or the amount, not sure there) he contributed to.
Anyway, you're very on point here--our subjective stories and collective unconscious are largely a conglomeration of our media consumption, and we gorge on it all like Mickey D's burgers.
That's my story, and I'm sticking with it...maybe.
2 - steve
So, if sleeping with kids is such a good thing, let him sleep with yours, dummy, except now he is dead and the boys of the world can sigh in relief. Just another dead pervernt.
You can't put a normal face on sleeping with kids.
3 - Adam Ash
Elvira:
Thank you for kind words. Being a John Lennon fan, I was genuinely saddened by his death, but MJ's death is such a media event (er, story) I'm more gawking at the coverage than actually feeling sad.
Steve:
Did you read what I wrote? No way would I let any kids sleep with MJ, as I said in the article.
But maybe you didn't read what I wrote, so please read that section again. And take a warm relaxing bath -- you're way too grumpy.
Adam
4 - Elvira Black
Steve:
It was never proven that he did anythig wrong with those kids. Sleeping per se is not the same as molesting...
And even if he did, that's a separate issue from his talent. Plenty of gifted people did not so great things, but I believe in judging the gift separate from the individual. Otherwise, we'd probably have very little in the way of great culture, since we'd be able to decide on these things by popular vote or based on someone's political correctness.
There's plenty of prominent folks who have been convicted of child molestation...he was not one of them. Sheesh.
5 - Ruvy
I have not been able to believe how much garbage one heart attack killing one over-rated singer can generate in the empty culture that is America.
Michael Jackson, seems to have forgotten that he had become a Moslem. There was nothing Islamic about his funeral that I didn't read about (I didn't read about it on purpose). Maybe the Moslem wiseguys in whatever afterlife Jackson is headed for can beat him up for forgetting about Allah while Jewish leeches suck his blood - for eternity. That, at least, is a satisfying thought - a good story to tell my friends, Adam.
6 - steve
Elvira and all others that don't understand molestation:
Freako readily admitted he slept with young boys. He claims he did nothing. Even if you can suspend reality and try to believe that lie, there is never anything good, benign, safe or normal about a creepy old weirdo climbing into bed with a bunch of kids. If you think this is not wrong, you are way beyond insane. Despite the fact he was an over hyped nothing with a computer enhanced recorded voice, the perversion of sleeping with boys should have had him banned from the airwaves and record stores. Only in America can a megalomaniac pervert be a pop star. And "king of pop." The little bugger had to force MTV and radios to use that joke of a moniker. Thousands of years of human culture developing and here are mourning the death of a whacko whose only lasting legacy will be grabbing his pathetic crotch on stage. And he even needed special spandex panties so he could show he was sort of a man. Sycophants keep saying he changed popular culture forever. That I agree with. He reduced it to the crudest and lowest possible denominator. Please don't forget to say that he was a great father. So true. Every great father names his kids like they are toys or pets. Of course, all the parenting manuals will start saying that all great fathers should spend 50k a month on staying stoned for his own hedonistic pleasure. What kid should expect a clean and sober father figure? The only sad thing about the death of this freakoid is that he did not croak before he brought the first kid to his pervert mansion. Oh, if that was so innocent, why all the multiple doors and security system. You all can have him.
7 - Sarmada
I am somewhere in the middle, I'm not sure and due to the lack of any strong evidence can be totally certain that he molests kids, however I really don't see why sleeping with a few kids in your bed is such a big issue if there is no molestation concerned. I'm not from the USA and in 3rd world countries we live in small spaces, share beds all the time, and compared to sleeping with noisy, snoring old men kids are way better. As a parent u sleep with your child, i remember when i was younger our maid will sleep with us all the time and it was comforting for us to have an adult presence there and our maid liked it too rather than sleeping alone sometimes. So if you are a 'normal' person sleeping with kids is just fine. Problem I see is that alot of people just cannot seem to believe that other people can be nice, one just has to be doing bad things to be true. Normal everyday people just don't do good things, and celebrities omg...with all their money and all their problems must be really messed up, are they?
8 - steve
Sarmada,
he slept with kids that were prostitutyed by the parents for money. there is no way it can be made good.
9 - kenny
Steve, I think that you have issues.
I am a middle of the road person and I also like to think, which obviously you have not done.
You have come to your conclusions through the combinations of your character, prejudices and by thinking what you would have done if you were in Michael's shoes (which makes your haste conclusion and condemnation scarier).
