THIS IS IT – OR IS IT?
Wednesday 28 October, 2009
Arts
World
Photo: Michael Jackson publicises his This Is It tour at the O2 in London
By Dee Pfeiffer
The world is seeing Michael Jackson mania once again as This Is It – a compilation of footage from rehearsals for the tour that never was – premiers around the globe. From today, the movie will provide a two-week window in which people will be able to view scenes from the star’s final days.
While many fans eagerly await the film as a last chance to see what could have been, others feel that those promoting the film – namely Sony and AEG – are partially culpable for his death, in that they ignored the stress he was under, the effects of various medications and his apparent weight loss during his final weeks.
The movie will show a motivated crew, working hard to accomplish an extraordinary project. There will be incredible choreography, slick edits, body doubles, spectacular lighting, staging and visual effects. Indeed, the film is likely to show Jackson at his best. Out of 110 hours of footage, a few scenes have been selected in which the star gives his all to rehearse what could have been a groundbreaking show.
Had the 50-date tour gone ahead as planned, Jackson would most likely have succumbed to the pressure and exhaustion and called it off before it had finished, leaving AEG in dire financial straits. Instead AEG now stand to make millions from the This Is It movie and related merchandise.
Many feel that it thus ultimately gives a censored, skewered and false impression of the stressed-out singer.
You won’t see Michael Jackson’s shocking sudden weight loss as a result of stress and medication, or hear his concerns about being killed or poisoned. Kai Chase, who prayed with Jackson’s children when they first heard the news of his cardiac arrest, had previously left her position as his chef for a short period due to contractual reasons. On her return just three weeks later, she said that she was shocked since he was noticeably thinner.
Likewise, you won’t feel Jackson’s growing concerns and anxiety: in May, while rehearsing for over ten hours a day, he confided to a trusted handful of people that he did not feel ready to do 50 shows, having agreed only to ten originally. He clearly felt pressured and knew that the tour schedule was gruelling, especially for someone who hadn’t toured in over a decade.
You won’t see the star’s debilitating insomnia, or the crippling pressure he was under – pressure which led him to be over-prescribed and over-medicated by criminally enabling doctors who kept him in an altered, drowsy state throughout the day and in an anaesthetised state at night.
Nonetheless, his entourage continued to allow his dangerous prescription-drug use, to keep him relaxed, rested and under ‘control’. Those very drugs are named as the cause of death in the coroner’s report.
What would have been a limited series of concerts in London has been turned into a global cinema and merchandising event, generating huge amounts of extra profit for AEG, Sony and many others.
Those involved in the tour were too busy relishing the profits it would have generated to acknowledge what was happening in front of their very eyes. AEG, the tour promoter, and Michael’s own staff, did not intervene to stop what clearly looked like a tragedy in waiting.
But this is not to say that the ultimate responsibility for Jackson’s death lies with AEG or with Sony, despite the latter having had a somewhat stormy relationship with the star since 2002. They might have turned a blind eye, but to focus on them as responsible for his death would be irresponsible to the extreme.
This Is It is pure entertainment and will suffice for those who are looking for entertainment alone, but many are asking much bigger questions, such as how Jackson passed the gruelling medical necessary for insurance purposes; why AEG’s insurance included a provision for a payout should there be an overdose; why the company agreed to hiring a clearly unprofessional doctor (with seemingly no concern for the Hippocratic Oath to do no harm) to care for the singer.
Then there are questions as to why this said Dr Murray waited for over an hour before calling 911 while still having time to call others on his mobile, why the house was stripped of the CCTV cameras before police arrived and why investigators only found drugs in their second search of the house.
Digging a little deeper, one wonders and worries how many shady people were around the star in his final days. In particular, one can’t help but wonder about a man named Dr Tohme Tohme.
Tohme is the mysterious financial advisor who convinced Jackson to make his former home, Neverland, into the next Graceland. In a somewhat bold venture, he brokered a deal between Jackson and Colony Capital, a private equity firm owned by billionaire Tom Barrack, who also owns AEG Live, persuading Barrack to invest the $22m necessary to save Neverland from foreclosure.
Tohme has been described both as Jackson’s ‘liquidator’ and his ‘manager’. It was Tohme who negotiated the 50 shows with AEG Live. But Jackson had said that he did not want to do 50 shows – he said that he went to sleep praying that he would sell out the initial ten shows and woke up knowing that he had to do 50.
Tohme was present at the press conference in which Jermaine Jackson formally announced his brother’s death. “I am his manager and I feel lost. I loved Michael and I was his friend. I was handling all his affairs,” he said at the time. But Tohme wasn’t Jackson’s manager. He was fired in May 2009, just a month before the star’s death. Odd then, that he was still insisting that he worked for him, and was continuing as if he was still in control of Jackson’s effects. Later, he handed over $5.5m to police, saying that Jackson had given him the cash for safekeeping.
