Randall Sullivan's book "Untouchable"

Michael´s skin was almost transparent. I´m white, very pale. But I´m not as close to how pale Michael was on some parts of his skin. That is how vitiligo acts. Skin bleaching can´t make your skin that transparent.
 
respect77;3747435 said:
Amazing how Randall quotes a book of a man (Bob Jones) who admitted lying on the stand in 2005. This “splaboos" story is Jones' and Stacy Brown's creation, yet Randall has no problem writing these stories as if they are unquestionable facts: "it was true..." No, it wasn't. The whole story came from a man who on the stand admitted making up and sensationalize stories just to sell books and get back at Michael for firing him.

So when such things from proven liars are quoted about MJ as "truth" in the media, is it really MJ fans who are delusional and irrational? All Randall should have done was to read the actual court transcripts and see there if Jones' book is a credible source...

This "splaboos" story is beyond ridiculous...I just cannot with book & Sullivan...

after reading quotes like this, I can't help but think Mesereau has his own selfish reasons for supporting this book.
 
Re: Randall Sullivan's new book "Untouchable" Tabloid Mess

I stupidly thought that when photos of Prince appeared in the tabloids clearing showing he had vitiligo that that would put an end to it.... finally. I can't believe with all the information we have that we are still discussing this, especially here.

We know for a fact that Michael suffered with vitiligo, we know that he sought treatment for it, KJ mentioned something on Oprah, which I took to be perhaps some lasering (not sure) and most likely some creams. But most importantly what we know from the fact that prince also has vitiligo is that whatever treatment Michael sought - the vitiligo CAME FIRST!
 
Re: Randall Sullivan's new book "Untouchable" Tabloid Mess

I can't understand why T-mez had to do that video...and now the book has some more 5 star reviews... kidding me??
 
"Perhaps it was also true that, as a Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputy who interviewed his household staff wrote in a 2003 affidavit, Jackson “ bleaches his skin because he does not like being black and he feels that blacks are not liked as much as people of other races.” (Randall Sullivan, Untouchable)

So that's why Michael went to Africa so many times, as was discussed in Spike Lee's doc, that's why he was good friends with Nelson Mandela, that's why he donated $60M to famine relief in Africa, that's why he idolized James Brown and Stevie Wonder, that's why he wrote "Liberian Girl"--b/c "he does not like being black."

"Jackson spent another four years on Dangerous and then read in the New York and Los Angeles newspapers that the album was an "overproduced" facsimile of Bad. It was as if he believed that polishing the surface of his work to a high gloss would blind people to the increasingly hollow core that lay beneath. Along the way, he lost interest in authenticity." (Randall Sullivan, Untouchable)

So that's why he sold 1 billion records and is the greatest entertainer of all time b/c his work was 'overproduced' and lacked "authenticity."

“The ultimate question is, did Michael Jackson ever molest a child? My conclusion is I don’t think he did, my answer is probably not, I wish I could say conclusively that NO he didn’t. I CAN'T, there is a shadow of doubt! I have learned to live with that and anyone honest will also have to live with that!”
(Randall Sullivan, Nightline)

Sullivan has flaunted these opinions and then is surprised fans don't like it? Taking the book as a whole, it seems almost deliberately written to antagonize and anger Michael's supporters and fans. Then he is surprised?? If he really thinks what he said is true, stop whining about the fans and do the book signing--
 
Re: Randall Sullivan's new book "Untouchable" Tabloid Mess

Actually many fans consider Dangerous as MJ's artistic peak (most of the time that's the album topping fan polls). That the (American) mainstream media turned against MJ after Thriller has a lot of reasons those actually have nothing to do with music... But isn't it funny? Sullivan is a Rolling Stone journalist and Michael is a musician, but Sullivan's book hardly touches upon the music and when it does it reveals his ignorance about Michael's post-Thriller work (MJ's lyrics actually got deeper after Bad, not hollower...) and he just repeats the usual (American) media mantra about it. It's actually so typical of those white male middle aged Rolling Stone journalists when it comes to Michael. After all we are talking about the magazine which harped on Michael's nose and Brooke Shields after he died in their "tribute" issue. Music magazine my a**. A glorified tabloid. At least when it comes to MJ.
 
