Friday, 5 February 2010
Gene Simmons In Bonkers Jackson Rant
It seems that the lead in Gene Simmons' make-up has gone to his brain.
In a bizarre rant during a Classic Rock interview, Simmons accused Michael Jackson of child molestation, citing various completely fictitious pieces of evidence.
The aging glam-rock star claimed that he knew a musician who quit a Michael Jackson tour because of 'what he saw'. As a paid Jackson expert, I am unaware of any musician ever quitting a Michael Jackson tour mid-way through. In fact, Jackson used the same musicians every time he toured, with minor alterations here and there.
Elsewhere, Simmons claimed that Michael Jackson was on tape ordering 'Jesus Juice' for children. This is a fiction.
It was alleged during Jackson's trial that he served alcohol to the three Arvizo children, but they each gave contradictory accounts of the incident. Staff that the children accused of serving them booze all denied they had ever done so, but revealed that the children had broken into Jackson's wine cellar on at least one occasion after they were forbidden from entering it. No audio tape of Jackson ordering alcohol for children was ever brought forward and the star was acquitted on multiple counts of serving alcohol to a child.
Simmons' most outrageous claim was that during Jackson's trial a travel agent testified that the star had authorised them to fly to Brazil and fetch young boys for him. This allegation is purely a figment of Gene Simmons' imagination. No such testimony ever occurred during Jackson's trial.
Growing up, I was always taught that if you don't know what you're talking about, you shouldn't say anything. Evidently Gene's parents didn't instill in him the same belief. That, or he's just going senile.
It is completely irresponsible to pass comment on a criminal investigation that you know nothing about and even more irresponsible to make a criminal accusation and then support it with non-existent evidence. Simmons has heard fragments of reported speech from Jackson's trial and then assigned them entirely new meaning as the years have passed, building up an arsenal of evidence against Jackson which never really existed.
The blame doesn't lie solely at Simmons' door, however. Classic Rock should do their research before regurgitating such nonsense. Yes, it is reported speech, but it is still irresponsible for any publication to perpetuate baseless myths which indicate that an innocent man is a paedophile.
Thanks to Google News, this story has now gone global. All over the world people are reading it and many will believe Simmons' comments, partiallybecause he's in the music business and there is an element of presumed insider info, but mostly because the initial reporting on Jackson's trial was so inept.
Simmons' comments have no basis in reality. Jackson is categorically not on tape ordering children alcohol. There was categorically no testimony in his trial about flying boys in from Brazil. These two allegations are without any evidencial basis whatsoever. And as a Jackson expert, I am unaware of any musician quitting halfway through any of his tours, either.
In future, Simmons should either do his research or shut his trap. His irresponsible and unfounded allegations have now entered the homes of millions around the globe and you can bet your ass that nobody is going to print a rebuttal or a retraction.
