Brett Barnes' first interview since 1993

I've been looking forward to this. Let's make sure this reaches beyond the fan community. Spread the word!
#apologizetomichaeljackson will trend on June 13th!
 
Wow! Charles interviewing Brett Barnes? That is some scoop. I have a few issues with MJ Cast but, you've gotta hand it to them, they do get really good special guests on. And they always give a subject as much time as it needs, they never skimp.

As a journalist, Charles is diligent, thorough and responsible so hopefully this will be a really enlightening discussion.
 
I've only had time to listen to 45 mins so far but it's good. Charles is being meticulous, as always. Brett is coming over well, he's really bringing Michael to life. At the point where I had to stop he's describing his family's first visit to Neverland. It's lovely, I can really picture Michael in his home with his guests. Looking forward to the rest of it.

At approx 36m there is this quote from Brett (not a verbatim transciption, bit rough but mostly accurate):

" ... [Michael] was such a magnet for all people ... like everyone just wanted to be around him all the time because that's just the type of person he was so it just would have been that fact of never wanting to leave his side because the power of him ... everybody just wanted to be around him 24/7 ... "

He also deals very powerfully with the idea that his parents could be regarded (by some people) as negligent in allowing their young son to be around Michael Jackson. He squashes that idea firmly and with no hesitation.

He's a compelling interviewee.
 
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I've only had time to listen to 45 mins so far but it's good. Charles is being meticulous, as always. Brett is coming over well, he's really bringing Michael to life. At the point where I had to stop he's describing his family's first visit to Neverland. It's lovely, I can really picture Michael in his home with his guests. Looking forward to the rest of it.

At approx 36m there is this quote from Brett (not a verbatim transciption, bit rough but mostly accurate):

" ... [Michael] was such a magnet for all people ... like everyone just wanted to be around him all the time because that's just the type of person he was so it just would have been that fact of never wanting to leave his side because the power of him ... everybody just wanted to be around him 24/7 ... "

He also deals very powerfully with the idea that his parents could be regarded (by some people) as negligent in allowing their young son to be around Michael Jackson. He squashes that idea firmly and with no hesitation.

He's a compelling interviewee.
I listened to the entire interview this morning and I thought it was great. I felt bad for Brett several times when he would get emotional about the impact this has had on his family and him. I also thought it was interesting how he repeatedly said it's hard to remember how sleeping arrangements came together because it was a total non issue and just sleep, so he didn't commit those details to memory. That makes sense to me. I loved hearing that they stayed in contact until Michael died and that this contact also involved Brett's family.

Something I couldn't help but think about as I was listening is how interesting it would be to hear one of his parents interviewed. Or really any parents of kids that Michael spent time with. It sounds like, from what Brett described, his family was almost always present and they were friends with Michael just like he was. I imagine by the time they weren't around as much it was because the family knew Michael so well and he was a trusted family friend. But since Brett was a kid during this, it would just be interesting to hear an adult's perspective on how the friendships evolved.

Either way, I really enjoyed this podcast. I didn't watch LN, so hearing about how directly they insinuated that Brett was groomed and abused was really horrifying to me (I think this is more toward the end of the episode). It's just so wrong on every level to drag a person into this kind of narrative.
 
Something I couldn't help but think about as I was listening is how interesting it would be to hear one of his parents interviewed. Or really any parents of kids that Michael spent time with. It sounds like, from what Brett described, his family was almost always present and they were friends with Michael just like he was. I imagine by the time they weren't around as much it was because the family knew Michael so well and he was a trusted family friend. But since Brett was a kid during this, it would just be interesting to hear an adult's perspective on how the friendships evolved.
I've often thought this. It would be interesting to hear an adult perspective on this.

Either way, I really enjoyed this podcast. I didn't watch LN, so hearing about how directly they insinuated that Brett was groomed and abused was really horrifying to me (I think this is more toward the end of the episode). It's just so wrong on every level to drag a person into this kind of narrative.
I didn't watch the tv programme but I picked up on this at the time. It was truly appalling. I don't mean that it was *more* appalling than what they were doing to Michael but it was beyond dreadful what they did to Brett. And then the casual, cruel, dismissive way they brushed aside his protests. Although, again, no worse, I suppose, than what they were doing to Michael at the same time. Disgraceful all around.

