Michael Jackson and Bashir interview. Michael Jackson: Lifelong Loneliness

Martin Bashir to Michael Jackson:
Martin: You don't want to grow up?
Michael: No. I am Peter Pan
Martin: But you're Michael Jackson
Michael: Yes, but at heart I'm Peter Pan.

Actor Michael Madsen (who co-starred in Michael Jackson's You rock my world video) once told me, “Michael Jackson was very open and kind person, but he seemed to me the loneliest and most unhappy on the planet. It’s difficult to sincerely be friends with someone and trust people if you’ve been living since the cradle in a world of lies called “show business.”

Six years have passed since the moment when the King of Pop's heart stopped on June 25, 2009, and with it the whole world. I remember on this day almost all the news channels in the world were talking only about this, the planet stood still. The magic seemed to have disappeared forever.

I would like to call this article my tribute, a kind of collection of factual sketches and personal reflections about my hero Michael Jackson, who united and inspired a billion hearts and instilled in me a love of music since childhood.

I am deeply convinced that the media played a large role in Jackson's ills. They tormented him for many years, shrouding him in cynicism, exaggerating unproven conjectures and pseudo-facts. The press, like countless faceless termites, undermined him until it turned the great artist into a paranoid, hermit and recluse who lost confidence in almost everyone. Michael became a hostage to his own fame, in the shackles of which he lived his entire life. People killed him with rejection, and they resurrected him after death. A sort of Judas weathervane. Madonna at the 2009 MTV Awards, leading up to her Michael tribute performance, was at her most honest. She said boldly, as befits a queen, looking straight into the hall:

"We all pulled away from him when he was having a hard time. And you all and I. We were too busy judging instead of supporting a man who has never been equaled in the history of music. There will never be another Michael Jackson I won’t say that we were close friends, but there was a period when we talked. I once offered him a ride, and then we went home to watch a film. While watching it, he suddenly took my hand. There was so much innocence in it. "

Michael Jackson and Madonna

Few people know that Michael Jackson had an “inspiration tree” at his Neverland ranch. He deftly climbed it and could sit for hours and look into the distance, composing songs. Some of his greatest hits, such as Will You Be There, were written on this very tree. In an interview with Martin Bashir, which later played a cruel joke on him, Jackson said:

“Some people like to play football, others like basketball, but I like to climb trees. Don't you climb trees in free time? - he asked Bashir. He shook his head negatively. "ABOUT! You are missing out on a lot,” Michael concluded. At that time, the King of Pop was 44 years old.

All his life he tried to regain his childhood, which was irretrievably stolen. And few people understood this, calling such attempts at least strange. As part of their myopia and conservatism, the crowd was unaware that this man initially did not know love and received many psychological traumas in childhood. They didn't realize that Michael's first Christmas was in mature age, and then thanks to the efforts of Elizabeth Taylor. Few people thought that the problems in Jackson’s relationships with the opposite sex lay in the fact that he couldn’t understand how you could cheat on a woman if you became her husband. He believed in the sanctity of marriage and the cult of family values, but he constantly saw counterexamples even in his own family. According to the memoirs of one of the singer’s biographers, Randy Taraborrelli, when Michael found out that his brother Jackie was cheating on his wife Enid with singer Paula Abdul, he took it so hard that it was as if he himself had been betrayed. He had always lived in a world where male infidelity was considered commonplace, and this affected his perception. Famous photographer Francesco Scavullo once said: "Michael asked me: 'How do you act when you fall in love?' Aren't you afraid that she's with you because you can do something for her? “I replied, “Mike, you can’t live your whole life in such disbelief. You have to try to believe.” To which he told me: “I’m afraid. I’m afraid because of what I saw. The men in my family don’t know how to treat women. I don’t want to become like my brothers.”

JacksonFamily (partially)

Despite the inimitable energy and confidence with which Jackson performed, causing crowds of people to lose consciousness with just one dance step, in life he was extremely shy and had a fragile mental structure. So Bill Bray, Michael’s security guard, who worked with him for thirty years, said: “When I met Jackson, I realized that he had really lost his childhood and could not come to terms with it. Despite his talent in business, there is a strange vulnerability about him. You want to go up and hug him, telling him to take care of himself. And I wouldn’t call myself a sentimental person.”

Too busy digging into the “dirty laundry,” the press did little to cover the other side of the life of the great artist and philanthropist. Little known fact: Michael Jackson was the initiator of the creation of the “Universal Bill of Rights for Children,” the content of which he himself determined. These points clearly demonstrated how accurately Michael understood the problems of children. Among them were such important topics as: “The right to be loved without having to earn this love”, “The right to consider yourself worthy of adoration (even if you have such an appearance that only your mother could love you)” or “The right to know what you represent unique value, even if you haven’t done anything in this world yet.”

Michael Jackson with childrenNeverland

“Michael’s smile heals the soul,” wrote Uri Geller, “he had a unique energy. He had a great talent for choosing words that could touch the one to whom they were intended.”

However, Jackson was an impulsive man, and perhaps if it were not for his colleagues at the peak of their careers, for example, John Branca, we would never have seen the most brilliant Thriller. The fact is that Michael was a Jehovah's Witness for many years, and the elders insisted that whatever the King of Pop created went through their personal artistic council. In the late 70s and 80s, Michael Jackson unquestioningly believed in the ideology of the Witnesses and showed the elders a video of the Thriller he had just filmed. The latter were indignant and said that they would excommunicate Michael if this short film was released. Jackson called John Branca, who at that time was handling his affairs, mainly legal, and literally “ordered” all copies of Thriller to be destroyed. “This, you hear, should never go on air,” Michael shouted nervously into the phone. Branca didn't sleep all night. “How could such a masterpiece, in which huge amounts of money were also invested, be allowed to turn into ashes because of this whim?” John recalled. Branca found a way out. He suggested that Michael write a statement before the start of Thriller stating that its content does not reflect Michael's personal and religious views. Jackson agreed, the elders were satisfied. Michael would later say, “God bless John Branca. If it weren't for him, Thriller would never have seen the light of day." If Thriller changed the world of music videos, making Jackson an innovator in the creation of short films, allowing him to erase racial and stylistic boundaries in music, canonizing MTV, then Billie Jean changed music forever. This song remains to this day one of the most successful singles of all time. Every year, the MTV Awards present the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, which is one of the most prestigious awards in the world of video clips. During the creation of the Thriller record together with the brilliant producer Quincy Jones, with whom they recorded two more masterpieces Off the wall and Bad, different situations arose. For example, at the very beginning of work on the album, few people believed that it would sell more than 3,000,000 copies.