Re: Randall Sullivan's new book "Untouchable" Tabloid Mess

i haven't had the time to read up about this. however, reading the last pages here i must say i'm chocked. forget about the nose crap, or the not having sex thing. forget even about the bleaching crap. none of this make Michael a criminal. BUT what bothers me and many other fans is that TMez is supporting a book that clearly paint MJ as a mollester.. i saw Sullivans interview and the guy clearly believe Jordan did tell the truth. this make things so much worse. here we have MJs own lawyer supporting a man who make such claims. the general public will say "there you go! he's own lawyer support this".

i understand people simply say "we don't know, we weren't there." put not his own lawyer who i assume have seen all the evidence. and yes, by supporting this book TMez is saying just that.
 
Re: Randall Sullivan's new book "Untouchable" Tabloid Mess

Actually many fans consider Dangerous as MJ's artistic peak (most of the time that's the album topping fan polls). That the (American) mainstream media turned against MJ after Thriller has a lot of reasons those actually have nothing to do with music... But isn't it funny? Sullivan is a Rolling Stone journalist and Michael is a musician, but Sullivan's book hardly touches upon the music and when it does it reveals his ignorance about Michael's post-Thriller work (MJ's lyrics actually got deeper after Bad, not hollower...) and he just repeats the usual (American) media mantra about it. It's actually so typical of those white male middle aged Rolling Stone journalists when it comes to Michael. After all we are talking about the magazine which harped on Michael's nose and Brooke Shields after he died in their "tribute" issue. Music magazine my a**. A glorified tabloid. At least when it comes to MJ.

I think that the media wanted Michael to always sing harmless pop songs like Rock With You. Just fun, feel good songs that don't make you think that much (Not knocking those type of songs that MJ did btw. I still love them) but once Michael started writing more political/serious songs that do make you think (They Don't Care About Us is a perfect example of this) the media didn't like it because they wanted Michael to be ''in his place'' as a black musician. I think that once Michael started writing deeper songs that's when the media turned on him and they said that all that music was crap just to try and put him ''in his place''

Just look at most of the reviews for the HIStory album. The one songs that get's praised the most or bashed the least on there is You Are Not Alone. Probably because it was the harmless love song on the album
 
Re: Randall Sullivan's new book "Untouchable" Tabloid Mess

To me calling Michael or saying he looks white is insulting, many of us are white and we have more color than him. Michael is a black man void of color.
 
MJTheKing;3747461 said:
I can't understand why T-mez had to do that video...and now the book has some more 5 star reviews... kidding me??

The 5 star reviews all sound really weird to me. Many of them are from haters from the hater-blogs too.

LastTear;3747453 said:
I stupidly thought that when photos of Prince appeared in the tabloids clearing showing he had vitiligo that that would put an end to it.... finally. I can't believe with all the information we have that we are still discussing this, especially here.

What's really odd is Sullivan actually mentions Prince's vitiligo - but makes it seem like the Jacksons are deluded for thinking it is vitiligo, and that MJ's kids are deluded for believing they are his. I can't wrap my mind around people like Sullivan. There's such a lack of basic fundamental common sense that it just baffles me.
jamba;3747468 said:
"Perhaps it was also true that, as a Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputy who interviewed his household staff wrote in a 2003 affidavit, Jackson “ bleaches his skin because he does not like being black and he feels that blacks are not liked as much as people of other races.” (Randall Sullivan, Untouchable)

So that's why Michael went to Africa so many times, as was discussed in Spike Lee's doc, that's why he was good friends with Nelson Mandela, that's why he donated $60M to famine relief in Africa, that's why he idolized James Brown and Stevie Wonder, that's why he wrote "Liberian Girl"--b/c "he does not like being black."

Did you also notice how he chose to intentionally not use Blanca Francia's name there?

She was the source of that quote, why does he intentionally make sure people don't see who it was, and we just hear she was "household staff", like it was some random person going about their life and not someone involved in court cases against him? He did that intentionally.

He hates black people, so he mostly works with black people, specifically set out to hire black people (one of his chef's said Michael specifically wanted to hire black people), hired the NOI, had an African nanny for his children, taught his children about black history, taught his children to be proud of being black, had hundreds and hundreds of books about black history and culture, some just about black women... but thanks to Bob Jones, Stacy Brown and Blanca Francia, people with no agenda against MJ, we know he really just hated it.