Strange that, since September 2008 tapes reveal Jackson saying of Tohme, “I wanna get somebody in there with him that I know I can trust. I don’t talk to my lawyer, my accountant. He talks to them. I don’t like it. I don’t know what’s in my accounts. He’s trying to separate me from everybody and everything that I love.”
He might have been separated from everyone and everything that he loved in the last weeks of his life, but in death, I believe Jackson was not separated from God. A former Jehovah’s Witness, in his latter years he put his faith in Jesus, and so will now be living in a blissful eternity with a peace far greater than anything this temporary existence can provide.
Gospel singer Andrae Crouch told Clifton Davis (at Michael’s family funeral on 4 September) that he is “confident that Michael Jackson knew the Lord.” This was reported by Clifton on TBN’s ‘Praise The Lord’ programme and is also on Crouch’s Facebook page.
And I can vouch for Michael’s faith. I knew him well, and through many conversations with him over the years, gained a strong impression that he had been a Christian since at least 2003. Yes, he was human and made many mistakes, as we all do. But he was forgiven, because he trusted in Christ. He also had his children baptised as Christians, and taught them to pray.
There is no doubt that This Is It will entertain, win awards, and smash box office records. What it will not do is shed any light on the real cause of death, and for some, until that happens, this is not it.
Photo: source unknown
Jimy wrote:
This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for sharing this great article! That is very interesting smile I love reading and I am always searching for informative information like this! You are bookmarked!
Thx.
Muriel Anderson wrote:
What a huge amount of squabbling is printed here: some about Michael Jackson, but far more about whether we should all be Catholics!
Isn’t this a bit ridiculous? For those of us who have a personal relationship with Jesus, believe the Bible as the inspired Word of God, seek the Lord with all our heart, love Him and our neighbours to the best of our abilities,and have a passionate desire to see others come to salvation, I don’t believe God cares very much whether we are Catholics or Protestants. Love, obedience and holiness are more important than petty doctrinal issues.
If Michael had a personal relationship with Jesus he will now be OK and with the Lord forever. If not, how sad! However, that’s for God to know, not us. Surely love is more important than anything else.
Patricia wrote:
Rene, I welcome whatever of your criticism applies to me but I have to repeat that I (and indeed, nobody else on this thread, to the best of my recollection) have never condemned Michael, nor have I claimed that his soul is lost. That is not for me to judge, as you rightly say.
Indeed, you remind us all of the story of the repentant thief to whom Jesus promised Paradise on that very day. But read the verses you cite, Rene. This thief made an act of perfect contrition - an act of perfect sorrow. He admitted his guilt and the need for atonement to make up for his sins, this by accepting, willingly, his crucifixion which he describes as the “just” punishment for his sin. And he acknowledged Christ’s divinity: “Lord, remember me when thou come into Thy kingdom.”
My own prayer for myself and my loved ones, is that I/we (you!) obtain the grace of final repentance for all of our sins, Rene. That is a wonderful grace and I do, indeed, hope and pray that Michael received such a grace before His death.
But we cannot speak only of God’s mercy and grace because God gave us free will to respond to His grace and none of us will attain Heaven unless we do respond to His grace.
Anyway, your post was very interesting and I’m sorry if I have not explained myself clearly enough to prevent you (or anyone else) thinking I would ever think of condemning another soul or claiming that any souls - whether Michael Jackson or anyone else - has been lost. Please God, that is not the case.
May he rest in peace.
Rene' Taylor wrote:
Previously, on Oct 30, 2009, I submitted the following email for review, and found that it was never posted. I see there are quite a few emails from the same individuals, and I’m hoping that I’m not being censored, when the other people here have not been. So I’m submitting it once again, in the hopes it will be posted. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
I would like to take this time to respond to some of the “family” of God that has already condemned another soul because of what you see in the media.
I am in total agreement with the fact that we are responsible for receiving The Grace of Jesus, whilst we are still alive...and that once we close our eyes in death we are then accountable for our lives to a Holy God. However, not to take into account that a Loving, Merciful, and Forgiving God could not, or even would not, minister to a soul about His Salvation Power...no matter when that happens in a person’s life...and then to further ‘assume’ that that soul is lost, is a dangerous legalistic tightrope!
If it were your loved one, whether is be a friend, or family member, would you be so quick in judging if that person found the Salvation of Jesus Christ? God is no Respector of persons! Who is to say that Jesus didn’t find Michael? When we are lost, it is Him that finds us, not the other way around!
As He takes us from faith to faith, and glory to glory, we are a continuing work in progress. Who amongst us, can say that since we have been Saved by The Precious Blood of Jesus, that we have absolutely not sinned in our walk with Him? Romans 5:20 “ Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” The theif that hung on a cross right beside our Lord,(Luke 23:42-43)"42And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” What “fruits” did the theif display in his life? None...not until the end of his life!
