Michael Jackson, The King of Pop, died nearly 10 years ago.
The world was reeling from the 2008 financial crisis. Banks deemed ‘too big to fail’ got a pass on their immoral decisions; the indispensability of these companies let us overlook their indiscretion, supposedly. Ten years later, with #MeToo defining this decade, the world is now asking – is the King ‘too big to fail’? And this time, an easy pass does not seem imminent. Michael Jackson may be the greatest, but can we overlook the accusations?
Child molestation?
In March, Dan Reed’s documentary Leaving Neverland entered our homes and public discussion; in it Wade Robson and James Safechuck credibly accuse Michael Jackson of child molestation. With the realisation that the King is more fallible than we’d like to admit, we are forced to respond. There are three obvious responses: to stop listening to and purchasing his music; to defend him, assuming the allegations are false; or to keep consuming his music, choosing to separate the person of Michael Jackson from the music of Michael Jackson.