The facts are:
- Michael felt extemetly insecure and sought kinship in things which he coonsidered safe such as chikdren and animals (remeber bubbles was his best friend?.
-He was often quoted in interviews saying how "pure", "honest", "trustful" he felt around them. This is a clear sign of someone in search of perceived safety and security. Ever heard of people living with 20 cats?
-Michael often talked about missing his childhood. NAd one of the things he was quioted to miss often were "slumber parties". He never hid that fact. So there's no suprise to the fact that he wanted to hanf g with kids on his bed, wathc movies, play, read bedtime stories and sleep.
-Michael Jackoson confessed on televison that he let boys sleep in his bed and he gave all the reasons to his philosophy on why. He had nothing to hide and he saw nothing wrong with it. He delsuionally failed to see how it was frownd upon in Western convention (And I hate the fact that no one coudl tell him that).
-Michael Jacskon obviously had strong moral beliefs through his vast politcal and huiman rights campaiging and Jehova's witnesses beliefs. And he was indeed also capable of telling straight faced lies, especially about his noes....So if he has really molested children he would indeed have the mental capacity not to announce it prouldy on television over and over again! And tell the world that it was the most loving thing to do!
-Michael Jackson was a higly intelligent, albeit delusion man, who indeed regreessed into a Peter Pan,/Moses of the world's children role, but he wasnt a fool who would knowingly perjure himself on televions over and over again.
In conclusion, I would allwo Micahel Jackson hang out with my children, but I wouldnt allow hm sleep with them for the fact of my backgorund and values just doesnt condiser that normal.
However, I do not beleive Michael Jackson was a paedophile. But I do believe that Michael jackson had immense pressure on him and reverted into the role of a child and companionship of children, and for some reason never sought psycholgical help. He should have been counselled. He should have found another oulet for safety and security. Infact, he should have left the industy all together and moved to Africa like Dave Chappelle.
p.s Steve analyse the facts thorougly and make a conlusion. Dont just be one of the villagers with pitchforks
10 - steve
Kenny,
[personal attack deleted] I suggest you research some basic facts (and spellcheck). As for your inane comment about what I would do in that situation, let's meet somewhere and you can say that to my face. [personal threat deleted].
Here are basic facts that are incontrovertible. His bedroom, the multiple door, high security inner sanctum, was full of porn, including child porn, booze and much more. This was in the same time frame of the charges. Also, you will read that the first accuser recanted his story. This is not true. The freako gang put this out and really pushed it after he croaked. It is a lie, see Snopes. [personal attack deleted]
Smoking Gun is not always the best source of information but lots of stuff is collated there and is easily verifiable. I do worry about sycophants that continue to defend this pedophile despite tons of evidence. The only sad thing about his death is that he lived long enough to abuse children.
11 - kenny
Steve, again you are looking for evidence to fit into your conclusions rather than making judgements based on material...
and yes, I have read the evidence (even smoking gun.
and NO, I am not a Michael Jackson sycophant. I truly believe that Michael Jackson led a bizzare and pressured up life that few could conceive and far fewer will ever get the chance to experience.
1)The evidence clearly states that Michael Jackson had pornography of "Adults". He was found to have had porn of Obese, "pimped out hoes", pubic hair, and barely legal porn. There was no child pornography present, which show your capacity to use logic more questionable than before.
Firstly, Steve, do you realise that having child pornography is a criminal offence in itself. If Michael Jackson had it in his possession he would be in jail he could scream "he-hee".
And secondly, Steve, barely legal/18 porn is a popular sub-genre of the porn industry with poplar scenarios that have over-18 girls (many in their early 20's) dress up as school girls, chair leaders and so forth and act out roles. There is nothing strange in this. Again you are out of your depth with your conclusions.
2)Not only was his pornography said to be in a brief case and not as you would like to believe loitering the house full of children, how does having "a multiple door, high security inner sanctum" constitute as being a sinister child molesting den?...I think you watch too many movies Steve.
Many of the wealthy and famous often have elaborate security systems (you should see my step dads house) built into their houses to protect them from perceived threats...Steve, even Madonna and the Beckhams have confessed to have a panic room after watching the movie!...Weird, indeed, but for them very normal.
3)On your wild accusations that you portray to be infalliable truth such as.. "Also, you will read that the first accuser recanted his story. This is not true. The freako gang put this out and really pushed it after he croaked"...well, I'm not even going to get started with that.