“Records are selling very poorly now, Mike,” his colleagues, as well as the head of the record company and Jones, told him. This statement infuriated Jackson. He said sharply: “This will be the greatest disc in history, and if you don’t believe in it, then there’s no point in wasting a second of your time.” There was silence in the room, which was firmly broken by Jones: “Ok,” he said, “Let’s get to work!” It is known that during this period there were very tense relations between Quincy and Michael. Jones criticized the song "Billie Jean" as not being good enough for the album, but Jackson adamantly insisted that the song be given credit. special attention, and he turned out to be right. It was Billie Jean who brought the Thriller album to the top of Billboard, where the disc spent 37 weeks in first place. To this day, Thriller is the best-selling album of all time, a cult classic and a true classic of modern music, inspiring hundreds of millions of people, as well as most of today's superstars. Thriller also erased once and for all all racial barriers in music.

Michael Jackson: The AgeThriller

The tandem of Michael and Quincy performed miracles, the largest in effect in the world of music. Jones said: “Mike, listen to the music, let it tell you what you need. Let God into the room." And MJ listened. Working until exhaustion, always not 100% satisfied with the result. Then he continued to work again and again until he achieved perfection. At the same time, Quincy was not a supporter of dictatorship in production. He did not impose his views; rather, he fully revealed the hidden potential that was inherent in you from the very beginning. The merit of Michael and Quincy is that they turned the standard idea of ​​​​pop music upside down and allowed people to see the limitless possibilities of truly great creativity. Despite the fact that after the Bad album, for a number of reasons, the couple never worked together, the warm relationship between Jones and Jackson remained until the very end. Moreover, after the singer's death, Quincy repeatedly criticized the idea of ​​releasing posthumous albums. He said that this is blasphemy, you can’t think only about money, and many colleagues agreed with him, emphasizing that if Michael were alive, he would never allow albums like Michael and Xscape (the latter produced by Timbaland, Darkchild, L.A. Reid and many other greats) saw the light of day. Michael was a perfectionist and would hardly have been happy with such “crude” releases. However, the numbers speak for themselves. When Xscape's latest album was released last year, it immediately topped the UK charts and reached number two on Billboard.

Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones

For many years, Michael's sound engineer was Bruce Swedien, a sound genius, master and wizard who always achieved a unique sound. This is a unique person. Nobody in the world knows the geometry of sound better than Bruce. Proof of this is at least his work on Michael's album Invincible, recorded in 2001, which is objectively considered the best sounding in the history of pop music. Still. 14 years later.

Initially, Jackson wanted to record his hit Bad in a duet with Prince, who was at the peak of his career at that moment, but communication between the artists did not work out from the very beginning. They met and discussed the project. Michael and his management have come up with a great plan: launch a rumor campaign in the press, saying they are with Prince worst enemies who hate each other, and then, when the whole world savors this and is divided into two camps, they will make an official statement that these are just rumors and present a video for Bad, where, according to the original plot, they will compete with each other , finding out who's bad. Prince was not enthusiastic about this idea, and after hearing the demo of the song, he completely refused, citing the fact that the guys would succeed without him. When Frank DiLeo (Michael's manager at the time years) asked what he thought about it, Jackson shrugged indifferently and replied: “Numbers.”

There was always some kind of struggle and rejection of each other between them. Prince sent Michael a box of amulets and feathers as a gift. It later turned out that she was bewitched by Voodoo masters, which horrified Jackson. Prince considered Michael a bore, and he said that Prince, although he writes good music, is evil in himself and treats women terribly. “Besides, he’s not much of an actor. It doesn’t represent anything.” Not too upset, the king of pop performed the song Bad himself, and the great Martin Scorsese made a musical short film about it. By the way, Wesley Snipes can be seen on screen for the first time. The song became another revolution in the world of music and attracted a huge number of street audiences.

Michael Jackson: eraBad

The album Bad sold dizzyingly, but it never managed to replicate the sales success of Thriller. Moreover, at the Grammy Awards in 1988, in the most anticipated nomination for Michael, “Album of the Year,” he lost to one of U2’s most outstanding discs, The Joshua Tree. Having released the most hits of the year and sold the most copies, Jackson left without this award, which undoubtedly made him despondent, but not for long. The next super hit, Dangerous, went on sale in 1991 and became Michael's most successful record since Thriller. Among other things, Dangerous had the most significant influence on all modern R"n"B music, greatly changing it. There was a lot of controversy about the album cover, many tabloids looked for hidden meaning in it, and even the message of Jackson's involvement in the illuminati was traced. The author of the cover, Mark Ryden, said that he was very inspired by Michael's video Leave me alone, which became the impetus for creating just such an image. “This is the largest format for a cover. The original was about 90 square centimeters,” recalls Mark. “If you look at it very carefully, you will see that the titles, themes and messages of the songs are displayed in detail on it. It took me several months to create it. It was long, painstaking and very important work for me.”

Michael Jackson album coverDangerous

One of the most personal songs on the album is Who is it, the video for which was directed by the iconic David Fincher. Who is it is imbued with tossing and inner questions of the singer. In the depths of magnificent harmony, innovative music, captivating hypnotic melody and performance, there is a deep drama of loneliness in a crowd of many-faced people, behind whose masks it is impossible to discern sincerity. Especially in women. The line of distrust towards female love in this work is so clearly expressed that it is impossible not to feel all this emptiness of brokenness as a result of the deepest disappointment. In Michael Jackson's life, there were perhaps four women whom he idolized: his mother Katherine, Elizabeth Taylor, Diana Ross and Lisa Marie Presley. And if Taylor was his closest soulmate and support, and Ross was his mother in show business, then he definitely had feelings for Lisa of a different nature. They were similar. Both of them spent their childhood under the spotlight, both did not know a normal life, she genuinely understood and idolized him, and he listened to her advice. It was she who once told him: “Michael, a peaceful sleep is more valuable than public opinion,” and it was she who held his hand on the edge of the abyss. This puzzle had to fit. And he agreed. True, not for long, but, nevertheless, he gave Jackson and Presley several happy years. After Michael’s death, Lisa said that Jackson repeatedly repeated the phrase: “I think I’ll end up like your father.” The anthem of their relationship was the song, a super hit from the album History - You are not alone, written for him by R. Kelly. You are not alone - one of the best pop ballads in modern music.

