MJCast episodes

[jasmine.uddin]

I really enjoy listening to MJCast episodes, so I thought I would create a thread to share about new episodes.

I used the search bar and didn't find a thread specifically for the MJCast, so if I have overlooked one, then kindly direct me to it.

So episode 182 was recently released. It's presented by Charles Thomson and he interviews one of MJs chefs, Akasha Richmond. If you haven't listened to it and intend to, then please don't read on as there will be spoilers.

To provide some context, AR met MJ when he was a regular at the vegetarian restaurant she worked at in the early 80s called The Golden Temple. She went on to cater for special events for him, was part of his entourage on some tour dates for Bad and History tours, worked for him from 1992-1996, and trained many of his chefs.

The highlights from this episode for me were:

MJs favourite foods!
I thought it would be mostly fried chicken references, but on naming his top 3 foods, she said New Mexican red chilli enchiladas, thanksgiving dinner and pizza! She referenced spicy Mexican food alot and healthy snacks. Healthy snacks consisted of sugar free ice cream that contained honey, and crunchy cookies that had maple syrup and pecans, she also mentioned fruits in general and popcorn.

Apparently she made thanksgiving dinner in Australia once, and as she couldn't get hold of turkey, she used emu instead! She also mentioned that he liked carrot cake, and he did in fact fast for a day a week and only drink fruit juice that day, as he mentioned in his autobiography. She said he loved Indian food and was very happy to visit there but didn't get to sightsee as much as he wanted.

She told a story about one very late night in Japan (maybe Bad tour) when he asked for fried chicken, and she said she couldn't make it as she didn't have access to the necessary things, he asked what he could have instead, she replied with sandwiches and potato chips, and he said ok. She told that last story to highlight how easy going he was to work for.

She said he would eat chicken and fish but did not recall ever witnessing him eat red meat, and apparently he wasn't too fond of pasta! She said people think he didn't eat but that he was a good eater, and she remembers him snacking a lot.

I'll stop there with the food, but the episode also had some other non food related tidbits. Let me know if you want me to share any more details. Would be good to hear thoughts from others who have listened to the episode too.

It's always so nice to hear from someone who was working within MJs circle, I would rate this episode 3.5/5.

At the end of interview episodes, the host asks how MJ should be remembered, and her response was: more than the King of Pop, a humanitarian.

 

[jasmine.uddin]

Episode 183 has released, it's presented by CT, and he interviews Damien Shield, Jamon Bull, James Alay and Dan Villalobos about the Faking Michael podcast series which was released a year ago.

So the highlight of the episode for me was:

Finally finding out the content of the the fabled Eddie Cascio call I have heard referenced so many times on the MJCast!

JB gives a brief recount of the call, he mentions the following, and yes the irony of the double standards hits you like a tonne of bricks with what we know of the Cascios recent allegations:
-EC would work with MJ all day till 3am, on music as well as choreography. MJ would practice dance for at least an hour a day.
-MJ didn't sleep much, after 3am EC would go upstairs to his bedroom to sleep and MJ would call EC from the basement (where MJ slept) and inform EC that he had a red bull ready for him to carry on working. (MJ comes across as a workaholic, which is how many have described him).
-EC said he helped conceptualise TII with MJ.
-EC said one of the reasons MJ survived the 2005 trial was because he had EC working on music, he would call EC to go into the studio to work on songs during trial period. (Sounds similar to the style of remote work MJ did with RJ during Invincible)
-EC was very frustrated at WR allegations and said they were silly and could not believe WR would do something like that to MJ.
-EC was around for 1993 allegations and felt he knew what MJ went through during molestation accusations as he felt he took some of the brunt of the force of what MJ experienced, as he was one of the kids on the Dangerous tour and was bullied by others who insisted he was abused by MJ.
-EC said he too had stayed in the same room, same bed as MJ and nothing happened.
-EC said it was very painful to see MJ hurting during the 2005 trial.
-EC thinks MJ should be remembered for his big heart, not fabricated lies.
-EC criticised those who become selfish when it comes to the media.
-PJ and PJ were close to EC at some point and he said they didn't deserve to have their father ridiculed when he was no longer here (think this was in reference to WR).

JB said the reason why the interview never formally happened with EC was essentially because JB was friends with DS who was very publicly criticising the fake songs. They mentioned getting hold of FC, who also didn't want anything to do with them once he found out they were connected to DS.

Another interesting mention was that MJ had the studio in the Cascios basement installed so EC could work on music for MJ after EC tried to work on some songs for Invincible.

It was abit of an odd episode to listen to, as although it was about the fake songs, it felt like there was not much MJ in it. However, I did find myself marveling at the dedication of fans that spent over a decade investigating the truth to protect MJs legacy.

I have to put in the disclaimer that I have not listened to FM podcast, I have heard it referenced and was aware of it. And although it seems like an interesting topic, I think I am not motivated to listen to it for the same reason I wouldn't prioritise this episode, there's not much MJ, so it's just harder for me to engage with.

I remember listening to one of the fake songs at the time of release, and I remember thinking, yeah that sounds like MJ, and I never gave it much thought after that. I remember the chaos it caused, but by then I had seen that hologram of MJ in the award show, and when I saw the hologram it made me realise the MJ I cherished was gone, and the only MJ I would see now would be the product of whatever the puppet masters wanted me to see.

Even still, this episode is a great log of a period of time when fans were still reeling from MJs death and being played, I can understand that fans were angered about having the wool pulled over their eyes, we weren't getting straight answers from anywhere about anything, not the estate, not AEG, not his friends and family. I remember just checking out during that period.

I would rate this episode 3/5 due to its 2+hour duration. I think you would need to have a specific interest in the fake songs to enjoy this episode.