[Cerek the Barbaric]

Originally posted by Animal: Why do you feel sorry for MJ? Did he lose the greatness? No, he doesn't want it anymore. He doesn't want the spotlight, glamour, fame, tabloids, or BS in general and who can blame him? He wants to live his life the way HE wants to. That's no reason to feel bad.

Why do I feel sorry for MJ? Because he went from having the world at his fingertips to having it at his throat. And it has largely been due to his own...seemingly....eccentric behavior.

Once he started to lose favor of the public, the media that had always idolized him was just as quick to ostracize him. And when the tides turned on him, Michael reacted like a spoiled child who was no longer getting his way.

I think you made a very accurate observation when you said "he never had a chance to be a kid". If you look at all of his "odd behavior"...it is considered "odd" because he reacts in a very "child-like" manner many times.

You claim he no longer wants the spotlight...I disagree. He has been in the spotlight his entire life. He may not like all the extra trappings that go with it, but I think that he has a deep, subconscious fear of what would happen if the spotlight ever did turn away from him for good. His image and self-esteem have been defined by the spotlight and I think he does fear losing that.

Let's face facts. He has his own private playground and heavily guarded estate. If he truly wanted to disappear from the public eye..he could do so easily. The blame isn't totally his - of course. Firim asked earlier "Why doesn't everyone just get the hell off his back?" The answer is simple....the media won't allow it. Literally ANYTHING that MJ does is considered "newsworthy"...so as long as he keeps committing eccentric acts in public, the media will be there with multiple cameras recording the action. And if you notice, MJ has a tendency to give the media what it wants every so often. That keeps his name in public domain.

It has even been suggested that he allows the "documentary" that is so unflattering of him to continue to be distributed and aired in several different countries. Why? Because - not only does he get a portion of the proceeds from EVERY single airing of the documentary...he also insists that the same TV station follow the documentary with his own "rebuttal video" a few days later...for which he receives ALL the proceeds. This adds more money to his coffers (offsetting the drop in his music sales) and continues keeping him in the "spotlight" - so to speak.

In one respect, I think you're right, Animal. I think Michael Jackson IS doing exactly what he wants to do.