Michael Jackson and Elizabeth Taylor

Michael Jackson and Lisa Presley

Michael always wanted to reach people, to tell them: “don’t judge me, I’m just a person. Just like you, I, just like you, just want to love and be loved,” and he sent these subtle messages through his sensual songs. How else could he do it? But how many of us can read between the lines? A huge bird descends onto the stage, hugging him with its wings in Will you be there, “before you judge me try hard to love me,” begging, he sings in the soulful Childhood, “when you"re alone and you"re cold inside" on the doomed he explains in anguish in Stranger in Moscow, more aggressively tries to convey his pain to people’s understanding through Why you wanna trip on me, Scream and They don’t care about us and sums up this desire through global themes about the problems of the Earth in the brilliant Earth song, and also hymns to goodness We are the world, Heal the world and Man in the mirror. If we look at the composition Stranger in Moscow, then, of course, it will turn out to be the most personal song that Jackson has ever created. Randy Taraborrelli said that the idea of ​​​​the song. and the video was originally conceived as a reflection of intimacy inner world singer He started writing it after his first tour in Moscow. This metropolis seemed to Jackson a complete identification with his own life. In his perception, Moscow remained a gray, bustling city of people running somewhere, where you feel the loneliest in this crowd. Randy said that even at the peak of his career, Michael sometimes went on walks to make new friends. But to no avail.

“Even at home, I feel loneliness,” Jackson said, “sometimes it gnaws at me so much that I can’t cope with my emotions, I lock myself in the room and cry. You have no idea how hard it is to find true friends. Sometimes I walk around the neighborhood at night with the hope of meeting someone, just to talk about something abstract, but every time these walks end in nothing.”

He envied people who could calmly walk the streets, shop in a supermarket (once his friends closed one of them especially for Michael so that he could imitate shopping), meet, fall in love, walk in the park. The greatest artist dreaming of simple things. A hermit with hundreds of millions of crazy fans, a lonely dreamer, riding a Ferris wheel in Neverland for hours on the tenth circle, looking at one point, lost among hundreds of evening lights. A grown man with the soul of a nine-year-old boy, stuck in time, who so wanted to be understood. A man yearning for sincerity and genuine miracle in a world of people who always wanted to take something from him, touch him, be involved in fame and money, but never thought about giving this man even a little true love in return. Unconditional. Open. Hence the purchase of human-sized dolls, which he kept at home, giving them names and talking to them, in the same parallel there is a park of wonders, his favorite pastime is shooting with water pistols and friendship with Macaulay Culkin. Children are presumably the audience he was comfortable with because they are genuinely sincere. “If I wake up and find out that there is not a single child left on Earth, I will throw myself off the balcony immediately,” said Michael. The desire for this sincerity and the childhood environment in which he received it played a cruel joke on him in the world of selfish, unprincipled and greedy adults who were eager to snatch at least something from this “pie”, to destroy and trample Jackson’s empire, as it says, “by any means necessary.” In the end, they succeeded. But it is unlikely that it will ever be possible to shroud in oblivion the great musical legacy that the King of Pop left in his songs, videos, and performances. Incredible, brilliant creativity, settled in millions of hearts forever. This extraordinary man changed the world and gave us magic. And magic never dies.

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On January 31, the trial of Michael Jackson begins in a California court. The famous singer is charged with ten counts, including sexual abuse of minors, child drugging and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, false imprisonment and extortion.

This process promises to be very loud: more than a hundred television and radio companies from around the world have already deployed their mobile stations in the city of Santa Maria, where the court is located, and special correspondents from newspapers and magazines have stormed local hotels. In addition, Jackson fans are flocking to the city, who intend to support their idol, chanting slogans about his innocence in front of the courthouse. The trial will be open, but Judge Rodney Melville has imposed a ban on participants from communicating with the press. Additionally, there will be no cameras in the courthouse.

How life with Jackson turned into court with Jackson

In February 2003, it was shown on television in the UK and US. documentary about the life of the singer "Living with Michael Jackson", filmed by British journalist Martin Bashir. Bashir accompanied Jackson everywhere for several months and, as the journalist himself said, became convinced that the singer was simply obsessed with children.

In particular, the film contains an interview with one of the young guests of the Neverland ranch, where Jackson spends most of his time. A 12-year-old boy said that he sometimes sleeps in the singer's bed. Jackson himself innocently confirmed that he sometimes shares his bed with children, and sometimes spends the night in a sleeping bag on the floor next to the bed on which his guests sleep. Specifically, Jackson reported that he regularly slept in bed with this boy, who had cancer but, as a result of Jackson's actions, allegedly recovered without medication. Insisting that his love for children was completely innocent and had nothing to do with sex, Michael Jackson called his behavior "beautiful and charming."

The authorities of the Californian city of Santa Barbara, next to which Jackson’s ranch is located, immediately after the star’s unusual revelations emphasized that they take them very seriously. True, representatives of law enforcement agencies did not find a precedent for initiating a criminal case in Jackson’s words, but noted that an investigation could be launched if claims arise. The prosecutor's office even opened a hot telephone line- especially for those who believe that they have facts that can serve as evidence in a probable trial against Jackson.

And such evidence appeared. Nine months after the film was shown, a 13-year-old boy complained to his therapist that Jackson had allegedly molested him. The psychotherapist contacted the police, who searched the singer's ranch and found hundreds of videos of children who visited Jackson (however, it should be admitted that the filming was not of a sexual nature), as well as love letters and poems written by Jackson and dedicated to the children who visited his ranch .

I see the Lord in the faces of these children. I just love being around them. Yes, there are enough guest rooms in the house, but the children want to be with me. They often ask me if they can stay the night. And if their parents don't mind, I allow them to do this. What could be more natural than sharing your bed with someone? When you say the word "bed", you mean sex. Everything is wrong. We're just sleeping.

