kindofdisco
Proud Member
Disagree. The family is NOT the problem. And this is why you had Taj fighting you guys on twitter. *shakes head*
It's mid-September and Jermaine Jackson is winding up a grueling U.K. book tour, which has seen him spend the last four days making back-to-back television and radio appearances. Securing an interview slot has taken three days of negotiation between Jermaine, his publicist and publishing reps on both sides of the Atlantic. When his car picks me up in Wood Lane, London and drives us into the BBC Studios, he has just appeared on Loose Women -- Britain's answer to The View -- and is on his way to be interviewed by BBC Radio Five's Richard Bacon.
As we're led inside, several dozen students on a BBC walkabout lose all interest in their tour guide as they spot Michael Jackson's brother passing through the building. I feel self-conscious as their stares follow us through the foyer but Jermaine appears not to notice. It comes with the territory. As one of the figureheads of America's most famous family, he's become accustomed to outsiders constantly looking in. The problem, though, is that what they see is often warped; a fragmented simulacrum presented by the media. This, he says, is why he has written his new book, You Are Not Alone: Michael Through A Brother's Eyes.
"How was Loose Women?" I ask him, as we wait for an elevator.
"Well..." He half-grins and exhales loudly. "They were loose."
The Loose Women interview, like many Jermaine has conducted in recent weeks, was somewhat combative. As Jermaine attempted to speak about his brother from a firsthand perspective he was repeatedly interrupted by the hosts. 'But Jermaine, I think it's fair to say he was quite a complex character...' 'But... there must have been something going on with Michael. He must have been a sick person.'
The assumption by many that they know more about Michael Jackson than his own family is a bug-bear of Jermaine's. This attitude, he says, is the result of a decades-long battle against inaccurate media coverage. "This would become a recurring theme for the family," he writes in the book, "a showdown of fact versus perception -- and fact would always be the underdog."
According to Jermaine, even his initial attempt to write a book, all the way back in 2003, fell flat because publishers were unwilling to print a factual account of his brother's life.
"I had tried to write something with Judith Regan with Harper Collins in New York and they weren't interested in the truth then," he tells me as we sit down in an empty radio studio. "They were interested in the gossip and all the things that were not true. They wanted dirt and I said, 'I have no dirt', so they turned me down."
Eight years later, Harper Collins has come around to Jermaine's way of thinking. His book is described by the publisher as "an intimate, loving portrait of Michael Jackson." But Jermaine hasn't forgotten the 2003 debacle entirely. "They tried to put me on the Judith Regan show on this book tour," he says. "I said, 'No way.'"
In 2006 a document purporting to be Jermaine's 2003 book proposal was leaked to the media and caused a furor. In it Jermaine allegedly branded his brother a 'stubborn', 'harsh', 'cold', 'calculating' and 'devious' drug addict who "purchased children like a sanctioned black market," and "changed his skin color."
For this, Jermaine blames his co-writer Stacy Brown, who he says changed the rejected manuscript to make it more saleable and then circulated it -- all without Jermaine's permission.
"That wasn't my manuscript," says Jermaine. "It was just horrible. My manuscript was registered with lawyers and we had proof. I said, 'My manuscript is totally different from what this guy's saying'.
"Because of that, publishers for this book, for verification purposes, wanted to see that proposal beforehand. I showed them my original proposal about what I wanted to do and it's completely in line with the proposal for this book. So that was completely hijacked by somebody else."
Jermaine isn't the only person to accuse Stacy Brown of such behavior. In 2005 Brown co-wrote a book with disgruntled Jackson employee Bob Jones. When Jones was asked about the book under oath in Michael Jackson's 2005 trial, he admitted that it was only "factual to a degree." Of Brown's work he said, "My co-writer also has included things that I didn't approve of," and added, "I've changed millions of things that were inaccurate that I didn't say."
Photographer: Harrison Funk - Picture used with written permission from Harper Collins
Even the new book has been mired in controversy. As Jermaine flew to London to begin promotion, a storm was brewing over a story he tells in his prologue. Speaking about his brother's 2005 child molestation trial, Jermaine recalls how he was so paranoid that Michael could fall victim to a terrible injustice that he hatched a secret escape plan in case it looked like a guilty verdict could be on the cards. He arranged for a private jet to be on standby at the nearest airport, ready to whisk his brother to Bahrain, where he couldn't be extradited.
However, many journalists -- apparently too lazy even to read Jermaine's eight-and-a-half page prologue in full -- got it monumentally wrong. Stories wrongly stated that the Jackson family had planned to spirit Jackson away to the Middle East after he was convicted; a clearly nonsensical claim.
Nevertheless, copy and paste journalism took hold and the story was replicated hundreds of times by newspapers including the New York Post, NY Daily News, Denver Post and Washington Times. Among the more brainless headlines was this honker, which comes courtesy of Britain's Daily Mail: 'How Michael Jackson's family planned to fly singer out of U.S. to Bahrain if he was jailed for child molestation'. Even the Press Association ran with the inaccurate version.