In conclusion, as I have said Michael Jackson was indeed a messed up guy who went through inner struggles that few can only begin to fathom but I still dont think that Michael Jackson was a paedophile.
p.s Thank God that you're not a policeman. Something tells me that you would one of those ones caricature cops that were famed from planting evidence on bodies of suspecting victims and giving false testimonies in court.
12 - steve
you are still a fool. Barely legal v child porn, its the same thing. One is legal because the women are over 18 but it shows that was what turned him on. He had porn in his room while he was having his little sleepovers with boys. His victims accurately described his penis.
You can find videos of the hallway leading to his bedroom online. The doors all have several locks. His domestic help have reported that they were forbidden from going near his BR during his kid visits.
His sister said he was a pedophile.Yes, she recanted under pressure but she made the statement. I guess all those people that worked there just had it in for him.
Go back to your porn, kenny, you seem to know all about it. Keep on trying to defend his legacy, in the end, history will remember him as a pedophile and his only legacy will be making it ok for idiots to grab their crotch online.
13 - kenny
Steve, the more I try and discuss Michael Jackson with you, the more I realise that I am talking with a person who obviosly has no interest in the factual truth from investigators and court documents but instead relies on tabliod fodder and gossip for truth.
Firstly, I will disprove the erroneous facts that you have stated.
1)The child did not correctly identify Michael Jackson's penis - The child stated that his penis was uncircumcised when it was circumcised. I think there's a huge difference there, dont you think?....
Steve, [Personal attack deleted by Comments Editor] dont you think that once an child correctly identifies details of an adults penis that the case would be closed immediately? Come on Steve, your investigative skills are found wanting yet again!
2)Your idea that porn sites are with themes such as dressing up as cheer leaders, high school girls, teachers, or over 18 etc mean paedophilia is nothing short of stupidity.
You have shown your lack of common sense. You have shown your lack of reason to the fact that the girls in the video are far from barely legal and way older than 18 and it is a sub genre of pornpgraphy.
You shave shown your lack of thought to the fact that millions of people around the world watch this sub genre of porography along with other genres that are completely legal.
You have shown abudnace of igorane in the fact that many adults and couples often dress up in high school themed costume and play rolesto engagae whilst enaging in sexual acts - are they paedophiles?
3)Michael Jackson's sister, to the contrary, said that her brother was a paedophile under pressure from her abusive husband, Jack Gordon who often beat her and threatened to kidnap and kill her if she strayed from his orders! Eventually she claimed that her one of her brothers "rescued" her from this man!
Jack Gordon was reported to have written many parts of her biography for her, including slandering their mother which her children even called a saint.
Other things that Jack Gordon was noted for was being charged with second degree assault against her, being given a restaining order, brainwashing her, and attempting to force her to stip in club.
4)Steve so what if he has several locks leading to his bedroom? My step father is rich as hell and has several locks leading to his bedroom including a huge safe in his room! This is because he is rich and insecure not a peadophile and I would take offence if your ignorance even dared to deem it as such.
5)Stevem you obviously have no belief in law, due proccess, "innocent before proved guilty", or even the fact that people can be aquitted on "all" counts. Instead, you would prefer Salem-like justice.
Why not take the account of all the hundreds of kids through frienship, make-a-wish foundation, and other organisations that have testified to how Michael Jackson did nothing innappropritate including Macaulay Culkin or chldren who volunteered to testify for his sake.
No, you wont. Instead you will use libel from ex-staffers that were sacked and paid to smear a man's name by the tabloids or out of vengance.
Thank God for us all you are indeed just some powerless dude on the internet with some opinions!
And finally, on your last point, regardless of your best efforts to stain the man's name further you will fail. Michael Jackson is known and loved throughout the whole world - in every single country, by every single age group, by every single race. His is his cherished so much that even wildly unrelated organisation such as the UFC have inducted him into their "hall of fame".
And although I think some things that he may have done are higly memorable such as him not wanting to be black, re-designing his face, being a 5-star drug addict, just like the fat Elvis, these things will become more irrelevant in time. So whether you like it or not he will live Forever. FACT
p.s Please read this article froma Michael jackson biographer who has meticulously researched Michael Jackson's life through staff that have worked there and children that have stayed there and correctly predicted that he would die.
He even has documented evidence as to how Michael jackson was "forced" to pay $20m by his insurance company in 1993.