Michael Jackson

However, California authorities issued an arrest warrant for Jackson on charges of sexual abuse of minors. Jackson voluntarily surrendered to authorities and was released on $3 million bail pending the outcome of the investigation.

Incendiary "Rubba" in Neverland

The trial will begin with the selection of 12 jurors from the 750 candidates willing to participate in the Jackson case. This procedure is expected to take about a month. The trial itself, according to lawyers, will last at least six months.

The main witness for the prosecution will now be a 15-year-old teenager, whose name has not been disclosed. According to some reports, it was he who appeared in the documentary film by Martin Bashir, who was also summoned to court as a witness. The teenager's testimony was partially made public on an ABC News talk show in mid-January. At the same time, according to the judge’s decision, all materials in the case are closed. How the testimony of one of the key prosecution witnesses got to the TV channel employees is currently being determined by the investigation.

The leaked testimony has been described by some experts as "the most detailed evidence yet describing the physical relationship between Jackson and one of his alleged victims." So, according to the teenager, the most popular game among the boys at the ranch was called “Rubba” - supposedly according to its rules, the singer, arousing himself, rubbed himself against the bodies of the children.

In addition, representatives of the prosecution, headed by prosecutor Tom Sneddon, intend to provide the court with some “erotic materials” seized from the singer’s ranch in 2003. According to experts, these materials confirm that Jackson had a motive for the crime.

The former King of Pop is being defended by lawyer Thomas Mesereau Jr. He has represented the singer since April 2004, when he unexpectedly parted ways with his former lawyers Mark Geragos and Benjamin Brafman. The defense intends to present to the court testimony from other children who visited Jackson at the ranch. In particular, one of the defense witnesses, 17-year-old Ahmed Elatab, states the following: “Michael never molested any children or me personally. I never saw him behave strangely with any of the boys.” Regarding the plaintiff's claims, Elatab said: "I'm sure his parents just want money, and this is a chance for them to get rich."

Jackson himself maintains his innocence. On the eve of the opening of the trial, he posted a video message on his website in which he called for a fair trial of himself, adding that he believes in American justice. If Jackson is found guilty, he faces 3 to 8 years in prison for each of the ten counts.

Once - not a pedophile

This is not the first time Jackson has been accused of pedophilia. In 1993, the father of 13-year-old Jordan Chandler, whom Jackson allegedly molested, filed a lawsuit against the singer. However, the case did not go to trial: the proceedings lasted more than a year and ended with a settlement agreement, which, according to some sources, cost Jackson $20 million. The child refused to testify against the singer, and all charges against the latter were dropped.

In addition, as it became known during the investigation, in 1990, Jackson paid another $2 million in “compensation” to the son of a former employee of his ranch to prevent accusations of harassment. The 12-year-old did not testify against the singer, fearing that his friends would accuse him of homosexuality. The agreement between him and Jackson included a non-disclosure clause.

If Jackson fails to decisively justify himself this time, then others may follow this process. According to Robert Wegner, the star's former security guard, about 300 boys under 14 have passed through the singer's ranch since the early 1990s. Wegner claims that he saw the singer fondling his groin in the presence of children, rubbing himself against them, and also touching and caressing them. The huge fortune of the ex-king of pop music may simply not be enough to pay all the legal costs and possible compensation.

The Nature of Michael Jackson's Love

Probably the explanation unusual love the singer for children should be sought in Jackson's own childhood, which, especially in light of the oddities of this man's adult life, represents a fertile field of activity for psychoanalysts.

Michael Jackson was born on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana. He was the seventh of nine children in the poor family of steel mill worker Joe Jackson. When Michael was five years old, Joe put together the musical ensemble “The Jackson Five” from his five offspring. Moreover, he knocked them together in the literal sense of the word - as Michael’s sister, Latoya Jackson, writes in her autobiography, their father mercilessly beat them with a belt or a bamboo cane, forcing them to rehearse for 3-4 hours every evening. According to Latoya, Michael experienced constant humiliation from his father, whom he hated more and more every year.

It was during childhood that Michael began to develop a “black complex.” Moreover, paradoxically, this was due to his father, who could not stand blacks.

By the age of 14, when Michael was already a stage veteran in the family group“The Jackson Five”, another one was added to his problems - acne. Michael's character has changed noticeably: before, Jackson was very sociable and easily got along with people, but now he has withdrawn into himself. And although by the age of 16 the acne had completely disappeared, Jackson was never able to completely get rid of psychological consequences this trouble. One of them is excessive shyness, turning into timidity. It was probably after this that Michael began to meticulously monitor his appearance and the cleanliness of his environment, which later developed into a real mania.

Among other problems of the young talent, one should highlight the “sexual taboo” that existed in the Jackson family. All conversations on this topic were prevented, and if one of the brothers was seen in the company of a girl, then the father gave him a huge scandal, which, as a rule, ended in assault. According to Joe, who was the producer of the Jackson 5, the marriage of one of the brothers could interfere with the group's career.

The already accomplished singer explains his indifference to children by the fact that, having become an adult, he experiences the humiliations of childhood again and tries to get rid of this feeling by communicating with children and showing care and love for them. However, now the nature of Michael Jackson's love for children will be clarified by the court.

A couple more excerpts from a conversation with Bashir.

The first video was posted on the French website ElusiveShadow.com and was accompanied by a very interesting article examining manipulation tactics in journalism using the example of Bashir’s behavior in this interview, as well as revealing the topic of restrictions on freedom of speech in modern media. I present its translation in a slightly abbreviated form. Perhaps it is not entirely accurate in detail, since I first translated it from French into English using Google, but in general the meaning is preserved.

This footage was taken on January 14, 2003, several weeks before the first broadcast of Bashir's film. Michael Jackson is in Miami and has just learned of the sudden death of Maurice Gibb, a member of The Bee Gees. The day before the funeral, which he plans to attend, Michael answered questions from Martin Bashir - including about plastic surgery and the birth of his children. At some point that morning, the reporter decided to pause and stop filming, with only Michael Jackson's camera continuing to record. As a result, we see what we should not see.

