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A Real-Life Fairy Tale: Michael Jackson and Me – Talitha Linehan (author)
march 15, 2021 by simon omnes, posted in actor, art, artists, book, films, history, music, radio, reviews, television
“IF YOU WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT MICHAEL JACKSON, THEN GO DIRECTLY TO THE SOURCE.” – MICHAEL JACKSON
Born in 1985, I witnessed Michael Jackson’s impact on pop culture and the reactions around him. Love for him; or contempt and mockery. Latter reflected in rags, magazines, and newspapers who attacked the singer. And although some embarked into their filth, I did not. Because those persistent attacks in demeaning everything about him were suspicious and smelled of bully vendetta against an artist who got success others wished they got; alongside attempts from certain media and celebrities to cover up their skeletons by attacking him. Especially when so many of the singer’s attackers/gossipers were caught with allegations. So even in 2005 and 2009, I only felt sympathy for the man. Though it wasn’t until the appearance of that debunked HBO flop-doc in 2019 that I snapped and decided to study the singer, his work, and life.
And from the moment I watched the 1992 Bucharest concert and saw that man’s authenticity glittering on stage; I strengthened my research. Analysing the personal accounts of more than 150 people who shared their experience with Michael Jackson (work, friendship, family, fan, etc.) and whose interviews are in podcasts, books, websites, tv shows, etc. Noticing right away how they all had good things to say about Michael. How, regarding those who interacted with the accusers (Arvizos, Robsons, Safechucks, Chandlers), they all had negative experiences with them. Which was confirmed when you explored their history and noticed that they have despicable backgrounds and antecedents exposing their hypocrisy and how they are scammers and liars.
So as to who is Michael Jackson, the best sources to report proper facts are not magazines, UK tabloids, or web rags, but rather people who interacted with him. And this book is another crucial testimonial worth discovering.
Written by Talitha Linehan, A real-life fairy tale: Michael Jackson and Me allows her to recount her many personal experiences with Michael Jackson. From her concert experiences to her visits in Neverland Ranch; up to personal encounters and phone discussions with the singer around Las Vegas and Los Angeles from 2007-2009. Position few enjoyed as she got in close contact with the singer and saw many times how he interacted with others. Always reporting the same facts. That he was kind, conscientious with others, and did not tolerate nastiness. Especially on fans as Talitha once reported to him how a bodyguard terrified fans with police threats and MJ fired the man fast.
Another detail I love from Talitha’s book is how she was in the audience of the 2005 trial thanks to her press passes; seeing what occurred on the stands and among the reporters. Indeed, she confirmed how the Arvizos were deceptive, liars, and conmen; but also how racist District Attorney Tom Sneddon was toward Michael Jackson and Chris Tucker. Confirming how Sneddon used a racist slur that shocked everyone in the room but was barely reported in the press. Of the medias, Talitha denounced how almost all the reporters in the room knew and admitted that the accusers were liars and that Michael was innocent, yet they distorted what was reported in court, barely mentioning what was revealed about the Arvizos, and branded MJ as a guilty man. Which shows how these people knew the truth, yet attacked the man because they went where the money flowed and out of a witch hunt agenda some media figures have over the singer.
Another detail I loved was Talitha’s recount of her dialogues with Michael Jackson, where you could see how genuine he was with his fans. But also ready to interact with them and share a good laugh. Even praising Talitha and her friend when they did a poster mocking Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker who disrupted Michael Jackson’s Earth Song performance at the Brit Music Awards 1996. Poster that they showed at one of MJ’s concert, which caught the singer’s attention and made him laugh. And which shows to us MJ’s disgust toward that obnoxious show-off who disrespected him and who tried to retranspose his own narcissism upon MJ. Which defines Jarvis Cocker as the epitome of hypocrisy. Another wonderful moment to mention is all the chats Talitha had with Michael’s kids; where she confirms, like so many people who interacted with MJ, how polite, kind, intelligent, and humble they are and how Michael raised them well, which Martin Bashir’s slander doc had tried to brand up against the singer.
Furthermore, she also mentions her position in the fandom. How several fans adored and envied her, while others despised her and were hostile, acting like they were the best ambassador for MJ while demonising, attacking, and mistreating other fans whom they felt weren’t worthy of being in the fandom. Something that I noticed also in the Harry Potter fandom, which I fled fast in 2005; and which I denounce and condemn further recently due to the various witch hunts I saw in the fandom toward J K Rowling and Johnny Depp. Attacks coming from HP influencers and fan sites who make money out of JKR’s and JD’s work and who ignore the voices of many fans and non-fans who stand with Jo and Johnny. Of course, I know opinions are high on these two. But when you do your research on what these two state and reveal, then you quickly realize how the attacks on them are unfounded and how many in the public and in the media (ex: South Park) stand with them both.
As for the hostile fans who attacked Talitha, the way a certain Gollum treated her and Michael Jackson in 2009 is horrible and it makes me wonder how that Judas sleeps at night, knowing that had it not been for that Gollum intervention, the other fans could have told their warnings to MJ sooner and maybe MJ would have stopped the This Is It project and would not have passed away at the hands of Conrad Murray.
About the book itself, the prose is well written. Poetic, yet concise. Captivating and detailed, we enter the action of the events Talitha experienced. And it is wonderful that she got to present photos of herself and MJ; from her personal archives and from paparazzi. That way it confirms the veracity of her story and how there are countless proofs of her interactions with Michael.
As for the cover, I adore the motif and design used as an ancient leather texture, though of course it is printed on glossed paper. Which is too bad for I do think, considering the excellent quality of this book, that it deserves a leather cover.
In conclusion, whether or not you are a fan of Michael Jackson, it is important to read this book. For it is through books like these that one can tell the truth about who is Michael Jackson. Since, as stated by Talitha and others like Céline Dion who met and defended Michael, it is only by your personal encounters with someone that you can tell who someone is. Not through dodgy tabloid magazines filled with evil agendas that lie about others to make money out of impressionable people who take everything at face value and don’t question what they read or watch on TV/YouTube.
And for those of you who might find it weird my insistence at defending people like Michael Jackson, Johnny Depp, and others (ex: Woody Allen), well I consider my personal experience with a prima donna celebrity who followed me online and with whom I became friends with for four months a perfect experience as to who and what is an abusive and problematic celebrity and what is not such a person. Of that story, which I compiled in this gallery as it is exhaustive, consider it an optional/extra reading to this blog post. A moment of my life that influenced quite a lot my personal perspectives over celebrities, media, and their hypocrisies.
