How ‘Leaving Neverland’ Has – and Hasn’t – Changed Michael Jackson’s Legacy

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How ‘Leaving Neverland’ Has – and Hasn’t – Changed Michael Jackson’s Legacy
​https://www.rollingstone.com/music/...kson-legacy-leaving-neverland-fallout-808813/
The documentary looked like a bombshell – but has yet to do major damage to pop star’s posthumous career

By JON BLISTEIN

HBO’s two-part documentary, Leaving Neverland, had all the makings of a #MeToo bombshell: Over four hours, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, two former child performers, describe, in often excruciating detail, the way Michael Jackson allegedly groomed and sexually abused them while they were children. The ratings were high; the press surrounding the film was plentiful; Oprah co-signed the documentary byinterviewing Safechuck and Robson; and the Jackson Estate engaged in a fullthroatedcounteroffensive, denying the allegations, questioning Safechuck and Robson’s credibility and claiming the film “violates all norms and ethics in documentary filmmaking and journalism. It is a disgrace.”

But nearly two weeks since Leaving Neverland premiered, Michael Jackson’s posthumous career is showing few signs of major distress. Leaving Neverland arrived on the heels of Surviving R. Kelly, the Lifetime docuseries that detailed years of allegations of abuse against R. Kelly and ultimately led to a new slate of criminal charges and an end to the singer’s longtime deal with RCA. Obviously, Jackson, who died in 2009, cannot face new criminal charges (he was acquitted on child molestation charges in 2005), but his estate remains a massive business.

Last year, Sony Entertainment spent $250 million to secure the distribution rights to Jackson’s music for another seven years. The label has not issued a statement since Leaving Neverlandpremiered. As far as merchandise and image rights go, Jamie Salter, the founder and CEO of ABG, which manages non-musical licensing for Jackson and other celebrity estates, told Rolling Stone a few days before Leaving Neverland premiered that he hadn’t received a single call from any concerned companies.
When asked about Robson and Safechuck’s allegations in the film, Salter replied, “Being in the entertainment business, there’s real news and fake news. And sometimes you never know the truth … Honestly, it’s an old story. Any news is good news. Honestly, I haven’t gotten one call. Not a peep. Maybe after it airs. Everyone says these guys have changed their stories 17 times. It’s hard to believe what’s true and what’s not true.” (Salter has not returned Rolling Stone’s follow-up requests since the documentary aired).

Jackson’s former lawyer, Mark Geragos, who represented him during his 2005 trial for child molestation, also took a shot at the documentary’s credibility. In the film, there’s a clip of Geragos speaking at a press conference in 2003, after Jackson’s arrest, and the footage appears to show Geragos suggesting that Jackson’s accusers are “seeking money.” On Twitter, however, Geragos said the press conference was actually about Jackson’s lawsuit against a private jet firm that was found guilty of secretly filming him and Jackson during a flight to Santa Barbara, where Jackson turned himself into police.

Radio and streaming numbers could be a bellwether for Jackson’s legacy and the financial viability of his estate. In the days after Leaving Neverland premiered, per Nielsen Music, Jackson’s spins on U.S. radio dropped from about 2,000 a day to 1,500 a day, while several stations in New Zealand and Canada announced they would stop playing his music altogether. But, according to Nielsen, on streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music, Jackson’s solo music notched 16,497,000 streams in the week after the documentary aired on March 3rd and 4th — falling squarely within his typical range of 16 to 17 million plays-per-week. Additionally, Jackson’s music remains on several big Spotify playlists, including “All Out 80s,” which boasts nearly 5 million followers (his artist-specific playlist, “This Is Michael Jackson,” has more than 1 million followers).

One place that has taken action to scrub Jackson’s presence is the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, which removed a pair of the musician’s iconic gloves, plus a fedora and an autographed poster. “When you learn new stories or you look at something historical in a different way, then sometimes we re-evaluate whether that’s appropriate to be (on display),” said the museum’s director of collections, Chris Carron.

Jackson’s music was also dropped at the Staples Center, where ESPN’s Los Angeles Lakers correspondent, Dave McMenamin, noted the team had replaced “Beat It” with Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” as the soundtrack for its “Air Band Cam” jumbotron segment.

