Latest on MJJC

Michael bought Whitney Houston her own pet monkey for her 26th birthday

MsCassieMollie

Proud Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2011
Messages
4,166
Points
0
Location
Valley Stream, New York
Excerpt from Bebe Winans new book about Whitney

The seclusion of fame damages people the most. Fame causes its inhabitants to live afraid – to fear their reputation being marred – which makes seclusion seem the only real alternative. Look at how Michael Jackson faded into eerie reclusiveness, buying a monkey and other exotic animals as pets. For me, that seems far removed from reality and true human connection. But he also endured a level of celebrity that few people on earth can relate to.

One year Whitney threw an exclusive party – a BIG party. You may ask, who throws a party for their 26th birthday – complete with a who's who of attendees, loads of food, a beautifully decorated tent, and excellent music? Well, she did, because she was on the road during her 25th birthday.

The invitation had a spectacular picture of Whitney on the cover. You had to be on a list, and there were different security checkpoints. CeCe and I just stayed on the sidelines of the party, watching her enjoy the evening and all the love as she mingled with everyone.

That was also the night we discovered that Michael Jackson had given Whitney a monkey as her birthday present. Everyone seemed amused, but I'm sure they were all thinking the same thing I was – This is crazy! Who gives monkeys to people for their birthdays?

The thought is funny and ridiculous at the same time. Of course Whitney didn't need a monkey! It was all she could do to take care of her cat! But perhaps Michael was so far removed from people that he thought Whitney could use the companionship of a monkey.

Whitney couldn't believe it. She read Michael's card, looked at me, and said, "What am I going to do with a monkey?"

We both laughed.

"As soon as this party's over, that monkey is getting dropped off at the zoo!" Did this gift make sense to Michael? I don't know. Perhaps. The amount of fame that Whitney had garnered already as a 26- year-old had propelled her into a lonely way of life. But can you imagine thinking that another person would be so lonely that they'd need a pet monkey? This was someone's reality?

This is what seclusion does to a person. Whitney didn't struggle with the inclination toward extreme reclusivenes like Michael did, though I can see now how that gift from Michael was a foreshadowing of darker days ahead for Whitney.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/n...ans-the-whitney-i-knew-20120709#ixzz20AbIztsL
 
Last edited:
Is he putting down Michael or something? He says "eerie reclusiveness" like Michael was weird or something. Michael loved animals nothing weird about that. Maybe it's just me but I don't really like it. Granted a lot of people don't have pet monkeys but she could have asked Michael about it.
 
marebear said:
Is he putting down Michael or something? He says "eerie reclusiveness" like Michael was weird or something. Michael loved animals nothing weird about that. Maybe it's just me but I don't really like it. Granted a lot of people don't have pet monkeys but she could have asked Michael about it.
Click to expand...
That's what bothered me as well. His jab at Mike wasn't necessary at all. BeBe personally doesn't know Mike so he should shut up. Mike was a normal human being (as a HUGE a star he was) just like everyone else, he was just really unique.

Nonetheless, cute story. :)
 
Gosh... I really don't see Michael's gesture as so weird. I think it's sweet... eccentric, but sweet. He obviously got much companionship from Bubbles, and thought that she would benefit from the same.

That's kind of sad that the author of the book can't see that.
 
Michael was so sweet :wub:

edit: He must of really had a thing for her like David said. I assume Michael gives really extravagant gifts like this to people that he really cared about
 
Last edited:
Always heard he was like family to Whitney, so why is he cashing in on her passing. Totally get he is using MJ to grab headlines. But analysing MJ ? When did he become Dr Winans.?

Knowing MJ'S life story, you instantly knew why he gave Whitney the monkey. He explained his preference for animals a zillion times.
 
Last edited:
This is just another person trying to make some money from using Michael and Witney's names while belittling them. What is so strange about throwing yourself a 26th birthday party? I give myself birthday parties each year and I am not a star and I do not see myself as strange. I congratulate Whitney for having the money to have the exciting party that she wanted to have.

To this person everything is strange or unreal, but to me he has a strange sense of strangeness. Obviously Michael wanted to give her something different. This person sounds as though he does not understand Michael's world at all and does not have a clue about the dynamics of Michael's life. This excerpt, I guess, is supposed to be about Whitney, but it reads more like an attempt to follow the basic media stories about Michael--someone who is strange, weird and who does not live a real existence because that person is different. Maybe Bebe should spend a day in Michael's shoes. Here we have someone writing about a subject when he has no understanding of it. Let's see how sales of this book go.
 
I can't find a coherent reason to say why everything Michael'd do is labeled as weird or crazy by people who doesn't even know him! :scratch: I found that gesture of his sweet and thoughtful by giving to Bubbles a new friend! :wub:
 
Snow White luvs Peter Pan said:
I can't find a coherent reason to say why everything Michael'd do is labeled as weird or crazy by people who doesn't even know him! :scratch: I found that gesture of his sweet and thoughtful by giving to Bubbles a new friend! :wub:
Click to expand...

Me too. Michael probably found Bubbles quite funny and playful and decided that someone else would love such a pet. I guess now that Whitney is dead her comes the friend to trash the gift.
 
