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THINK TWICE: MICHAEL JACKSON, a new podcast

Annita

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THINK TWICE: MICHAEL JACKSON, a new podcast​




“Think Twice: Michael Jackson” is a new podcast about Michael Jackson and is hosted by journalist and podcaster Leon Neyfakh and hip-hop radio veteran Jay Smooth. The 10-episode audio series is a co-production from Audible and podcast network Wondery (which are both part of Amazon), Prologue Projects and Jigsaw Productions and will be available on April 27.
In an interview for Variety, the creators talked about this new venture:
“To me, Michael Jackson is the most interesting person who has ever lived,” Neyfakh said in a statement. “But what Jay and I realized as we dove into this project was that his story is not just about him, but everyone he influenced with his art, and everyone connected to his tortured personal life. It’s also about the moral calculations we make as consumers of culture, as we decide for ourselves what to believe and what to look away from.”
Smooth added, “When Leon reached out to me about collaborating on a Michael Jackson documentary series, I won’t lie, I was equal parts intrigued and alarmed. But as we both agreed to be up front about our own complex feelings on Michael’s legacy, and let that guide our process of gathering all these different voices and perspectives, I quickly came to see just how rich and rewarding this show would become. Both as a fresh look back at the Michael Jackson story, and even more so as a way to understand — through Michael’s life and afterlife — how our world and culture evolved around him.”
You can listen to the trailer here:
www.mjvibe.com

THINK TWICE: MICHAEL JACKSON, a new podcast - MJVibe

"Think Twice: Michael Jackson" is a new podcast of 10 episodes about the King of Pop which will be released on April 27.
www.mjvibe.com www.mjvibe.com
Note that we could hear Larry Stessel, Senior Vice President and Head of Marketing for Epic Records 1981-1991 in the trailer and we can expect interviews with Michael Jackson’s colleagues.
Positive or not, we are not able to say yet until we listen to all 10 episodes.
You can listen to the podcast on April 27 on Amazon Music and Audible.

variety.com

Michael Jackson’s Enduring and ‘Complicated’ Legacy Explored in Podcast Series From Audible, Wondery

A new podcast from Audible and Wondery investigates Michael Jackson's staying power as a cultural force in the face of disturbing allegations.
variety.com variety.com

Michael Jackson’s Enduring and ‘Complicated’ Legacy Explored in Podcast Series From Audible, Wondery​


By Todd Spangler
Plus Icon
Michael Jackson (Photo by KMazur/WireImage)

WireImage

A new podcast from Audible and Wondery investigates Michael Jackson’s staying power as a pop-culture force in the face of disturbing allegations.
“Think Twice: Michael Jackson” is hosted by journalist and podcaster Leon Neyfakh and hip-hop radio veteran Jay Smooth. The 10-episode audio series is a co-production from Audible and podcast network Wondery (which are both part of Amazon), Prologue Projects and Jigsaw Productions.
All episodes of “Think Twice” are slated to drop Thursday, April 27, exclusively on Audible (at this link) and ad-free for Prime members on the Amazon Music app (at this link).

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​


More than a decade after Jackson’s death in 2009, the artist’s global influence continues to endure. In the series, Neyfakh and Smooth present a “new perspective” on Jackson and his “complicated” legacy based on dozens of original interviews with people “who watched it unfold from up close,” according to Audible and Wondery. The title of the series refers to lyrics in Jackson’s hit “Billie Jean.” The podcast will cover Jackson’s music career and his personal life, including the sexual abuse allegations against him.