14 - steve
Wow, you beat me. You have cited a source, Ian Halperin, UNAUTHORIZED biographer of Jackson. Halperin took some time out of running around Hollywood claiming that every other guy is gay, to churn out another "biography." The problem being, of course, that Jackson would not cooperate so Halperin had to depend on minor employees and imagination.
Jackson loved around the world. Hell, Germany loved Hitler, bin Laden is loved by a few million around the world. There are even those that adore Sarah Palin. Sorry, not impressed by public adoration. There was, and is, an obvious huge market for freaky photos of Jackson (or photos of freaky Jackson) and anything negative about him. So not loved by the entire world.
Yep, he gave away money to buy good publicity because his lifestyle brought mostly bad publicity. Anyway, I'm done with you and Whacko. A marginal talent and perv is gone, you weep for him.
All In need to know about you is contained in your item 2. [Personal attack deleted by Comments Editor] You seem to think it is good and normal to lust over an adult dressed up as a child or to play out fantasies while dressed as kids. Maybe that is normal in your world but the thought of using even an adult pretending to be a child in anything sexual is pretty sick to me. [Personal attack deleted by Comments Editor].
15 - Brandon
Steve got owned by Kenny. But Kenny, you made one error in your rebuttal. Michael Jackson did not "want to be white". He had a serious case of vitilago that you can see pictures of all over the internet. He also had lupus. This is one of the reasons I think he decided to not have children with his sperm. He very well might have been afraid they might have the same genetic problem as he.
16 - Del
I agree with Brandon. Steve is a absolute idiot. As Kenny pointed out over and over, Steve dismisses the facts and just makes stuff up b/c he obviously hates MJ. There are no facts that support MJ was a child molester. From what I have seen and heard, I feel that he loved children 2 much 2 ever do something 2 hurt them. After all, he was a big kid at heart. That would not make any sense if u think about it. What child molester really loves kids? Would spend so much money on them in charity? All a molester would really have 2 do is sneak off 2 some foreign country where parents sell their kids into prostitution and have his way. It would be a lot cheaper and easy, don't u think?
17 - Del
Also MJ definately did not want to be white. What man who does not want to be black chooses James Brown as his idol? If he wanted to be white he would have chosen a white singer, right? People just don't use their heads at all! What I am hoping for is that the kids get dna tests b/c I believe that the kids are biologically his. The boys do resemble him slightly. I think the media would rather continue the speculation than to put the paternity rumors to rest.
18 - Wendy
Question to anyone with a factual answer.
HOW, do any of us know, that the strip search concluded MJ was 'not' circumcised. Reports say the child said he was, but it has been refuted. Where are ANY, documents, verifying that information. I'm not interested in any hearsay.
I am a fan interested in FACT, not fiction. I want backup. Thanks.
19 - kate
Kenny seems obviously disturbed of the genre of pornography that is Barely Legal, women that are supposed to look like they just turned 18. This type of porn more so involves women that resemble women that are just that- barely legal, meaning 18 years old. Women that look very youthful, petite, with small, perky breasts, etc. And girls who just turn 18 are usually still in high school, so yes, they would probably wear plaid skirts and cheerleader outfits. There is nothing illegal with this type of porn, or else every person that looks at Barely Legal would be sitting in jail- which I can imagine is a lot of people, considering it's a popular genre especially among men. But that is a far cry for reason to paint Michael as a paedophile.
According to the magazines documented in police files, he had heterosexual porn in a briefcase. He did not possess child porn (or else he would have been jailed on a separate charge), or homosexual porn, he didn't even have porn of young looking "barely legal" males dressed up as little boys (if there is such as thing!). He did, however, have a photopgraphy book called "The Boy: A photographic Essay" inscribed to him from a fan. It was first published in 1964 and has been out of print, but you can buy a copy on amazon.com. It's legal to own it. Doesn't make him a pedophile because a fan sends him a legally published photography book.
20 - sammie
Unless you ask Katherine and Joe, or anyone that's directly seen his penis, it's unlikely that you'll know for FACT if his penis was intact. The police documents containing the report on the body search have been sealed, as the case was dropped because daddy Chandler wanted the money. So I don't think there is any legitimate document out there that states the fact on Michael's penis. If you find one, let me know :)
21 - kate
sorry in my comment above, I mean to say steve was disturbed. (not kenny)
22 - DTR
Wendy- well, there is that one photo inside the booklet of HIStory of Mike as a little boy, straddled over the side of the tub. Can't really determine...