Petrarose said:
Me too. Michael probably found Bubbles quite funny and playful and decided that someone else would love such a pet. I guess now that Whitney is dead her comes the friend to trash the gift.
Click to expand...

Exactly! :yes:

I assume at that time Michael didn't know chimps when they're adults become very strong and dangerous and probably thought Bubbles would always be that sweet playful pet friend he raised since he was a little baby.
 
You never give something to someone that you wouldn't like. MJ adored bubbles the monkey, and thought it would be a great gift for Whitney too. Liz Taylor gave MJ a elephant for a present too. So giving animals for a present is not weird.


Maybe MJ had a thing for Whitney, that's why he gave her a monkey like he gave himself one. MJ only gave special gifts to people he adored, and Whitney did dated so, lol. :D
 
^^Exactly Katecay and liz also gave him that huge castle which he had in his library. People with money sometimes give gifts that the ever day person would not give, which is why this writer sounds so ignorant because he does not understand the lifestyle of the people he is writing about. Diana Ross was given an island as a gift once. I guess this author would also say, "who gives an island as a gift!!"
 
:swoon: WoW I am so shocked at how BeBe Winans has managed to give all these back handed compliments and added a disrespectful statements in a book he is using their names to make money in ! How judgmental and opinionated for a CHRISTIAN !! BeBe is from Michigan and raised his entire life in church, and he never read the part in the bible that states:

Though shall not JUDGE !!

(except maybe when you are writting a book about people that suffered deeply in their loneliness due to their Fame, because they are no longer on this earth to defend themselves)

I wonder when this Book began to take form in his mind, I saw him crying at Whitney's funeral ! I am quite sure he would NOT have dared say this stuff about Michael & Whitney when they BOTH hugged that entire family with PURE love SMH :swoon:

Way to let everyone know what kind of person you are when you JUDGE God's angels for a few more pages in your Best Seller huh BeBe ! I wanted to know about the times you shared amazing moments with 2 God given Angels ! Instead you chose to share your opinions and criticism about them !! I know it sells better on the NY Times doesn't it ! Shame, real shame BeBe :unsure:
 
Last edited:
MJ TinkerBell said:
:swoon: WoW I am so shocked at how BeBe Winans has managed to give all these back handed compliments and added a disrespectful statements in a book he is using their names to make money in ! How judgmental and opinionated for a CHRISTIAN !! BeBe is from Michigan and raised his entire life in church, and he never read the part in the bible that states:

Though shall not JUDGE !!

(except maybe when you are writting a book about people that suffered deeply in their loneliness due to their Fame, because they are no longer on this earth to defend themselves)

I wonder when this Book began to take form in his mind, I saw him crying at Whitney's funeral ! I am quite sure he would NOT have dared say this stuff about Michael & Whitney when they BOTH hugged that entire family with PURE love SMH :swoon:

Way to let everyone know what kind of person you are when you JUDGE God's angels for a few more pages in your Best Seller huh BeBe ! I wanted to know about the times you shared amazing moments with 2 God given Angels ! Instead you chose to share your opinions and criticism about them !! I know it sells better on the NY Times doesn't it ! Shame, real shame BeBe :unsure:
Click to expand...

Amen to that :yes:, I don't see how anyone would do something like this to someone they supposedly loved... :doh:
 
Something else that bothers me is he is implying that Michael was "removed from reality and true human connection." If anything Michael understood people and he could reach people like no other. I find it irritating that he is writing a book about his good friend whitney and telling a story about her birthday and he just happens to slip Michael's name in it and make creepy little comments. He never understood Michael or the fame that he had. Michael showed respect to people it would be nice if that was returned to him. I am just tired of this kind of stuff sorry.

Some people might say he is not badmouthing Michael. It's the tone and the way he is descibing what happened. It comes across like Michael is some weirdo who gave strange gifts to people. It could be a cute and funny story yet comes across insulting.
 
Last edited:
angfw5.gif



What's wrong with someone having given as a birthday gift a monkey? :scratch::wtf: This is not strange! :nono: Michael was not the only person on the planet that had and gave an exotic animal as a gift to someone! :blink: Many people who love animals do this. -_- I'm tired of people portraying the attitudes of Michael as something strange/bizarre. :perrin: To hell all these people! :pth:
 
I read the whole article in RS to get full picture.
At first page he wrote
"The world saw Whitney in the tabloids just like it sees Madonna or Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Our mistake is that we make our assumptions about the kind of people they are based on the manipulative lenses of photographers scrambling to land their photo on the front page of TMZ. We watch Being Bobby Brown and think that the scenes caught on tape constitute Whitney as a person, a mom, and a wife. True, the reality show was not Whitney's (or Bobby's) shining moment. But are we really that eager to remember someone for their worst moments when they've given us so many of their best?

The truth is, those images never constituted Whitney's reality. Her life was not lived at the reality-show/tabloid level. And yet, because that's all so many people saw, it's all they allowed themselves to believe. The public formed their opinion of her through writers and photographers who never met her. To me, that's a tragedy."