Many celebrities — including Ellen DeGeneres, Molly Ringwald and #MeToo activist Rose McGowan — have voiced their support for Robson and Safechuck, as have musicians Sia and Amanda Palmer, though neither mentioned Jackson by name and instead shared messages about believing survivors. On the flip side, T.I., Juice WRLD, Jason DeRulo and India.Arie have all issued statements on social media, or in the press, that appeared to defend Jackson.
“Don’t just listen to one side and expect to find truth,” T.I. wrote on Instagram. “Oh that’s right…Dead men can’t speak. So what was the point again? Destroy another strong black historical LEGEND?!?!”
Drake reportedly dropped his posthumous MJ collaboration, “Don’t Matter to Me,” from his setlist when he resumed his Scorpion tour in Europe this month, but he has yet to release a statement explaining this decision. (A rep for Drake declined to comment on the rapper’s decision.)

Two of the most prominent public rebukes have come from non-musical entities. Last Thursday, Louis Vuitton announced that it no longer plans to produce several garments from star designer Virgil Abloh’s Jackson-inspired fall 2019 menswear show. The fashion giant claimed it was unaware of the film and its allegations when the collection debuted in January before the doc’s Sundance premiere. In a recent New Yorker profile, Abloh spoke about Jackson as an inspiration, and when asked if he’d heard about Leaving Neverland, replied that he wanted to focus on “the Michael that I thought was universally accepted, the good side, his humanitarian self.”
Upon Louis Vuitton’s decision to axe such pieces as a pair of sparkling white gloves from his show, Abloh later said, “I am aware that in light of this documentary the show has caused emotional reactions. I strictly condemn any form of child abuse, violence or infringement against any human rights.”

The producers of The Simpsons, meanwhile, decided to pull Jackson’s 1991 episode, “Stark Raving Dad,” from syndication after watching Leaving Neverland. In an interview with The Daily Beast,former showrunner Al Jean suggested that Jackson used his appearance on the show for nefarious purposes: “[Y]ou watch that episode, honestly, it looks like the episode was used by Michael Jackson for something other than what we’d intended it,” Jean said. “It wasn’t just a comedy to him, it was something that was used as a tool … I think it was part of what he used to groom boys.”

Among the general public, Jackson’s legions of still-devoted fans have vociferously defended him at every turn. They’ve swarmed the Twitter mentions of public detractors and even crowd-funded a series of ads proclaiming Jackson’s innocence that briefly appeared on buses in the United Kingdom.
But opposition has grown as well. The activism team at Care2, a social network that connects activists around the world, launched a petition urging the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas to remove its statue of Michael Jackson and cancel its in-house Cirque du Soleil show, “Michael Jackson One.” The petition has over 12,000 signatures, but since the premiere of Leaving Neverland, “One” has continued to run, twice a day, uninterrupted. Though Cirque du Soleil declined Rolling Stone’s request to comment on ticket sales, a quick perusal of the show’s website reveals that most seats for all upcoming shows have been sold.
The fact that the Cirque du Soleil show — a family-friendly program centered around Jackson’s biggest hits — is still up and running could be a positive sign for the planned Jackson jukebox musical, Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough. In February, the Jackson estate called off a trial run in Chicago, blaming the cancellation on a scheduling conflict caused by an actors’ strike. The estate and its producing partner, Columbia Live Stage, have said they now plan to bring the show directly to Broadway in summer 2020.

It remains possible that Jackson is too big to fail: His loyal fans may form a large enough contingent to keep him afloat on their own, or at least long enough for the shock of Leaving Neverland to disappear.

Salter didn’t seem too concerned about the long-term impact of the documentary. “The worst case is, the licensee would call me up and cancel,” he said. “And we would go to their closest competitor and do a deal with them.”

Additional reporting by David Browne and Elias Leight
​https://www.rollingstone.com/music/...kson-legacy-leaving-neverland-fallout-808813/






 
Aw... It is good that all news aren't bad news. Still, the people who judge MJ (and who judge him almost ten years after his death) based on these terrible lies should be ashamed of themselves.
 
Perhaps it isn't a case of people looking past these allegations or saying things as "Michael is too big to fail", perhaps it's that the public at large didn't believe these two men?

No rational person can get behind this doomed theory that "all those who claim to be victims must be taken at face value". No matter how much the metoo nutjobs rant and rave about it.
 
