I'm a big believer in free-will, so no judgement. But I am surprised at the small sect of fans who are now doubting MJ based on a) info we knew already and b) the slick production of a doc that we long understood to be heavily edited and one-sided - so as to tell a specific story. I'm actually surprised some fans even tuned in (why give such a doc ratings?), but let's chalk it down to curiosity and perhaps needing to know who/what you're defending. But I digress...
We shouldn't gloss over the fact that no empirical evidence was discovered or uncovered. Like, on the merit of the info (not) provided, this would literally have been thrown out in criminal court (even if MJ was alive) and already has been tossed out of civil court. Hence their appeal and its calculated timing.
I'm not presenting myself as some kind of enlightened being, but having worked close to media and studied audiences too, you can't sew together a highly one-sided story, throw dramatic cuts and edits over it, plus haunting music and convince me it's fact. No way.
Some audiences fall for the okey-doke (and that's called the hypodermic syringe model. Almost like being injected with a premixed perspective and taking it on as your own). However, we live in a time where media entities don't wield the power they once did to generate such collectivised reactions. Social media has given everyone an individualised voice and a lot people are seeing the BS for what it is. It's ironic and a bit sad that there are people who aren't even fans seeing the obvious holes in Wade and co's stories, while some longtime supporters are being swayed by purposefully persuasive media tactics. But again, each to their own.
I'd just caution of buying into the sensationalism. Whether that be the "MJ is guilty" narrative some are peddling, the pressure to see it as "they" see it, or the idea that the doc is this big thing. The ratings and majorly mute response from the masses make clear that it is not.
Make no mistake, it's the most negative thing that has happened post his death and is getting a lot of surrounding coverage. But that's how the media works. It's a game of clicks, views, and selling papers. At this point, I'm sure we'll see stories about what the Forest Lawn staff feel about the doc lol. Anything to keep the views coming in. Once another big story catches, watch and see how this becomes yesterday's news. That's not to say the estate won't have their work cut out from them rebuilding the brand a bit, but it's not the doom and gloom many are perceiving it to be. There are far too many wheels turning with the billion dollar brand of MJ and too much money being made (and to make) for the estate to ever let that happen. And that's just me taking my stan goggles off and any sentiment out of the equation for a moment.
I was much younger during the original accusations, but old enough during the '05 trial and the latter is honestly what piqued my interest in the inner workings of the media. Any and every claim by the prosecution would be splashed across the FRONT of papers daily and when when Tom Mez and co would have a slam dunk with their rebuttal arguments it'd either be in a small backpage area or not covered at all. Fandom aside, him being convicted on the basis of that evidence would have been a crime in itself.
So I say all of this to day, I feel we should really try and stay strong as a collective.
Make no mistake, with maturity and life experience, I look at the MJ story a bit differently and in many ways am frustrated that he constantly kept being naive enough to allow himself to be targeted like this (e.g. stubbornness regarding how the sleepovers looked). Hindsight is 20/20 and I now see the $20 million 94 payout as the worst thing he could have ever done (much as I understood his incentive). It established it as open season on him. While I feel it ironically highlights his consistent innocence (ALL accusations sans Gavin's have been civil, where the only possible win is money), it's the reason we will forever have to defend him in this regard. It is what it is, but it's grating all the same.
But again, let's stay strong and weather this storm in unity. MJ is innocent and I encourage us to not let a lopsided doc sway us.
Think why they need all of this right now.