I think the problem was that MJ wanted to keep doing new things, and Bad, Dangerous, HIStory, Blood on the Dancefloor, Invincible are not just Thriller rehashes. The problem also was that HIStory reflected the allegations he'd been through and the media hated him for it. They hated that he was angry about it, they hated that he could act so indignant over it. I always remember the reviews from back then making MJ seem like a vain, egotistical, blah blah blah, for daring to say he'd been framed, set up and that the media sucked.
 
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Re: Randall Sullivan's new book "Untouchable" Tabloid Mess

I think the problem was that MJ wanted to keep doing new things, and Bad, Dangerous, HIStory, Blood on the Dancefloor, Invincible are not just Thriller rehashes. The problem also was that HIStory reflected the allegations he'd been through and the media hated him for it. They hated that he was angry about it, they hated that he could act so indignant over it. I always remember the reviews from back then making MJ seem like a vain, egotistical, blah blah blah, for daring to say he'd been framed, set up and that the media sucked.

I even remember that pathetic excuse they used referring to the HIStory Teaser that he wanted glorify and also proclame himself The King of Pop and they didn't make an objective review of the record because they made a big deal over the teaser. :doh:
 
respect77;3747435 said:
Amazing how Randall quotes a book of a man (Bob Jones) who admitted lying on the stand in 2005. This “splaboos" story is Jones' and Stacy Brown's creation, yet Randall has no problem writing these stories as if they are unquestionable facts: "it was true..." No, it wasn't. The whole story came from a man who on the stand admitted making up and sensationalize stories just to sell books and get back at Michael for firing him.

So when such things from proven liars are quoted about MJ as "truth" in the media, is it really MJ fans who are delusional and irrational? All Randall should have done was to read the actual court transcripts and see there if Jones' book is a credible source...

What gets me is that it was Mr. Mesereau HIMSELF who got Jones and co. to admit on the stand that all this garbage was made up. So I cannot for the life of me comprehend how Mr. Mesereau could endorse such nasty 'mythology' when he was the one exposing it in the first place??? So first he dispelled all that nonsense - which is exactly the made-up stuff Mr. Mesereau helped to expose as the drivel that it actually is.

That is where my mind gives out and I am stuck on the mind carrousel. I still adore Mr. Mesereau for what he had done for Michael. But some things just don't add up.
 
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Re: Randall Sullivan's new book "Untouchable" Tabloid Mess

What's really odd is Sullivan actually mentions Prince's vitiligo - but makes it seem like the Jacksons are deluded for thinking it is vitiligo, and that MJ's kids are deluded for believing they are his. I can't wrap my mind around people like Sullivan. There's such a lack of basic fundamental common sense that it just baffles me.

Michael once said that famous quote that if media stated he was from Mars, everyone would believe it. He was spot on. That's exactly what's been happening ever since the 80s. People think he is from Mars, and when it comes to Michael Jackson, the explanation is always anti-common sense.
 
Re: Randall Sullivan's new book "Untouchable" Tabloid Mess

Sullivan and his publicist and the publisher really shot themselves in the foot on this one. First, no one but Michael Jackson fans would probably be interested in his book-and he didn't seem to realize that none of us want to read all that tabloid garbage and lies. Then to publicize it, they printed that excerpt in Vanity Fair (which we all now hate), gave several slanderous interviews that are all lies-and expect us to all go running to the book store? The reviews on Amazon are because of that. Now, they seem to be using a new tactic where Mr. Sullivan is trying to garner sympathy by saying the crazy fanatical fans are "trying to get him" and he can't even do book signings, etc. Hopefully, this won't cause any interest either.
In some ways I think it's kind of funny-that he really thought there would be some kind of real interest in this type of book! A billion people watched Michael's memorial service-did he think they did that because of all these old crazy stories or because we loved the real him and his amazing musical gifts.
 