Perhaps it isn't a case of people looking past these allegations or saying things as "Michael is too big to fail", perhaps it's that the public at large didn't believe these two men?

No rational person can get behind this doomed theory that "all those who claim to be victims must be taken at face value". No matter how much the metoo nutjobs rant and rave about it.

RollingStone is really reaching. Too big to fail? Since when is Michael a fraudulent bank? Another case of deflecting from the truth and attempting to dehumanize Michael. The majority does not buy this shit. Period.
 
Perhaps it isn't a case of people looking past these allegations or saying things as "Michael is too big to fail", perhaps it's that the public at large didn't believe these two men?

No rational person can get behind this doomed theory that "all those who claim to be victims must be taken at face value". No matter how much the metoo nutjobs rant and rave about it.
Well, it seems to me that most people believe that Michael did those things. And our side could not even keep those ads om the London buses. :(
 
Well, it seems to me that most people believe that Michael did those things. And our side could not even keep those ads om the London buses. :(

That's my point though, if the streaming/sales figures jumping is anything to do with it.

What you have to ask is, is what we're hearing the majority or simply the ones making the most noise? I'm not trying to suggest this documentary hasn't been extremely damaging but I'm looking to these facts as indications that not everyone swallowed the pill Channel 4 and HBO gave them.
 
The problem is that unless you're a fan, it is very easy to take it for granted that these creeps are telling the truth. Especially when it seems like most journalists are on their side. That said, it is good to know that most people who care about Michael know that it is all lies.
 
It's simply the first time since his death that it's 'ok' to speak of Michael Jackson as an abuser openly without any criticism.. As far as his legacy, it dents it but does not stop it..

To me, I was just very happy to live in a time that I did not get 'looks' for being a Michael Jackson fan.. We're IN IT again! and that f***** sucks.
 
It's simply the first time since his death that it's 'ok' to speak of Michael Jackson as an abuser openly without any criticism.. As far as his legacy, it dents it but does not stop it..

To me, I was just very happy to live in a time that I did not get 'looks' for being a Michael Jackson fan.. We're IN IT again! and that f***** sucks.

I do not have this problem of people knowing I love MJ. I am sure some people have comments on certain things as they do with all celebs but overall I have no problem.
 
The problem is that unless you're a fan, it is very easy to take it for granted that these creeps are telling the truth. Especially when it seems like most journalists are on their side. That said, it is good to know that most people who care about Michael know that it is all lies.

And people know many journalist are full of it. Again, the media is making this more that the overall public.
 
It's simply the first time since his death that it's 'ok' to speak of Michael Jackson as an abuser openly without any criticism..
And that was the main goal of this "documentary" I'm afraid. Not even to convince people, just to make it "trendy" again to speak ill of MJ. To destroy.
 
terrell;4250717 said:
I do not have this problem of people knowing I love MJ. I am sure some people have comments on certain things as they do with all celebs but overall I have no problem.

I have never had any problems with being a Michael fan. In fact, I hsve successfully changed MANY people’s mind about Michael over the years and I am extremely proud of that.
 
Unfortunately I hear - and read - many many people - on my facebook, Instragram etc. etc. - people think MJ is guity now...

A poll on a big danish newspaper had a poll and 45 % answered guilty - 20 % innocent and the rest answered - don't know/not sure...

I think before this cruel doc most would say innocent - maybe 60-70 % would have said innocent (this is only my guess - NOT facts!) - and now only 20 %...

Very very sad... - And honestly, I do not see any way to repair the damages... - Taj can make a great doc, The Estate can make a great doc - many others can also make good objective docs - only with facts. BUT - those docs will never get much attention I'm affraid, and those who thinks MJ is guilty will never change their mind.. Sadly the truth is LN has done SO much damage that can never really be repaired. - Even if Wade and James came out in 5 years and said it was all a lie, and Chandler and Arvizo too could step forward and tell the truth - many would still think MJ is guilty...
 
Unfortunately I hear - and read - many many people - on my facebook, Instragram etc. etc. - people think MJ is guity now...

A poll on a big danish newspaper had a poll and 45 % answered guilty - 20 % innocent and the rest answered - don't know/not sure...

I think before this cruel doc most would say innocent - maybe 60-70 % would have said innocent (this is only my guess - NOT facts!) - and now only 20 %...