In this video it is noticeable that the artist is much less tense than during the interview. He recalls the cinema and jokingly refers to his old hobby - “Cockney slang”: a special manner of speaking characteristic of the lower classes of the population in London. The essence of slang is replacement English words in sentences with rhyming phrases. For example, "stairs" becomes "apple and pears". Keith Badgery, who worked as Michael's driver during the Dangerous tour, awakened Michael's passion for Cockney slang.

However, behind the laughter and external ease of the interlocutors, one can see a clear manipulation of the singer’s mood: Bashir openly laughs with Michael, but does not hesitate to openly remind him that he best friend, perhaps she will die soon, because she is no longer young. The pause that followed and the sad expression on Michael Jackson's face speaks volumes about how these words affected him. A few minutes later, when the interview resumes, Bashir will choose next topic conversation specifically about Michael's friendship with Elizabeth Taylor.

This example allows us to examine in detail the methods of manipulation used in journalism. The media is often considered the "fourth estate" (after the executive, legislature and judiciary), and it is believed that they can control the crowd at will. Indeed, the risks of abuse of this power are many, and the history of journalism is replete with examples of how information is distorted at various points in the chain: in the choice of eyewitness, in the way questions are phrased, in the skillful editing of answers, and in the decision of which answers to keep and which to leave out.

However general public, tends to miss another problem: the pressure that today's journalists have to violate ethical standards, ignore certain facts, and favor some angles over others.

Manipulation in journalism

The Journalist Bill of Rights and Responsibilities requires “respecting the truth regardless of the consequences,” “not withholding material information,” “not using unfair methods to obtain information, photographs, or documents,” and even “making yourself respected.” privacy person."

While everything is obvious and simple on paper, in reality no one is immune from ethical flaws, and in front of the camera the interviewee is often in the position of a victim, even if the interview setup suggests the opposite. If a person is frightened by sudden attention, he may be more pliable, agree with someone else's opinion and not defend his point of view as forcefully as usual. If, on the other hand, he is excited by the presence of the camera, he may show excessive self-confidence that he would not show under other circumstances.

The journalist is naturally in the position of responsibility for assessing the importance of the words spoken and their correct use. Abuse can occur without violating professional ethics, simply by asking insufficiently deep questions. For example, a journalist may highlight the partial life experiences of an interviewee. Bound by restrictions on the length of the interview, he may emphasize aspects of the story that the interviewee would not like to emphasize.

For example, in the spring of 2009, France 2 released a report about the postponement of Michael Jackson's concert dates, which was just announced to fans. A team of reporters looked for a variety of people's reactions to the event, from fans upset by the news and angry spectators to those who were calm and understanding. The journalist was unable to gather feedback on his own and eventually turned to the site's team (ElusiveShadow.com) to help and act as "fan reaction experts." The site administrator agreed to answer questions over the phone and spent twenty minutes commenting in detail on the postponement of dates, the new schedule and public reactions.

During the broadcast in the evening, none of this was reflected in the program. The factual errors, corrected in the telephone conversation, were still present. The journalist was not a beginner: he had 25 years of experience and a good track record... and yet. Tight deadlines, problems in finding witnesses, editing a quick fix, an intern who was assigned the “field” job of collecting feedback... and this is the result: a story that was reported incorrectly, despite the reporter taking the time to interview.

But there are cases when journalistic excesses are directly related to the deliberate manipulation of a witness. There is a lot of research on the topic of psychological manipulation, especially in the context of studying the phenomenon of sectarianism. The fact that men and women who are sane and capable of critical thinking find themselves in the hands of guru leaders and accepting irrational beliefs has raised many questions about the mechanisms that allow certain people gain control over others.

The “Guru” gains influence over his victim gradually, as a result of a multi-stage brainwashing process. It would be premature to conclude that the journalistic episode with Jackson and Bashir is a typical example of brainwashing, but it contains a mechanism for putting the victim into a certain psychological state, based on well-known tactics that make it possible to get the opponent to agree with the reasoning desired by the manipulator.

Manipulation begins with the act of seduction. Since it is important for the interlocutor to think that an emotional relationship has been established with him, we pay attention to everything he says. The explanation is simple: if the victim can fall in love with the manipulator, she will be much more receptive to his demands.

In the case of Jackson's interview with Bashir, "seduction" is illustrated by a number of examples: the journalist endlessly flatters Michael Jackson, especially in matters where he feels insecure, such as when discussing his physical appearance. In an interview, the singer admitted that he does not like to look in the mirror. Martin Bashir dissuades him, says he is “sexy” so much so that “women will throw their knickers at the TV screen.”

Likewise, anyone who looks at Michael Jackson's public statements will notice his desperate need to be loved. This need was especially evident one day when the singer, who was then staying at a London hotel, threw out a pillowcase on which “Please love me always” was written in black marker. And repeatedly during the interview, Martin Bashir multiplies the compliments, giving the artist the illusion of love that he so desperately seeks.

Winning love is the first step to owning a person: once a trusting relationship is established, the victim has the feeling that he lives in a cocoon of love, he is listened to and understood. When Martin Bashir tells Jackson that he “wants to finally show the world what he’s really like,” he’s sending an underlying message: “I understand. I know who you are. I see what no one before me could see.” And Michael Jackson obviously responds well to this, because in an interview, in response to Bashir’s thoughts on the attitude towards celebrities, he replies: “You are above that, you are a respected journalist.”

Further, the mechanisms of mystification come forward: gradually the manipulator achieves a separation from reality in the mind of the victim. To do this, he takes on the role confident person, providing support to the victim, and hides his real issues. The victim perceives this as transparency. The double play was revealed in Michael Jackson's response film Take II, comparing what Martin Bashir said to the artist's face with the doubts he expressed off-screen.

The stage is now set for the victim to no longer exist as a unique and independent individual, but to become an "anonymous member of the group." "Everyone does plastic surgery!” - says Martin Bashir in an attempt to draw out Michael Jackson more information on this topic. AND this technique effective: as the singer himself admits, he is unpleasant that he is constantly singled out when many other stars also undergo operations to change their appearance.

The capture of the victim is usually reinforced by the manipulator's criticism of the victim's environment. For example, in a cult, the guru will point his finger at family, work colleagues, or an environment that is friendly to the new recruit. This destabilizes a person because it breaks his usual emotional connections. In Jackson's interview with Bashir, we see the reporter try several times to imply that Michael Jackson is not getting support: "Do you think your people are telling you what you want to hear? Are they sincere with you?

