It depends. No one in my family talks bad about Michael. Most of them highly respect him, in fact, and are also fans. If a celebrity says something that's less then favorable torwards Michael, it depends on the severity of the comment. I don't like it when people talk smack about Michael as a person because he's a good person who has never said a bad word about anybody and such comments are usually born out of pure ignorance. What's worse to me though is when people who should know better talk smack. People who know or knew Michael, yet once they find themselves on the outside of his life looking in, they do a 180 and degrade and belittle him, even though they KNOW better. That's frustrating to me and that will make my opinion of that particular person lessen. I remember Cher talked some major trash about Michael when that whole incident with the baby dangling happened and that sucked, because I like Cher both musically and personality wise. But she was just talking in the heat of the moment I believe because since then, she's said some awfully nice things about Michael too. So it depends on whether the person means it or not. Or whether they're doing it for their own well-being. If someone talks smack about Michael because it's convienent for them to do that, then I'll be pissed and think less of the person, cause that just shows weak character.
Bottom line, Michael doesn't deserve to be talked about in the way many do, with this condecending, disrespectful, mocking tone, sometimes even a hateful tone. He deserves to be treated with respect and kindness, since he treats everyone as such and he gives so much of himself to everyone. And when I see that he isn't recieving that in return, when I see that, as usual, his love is unrequited, I react adversly, just like I would torwards any injustice.