“To me, Michael Jackson is the most interesting person who has ever lived,” Neyfakh said in a statement. “But what Jay and I realized as we dove into this project was that his story is not just about him, but everyone he influenced with his art, and everyone connected to his tortured personal life. It’s also about the moral calculations we make as consumers of culture, as we decide for ourselves what to believe and what to look away from.”
Smooth added, “When Leon reached out to me about collaborating on a Michael Jackson documentary series, I won’t lie, I was equal parts intrigued and alarmed. But as we both agreed to be up front about our own complex feelings on Michael’s legacy, and let that guide our process of gathering all these different voices and perspectives, I quickly came to see just how rich and rewarding this show would become. Both as a fresh look back at the Michael Jackson story, and even more so as a way to understand — through Michael’s life and afterlife — how our world and culture evolved around him.”
Neyfakh is a New York-based journalist best known as the co-creator and original host of Slate’s “Slow Burn” podcast. He previously worked with Audible on original podcast series “Fiasco: The AIDS Crisis.” Smooth is the creator and host of of New York’s longest-running hip-hop radio show, “The Underground Railroad,” as well as founder of influential blog hiphopmusic.com.
“Leon Neyfakh once again brings his journalistic chops and striking insight to listeners,” said Rachel Ghiazza, EVP and head of U.S. content at Audible. “In teaming up with established radio journalist Jay Smooth, these creators demonstrate the power of balanced reporting and musical storytelling. The blend of thoughtful cultural commentary and riveting pop culture history makes ‘Think Twice’ the perfect vehicle for a collaboration with our colleagues at Wondery.”
 
TSCM - MJ Case Facts and Commentary
@MJJRepository
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12 Std.

Contrary, podcasts that rely on Dimond, Clemente or Orth as primary sources without independently corroborating every remark or disclosing their tabloid-laced history and severe conflicts of interest, deserve to be discounted immediately. That is not investigative podcasting.


So I agree, what a shame, @Hiker can you put the thread in in the trial and tribulation-thread ?
 
zinniabooklover said:
No idea if this tweet is relevant. Posting as FYI.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1649089625309474818
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Jigsaw Productions is the company of renowned and respected documentarian Alex Gibney. He's behind well done and incisive docs such as Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Taxi to the Dark Side, Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer, Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God, The Armstrong Lie, We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks, Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine, Agents of Chaos, The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley and The Crime of the Century. Gibney is considered someone respectable and someone who does a great and thorough job researching and working to find the truth.

I'd always long put him and/or the likes of Errol Morris as a candidate to make a documentary to look at Michael's case and say the truth.
 
Listened to 2 episodes. They claim that MJs attorneys used multiple excuses to try and keep MJ from being deposited in 1993 WITHOUT mentioning they motions was to delay the civil trial until the criminal case was finished. They also said after the settlement was reached the police pretty much cancelled the case WITHOUT mentioning 2 separate grand jurys failed to indict MJ because the case was so weak.

So I would say that shows you extreme incompetence or a deliberate bias against MJ! (or lack of research, but in 18 months its impossible to miss this fact) A real shame both sides could not be represented equally! Instead they give Diane Diamond free reigns to set up the story with stating the "acts of molestation details" 2 times in 60 seconds repeatedly just to hammer down the alleged details of the abuse in 1993!
 
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Lightbringer said:
Listened to 2 episodes. They claim that MJs attorneys used multiple excuses to try and keep MJ from being deposited in 1993 WITHOUT mentioning they motions was to delay the civil trial until the criminal case was finished. They also said after the settlement was reached the police pretty much cancelled the case WITHOUT mentioning 2 separate grand jurys failed to indict MJ because the case was so weak.
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Well, that sucks. I listened to the 7 minute 'snippet'. I'd say it was quite well edited to make it sound (sort of) reasonable. And it may well be reasonable, for all I know. But your comments here make me doubt that. Those two points you highlighted are vital parts of the story. And it's not at all hard to find that info so no excuse, imo.

Lightbringer said:
So I would say that shows you extreme incompetence or a deliberate bias against MJ! (or lack of research, but in 18 months its impossible to miss this fact)
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Exactly. You could look at a typical 'MJ justice' type blog and find that info in less than 18 minutes, fgs!

Lightbringer said:
A real shame both sides could not be represented equally! Instead they give Diane Diamond free reigns to set up the story with stating the "acts of molestation details" 2 times in 60 times repeatedly just to hammer down the alleged details of the abuse in 1993!
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Sounds like 'same old, same old' to me.
 
zinniabooklover said:
Well, that sucks. I listened to the 7 minute 'snippet'. I'd say it was quite well edited to make it sound (sort of) reasonable. And it may well be reasonable, for all I know. But your comments here make me doubt that. Those two points you highlighted are vital parts of the story. And it's not at all hard to find that info so no excuse, imo.

Exactly. You could look at a typical 'MJ justice' type blog and find that info in less than 18 minutes, fgs!