Re: Randall Sullivan's new book "Untouchable" Tabloid Mess

I think that the media wanted Michael to always sing harmless pop songs like Rock With You. Just fun, feel good songs that don't make you think that much (Not knocking those type of songs that MJ did btw. I still love them) but once Michael started writing more political/serious songs that do make you think (They Don't Care About Us is a perfect example of this) the media didn't like it because they wanted Michael to be ''in his place'' as a black musician. I think that once Michael started writing deeper songs that's when the media turned on him and they said that all that music was crap just to try and put him ''in his place''

Just look at most of the reviews for the HIStory album. The one songs that get's praised the most or bashed the least on there is You Are Not Alone. Probably because it was the harmless love song on the album

Yes, exactly. There's a deeper underlying issue in all this and that is that according to many of these "cultural gatekeepers" black people should only be considered as entertainers but not serious artists. And so they should only be allowed to sing feel good songs, but heaven forbid when they actually have something serious to say. Especially if that something is critical of the establishment - like Michael is critical of the media. Then they need to be put "back in their place". It's ridiculous to consider YANA the best song of HIStory, when that album has TDCAU, Earth Song, Stranger in Moscow, Money, Scream. It's ridiculous to claim that MJ's messages became increasingly hollow, when in fact, his lyrics got increasingly deeper. How is something like Thriller deeper than, let's say, any of those above mentioned songs on HIStory?

Michael was brave to criticize the media. Not many artists dare to do it in a world where careers depend so much on what the media writes about you. But he challanged them, he was more of a rebel than many of the artists the media considers as "rebels", just because they crash guitars on the stage or something.
 
Re: Sullivan and racial issues. For your information, Sullivan wrote a book about 2Pac and the Notorious B.I.G. a couple of years ago. Here are some reviews from Goodreads:

As a fan of both Tupac and Biggie, I was very interested in learning more about what really went down. Former Officer Poole seems to think he has the answers so I was eager to learn what he knows so I could draw my own conclusions. Mostly, I was very disappointed - especially by the author's extreme bias. For example, on page 14 of the hardcover version, Sullivan notes that "[In the early 1960s], as now, black males committed a hugely disproportionate amount of crime in Los Angeles and across the country." WHAT? I can't even believe that went to print. Question: do black males commit a disproportionate amount of crime in this country or are they accused and convicted disproportionately? At the very least, if you're gonna make such outrageous comments, back it up. With no statistical data, I consider Sullivan's comment to be hearsay. Then, just a few pages later, on page 18, Sullivan gets a little diatribe going about how the LAPD hiring process has become less stringent over time, noting that "liberals had successfully argued that [baring applicants with juvenile records] limited the number of blacks and Hispanics who could join the LAPD." I'm not even 20 pages into the book, and my reading of the author is that he really doesn't like minorities or "liberals," whatever the latter term means to him because he sure doesn't define anything. Yet I decided to take these and similar comments with a grain of salt and press forward with the book.

I do think that Sullivan's style is extremely readable and engaging. I also like the way he attempted to provide background on the LAPD history, the history of the Crips and the Bloods, etc. If you're not likely to be critical going into this book, it's not bad for escapism. Unless you were living in a plastic bubble when these events took place, I doubt that you'll be blown away by the overall picture Sullivan paints.

If one-tenth of what's written in these pages is true, Biggie and Tupac were just as despicable as Suge Knight, the LAPD, the affiliated gangs, the attorneys and just about everyone else who graced the pages of the book. And that made me really sad because it's hard for me to listen to the music the same way. Tupac and Biggie were not innocent; they were just greedy [...] who courted violence successfully. Truthfully, none of the stuff about the LAPD or any of the other authority figures surprised me. Money and testosterone--bad combination. Lest you think I'm a man-hater, the women in this book are appalling, too. I hate to say it but Tupac and Biggie were victims of their own making.

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/146345381

Sullivan comes across like Oliver Stone in JFK, making every possible connection he can and tying it all into a central—and intentionally vague—thesis of "There Is A Conspiracy!" Some of the items stick, I'm sure, but for all of Sullivan's shots leveled at the LA media (principally The Los Angeles Times) for being predisposed to dismissing a conspiracy angle, he's no better, just working from the flip side of that coin. Sullivan also comes across as a strangely prejudicial narrator, injecting his personal politics not overtly but at that just-beneath-the-surface level of a slightly off Vietnam veteran talking about the war. There may not be any actual racial slurs tossed or anything you can pinpoint as being obviously racist, but the tone and phrasing leaves no doubt what the opinion really is. It's evidenced even in the way Sullivan throws in disgusted asides about how white cops can't follow the evidence if it looks like it might lead to anyone black being accused of a heinous crime. The subtext of reverse racism is obvious and highly distasteful coming from the author of the book. If these kinds of accusations are pertinent to the material, a truly neutral journalist would let them come in quotations from sources.