Very very sad... - And honestly, I do not see any way to repair the damages... - Taj can make a great doc, The Estate can make a great doc - many others can also make good objective docs - only with facts. BUT - those docs will never get much attention I'm affraid, and those who thinks MJ is guilty will never change their mind.. Sadly the truth is LN has done SO much damage that can never really be repaired. - Even if Wade and James came out in 5 years and said it was all a lie, and Chandler and Arvizo too could step forward and tell the truth - many would still think MJ is guilty...
Oh yeah. There seems to be no way to convince the haters to see MJ as innocent, or to even take all the evidence for what creeps his accusers are seriously. Believe me, I tried. Sweden is just as bad as Denmark about this. They even go ad far as to attack us fans and try to make it sound like we're the delusional ones, because they don't want to admit that they are wrong and influenced by vicious lies and ignorant prejudice.

But still, it seems to me that like most of the people, who now believe that Michael was guilty, did not care about him before this happened. So that is why they can't be bothered to do any research about this now. And frankly, if all this crap had been about some other celebrity... I don't believe that I would personally bother myself with doing a research either. But I really hope that I would be fair enough to listen to both sides of the story, if there only was a strong enough defence. And I wouldn't hate and ridicule the person in question, especially not if he had been dead for almost ten years...
 
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The haters hate MJ for reasons which have nothing to do with the allegations. They hate him for being that successful they don't see his success and the adoration he has received for decades as justified so the allegations are their way to downplay his achievements. Don't forget many people have their own super hero and they hate the fact that MJ out shined pretty much everyone else. That's why you have the overzealous Beatles, Elvis, Prince, Beyonce fans all hating on him non stop because they perceive him as a continues threat to their 'greatness'. I think it's too early to assess the damage done. Most people are not really invested one way or another. If Wade and Safechuck are exposed then people are willing to look into that. But it seems the estate wants this to be forgotten ASAP and they will act that the best strategy is to pretend it did not happen so we should not expect a rebuttal from them or anything to defend MJ's character or life choices.
 
i think the reality is the people who think MJ is guilty have thought that way since the mid 90s. some things never change unfortunately. no matter the volume of evidence presented, nothing will sway those people to look for the truth. its unfortunate, especially given the kind of person he was. not just from a musical perspective. what i do know is that they will never crush his legacy. they may tarnish it here or there but his status will always remain the same. he is the king. period
 
Soundmind;4250927 said:
The haters hate MJ for reasons which have nothing to do with the allegations. They hate him for being that successful they don't see his success and the adoration he has received for decades as justified so the allegations are their way to downplay his achievements. Don't forget many people have their own super hero and they hate the fact that MJ out shined pretty much everyone else. That's why you have the overzealous Beatles, Elvis, Prince, Beyonce fans all hating on him non stop because they perceive him as a continues threat to their 'greatness'. I think it's too early to assess the damage done. Most people are not really invested one way or another. If Wade and Safechuck are exposed then people are willing to look into that. But it seems the estate wants this to be forgotten ASAP and they will act that the best strategy is to pretend it did not happen so we should not expect a rebuttal from them or anything to defend MJ's character or life choices.

My sentiments exactly. Most of these obsessive haters already hated Michael before the crapumentary. I also notice that a lot of these haters are threatened by Michael’s success and the unwavering support from his fans. Their hatred and jealousy did not just suddenly appear,nit has been like that since the 80’s. These haters are using the LN crapumentary as another excuse to hate because the want these lies to be true. In their sick minds they actually think that this will elevate their favorite over Michael. I have been in heated discussions on others forums about this very thing. These people are rabid in their jealousy and hate because they are insecure. MJ fans who have been around as long as I have, 40+ years, are used to these haters. Nothing they say or do surprises me. Their sick and perverted hatred only makes me love and support Michael a 100% more, and haters can’t stand that. What these people still haven’t realized is that all of this crap has only made the REAL fans stronger, and has made a lot of people who were not fans, become fans.

Finally, I want to reiterate what I have said in other posts- the Estate HAS issued statements and rebuttals. I can’t understand why some FANS are either conveniently ignoring that FACT or just not aware of their statements/rebuttals. I don’t know which is true; however, it is annoying for fans to continue to say that the Estate is ignoring this conspiracy or not making statements. That is simply NOT the case, despite how you personally feel about the estate.
 