This analysis can be accused of one-sidedness and bias, but many media outlets also drew attention to the presence of manipulation in this interview. For example, below is a conversation that took place between Walter Rogers and Ah Jill on CNN in 2003:

A Jill: We're both professional journalists. What unpleasantly surprised me throughout the interview was the lack of professionalism with which it was conducted. […]

W. Rogers: He tried to act like he was Michael Jackson's friend. Is this a bona fide tactic?

A Jill: Definitely not. The interviewer is not your friend, just like the doctor is not your friend. He may act friendly, but he is not your friend. […] In my opinion, this is a very cowardly way of asking questions. I mean, obviously he initially got the interview through friendship, but once it comes down to it sensitive issues, he formulates them as follows: “When other people say that ...” or “How do you respond to accusations that ...”, as if implying by this: “On one side are you and me, and on the other are people who say terrible things about you." It's disgusting when an interviewer resorts to such techniques. He must have the courage to ask his own question. [...]

W. Rogers: You described the interview as “horrifying.” What did you mean?

And Jill: Honestly, when the interviewer pretends to be someone's friend, it's just scary... And the worst thing is that he was very friendly then, and added criticism later, in voice-over comments and inserts. In journalistic terms, this is simply immoral.

Journalism under pressure

Michael Jackson fans are often puzzled by the success of the tabloids. In addition, many are surprised that major magazines carefully avoid certain "sensitive" topics, such as Michael Jackson's relationship with Sony or the circumstances under which the artist agreed to the This Is It concerts. To gain a full understanding of press freedom issues, it is necessary to trace the origins of the economic model of the media.

At the beginning of the 18th century, newspapers were produced entirely by hand and were therefore scarce and expensive, requiring 55 workers to produce one copy. Gradually, industrialization and mechanization of labor increased the spread of the press and reduced the cost of its production: in 1870, thanks to the invention of the printing press, it was already possible to produce up to 300 newspapers per hour. In France, however, newspapers were still a luxury for the elite: schools were not compulsory (and would not become so until 1882), and literacy levels were extremely low. Moreover, newspapers were distributed by subscription and cost an average of 80 francs per year. By comparison, at that time servants earned barely more than 40 francs a month. That is, the cost of a newspaper subscription was equal to two months' income!

The press revolution began in 1836, when Émile de Girardin decided to halve subscription prices to make his newspaper more affordable. But how did this become possible? Previously, the subscription price fully covered the cost of producing the publication. Now this was no longer the case. Sales revenue was not enough to return the money invested in production. Therefore, a source of additional income was found: advertising. Girardin invented a new economic model that still works today: the unified market. The newspaper is sold not only to readers, but also to advertisers who pay for space on its pages.

If a newspaper has a large circulation, it provides advertisers with good visibility, so you can charge them a significant amount for publishing information. Conversely, if a newspaper sells less, it provides less audience coverage, so advertising in it costs less. The system seems to win both ways: it saves the reader, the advertiser distributes his advertising, paying a price proportional to the size target audience... and the owner of the newspaper compensates for his expenses. At that time, some cultural activists already expressed fears that the press would become a service to the needs of commerce, and criticized the press's intrusion into the masses through advertising. Louis Blanc, for example, wrote that journalism “will become a mouthpiece for conjecture and speculation.”

Now let's go back to modern times: today newspapers and magazines depend 50% on advertising. During economic crisis Advertising investment is down and media outlets are struggling to stay afloat. Many people have to go out of business. An example that fans can understand: Black & White magazine, the former official Michael Jackson fanzine that existed without advertising, began to struggle once the news flow dried up and competition from the Internet appeared. As a result, issues ceased to appear regularly and subscriptions became impossible to maintain.

The media depend on advertisers, and financial dependence inevitably raises the question of editorial dependence: can a journalist write whatever his heart desires in a newspaper? The answer is almost always no. Imagine if Sony bought an ad space in your magazine for a year to promote its 3D TVs, providing a significant portion of your income. As a journalist, are you then free to criticize Sony Music's business decisions? If you damage the company's image, they may withdraw investment from your magazine. And without financial support, your magazine will not survive. This example illustrates the conflict between posting information and protecting the advertiser.

It would be incorrect to talk about censorship here, because in most cases these mechanisms are not voiced, and the media do not receive explicit instructions to hold their tongues. Rather, there is a kind of self-censorship: the journalist limits himself and does not touch on certain “sensitive” topics. Therefore, it is understandable that a celebrity is a more convenient target than a businessman. Take, for example, the LVMH group led by Bernard Arnault. He owns brands such as Vuitton, Dior, Kenzo, Givenchy, Guerlain - brands that are regularly advertised in magazines. Can you blame Bernard Arnault for a newspaper column without risking losing LVMH's corporate support? Of course not.

In concluding the article, it is important to emphasize that it is not that journalism “lies”, but rather that journalism is “influenced”, which leads to the prioritization of information according to the economic threat it poses: news that causes potential harm to the advertiser , wrapped. This topic is taboo for many reasons: the media often position themselves as a cultural industry, and talking about them in economic terms is somewhat unconventional. Profitability is seen only as a means to the “fact-finding mission” and not as an end in itself, even though economic problems are the main headache in the life of every magazine.

The appearance of this excerpt from an interview with Martin Bashir is just an opportunity to mention these issues and highlight some of the controversial decisions that journalists sometimes make. These problems are not unique to France; they affect media all over the world, even the most famous publications.

Yan Runov, New York: British Martin Bashir's documentary about Michael Jackson, based on an interview with him, was a resounding success. ABC, which paid Bashir $5 million for the rights to show it, received the highest ratings that night: the film was watched by more than 27 million viewers. The emphasis placed by the author of the film was unexpected for Michael Jackson himself, who stated: “Everyone who knows me knows the truth: my children come first for me, I will never endanger or harm any child.” And further: “I believed Martin Bashir and let him into my life and into the life of my family because I wanted him to tell the truth, and he betrayed me. His program is terrible and unfair.”