I'm really rather torn about this book. On one hand, it's a fascinating look at a set of cases that will probably always be linked together, it's a wonderful conspiracy tale and an incredibly interesting, if frightening, look at a particular time in Los Angeles' history. On the other hand, the book is clumsily written and lacks a lot of journalistic integrity which makes it feel salacious. I suppose that may just come with the territory for conspiracy books (another example is Jim Marrs's Crossfire about the JFK assassination, which has the same grudging appeal to a reader like me), but one wishes there were somehow a more studious examination of the subjects out there.

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/307907082

Just that you know where his hung-ups concerning racial issues (eg. Michael's skin) come from...
 
Re: Randall Sullivan's new book "Untouchable" Tabloid Mess

I still think it is possible that Tmez is being blackmailed in some way. If, just if, that were the case, I wish we could help him and not hurt him. He has done so much for MJ by bringing out the truth ie: Not Guilty and standing by his convictions. He has taken a lot of flack over the years because he did the right thing and justice prevailed. Tmez stepped on a lot of toes with his honesty. I won't ever turn my back on Tmez. The media would love to absolutely tear him apart.
 
Re: Randall Sullivan's new book "Untouchable" Tabloid Mess

Oh nothing. I like them like every other human on earth. I just don't like Sullivan messing up the air they breath.
-------
Guys I think we should not respond to Mez anymore. I mean, we could discuss the issues among ourselves, but I think it is
unwise to go back and forth with him because he obviously is very angry and adamant. When people are in those emotions, it is best to leave them alone.

I have been thinking about this, and I think that here we have a man who is brilliant and finally feels he got a great forum to tell his Michael story & show the world how marvelous he is. He thought millions of people would buy the book, and they would read what he had to say. Unexpectedly a group of people, that no one was thinking about, decided to go against the book. When these people attacked the book, it meant that millions would not see what the great Mez had to say, so he became frustrated, mad, indignant and bitchy. All his dreams were dashed by a group of fans. Who would have thought that a fan group had such power? So he does the next best thing--he goes on a single campaign to expose those those fans as suspect, lacking integrity, lacking knowledge, and a bunch of you know whats.

I really think that part of this anger from Mez comes from his ego, because he wanted to show the world the masterly way he handled the case and got a not guilty verdict. We have to remember that the case was not televised and the media did not talk about Mez's expertise. They focused on the prosecution and other nonsense like Michael's clothes. So, basically, except for fans that were glued to the case, many in the general public do not know how excellent Mez performed in that courtroom. Mez felt this Rolling Stone Mag ex-employee had a lot of media contact and would be able to generate a lot of publicity for the book. Now that fans helped the book to fail, Mez may have feelings of rage against the fans and a need to hurt the fans with words!!!

The best thing is to leave him alone. I do not even think a Q& A is a good idea because he will say the same things he said in his e-mails and video. There is no need to hear all that all over again. I mean we have been insulted in 3 e-mails, 1 video and then it would be 1 Q&A.

I think you absolutely nailed what T-mez's motives are and I agree with you 100% Ego can blind a person to the smell of garbage.
 
Re: Randall Sullivan's new book "Untouchable" Tabloid Mess

One day Michael's work in Dangerous, History and Invincible will get appreciated more. Look at Bad now. People put it down and now saying how great it was. Michael always knew people would appreciate it eventually. The tabloids and circus suurounding Michael overshadowed the work. Take that away and let people focus on the work a new appreciation will come.

With the allegations, I think more people will come to see the truth. The media had a huge hand it creating what people thought and it will take time to overcome that. Someone mentined earlier that if people really believed he was the monster that he was portrayed to be people would not have been so affected by his death. The world stopped. I remember being surprised by it because i thought people hated Michael. Sure some people did and still think he was but the reaction was too big and overwhelming. The problem is and still is that not enough people had the guts and courage to stand up for Michael. "Famous" people and others didn't want to get involved with it for fear of what it would affect them. If there was more support for Michael then maybe things could have been differently.

