# Michael Jackson: Pedo or hellno? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 2, 2013, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-pedo-or-hellno/670215 "2013-10-02T21:51:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-pedo-or-hellno/670215/21 "2013-10-03T00:08:33Z")
He was a sick fuck. With a great voice. What else matters now? ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-pedo-or-hellno/670215/22 "2013-10-03T00:34:55Z")
Hellyes. I think that the whole thesis of ‘never had a childhood’ is a total journey into madness itself. So, what? “Never had a childhood”…what does that mean? It’s a bunch of nonsense. Said person did have a childhood. It was a working childhood, with rewards attendant. When I was a child, I always was working. At school. At home. I couldn’t do what I want, and play with monkeys, and have dancing bears and McCauley Culkin wouldn’t come by and sleep with me. When I grew up, I had no desire to sleep with children, clothed or naked. MJ was a child molester. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-pedo-or-hellno/670215/23 "2013-10-03T00:53:00Z")
Guilty. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-pedo-or-hellno/670215/24 "2013-10-03T01:42:37Z")
I would not be _surprised_ if he were a pedo. But I think [South Park’s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jeffersons_%28South_Park%29) explanation is good: it’s possible that he may not have done anything sexual, but he was still a terrible parent and role model with some serious issues. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-pedo-or-hellno/670215/25 "2013-10-03T02:08:03Z")
I don’t think he sexually abused any children. But I think he way overstepped the mark on what was acceptable, and his apparent inability to understand why what he was doing was unethical and foolish was no excuse. ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-pedo-or-hellno/670215/26 "2013-10-03T02:24:54Z")
I think he was wicked rich, and more than a little on the weird side, and didn’t INTEND to do any harm to anyone, or INTEND any sexual connotations with what he was doing with the whole Neverland fiasco. Obviously, the man did not live in the real world. I do however think that is unrelated to his parenting - I think he tried to be a good father, because he felt that his own father was too harsh. His children aren’t nearly as screwed up as they could be (whether or not they’re biologically his) and I think he did love them and care for them as best he was able. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-pedo-or-hellno/670215/27 "2013-10-03T03:17:12Z")
Well, there’s that serious suicide attempt by Paris Jackson, that sounds pretty screwed up. I sincerely hope she gets better and gets to live in some privacy, but that doesn’t sound possible in this day and age. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-pedo-or-hellno/670215/28 "2013-10-03T04:18:58Z")
I think it’s telling that while he was married to Lisa Marie Presley, she didn’t allow her children to live with them in Neverland; they stayed with their father. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-pedo-or-hellno/670215/29 "2013-10-03T06:29:50Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > I think it’s telling that while he was married to Lisa Marie Presley, she didn’t allow her children to live with them in Neverland; they stayed with their father. Meh. It’s probably because Neverland didn’t have a ride where you escape from Xenu. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-pedo-or-hellno/670215/30 "2013-10-03T06:38:28Z")
I also wonder if I had had ‘no childhood’ if I could get a pass for sleeping with a 7 year-old girl? I mean, I never had girls for friends when I was a child. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-pedo-or-hellno/670215/31 "2013-10-03T06:39:37Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Meh. It’s probably because Neverland didn’t have a ride where you escape from Xenu. Isn’t “Xenu” MJ’s nickname for his penis? ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-pedo-or-hellno/670215/32 "2013-10-03T06:48:48Z")
[I’m going with pedo.](http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/crime/case-against-michael-jackson) ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-pedo-or-hellno/670215/33 "2013-10-03T07:38:48Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > Do we really need to debate anything? > [@handsomeharry](#): > > MJ was a child molester. Oh for crying out loud. You think you know more about what actually happened then the judge and jury who sat through a five month [MJ’s tria](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_of_Michael_Jackson) > [@](#): > > People v. Jackson (full case name: 1133603: The People of the State of California v. Michael Joseph Jackson) was a 2005 trial involving recording artist Michael Jackson. A thirteen-year-old boy Jackson had befriended, Gavin Arvizo, accused him of sexual abuse. Jackson was indicted for four counts of molesting a minor, four counts of intoxicating a minor in order to molest him, one count of attempted child molestation, and one count of conspiring to hold the boy and his family captive at his 2,700-acre (11 km2) Neverland Ranch, as well as conspiring to commit extortion and child abduction. He denied all counts. On June 13, 2005, the jury found Jackson not guilty on all fourteen charges, which included all of the above plus four lesser-included misdemeanor counts. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-pedo-or-hellno/670215/34 "2013-10-03T07:40:05Z")
> [@Balance](#): > > we must bomb Saskatchewan, because the pigeons have warned him that the wendigo are massing their forces… Thank God the word is getting out! ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-pedo-or-hellno/670215/35 "2013-10-03T07:47:44Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > Oh for crying out loud. You think you know more about what actually happened then the judge and jury who sat through a five month [MJ’s tria](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_of_Michael_Jackson) Sure. I know more than OJ Simpson’s jury, too. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-pedo-or-hellno/670215/36 "2013-10-03T09:01:40Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > Oh for crying out loud. You think you know more about what actually happened then the judge and jury who sat through a five month [MJ’s tria](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_of_Michael_Jackson) Well, as the trial was public, and extremely well publicised, and there was plenty of stuff that wasn’t admitted at trial, then yes, I know more than them. Saying that what he did was wrong and harmful, and saying that he was guilty beyond reasonable doubt of a crime, are not the same thing. Jackson used children for emotional gratification, certainly. Whether for sexual pleasure, I don’t know. But even what we do know means his actions were wrong and harmful. ---
**Author:** ![BrokenBriton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@BrokenBriton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrokenBriton)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-pedo-or-hellno/670215/37 "2013-10-03T09:20:55Z")
Classy thread. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-pedo-or-hellno/670215/38 "2013-10-03T09:23:37Z")
How many times could someone be accused by pubescent boys of inappropriate conduct before you’d think they might be a molester? What if no matter the enormous public relations disaster, court cases, monetary settlements, they continue to associate with pubescent boys in a manner most grown men would find inappropriate(sleep overs, international trips, showering together) and showed no signs of stopping? Is there any amount of smoke that might make you think you know there could be a fire to go along with this. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-pedo-or-hellno/670215/39 "2013-10-03T11:20:39Z")
> [@BrokenBriton](#): > > Classy thread. Joe? Or Katherine? ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-pedo-or-hellno/670215/40 "2013-10-03T11:29:30Z")
I don’t know if he was pedo. But I strongly suspect he crossed enough boundaries that the word “creepy” is very apt. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-pedo-or-hellno/670215.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-pedo-or-hellno/670215.md?page=3)