After watching the film, many children's experts said that Michael Jackson should not be allowed near boys. And psychiatrist and director of a psychiatric hospital in Brewster, New York, Michael Nucitelli, said that Jackson is mentally ill and that he often loses his sense of reality. Doctor of psychology Patricia Farrell from New Jersey believes that Michael Jackson cannot be a father, because he does not perceive the world as it is. He lives with infantile fantasies. In the film, Michael Jackson admits that he still loves sleeping in the same bed with his friends' children. In an interview, he denied that he had undergone plastic surgery and called the changes in his face natural under the influence of time.

British journalist Martin Bashir spent 8 months seeking Michael Jackson's consent to an interview, promising to help the singer breathe new life into his artistic career, which clearly began to decline. But the result was the opposite: millions of viewers around the world witnessed the terrible state to which the once most popular singer had reached. Psychologist Patricia Farrell was shocked by footage of Michael Jackson holding his young son, Prince Michael II, outside a balcony. The doctor is outraged that the singer’s children do not know that they have a mother.

10 years ago, Michael Jackson was accused of pedophilia. To avoid bringing the case to trial, the singer paid the plaintiff about $20 million. But he has now admitted that he continues to share beds with boys (although he denied it was sexual in nature). As renowned New York lawyer Raoul Felder said, Jackson's confessions should prompt a judicial investigation.

Michael Jackson prepared a counter-film from those fragments of his interview that were thrown out by Martin Bashir. At first, it seemed that none of the major American television companies wanted to show it. Then everyone wanted it, but the singer preferred the Fox television company, which announced on Wednesday, February 12, that it would show the counter-film on February 20. The film is called "Michael Jackson, Part Two: The Interview They Didn't Show You."

On last week Jury selection has begun for the trial of Michael Jackson. The trial promises to be long and scandalous. "Power" brings to the attention of readers summary the first act of a soap opera that is sure to compete with any other entertainment offered by television and the press for the next six months.
The first appearance. Boy and singer
In 2000, Gavin Arviso was ten years old, but he had already experienced a lot. He was diagnosed with cancer. We had several serious operations. He spent almost most of his time in the hospital, which, however, was even good for him: at home the boy was awaited by parents who were always quarreling and fighting with each other and frightened, downtrodden sisters.
Television helped him forget about his illness, at least for a while. From one television program he learned about the international charity campaign “Make a Wish,” which is dedicated to fulfilling the cherished wishes of terminally ill or dying children. He talked about the transfer to his mother and said that he would like one of his idols to write to him - actors Jim Carrey, Chris Tucker, Adam Sandler. He put Michael Jackson in first place, of course, but was absolutely sure that his main idol would not find time to write to him. Nevertheless, Gavin wrote a letter to Michael Jackson with the help of his mother.
A few weeks later, Gavin's hospital phone rang. Michael Jackson, having read the boy's letter, wanted to talk to him on the phone. The first conversation lasted only a few minutes. Michael promised to call again. And he kept his word. The world celebrity and a ten-year-old teenager from Los Angeles became “phone friends.” They talked almost every day. Soon, gifts from Michael Jackson began to arrive at the hospital. Gavin was happy. And soon Janet told her son that as soon as he recovered enough to leave the hospital, they would all go together to Michael Jackson in Neverland.
The first trip to the estate of the famous singer took place in August 2000. Michael Jackson sent his own limousine to pick up Janet, Gavin and his sisters. Since then, the boy very often came to the singer’s estate, either accompanied by his mother or one of his relatives.

The second phenomenon. Same with the director
In 2002, another guest appeared at the Neverland estate - television journalist and director Martin Bashir. Bashir gained worldwide fame from a documentary film about Princess Diana, in which she spoke candidly about life in royal family. Bashir has repeatedly expressed a desire to meet Michael Jackson and interview him. Michael agreed.
The television journalist spent several months with Michael Jackson, filming his life in Neverland and communicating with his friends, including Gavin. Actually, it was thanks to Bashir that Gavin became a celebrity. Bashir's camera repeatedly captured moments of extraordinary friendship. Here Michael hugs the boy, here they walk holding hands through Neverland. Gavin says that Michael cured him of cancer.
The release of the film "Life with Michael Jackson" in 2003 created a real sensation. Not only was the great singer filmed walking and playing with teenage boys, but he also openly admitted to the camera that he shares his bed with them and does not see anything reprehensible in this. Martin Bashir, of course, did not call Michael Jackson a pedophile. There was no need for this. The footage from the film spoke for itself. Martin Bashir gave interviews in which he spoke of "deep concerns" about the influence of Michael Jackson on teenagers.
The singer tried to protest. He made several statements in which he accused Bashir of treason. A new film has appeared on the screens - "Michael Jackson, take two. The interview that they will never show you." It included footage from Jackson's own cameraman, who turned out to be filming Martin Bashir making a film about Michael Jackson. In "Take," Bashir did not seem at all concerned about the morals and health of Jackson's young friends. “Tears come to my eyes when I see you with these children. Your relationship is so natural, so caring, so kind,” Bashir enthusiastically told Jackson.
The resonance generated by the films was enormous. Show business stars and Jackson fans came to the defense of Michael Jackson from the traitorous reporter. Janet Arviso also had her say. She was outraged by Bashir's insinuations, as well as the fact that her son was interviewed without parental consent. In all the interviews she gave at that time, a mandatory part of the program was a promise to sue the journalist. However, the lawsuit never came to fruition. The Arviso family suddenly disappeared from the field of view of journalists.