I'm about to go back in for my second bout.
 
I didn't watch the tv programme but I picked up on this at the time. It was truly appalling. I don't mean that it was *more* appalling than what they were doing to Michael but it was beyond dreadful what they did to Brett. And then the casual, cruel, dismissive way they brushed aside his protests. Although, again, no worse, I suppose, than what they were doing to Michael at the same time. Disgraceful all around.

It upsets me tremendously as a survivor of sexual violence. First of all, NO ONE has the right to out someone else as being a victim, ever. That is so, so wrong. So if there was *actually* a credible case here, it would still be absolutely horrifying to drag another person into it, naming them as a victim, without caring to give them the space to share their own story. If all of their claims were true, think about how downright disgraceful it would be to create a platform for yourself to talk about abuse you endured and NOT OFFER THAT SAME OPPORTUNITY to another person you claim experienced the exact same thing. If they genuinely thought he was a victim, why would they not want to give him a chance to share his story?! From a solidarity/ethical standpoint alone...you know? It's just so wrong to "out" someone as a victim without letting them have their own voice. It's sickening, honestly.

But of course, these are not credible allegations so I believe them tying Brett into this was entirely to make their allegations appear more credible... to help establish their "pattern" knowing full well that most people who watch this documentary (except for serious fans) will take it at face value and not research anything beyond it. It's a perfect example of disinformation. They knowingly put something out there that wasn't true and they didn't care who they hurt in the process, because they know that most viewers and media outlets won't dig into what actually happened.

This entire thing makes me so angry from so many different directions. I cannot stand it.
 
It upsets me tremendously as a survivor of sexual violence. First of all, NO ONE has the right to out someone else as being a victim, ever. That is so, so wrong. So if there was *actually* a credible case here, it would still be absolutely horrifying to drag another person into it, naming them as a victim, without caring to give them the space to share their own story. If all of their claims were true, think about how downright disgraceful it would be to create a platform for yourself to talk about abuse you endured and NOT OFFER THAT SAME OPPORTUNITY to another person you claim experienced the exact same thing. If they genuinely thought he was a victim, why would they not want to give him a chance to share his story?! From a solidarity/ethical standpoint alone...you know? It's just so wrong to "out" someone as a victim without letting them have their own voice. It's sickening, honestly.
Exactly so. Could not have stated this any better myself. Every word here is pure gold. I don't wanna say any more as the whole thing makes me so angry I honestly feel I would burst a blood vessel. To say what they did was wrong on so many levels feels insultingly feeble. To take away someone else's autonomy, their agency, their control over their own story.

Anyway. That's all I will say.

But of course, these are not credible allegations so I believe them tying Brett into this was entirely to make their allegations appear more credible... to help establish their "pattern" knowing full well that most people who watch this documentary (except for serious fans) will take it at face value and not research anything beyond it. It's a perfect example of disinformation. They knowingly put something out there that wasn't true and they didn't care who they hurt in the process, because they know that most viewers and media outlets won't dig into what actually happened.
The whole thing was disgusting and disgraceful.

This entire thing makes me so angry from so many different directions. I cannot stand it.
Exactly.
 
Since I’m slightly moronic and completely old fashioned can someone explain me how I can listen to this interview?
 
Since I’m slightly moronic and completely old fashioned can someone explain me how I can listen to this interview?

There are several ways! First, here is the link to their website: http://www.themjcast.com/
I believe you can watch it in the browser.

Otherwise, I always listen in Spotify. But it looks like it is also available on Apple Podcasts.
 
Since I’m slightly moronic and completely old fashioned can someone explain me how I can listen to this interview?
I am also very old school. For MJ Cast I literally Google MJ Cast podcast - or you could Google The MJ Cast. You can no longer just Google MJ Cast cos some other thing comes up.