Sounds like 'same old, same old' to me.
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Yes, sadly I think they are selling the podcast as being "neutral" while taking the safe route of just ignoring the facts that point to MJ being framed, whether they actually believe that or if its just the convenient and political correct way to go I dont know.

They also pointed out that Evan Chandler nowhere in the "extortion tape" mentions any money. They also mention Culkin, Corey Feldman, Emanuel Lewis and Brett Barnes when describing MJ spending times with "mostly boys" and then say: "For the record these boys have never said they were abused". So its basically as when they are mentioning something pro-Jackson they need to apologize for it, or follow it upp with a counter-argument, like saying Feldman later made a statement he could no longer defend Michael.

While they for most part leave the opposing sides arguments alone with no counter-argument, even though there is plenty. You just cringe as you want them to bring up the facts that argues MJ is innocent, but of course it never happens.

All the info from "turning the table on the Chandlers" on the Chandler are completely non-existent after 3 episodes. Victor Gutierrez is not mentioned and Diane Diamond vouching for the alleged sex tape with MJ and boy that did not exist - citing a mystery source (Aka Victor Gutierrez) is not brought up at all. Diane Diamond should have been banned from covering MJ after that nonsense. And she used the journalistic shield law to avoid punishment. Instead Diamond is portrayed as skilled journalist who only did her duty to bring down a celebrity perp.

Look, its fine if people lean on MJ being guilty but at least lay out the correct facts so people listening can draw their own conclusions or get curious to research deeper, rather than just being fed a guilty-biased summary without all the details that make the cases so suspicious.
 
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god, this is all so exhausting and disheartening. I don't really want to comment on this thing since I haven't listened to these episodes and don't plan to. Hate listening to podcasts and have too much on my plate atm.

However ...
Lightbringer said:
They also pointed out that Evan Chandler nowhere in the "extortion tape" mentions any money. They also mention Culkin, Corey Feldman, Emanuel Lewis and Brett Barnes when describing MJ spending times with "mostly boys" and then say: "For the record these boys have never said they were abused".
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At best, that's disingenuous, at worst it's deliberately misleading in the sense that they are planting ideas in people's heads while at the same time making sure they get their disclaimer in so as not to be attacked. It's a 'clever' move but we see it.

Lightbringer said:
So its basically as when they are mentioning something pro-Jackson they need to apologize for it, or follow it upp with a counter-argument, like saying Feldman later made a statement he could no longer defend Michael.
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Again, I don't want to comment on something I haven't listened to but that just sounds feeble and annoying. It doesn't fit my idea of 'balanced' at all.

Lightbringer said:
Diane Diamond should have been banned from covering MJ after that nonsense. And she used the journalistic shield law to avoid punishment. Instead Diamond is portrayed as skilled journalist who only did her duty to bring down a celebrity perp.
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When I saw that DD was involved I was a bit 😲

Again, I would ask, where is the balance? Using DD and omitting certain vital facts does not add up to 'Think Twice', imo. I'm not saying the split has to be 50:50 but I do think it has to be reasonable.

Lightbringer said:
Look, its fine if people lean on MJ being guilty but at least lay out the correct facts so people listening can draw their own conclusions or get curious to research deeper, rather than just being fed a summary without all the details that make the cases so suspicious.
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I agree. I understand if people have doubts in their mind. It's a complicated, depressing story and the media presentation has been almost entirely unhelpful. Biased. Incomplete. I don't think it's surprising if some people feel confused. 18 months researching and planning this thing gives them plenty of time to create a coherent story which includes the most important facts that people would need in order to understand. I'm not sure if they need to include everything but, based on what you've said, it doesn't sound like they've made the best choices about what to include and what to ignore.

Lightbringer said:
[...] I think they are selling the podcast as being "neutral" while taking the safe route of just ignoring the facts that point to MJ being framed, whether they actually believe that or if its just the convenient and political correct way to go I dont know.
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Can't even, with this. :(
 
I found this post from @xyle on a another forum. I will not give them one click.

