antiMUSIC is pleased to welcome aboard
with Chuck DiMaria, who will be giving us his 2 cents every week on a variety
of music topics.
As always the views expressed
by the writer do not neccessarily reflect the views of antiMUSIC or the
iconoclast entertainment group
.
Freak Show 2004
Once upon a time, there was something known
as a Freak Show. Travelling carnivals and circuses would have their
bearded ladies, midgets, giants and any other abnormality you could sell
a ticket for. If it was something that made you gasp and stare, it
was on the menu.
Well, we really don’t have Freak Shows
anymore. At least we don’t call them that; it wouldn’t be politically
correct.
But that’s ok. You can still get
your fill of human oddities and mutated DNA by flipping on the six o’clock
news.
It’s called The Michael Jackson Molestation
Trial.
Here’s the condensed version: a multi-millionaire
pop star is being charged with child molestation. Now, on paper that
sounds pretty simple: You got the plaintiff, the defendant, you state your
case and then wait to see what a jury of your peers has to say.
And now here’s the problem: Ain’t no way
M.J. is getting convicted.
Even if he did it, I sincerely doubt he’s
going to ever serve time. Write a check, perhaps, but nothing by
way of incarceration.
I’m not here to try and convict Michael
Jackson. That’s up to the lawyers and the judge and jury. What
I am going to say is what the hell were you thinking, Mike?
Now in this great nation of ours, we have
this little saying: Innocent until proven guilty. And I believe in
that whole-heartedly because it’s one of the many things that makes this
a great nation.
However, there are some people out there
who are just begging for a conviction. And you can only hammer so
many nails into your own coffin until they have no choice but to bury you.
For example, what the hell is a grown man
doing hosting pre-teen sleepovers at his estate? Explain this to
me, and use small words because I really want to understand this.
I have enough trouble trying to convince
my credit card companies that I’m good for an increase. How did some
guy actually sell a multitude of parental units on this idea?
First of all, the person in question has
other allegations of child molestation in his past. Now, guilty or
innocent, that should give most people pause for thought. (Or at
least one would think.)
However, there seemed to still be slumber
parties galore at Neverland Ranch, even after said allegations were made
and a check was sent to the offending little cherub.
I, for one, have a problem with this -
but it seems that no parents did. And that’s sad. It’s one
thing to let a television baby-sit your kids, it’s entirely another thing
when the baby-sitter is being accused of child molestation.
And then he goes on national television
and says that he shares his bed with the kids? The statement was
so ridiculous that I immediately thought I had misunderstood the guy, but
he wasn’t kidding.
Now, I’m not gonna lie to you: There have
been several times during my youth when, after a nightmare, I climbed into
bed with my parents. And I would venture to say that many of you
have similar stories.
To say there is any similarity between
that and a late-night grope-fest at Neverland is absurd.
How did this all happen?
I’m thinking it’s because he’s a star.
That’s the only thing that makes any sense – even though it makes no sense
at all when you think about it.
Is he a talented guy? Yeah, sure…no
question about it. But so freakin’ what? What has that got
to do with anything? What does the fact that he dances really well
have to do with a pre-pubescent slumber party hosted by a man in his forties?
I just don’t get it.
And I’m sorry, but I don’t want to hear
any of this BS that he didn’t have a childhood and that’s why he surrounds
himself with children. That’s a crock, people. Childhood lasts
for how long? How many years constitute a childhood? Well, he’s been
doing this for an awfully long time, so I’d say he’s caught up on all those
lost years.
And what the hell does a slumber party
over at Neverland have to do with any of that, anyway? You want to
not grow up? Great, don’t grow up. Act like a kid: Eat lots
of popcorn and ice cream, watch Saturday morning cartoons, say, “I know
you are, but what am I” over and over again. You can even run with
scissors. Go crazy, Mike – have at it.
But sharing your bed with children?
I just don’t see it.
And I don’t care if you did have a hand
in writing We Are The World; it still doesn’t make it right.
However, there seem to be a whole bunch
of parental units our there who disagree with me.
A popular view held by the pro-Michael
camp is that these accusers are merely in it for the money. And,
sadly, I’d have to say that is a very real scenario. There are plenty
of people out there who would gladly put their kids in harm’s way if the
possibility of a fat check at the end of the rainbow exists.
However, let’s go back to the “sharing
the bed with children” comment, shall we?
Look, you want to open up your amusement
park to a bunch of kids under parental supervision, that’s great.
Wonderful. Outstanding.
Wanna donate money to charity? Brilliant.
Inspiring.
But using your celebrity status and wealth
to blind parents and lure children? Well, I don’t know what to tell
you, Mike.
Actually, I do know what to tell you, but
I’ll keep it to myself because there might be kids reading this.
But to all the parents who actually sent
their kids to the Freak Show, I have only one question: Aren’t you ashamed?
That’s my two cents, now gimme my change.
Chuck DiMaria is Los Angeles
based musician, actor and antiMUSIC columnist (his resume goes on). Check
out his website ChuckDiMaria.com
for more of his writings, MP3s and more (be sure to read about his adventures
in online dating!!) Plus be sure check out the site for his band Under
Pressure.
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