The nonsensical story made Jermaine's book look like a work of fiction, a situation worsened when the subsequent controversy prompted Michael's 2005 defense attorney Thomas Mesereau to speak out against the misquoted claims.
"One of the reasons I wrote the book was so that my words would stand for themselves, in context," says Jermaine. "But even in the newspapers' coverage of my book, my words were misreported. There was never a plan to get Michael out of the country 'if convicted'. Thomas Mesereau had to issue a denial based on something that wasn't true in the first place. That one change of context showed how one inaccuracy can snowball and how myths are made. I sat back and thought 'This is what Michael faced all the time'."
To be continued...
Another interview?????????? :wtf: :doh:
Taj is fighting on Twitter cuz he knows he's gonna end up like Michael's siblings and join the long list of long forgotten and irrelevant Jackson's. He needs to get a paying a job instead of wasting time on online fights at the age of 38. SMDH And YES the family IS the problem, they've ALWAYS been the problem, if their approach had been different there would've never been the NEED for Michael to go and search for substitute families across the globe.
Twink, just step back for a moment, step back from this constant negativity that you spew out....and think, just maybe MAYBE you are wrong.
Maybe we DON'T know everything.
Maybe we are ONLY judging - in fact I feel that we all are - from what we've been given via the media and interviews.
Maybe - and this is a bit of a wild thought - the Jacksons are REAL people with REAL thoughts and feelings. Just like Michael.
Are you still with me, here? Or have I lost you?
you will find out that Michael had very little in common as an adult with his family. They did not inspire him professionally and emotionally at all for at least 20 years. He didn't like their laziness and unfortunatelly they had very different views and objectives in life. But the most tragic for Michael Jackson being born in this family is they lack of capacity to understand his sensitivity. They are not able to understand the difference between them and Michael. They are not able to understand Michael's suffering and still will defence Joseph's parental methods. They can't get it how person had to feel when addmiting being ill when seeing his father, even as an adult.
i'm not the person you are talking to but i would like to suggest some research on the subject of the real people with real thoughts and feeling. If you will go through mj's moonwalk and the all audios of his interviews where he talks about his family you will find out that michael had very little in common as an adult with his family. They did not inspire him professionally and emotionally at all for at least 20 years. He didn't like their laziness and unfortunatelly they had very different views and objectives in life. But the most tragic for michael jackson being born in this family is they lack of capacity to understand his sensitivity. They are not able to understand the difference between them and michael. They are not able to understand michael's suffering and still will defence joseph's parental methods. They can't get it how person had to feel when addmiting being ill when seeing his father, even as an adult.
Michael did say to many people that his biological family is not open minded as he was and he complained for getting bored very fast being around them as adults. Mostly because they always wanted jakson5 reunion but were not able to agree to work hard enough for it. He always wanted some family time and they wanted something else from him.
So don't you think that's enough to avoid them and spend time with people who you enjoy to be around with?
No, sorry I forgot to edit my post to add that it wasn't a personal reply to yours I was just talking in generalTwinklee are you talking to me? I am not sure. My feeling even though it's a guess is that Michael did what he wanted to do.
am i the only one who see a big banner advertising jermaine's book on top of the page?
No, I see that form Bucharest too :cheeky:
Give the time I wrote my first review there were somethings I forgot to add.
One of the things I found kind of odd is the fact that Jermaine never mentions going to any of Michael's solo tours. For example, the Bad Tour is not even really mentioned, but he goes into some detail about his own Precious Moment Tour. Namely, he talked about how touched he was that Michael came to his tour, in custom, and was there cheering him own. However, Jermaine doesn't do the same. In fact, the only time Jermaine really saw him during a tour is when he flew to see Michael after he was exhausted and was about to go into rehab. The way he also justify the Jackson Family Honers is a little strange. This come across even stranger when you consider how Jermaine was saying how Michael was going to invite them to perform when Jermaine never bothered before coming to one of Michael's tours.
I think the whole Bad period isn't mentioned because he didn't see Michael a lot (if at all) during that period. Instead of just explaining that it looks as if he just ignores that whole period. Which does give some gossip again.....
MsCassieMollie;3517250 said:SteveDennis71 Steve Dennis
@StacyBrownMedia your version of events is absurd @anne_guentert @CEThomson #forclarity
19 hours ago
in reply to ↑
@StacyBrownMedia
Stacy Brown
@SteveDennis71 @anne_guentert @CEThomson Mr Steve Dennis your opinion is so noted. Be well.
19 hours ago via web
@StacyBrownMedia @SteveDennis71 @anne_guentert @CEThomson As I said, this was first "exposed" in 01. Jermaine and I remained close til '05
19 hours ago via web
......
@resaformj @CEThomson yes much of our book conv was taped as most authors do. No one ever asked what transpired. Remem '01 still friends 05
2 hours ago via Twitter for BlackBerry®
......
CEThomson Charles Thomson
@StacyBrownMedia Jermaine's accusations have been in the public domain for a long time - this isn't a new claim.