Anyway, the podcast comes up, you click the link to download and off you go.
 
There's an episode of MJ Cast where Charles Thomson is interviewed. Can't remember which episode it is. I have a quote from it written in a notebook which I can't access right now but want to acknowledge what Charles said so am giving a rough version here. As with all the special guests on the podcast, at the end he was asked how he thinks Michael should be remembered. He didn't go for the usual stuff. He said something like this:

"He should be remembered as a hero. He put up a good fight and he didn't let the b*st*rds get him down. Well, OK, he did let them get him down. They got him on June 25th. But before that he put up a good fight. He put up a f*cking good fight."

:cry:
 
Since I’m slightly moronic and completely old fashioned can someone explain me how I can listen to this interview?
FYI - don't know if you noticed but MJ Cast is also on YT. I prefer listening to the episodes over there. Podcasts don't do it for me. I find them really clunky and annoying. They never have the most up-to-date episode on YT, though.

I don't listen to MJ Cast all the time. In fact, I haven't listened to it for months and months but this Brett Barnes thing was major so I had to go back.
 
I don’t know when or if I eventually will listen to it, it appears to be 2 hours plus long. If there is a written version I’d prefer that because I’m a very quick reader.
 
I don’t know when or if I eventually will listen to it, it appears to be 2 hours plus long. If there is a written version I’d prefer that because I’m a very quick reader.
I don't think they do transcripts. Someone might be along in a minute to help you with that. I believe it is possible to get transcripts off YT. Never looked into it, not interested but I *think* I've got that right. No idea how that works, though.

But this isn't going to be on their YT channel for a while yet. When I listen to MJ Cast I do it in 20 or 30 minute chunks. I've done the first hour. It's interesting so far.
 
I don't think they do transcripts. Someone might be along in a minute to help you with that. I believe it is possible to get transcripts off YT. Never looked into it, not interested but I *think* I've got that right. No idea how that works, though.

But this isn't going to be on their YT channel for a while yet. When I listen to MJ Cast I do it in 20 or 30 minute chunks. I've done the first hour. It's interesting so far.

It always feels like a waste of time, I’d rather listen to music for 2 hours to be fair.
I mean I have the radio on right now and I enjoy it too much, it relaxes me.
 
I listened to the entire interview this morning and I thought it was great. I felt bad for Brett several times when he would get emotional about the impact this has had on his family and him. I also thought it was interesting how he repeatedly said it's hard to remember how sleeping arrangements came together because it was a total non issue and just sleep, so he didn't commit those details to memory. That makes sense to me. I loved hearing that they stayed in contact until Michael died and that this contact also involved Brett's family.

Something I couldn't help but think about as I was listening is how interesting it would be to hear one of his parents interviewed. Or really any parents of kids that Michael spent time with. It sounds like, from what Brett described, his family was almost always present and they were friends with Michael just like he was. I imagine by the time they weren't around as much it was because the family knew Michael so well and he was a trusted family friend. But since Brett was a kid during this, it would just be interesting to hear an adult's perspective on how the friendships evolved.

Either way, I really enjoyed this podcast. I didn't watch LN, so hearing about how directly they insinuated that Brett was groomed and abused was really horrifying to me (I think this is more toward the end of the episode). It's just so wrong on every level to drag a person into this kind of narrative.
Bretts mother was incredibly decensive of mj when she testifyed in the trial. She was very angry and some said agressive towards sneddon and co and was told by the judge several times.she hated sneddon with a passion
 
Bretts mother was incredibly decensive of mj when she testifyed in the trial.
Oh, that's interesting. I didn't follow the trial closely enough to pick up on that. Good for her.

She was very angry and some said agressive towards sneddon and co and was told by the judge several times.she hated sneddon with a passion
Well, Sneddon did seem to be obsessed, didn't he? I don't blame her for being angry. From what Brett says in this interview his parents were just as responsible, regarding his safety, as you would expect any normal parents to be.
 
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