The hosts finished the final episode (10) by stating that Michael deserves to be canceled and even he would agree. They cite hearsay for their reasoning. While in Las Vegas (in 2007), Michael was shocked that people still listen to his music. Their Interpretation: Michael knew that he didn’t deserve to have his music played because he was guilty of these crimes. It’s beyond me how they came to such a conclusion. They admit his popularity continues to grow, and Michael will probably never be canceled.

One of them stated that after LN broadcasted, he and his circle knew it was over for Michael. However, his music became more popular. They couldn’t understand what was happening. Both of these idiots attended the MJ musical and felt like aliens because no one wanted to discuss the allegations. What in the world is wrong with them? They’re obsessed with the idea of Michael being a pedophile.

I hope that they can move on from their weird obsession. I won’t hold my breath, though.
 
Salami said:
I listened to the first episode today and it’s fairly neutral in terms of what they discuss, but I can tell from how it ended that it’s not going to stay that way.
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I only listened to the 7 minute thing they posted and that did seem fairly neutral. I'm bewildered / NOT bewildered by the account posted by @Lightbringer . It's hardly new or unexpected for people to do this to Michael and yet I still find it so shocking.

Annita said:
I found this post from @xyle on a another forum. I will not give them one click.
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Annita, this post you found has truly shocked me. I feel sick.

Annita said:
The hosts finished the final episode (10) by stating that Michael deserves to be canceled and even he would agree. They cite hearsay for their reasoning.
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This is the world that is being created. Hearsay. The court of public opinion. 'Innocent until proven guilty' being warped, ignored or just abandoned as a principle of law (at least as far as the public conversation goes). The idea that evidence needs to be robustly tested. It's as if none of this matters anymore.

Annita said:
While in Las Vegas (in 2007), Michael was shocked that people still listen to his music. Their Interpretation: Michael knew that he didn’t deserve to have his music played because he was guilty of these crimes.
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This is manipulation beyond anything I could dream up in a nightmare. What is this? Stupidity, irresponsibility or just plain wickedness?

Annita said:
It’s beyond me how they came to such a conclusion. They admit his popularity continues to grow, and Michael will probably never be canceled.

One of them stated that after LN broadcasted, he and his circle knew it was over for Michael. However, his music became more popular. They couldn’t understand what was happening. Both of these idiots attended the MJ musical and felt like aliens because no one wanted to discuss the allegations. What in the world is wrong with them? They’re obsessed with the idea of Michael being a pedophile.

I hope that they can move on from their weird obsession. I won’t hold my breath, though.
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:mad:
 
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Annita said:
The hosts finished the final episode (10) by stating that Michael deserves to be canceled and even he would agree. They cite hearsay for their reasoning. While in Las Vegas (in 2007), Michael was shocked that people still listen to his music. Their Interpretation: Michael knew that he didn’t deserve to have his music played because he was guilty of these crimes. It’s beyond me how they came to such a conclusion.
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Worst. Logic. Ever.

Being shocked that people are still listening to your music after the media manipulated tons of people into hating you and making you feel like shit means you're guilty now? Oy... disappointed but not too surprised.

May this podcast fall by the wayside and become forgotten.
 
It’s interesting as well because it starts off saying “this isn’t about whether he’s innocent or whether he’s guilty”. Then what’s the point of making it? All media of this kind has an agenda. At least be honest about it.
 
the entire series was uploaded to YouTube. I skipped straight to episode 6 - which focused on ‘thriller’💜 I never get tired of hearing that story, and the specifics of the timeline. a lot was covered. it was a treat to hear from those who were there to witness it firsthand. I found the insights into his life as a Jehovah’s Witness to be the most compelling. there was nothing negative in that particular episode.
 
83magic said:
the entire series was uploaded to YouTube. I skipped straight to episode 6 - which focused on ‘thriller’💜 I never get tired of hearing that story, and the specifics of the timeline. a lot was covered. it was a treat to hear from those who were there to witness it firsthand. I found the insights into his life as a Jehovah’s Witness to be the most compelling. there was nothing negative in that particular episode.
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That may be true, but still no reason to promote the podcast and just give it a click
 
Annita said:
That may be true, but still no reason to promote the podcast and just give it a click
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I came across it on YouTube as i searched for anything ‘thriller’ related (as I do every day). I’m not responsible for the video itself, and I didn’t mean to promote anything that’s anti Michael at all.🙁there are two other episodes that deal with ‘the wiz’ and the Jackson 5 popularity. perhaps if they were shared individually with clear descriptions, it wouldn’t be so bad?
 