Maybe I sound totally naive but I think it's possible because new generations are going to love and appreciate Michael. I don't think they will be corrupted as others were more with their thoughts and feelings. They have better chance at seeing the truth. Michael's work has a better chance of being appreciated.
 
Re: Randall Sullivan's new book "Untouchable" Tabloid Mess

Someone mentioned earlier that if people really believed he was the monster that he was portrayed to be people would not have been so affected by his death. The world stopped.

Exactly Marebear! Michael was definitely loved and that proved it. If folks thought he was harming children there would not have been the outpouring of love and sadness when he left us. They know MJ was a good man, everyone was just too wrapped up in themselves to stand up for him and to call the media out for their lynch mob mentality.
 
Re: Randall Sullivan's new book "Untouchable" Tabloid Mess

One of the comments on YT responding to TMez's video defense of Sullivan's book points out that this is a new YT account that TM opened, rather than use the accouny he already had, and that the ending of the video is not in TM's style. It is an image of Michael on his toes with a schmaltzy (but nice) text: "1958-forever." The comment says that it does not sound like TM to write that b/c he would write something more factual, like 1958-2009. So maybe someone else was involved in putting that video together??

I agree with Marebear that one day Michael's later work will get the credit it deserves. I did not even listen to Invincible when he was alive b/c it got such terrible reviews and so I thought it was no good. After he died, I got it and I love it so much. I don't think I had heard Dirty Diana or Stranger in Moscow before he died (I am ashamed to admit it). Those songs were not getting the airplay or the exposure they needed and I think still today a lot of people have not heard those wonderful songs.
 
Re: Randall Sullivan's new book "Untouchable" Tabloid Mess

Where are you getting this idea from? Nowhere in the chapters on the trial is the emphasis on tmez's handling of the trial. It is all about the facts, the timeline, the witnesses and the weakness of the prosecution case. The emphasis in the book is on the facts which show mj's innocence of the charges, not the 'masterly way' tmez handled the courtroom, there is no grandstanding from him at all in his comments to sullivan. Tmez is actually very open about how lawyers can never predict a jury and that he couldn't be certain of a complete notguilty vindication across the board. And some of the most affecting quotes in the book about mj come from tmez, which morinen has already quoted. So no, there's no ego from tmez, just a belief in mj's innocence.

I am geeting the idea from how I read his overall comments. I cannot disengage his emphasis on how he handled the case from his ego. Even when he gave an example of what HE did and the impact of that on the jury as affirmed by he foreman, I see Mez's ego there, and although I admire him for what he did, I will always have a view that his aim was to show Michael's innocence and what Mez did as well. I went to a dinner and listened to Mez talk and it was the same way he talked about Michael's innocence. I always here the importance of Mez in the speech when he gives it. I would be a simpleton to think that when he talks about Michael's innocence he is divorcing himself from the event and circumstances. He has gone on different forums talking about michael's innocence before where his comments were not received favorable, and he did not respond with such rage. There is a difference here, and I will always interpret it the way I did, with respect to you of course and I understand fully your stance.
 
Re: Randall Sullivan's new book "Untouchable" Tabloid Mess

Thanks, I def left T-mez some questions! Although I think this is getting way out of control and waaay to much attention already! Now he has agreed to this Q & A by The Reflection of the dance website lady?! SMH I didn't ask Sullivan a damn thing he isn't worth it.
 
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Re: Randall Sullivan's new book "Untouchable" Tabloid Mess


I personally wouldn't give him the opportunity to make excuses and spread more lies.

Michael said

stopfilthypress.jpg
 
Re: Randall Sullivan's new book "Untouchable" Tabloid Mess

I personally wouldn't give him the opportunity to make excuses and spread more lies.

Michael said

stopfilthypress.jpg

Ivy thanks for that. It was a good one, since michael is still fighting the filthy press.
 
Re: Randall Sullivan's new book "Untouchable" Tabloid Mess

Tmez does not have to explain himself to anyone. He's a good man.
 
Re: Randall Sullivan's new book "Untouchable" Tabloid Mess

^He clearly thinks he does though! And yes he is a good man no one said he wasn't!
 
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