The third phenomenon. Same with the prosecutor
It is quite possible that the "film war" would have eventually been forgotten if Santa Barbara County District Attorney Thomas Sneddon had not intervened in the case. He had a long-standing and not at all friendly relationship with Michael Jackson.
Ten years before the events described, charges of seducing a minor had already been brought against Michael Jackson. The parents of teenager Jordan Chandler have appealed to District Attorney Thomas Sneddon to protect their son from being molested by the pop star. Sneddon set to work with extraordinary zeal. Someone explained this zeal by solid moral principles prosecutor (Sneddon is a deeply religious Christian, the father of nine children, his wife is a writer who has devoted herself to writing books on how to raise children in a Christian spirit). Others explained Sneddon's zeal as a desire to become famous (by that time he had already served as Santa Barbara's district attorney for ten years without any hope of further career development).
However, no matter what explains the activity of the prosecutor who opened the case of corruption of minors, it did not bring him anything good. Jordan Chandler refused to testify, his parents withdrew their statement, entering into an out-of-court settlement with Jackson settlement agreement. It was rumored that the rock singer paid $30 million for the boy’s silence, but this did not make it any easier for Sneddon. Moreover, in agreement with Jackson's lawyers, the Chandlers promised never to bring any charges against the singer again and never testify against him in court.
Sneddon added insult to injury. Jackson's 1995 album HIStory featured the song "DS" about Don Sheldon, who waged a dirty war against the song's hero. Neither the public nor the district attorney himself doubted that Don Sheldon should be understood as Tom Sneddon.
The experience of ten years ago clearly benefited Tom Sneddon. In the fall of 2003, when the Bashir film scandal seemed to be winding down, the District Attorney's Office conducted a surprise search of Michael Jackson's estate. As reported from the department, computer hard drives with pornographic images, many cassettes with pornographic films and magazines with similar content were seized. Everything collected testified to Michael Jackson's unhealthy fascination with teenage boys. A few days later, prosecutor Sneddon issued an arrest warrant for Michael Jackson, who was accused of corrupting minors. The main witness for the prosecution, as journalists found out, was Janet Arviso and her son Gavin.

The fourth phenomenon. Same with the lawyer
On the recommendation of his lawyers, in late 2003, Michael Jackson brought himself to justice, spent several hours in jail, and then appeared in court, where he was formally charged with nine counts of indecent assault of a minor, two counts of drunkenness of a minor, and one count of kidnapping. minor. The accused pleaded not guilty and was released on bail.
Jackson's main defense attorney was Thomas Mesereau Jr., one of the most famous criminal defense lawyers in the United States. His track record includes a short stint as a legal adviser to Mike Tyson, whom he successfully defended against rape charges, and a dozen successful trials in which the defendants faced the death penalty.
Mesereau's favorite defense tactic is attack. Jackson's lawyers did not justify their client. They began to blame the accusers. Almost in all public speaking Mesereau and his assistants are talking about what the defense calls "the personal vendetta of the prosecutor." It is impossible, they say, to expect a person who has a burning hatred for Michael Jackson to obey the law. Therefore, you should not pay attention to the evidence collected by Sneddon. They are either fabricated or presented to the public and the court in a manner unfavorable for the singer.
There is no trust in the main prosecution witnesses either. For several years, Janet Arviso admired her son's friendship with Michael Jackson. After the release of Martin Bashir's film, she was one of the first to call it libelous. Gavin Arviso himself was also an active defender of Jackson and repeatedly spoke of his affection for the singer. Now he is the main witness for the prosecution. "What caused this strange metamorphosis?" - Jackson's lawyers ask the question and answer themselves: the sudden change in the Arviso family's attitude towards Michael Jackson occurred immediately after Janet and Gavin were summoned for questioning by the district attorney's office. It was then that Janet Arviso, who had previously said that Michael Jackson was helping her and her children hide from the ubiquitous journalists, suddenly announced that she and the children were forcibly held in Neverland.
Lawyers can't yet say what motivates Gavin and Janet. Are they victims of intimidation by the district attorney or banal hunters for Michael Jackson's millions? But, lawyers say, they intend to find out all this in court, the honesty and impartiality of which there is no doubt.

Fifth phenomenon. Same with the judge
Judge Rodney S. Melville, who is presiding over the trial, is one of the most controversial figures in California. He rose to national prominence in the mid-1990s by becoming the first high-ranking judge to publicly admit to being an alcoholic. In his own words, he became addicted to alcohol in Boy Scout camps, when he was 12 years old. Through his efforts, special courts for alcoholics and drug addicts were opened in California, which sentence the accused not to prison, but send them for rehabilitation to the appropriate clinics in the state.
It is said that it was because of Judge Melville's special attitude towards alcohol and alcoholism that the district attorney decided to add cases of underage drinking to Jackson's list of charges, pitting the judge against the accused in advance. However, until now the judge seems to have done everything to ensure that no one could accuse him of bias. According to many experts, Judge Melville gave the widest opportunities to both the prosecution and the defense. For example, granting the district attorney's request to show the jury scandalous film Everyone considered Martin Bashir a huge victory for the prosecution. On the other hand, the judge's decision that fifteen-year-old Gavin Arviso will testify in person in court, which the defense insisted on, is called a victory for the lawyers: they will be given the opportunity to cross-examine the witness.
However, the task facing a judge—to ensure a fair and impartial trial—seems almost impossible to many. In mid-January, just before the start of jury selection, the newspapers published the text of the testimony that Gavin Arviso gave during the preliminary investigation in the absence of Michael Jackson's lawyers. The testimony is so frank and shocking that not a single decent newspaper dared to publish it in full. The most decent story was about how Michael Jackson almost forcibly tried to give Gavin wine. The testimony was confirmed by the words of one of the witness’s sisters, who, however, admitted that she herself was not present, but learned about everything from her brother. Where the newspapers received the text, banned by the judge from publication, remains unknown.

End of the first act
Formally, the trial on charges of seducing a minor against Michael Jackson began last Monday, when the jury selection process began. From 700 applicants, 12 primary jurors and seven alternates must be selected. Given the obvious desire of the prosecution and defense to have as many people convenient for them on the jury as possible, this process will last at least a month.
About two billion people witnessed the beginning of this, the second act of the documentary soap opera. Leading US television networks, as well as many television channels in Europe and Asia, broadcast live from the courtroom in Santa Maria.
As for the third, main act, which will begin when the jury is sworn in, the number of spectators is completely impossible to calculate. More than 50 TV channels will cover the trial on a daily basis with regular live broadcasts from the courthouse. Considering that almost every channel has its own website, where you can also find out news from the trial, the number of daily viewers will significantly exceed the two billion who watched Michael Jackson enter the courtroom on January 31.
Only astrologers, who promise Michael Jackson a conviction, are more or less confident in predicting the results of the trial. Legal experts are preparing the public for a long process and a completely unpredictable result. “We have a multimillionaire who is the idol of millions of people around the world, an anti-him district attorney who is ready to do anything, and several witnesses who apparently changed their testimony throughout this story,” says one California lawyer. All this makes the process completely unpredictable."