Annita said:
That may be true, but still no reason to promote the podcast and just give it a click
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Tbf, there is no way to know what the content is like until you listen to it. Especially anyone who hears that 7 minute thing I listened to which isn't an excerpt from the podcast but a short interview with the two guys. Didn't love it and it didn't make me want to listen but I can see how it could draw people in. At one point one of the guys is asked about the approach they took. He talks about how people don't know what to do about Michael's genius and greatness vs. the allegations and then he says something like, "I wanted to give people new ways to process those contradictions by providing all this new, raw material, all this first hand testimony about how Michael Jackson became Michael Jackson ..." That's not a verbatim quote but it stuck in my head bc I wasn't getting the vibe that there would be masses of new, previously unheard material. But I can be super-cynical, another person might not be and might think it sounds OK. And @83magic seems to have heard new stuff about Michael's faith life as a JW.

But I'm not defending this thing. I couldn't, in any case, since I haven't listened to it and the reports about it on this thread are hideous. A distorted narrative, facts being omitted and moronic interpretations. I can live without it.
 
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At the end of episode 5 - they finish off like this: Some female who had some kind of connection and worked with the Wiz has the final words of the episode:

"The wiz is the beginning of the Michal that we know, it also the beginning arguably of some other things we wish we did not know"

The Wiz era 1977 to 1979 had NOTHING to do with any allegations at all, so its just a weird flex!

To me this means the authors is actively coaching people to say things that fit their narrative and in this case just the build up tension towards the end of the podcast where they give their subjective thought that MJ is guilty.
 
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Lightbringer said:
At the end of episode 5 - they finish off like this: Some female who had some kind of connection and worked with the Wiz has the final words of the episode:

"The wiz is the beginning of the Michal that we know, it also the beginning arguably of some other things we wish we did not know"

The Wiz era 1977 to 1979 had NOTHING to do with any allegations at all, so its just a weird flex!

To me this means the authors is actively coaching people to say things that fit their narrative and in this case just the build up tension towards the end of the podcast where they give their subjective thought that MJ is guilty.
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Your report here highlights how the editing creates the narrative that they want to spin to the listener, especially bc her comment was placed right at the end of the episode. Quite a lot of people - certainly a casual listener - are unlikely to question the inclusion of this woman let alone her bizarre statement. It will just seep into their minds and stay there.

Saw some beautifully intelligent, articulate challenges to the podcast on Twitter.
 
Not planning on listening to this podcast - at least not right now - but I understand the argument for doing so.

@andjustice4some says:

"I'm only on episode 3. Once I've finished it, I will post as well. Most people say don't click, don't listen. I always listen to the negative, just like I went to see LN at Sundance. I agree that a lot shouldn't, but for me only, there's no way to combat the lies if I don't know what they've said."
 
zinniabooklover said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1655233282898898947
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The thing that really gets to me is wondering how Jigsaw Productions, which has a great track record with documentary projects, and especially those by Alex Gibney, could've made such a huge blunder in this one. Now, to be fair, Gibney wasn't personally involved in this one, and he's certainly not there for everything Jigsaw does. But Jigsaw is a brand of quality in documentaries, and this is a real tarnishing of that.
 
Salami said:
I will say the episode on Thriller and how he broke through on MTV is pretty good.
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I enjoyed ‘the wiz’ and the Jackson 5 one as well. I had one more j5 episode to go, but the entire video (which included the whole series) seems to be taken down from YouTube.
 
I just finished listen to the podcast...and I'm sad and disappointed. They start by pretending to be unbiased and there are some interesting parts, but then they let Dimand walk all over it. The worst part is the ending though, by implying that Brando believed MJ was into kids - so shady of them!
 
librariangirl:) said:
I just finished listen to the podcast...and I'm sad and disappointed. They start by pretending to be unbiased and there are some interesting parts, but then they let Dimand walk all over it. The worst part is the ending though, by implying that Brando believed MJ was into kids - so shady of them!
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Did you listen to all 10 of the episodes?
 
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