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I think the most problematic aspect in the aftermath of LN is that the folk who were undecided about Michael have probably now gone the other way. The ones who thought he was will be utterly convinced now. Major media organisations, TV channels, sponsors, radio stations etc. continue to keep their distance from MJ's music and the Michael Jackson brand.

That's it in a nutshell.
 
Unfortunately I hear - and read - many many people - on my facebook, Instragram etc. etc. - people think MJ is guity now...

A poll on a big danish newspaper had a poll and 45 % answered guilty - 20 % innocent and the rest answered - don't know/not sure...

I think before this cruel doc most would say innocent - maybe 60-70 % would have said innocent (this is only my guess - NOT facts!) - and now only 20 %...

Very very sad... - And honestly, I do not see any way to repair the damages... - Taj can make a great doc, The Estate can make a great doc - many others can also make good objective docs - only with facts. BUT - those docs will never get much attention I'm affraid, and those who thinks MJ is guilty will never change their mind.. Sadly the truth is LN has done SO much damage that can never really be repaired. - Even if Wade and James came out in 5 years and said it was all a lie, and Chandler and Arvizo too could step forward and tell the truth - many would still think MJ is guilty...

And many people are defending. I think it is where u are going as well. And many people have woke up from the shock of the doc as well. Some people never believe it, some believed it and now don't, etc. LN did not do no damage that cannot be repair. MJ will be fine. His show is in my city and doing great.
 
I think the most problematic aspect in the aftermath of LN is that the folk who were undecided about Michael have probably now gone the other way. The ones who thought he was will be utterly convinced now. Major media organisations, TV channels, sponsors, radio stations etc. continue to keep their distance from MJ's music and the Michael Jackson brand.

That's it in a nutshell.
MJ is still on radio stations, ABC is still played on a commercial, etc. In United states, his music was never taken off since this trash.
 
MJ is still on radio stations, ABC is still played on a commercial, etc. In United states, his music was never taken off since this trash.

Yeah he's still on some, other he isn't.
 
somewhereinthedark;4264104 said:
My sentiments exactly. Most of these obsessive haters already hated Michael before the crapumentary. I also notice that a lot of these haters are threatened by Michael’s success and the unwavering support from his fans. Their hatred and jealousy did not just suddenly appear,nit has been like that since the 80’s. These haters are using the LN crapumentary as another excuse to hate because the want these lies to be true. In their sick minds they actually think that this will elevate their favorite over Michael. I have been in heated discussions on others forums about this very thing. These people are rabid in their jealousy and hate because they are insecure. MJ fans who have been around as long as I have, 40+ years, are used to these haters. Nothing they say or do surprises me. Their sick and perverted hatred only makes me love and support Michael a 100% more, and haters can’t stand that. What these people still haven’t realized is that all of this crap has only made the REAL fans stronger, and has made a lot of people who were not fans, become fans.

Finally, I want to reiterate what I have said in other posts- the Estate HAS issued statements and rebuttals. I can’t understand why some FANS are either conveniently ignoring that FACT or just not aware of their statements/rebuttals. I don’t know which is true; however, it is annoying for fans to continue to say that the Estate is ignoring this conspiracy or not making statements. That is simply NOT the case, despite how you personally feel about the estate.

EVERYONE has haters. Listen to Mary J Blige last night.
 
terrell;4264194 said:
I think he is still on MOST or MAJORITY.


...AND that’s the most important thing. I don’t worry and have never worried about the stations that don’t play Michael. What’s important is that the stations that have always supported Michael then and NOW, are still playing his music. Thank God, the stations thst still play Michael have a wide audience and are very influential. To be honest, I stopped listening to certain “pop” stations almost 20 years ago. Therefore, I don’t keep up with their playlist or anything else. In my book, they are “persona non grata”.
 
I think he is still on MOST or MAJORITY.

As I've been talking about in another thread, from what I can tell, Michael isn't on any nationwide radio station in the UK outside of the BBC. Sure it's just one territory but it was a big one for Michael.
 
As I've been talking about in another thread, from what I can tell, Michael isn't on any nationwide radio station in the UK outside of the BBC. Sure it's just one territory but it was a big one for Michael.

MJ will be ok. I still say for an artist who has been gone for 10 years, with no new music who is 60-61 years old rivaling current artists of today is still a great success. There are living artists in MJ age range who still do not get played like him.
 
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