To me it's a tragedy that this author preaches about public forming opinions through writings and photos, yet he does exactly the same when he writes about Michael! He didn't know Michael, what makes him to say he is removed from reality and true human connection? In this piece he explains that Whitney had a good life outside of the tabloids, but sadly he cannot think that that same goes with Michael.
 
Bubbles and all of the other chimps Michael had gave him so much pleasure. Sounds perfectly reasonable and very thoughtful to give someone a gift that would have meant so much to them.
 
Whitney's "friends"...just like MJ's "friends" are coming out with books to fill their own pockets. Nothing to do with presenting a different view of the friends...all about MONEY for them.

I thought it was pitiful when Schmuley, Cascio, Jermaine did it...I also think it's tacky that WH's mom, Pat Houston & Winans are doing it now to WH.

Bunch of vultures. I hope the WH books fail just like those on MJ did.
 
Bubs said:
I read the whole article in RS to get full picture.
At first page he wrote
"The world saw Whitney in the tabloids just like it sees Madonna or Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Our mistake is that we make our assumptions about the kind of people they are based on the manipulative lenses of photographers scrambling to land their photo on the front page of TMZ. We watch Being Bobby Brown and think that the scenes caught on tape constitute Whitney as a person, a mom, and a wife. True, the reality show was not Whitney's (or Bobby's) shining moment. But are we really that eager to remember someone for their worst moments when they've given us so many of their best?

The truth is, those images never constituted Whitney's reality. Her life was not lived at the reality-show/tabloid level. And yet, because that's all so many people saw, it's all they allowed themselves to believe. The public formed their opinion of her through writers and photographers who never met her. To me, that's a tragedy."

To me it's a tragedy that this author preaches about public forming opinions through writings and photos, yet he does exactly the same when he writes about Michael! He didn't know Michael, what makes him to say he is removed from reality and true human connection? In this piece he explains that Whitney had a good life outside of the tabloids, but sadly he cannot think that that same goes with Michael.
Click to expand...

^^^ Well said.
 
And another thing... why is so strange that Michael would form a relationship with an animal?? The more I think about this, the more I am perplexed by this Bebe person's view of pets for people. Millions and millions of people all over this planet live alone with their pets, as their only companions. I happen to work with a couple of them. They are happy. What's wrong with that?

You could take that article and insert a dog or cat into it, as a replacement for a monkey. What's the difference?

At least animals don't judge like people do.:mello:
 
^ Exactly.

I can see now how that gift from Michael was a foreshadowing of darker days ahead for Whitney.
Click to expand...

So a present of a pet monkey gives a hint about whitney's future crack addiction? Perhaps it all made perfect sense for this author when he wrote up this anecdote, but it's all a bit of a reach. And like all the others he just comes across foolish and narrow minded when he attempts his amateur psychology on mj.

The seclusion of fame damages poeple the most.
Click to expand...

I would say greed damages people more, for eg writing books about friends months after their untimely death to cash in.
 
Ha! I've always wanted a pet monkey, and I bet Whitney wanted one too. At least, she would've joked about it with Michael, since his pet Bubbles was all the rage back then. Bebe is probably jealous that she never got such an awesome gift in all her life :) Bitter much?
 
Bebe Winans was accused of domestic violence. The charges were dismissed with prejudice and Winans released a statement saying he would not discuss the issue further because he knew the truth and he didn't want to cause further damage to his family. If Winans won't discuss his own public struggles, he should offer the same respect to Whitney and Michael's families. His psychoanlysis is absurd and borderline offensive. George Clooney owns a potbelly pig, I wonder how Bebe would analyze that? Like Memefan, I hope this book fails into oblivion.
 
Bubs said:
I read the whole article in RS to get full picture.
To me it's a tragedy that this author preaches about public forming opinions through writings and photos, yet he does exactly the same when he writes about Michael! He didn't know Michael, what makes him to say he is removed from reality and true human connection? In this piece he explains that Whitney had a good life outside of the tabloids, but sadly he cannot think that that same goes with Michael.
Click to expand...

^^He does it because he is a hypocrite and described Michael in this way to gain acceptance for his book. The publishers wanted something nasty and he gave it to them. This is a typical trend in these "my friend" type books where Michael is mentioned. If Michael is in it, the writer has to make him sound weird, not of this world, and inhuman. Bebe reminds me of those people who hung around stars mainly to get something from them. It is so easy to turn on someone when they are not your true friend.

Maybe I should write an article on Bebe's domestic violence and give my psychological take on it. Let's see how he feels about that.
 
All I am thinking is shame on him. I think about how Whitney talked about Michael and here one of her friends is making him out to be some weirdo. I like to think if she was still here she wouldn't appreciate that.
 
This guy is definitely taking a stab at Michael. It's not cool. I think the gift was a very sweet and friendly gesture. This man doesn't understand Michael. I don't find it weird at all. I don't understand why it's weird, especially knowing how Michael was. He loved animals and I could see why he'd think this would be a nice gift.

I think it's incredibly sweet.

This guy is cashing in not only on Whitney but on Michael's name too. Smh. It's a never-ending cycle.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top