19 Oct
resaformj Resa
@CEThomson @StacyBrownMedia -Brown told Donny Deutsch that he had Jermaine on tape making claims but now Brown blames Jermaine girlfriend.
8 hours ago
in reply to ↑
@StacyBrownMedia
Stacy Brown
@resaformj if u want truth feel free 2 ask jerm and me. Don't b like those u say who get 1 side. I've spoken to many fans civilly about this
2 hours ago via Twitter for BlackBerry®
anne_guentert Anne Güntert
@StacyBrownMedia @CEThomson as the question was originally mine, I repeat either you or Jermaine must be lying about "Legacy" manuscript!
21 Oct
StacyBrownMedia Stacy Brown
@anne_guentert @CEThomson If you and others listen closely, we r telling same story. Only Jermaine feels the need to cover certain things
21 Oct
anne_guentert Anne Güntert
@StacyBrownMedia @CEThomson Do u think it was Alejandra who threw Jermaine under the bus?
21 Oct
StacyBrownMedia Stacy Brown
@anne_guentert @CEThomson we remained close until I decided to write Bob's book in 2005 and I mentioned that MJ "could" be guilty
21 Oct
anne_guentert Anne Güntert
@StacyBrownMedia @CEThomson Sounds logical. Jermaine's ex remains the only one not to have written a book about the Jacksons...
21 Oct
StacyBrownMedia Stacy Brown
@anne_guentert I think estate has signed agreement w/her she can't. Jermaine really screwed her over I hope she is doing ok
21 Oct
anne_guentert Anne Güntert
@StacyBrownMedia I see. Dealing with any Jackson really has its disadvantages as we have daily proof! Thanks a lot for the info.
21 Oct
in reply to ↑
@StacyBrownMedia
Stacy Brown
@anne_guentert look I've made a fortune bc of my relationship w/them. I would trade it all to have never known them so upclose n personal.
21 Oct via Twitter for BlackBerry®
MsCassieMollie;3517250 said:SteveDennis71 Steve Dennis
@StacyBrownMedia your version of events is absurd @anne_guentert @CEThomson #forclarity
19 hours ago
in reply to ↑
@StacyBrownMedia
Stacy Brown
@SteveDennis71 @anne_guentert @CEThomson Mr Steve Dennis your opinion is so noted. Be well.
19 hours ago via web
@StacyBrownMedia @SteveDennis71 @anne_guentert @CEThomson As I said, this was first "exposed" in 01. Jermaine and I remained close til '05
19 hours ago via web
......
@resaformj @CEThomson yes much of our book conv was taped as most authors do. No one ever asked what transpired. Remem '01 still friends 05
2 hours ago via Twitter for BlackBerry®
......
CEThomson Charles Thomson
@StacyBrownMedia Jermaine's accusations have been in the public domain for a long time - this isn't a new claim.
19 Oct
resaformj Resa
@CEThomson @StacyBrownMedia -Brown told Donny Deutsch that he had Jermaine on tape making claims but now Brown blames Jermaine girlfriend.
8 hours ago
in reply to ↑
@StacyBrownMedia
Stacy Brown
@resaformj if u want truth feel free 2 ask jerm and me. Don't b like those u say who get 1 side. I've spoken to many fans civilly about this
2 hours ago via Twitter for BlackBerry®
anne_guentert Anne Güntert
@StacyBrownMedia @CEThomson as the question was originally mine, I repeat either you or Jermaine must be lying about "Legacy" manuscript!
21 Oct
StacyBrownMedia Stacy Brown
@anne_guentert @CEThomson If you and others listen closely, we r telling same story. Only Jermaine feels the need to cover certain things
21 Oct
anne_guentert Anne Güntert
@StacyBrownMedia @CEThomson Do u think it was Alejandra who threw Jermaine under the bus?
21 Oct
StacyBrownMedia Stacy Brown
@anne_guentert @CEThomson we remained close until I decided to write Bob's book in 2005 and I mentioned that MJ "could" be guilty
21 Oct
anne_guentert Anne Güntert
@StacyBrownMedia @CEThomson Sounds logical. Jermaine's ex remains the only one not to have written a book about the Jacksons...
21 Oct
StacyBrownMedia Stacy Brown
@anne_guentert I think estate has signed agreement w/her she can't. Jermaine really screwed her over I hope she is doing ok
21 Oct
anne_guentert Anne Güntert
@StacyBrownMedia I see. Dealing with any Jackson really has its disadvantages as we have daily proof! Thanks a lot for the info.
21 Oct
in reply to ↑
@StacyBrownMedia
Stacy Brown
@anne_guentert look I've made a fortune bc of my relationship w/them. I would trade it all to have never known them so upclose n personal.
21 Oct via Twitter for BlackBerry®
I have seen pictures of Joe and Jackie backstage with Michael during his solo tours.Jermaine never went to a concert of Michael's? What about the other brothers and Joe? If that's true I find that sad. Especially now when it will never happen again.