# Why are Michael Jackson's kids white? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 1, 2010, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-michael-jacksons-kids-white/527201 "2010-02-01T03:49:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2010, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-michael-jacksons-kids-white/527201/61 "2010-02-02T17:52:05Z")
What? For serious? The boys both have Michael’s very distinctive\* jawline, his cheekbones and his eyes. This is coming from someone who always has a lot of trouble saying that a kid has his father’s/mother’s nose, or his grandma’s cheekbones or whatever. I mean, I have trouble finding similarities between generations, so for me to see the similarities between MJ and HIS\* kids means it’s really really obvious. - People looked at me oddly for years when I’d say that the prettiest part of MJ was his jawline, but I’m serious. - They’re HIS, for god’s sake. Even IF you believe they aren’t biologically related to him (which is a load of shit), he obviously was their dad. I really hope all you people saying he wasn’t would say the same thing to any adopted child. Oh wait, no, I hope you _don’t_, because it’s incredibly crass and uncaring. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2010, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-michael-jacksons-kids-white/527201/62 "2010-02-02T17:54:15Z")
I don’t think it means they’re not really his kids. I just mean biologically–I don’t see any resemblance at all. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2010, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-michael-jacksons-kids-white/527201/63 "2010-02-02T17:59:29Z")
Blanket is the only one who looks like he might be Michael’s kid. There’s an outside chance that Prince and Paris are his, due to genetic wierdness, but it’s much much more likely that MJ used sperm donors for his first two. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-michael-jacksons-kids-white/527201/64 "2010-02-02T18:40:20Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > In many locations, the sperm donor is the legal/biological father. Huh? A sperm donor is certainly the **biological** father of any child(ren) produced by impregnating a woman with his sperm, but AFAIK anonymous sperm donors aren’t presumed to be the **legal** father of any such children. What “locations” are you thinking of where this is the case? ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2010, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-michael-jacksons-kids-white/527201/65 "2010-02-02T22:46:37Z")
Wow, those pictures of Prince really do look like MJ. Especially in the eyes. I agree with **DiosaBellissima** - it’s much more interesting to invent kooky stories about surgery and bleaching, but the reality is likely much more mundane. Around the Bad era he also started wearing medical bandaging on his arms as well. We all thought it was a new fashion statement… I had a teacher with vitiligo, a Black guy. His skin was lighter than a White person’s, except around his eyes (eyelids). And of course he had blotches of dark skin. It would be much easier for him to camouflage his skin (if he chose to do so) with the lighter skin than the dark, which was essentially nonexistent except for the few patches on his face. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2010, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-michael-jacksons-kids-white/527201/66 "2010-02-02T23:02:35Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > As mentioned upthread, if you started going “dalmatian” you might be tempted to take extreme measures, too. In fact, it may have been a factor in his messed up view of his own body. The psychological impact of vitiligo can be more serious than the physical for dark skinned people. Speaking as someone who has vitiligo, this is true. The effects are devastating to body image and self-esteem. I am a naturally pale (total WASP with reddish hair) white woman and vitiligo is hell for me–I cannot imagine the difficulties black people have with it. But I agree that Jacko had major body issues, far beyond his vitiligo… I don’t really care who his kids look like. I just hope none of them grow up into complete messes. Oh, and the google link won’t let you see the full size pic of the 2 girls; I think something is wrong with the page the pic is on. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2010, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-michael-jacksons-kids-white/527201/67 "2010-02-02T23:08:58Z")
One of my neighbors had just moved in and was trick or treating with her six year old daughter. The mom had classic Irish features – long red hair and green eyes. Meanwhile her daughter was clearly African American and looked almost nothing like her except for being also quite tall for her age and long limbed. I said nothing but I wondered just a little bit. And then I met her Haitian father. Same thing with the French Canadian woman down the block, her Chinese husband and her very Asian looking children. You never know. ---
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2010, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-michael-jacksons-kids-white/527201/68 "2010-02-02T23:51:51Z")
I don’t think that Paris came from Michael’s sperm. Her nose is too thin, as are her lips. And none of those 3 kids have any curl to their hair. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-michael-jacksons-kids-white/527201/69 "2010-02-03T00:07:22Z")
> [@BMax](#): > > And none of those 3 kids have any curl to their hair. My entire family on both sides has bone straight hair-- thick, Italian bone straight hair and thin, waspy bone straight hair. My hair is curly. Am I adopted? _Need answer fast._ ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-michael-jacksons-kids-white/527201/70 "2010-02-03T00:15:00Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > My entire family on both sides has bone straight hair-- thick, Italian bone straight hair and thin, waspy bone straight hair. > > My hair is curly. > > Am I adopted? _Need answer fast._ Yes, you were. Your father was… Michael Jackson! I don’t understand the fixation on physical resemblance. Sure, it can (and does) happen in some families, but not all, and it signifies nothing. My sister has olive skin, brown hair and eyes and is short. I am tall (for a woman), blue eyed, blonde with fair skin. And yet, neither of our parents had affairs. How shocking! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-michael-jacksons-kids-white/527201/71 "2010-02-03T00:16:43Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > Yes, you were. Your father was… Michael Jackson! I did find it odd when I learned the my first words were apparently, “Shamone! Ahh HEE HEE!” Now it all makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-michael-jacksons-kids-white/527201/72 "2010-02-03T00:19:11Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > I did find it odd when I learned the my first words were apparently, “Shamone! Ahh HEE HEE!” Now it all makes sense. Mama-say, mama-sah, mamkusah… (I have no idea how to spell any of that!) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-michael-jacksons-kids-white/527201/73 "2010-02-03T00:27:02Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > Mama-say, mama-sah, mamkusah… (I have no idea how to spell any of that!) 😃 Well, I mean, I guess if you wanna be startin’ something, you’ve got to be startin’ something. . . ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-michael-jacksons-kids-white/527201/74 "2010-02-07T21:12:45Z")
Here is a [“baby daddy morph”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z4iN2S7cgI) of pictures of Dr. Arnie Klein and Debbie Rowe. The technology and software behind it is really quite sophisticated, it uses key facial feature matching and superimposition rather than Photoshop cut and paste. ( [morphthing.com](http://www.morphthing.com)) Compare them to these pictures of [Paris and Prince](http://blogs.babble.com/strollerderby/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/michael-jackson-family-album-3-paris-and-prince-with-dyed-hair.jpg) and [Prince and Paris](http://www.paris-michael-katherine-jackson.com/tag/picture-of-paris-jackson/). I think they are brother and sister genetically, but Michael isn’t the father. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-michael-jacksons-kids-white/527201/75 "2010-02-08T00:42:05Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > Mama-say, mama-sah, mamkusah… (I have no idea how to spell any of that!) 😃 Ma Ma Se, Ma Ma Sa, Ma Ma Coo Sa Ma Ma Se, Ma Ma Sa, Ma Ma Coo Sa [here](http://www.lyricsfreak.com/m/michael+jackson/wanna+be+startin+somethin_20092834.html) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-michael-jacksons-kids-white/527201.md?page=3)