I am not trying to get on a soapbox and proclaim that Michael Jackson is better than any of us...but at the same time, he is not worse that any of us, simply because he was a celebrity. And we, as “The Church” have to remember that Jesus intended we are to be a hospital for the lost...not a judge! Matthew 9:12 “But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.” The harvest is plenty, but the labourers are few! We, as His Church, are loosing too many of the lost, because of our judgemental and hypocritical attitudes...(to paraphrase a fellow believer) as if we were better than them that are lost, conveniently forgetting how Jesus reached through the muck and mire of OUR OWN lives, to rescue US! Jesus’ Passion was for the lost! That’s why He died for us, and rose again, to re-establish our relationship with The Father!
I say all of this out of love, and as our Lord so eloquently said, “he who has a ear..let him hear what The Spirit is saying to the church!” And to those Christians out there that indeed have an ear, I’d like to share with you a website from a fellow Christian, who is a journalist...that painstakingly researched the truth about the life of Michael Jackson, including his faith. If you truly want the truth, then I would suggest this site.
http://www.reflectionsonthedance.com
I prayed to The Lord as to what words to use in this post, not to judge anyone, myself, but that He would take the scales from ALL of our eyes, as to the intent of His True Passion for us! I will not be going back and forth with anyone regarding this topic or any other, but I pray that you would at least open your hearts to receive a blessing as to the unfathomable Wisdom Of God. Luke 9:5 says, “And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.”
I earnestly pray for The Shalom of The Lord on each and every one of your lives.
Beverley Halls wrote:
This is definitely not it.
I have followed the whole MJ story from the beginning allegation to his death. I warned many people about the situation with his health shortly after his mock trial. Friends did not care, everyone wanted the fame attached to the man and did not really care how he made it through.
As for Sony, in the court documents it was revealed that Sony was in fact a major player in the whole MJ debaucher. They paid millions to various people through off shore accounts to destroy MJ and to pilfer his money. All so they could gain the coveted Beatles catalogue.
This is not it.. God is watching us, from a distance.
Patricia wrote:
Andrew, I am racing out to visit a friend in hospital but wanted to comment on something you said which I omitted to answer yesterday - about Fatima.
You are, of course, correct in saying that there can be no new revelation since the death of the last apostle - that is “of the Faith”. Of course, But Fatima brought no new doctrine. Indeed, it would be a feature of a false apparition if any new doctrine were claimed. The Fatima apparitions are unique and i am always saying that if they were adhered to in Islam or any other non-Christian religion, we would be getting them come out of our ears on TV, radio etc. Prophecies (such as the two world wars) have come true in our own time. The children were given a vision of Hell (a very old doctrine, confirmed in our times - not revealed). And so on. I just wanted to make sure that was clear.
As for the rest below, yes, I’m afraid the Holy Spirit can only be guaranteed where Christ promised - within His Church, founded by him and not my multifarious discontented laymen or priests like Martin Luther and John Knox.
The gift of infallibility is crucial to understanding that the Church is indefectable. That is, no matter how immoral in their own lives any pope might be, he cannot teach, as binding on the faithful, anything that is contrary to divine revelation. A quick modern example of error in a pope that is not part of divine revelation.
Ecumenism! All the popes since Vatican II have been ecumaniacs. Encouraging us to mix and pray and discuss with non-Catholics and non-Christians. That is an error condemned by every pope prior to Vatican II. So has the Church changed its teaching?
Not unless you can find another binding statement from a post-Vatican II pope saying that it is part of the divine revelation that we do so. And you won’t. Pope can (and do) err in their private opinions and even teachings in homilies. Christ’s guarantee does not extend to that. We are not even guaranteed the presence of the Holy Spirit in the conclave which elects the Pope. So a liberal could be elected. But he could not make binding on the faithful any heresy - such as ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue - because the Holy Spirit prevents him.
There is an account in the biography of Pope Paul VI, a renowned liberal when elected, that he was in favour of making contraception permissible. He won votes in the conclave on that basis. When, contrary to all expectation, he produced Humanae Vitae (albeit a weak document despite what you hear in the media) a very angry cardinal approached him and reminded him that he had promised to change this teaching. Pope Paul VI replied: “no...Cardinal Montini promised that. But I am Peter.”
I don’t have time to read carefully enough to answer properly, the rest of your post Andrew, but I agree perhaps we should stop now. With another prayer for the repose of Michael’s soul.
God bless you.
Patricia wrote:
Alex, I’m not understanding your post. I can’t see that Andrew has been at all lacking in charity. He thinks I am in error and he is trying to correct me - that is real charity. Is it me, you mean, then. Am I lacking in charity?
Patricia wrote:
Andrew, you list lots of the disputes which took place - as I acknowledged - until the canon(isation!) of the 4th century. I know that. After that, there was no change in the Bible until the 16th century, thanks to Father Luther…
As for the rest - sorry, Andrew, but Christ established only one Church and promised to his first apostles (bishops) the Holy Spirit until the end of time, with a particular role of Peter, to whom he entrusted the keys…
The only Church which traces its history back to those words of Christ about the Holy Spirit’s guaranteed guidance and the keys of Peter IS the Church we now call the Roman Catholic Church. You will see how the first Christians turned to Rome and to Peter to resolve disputes etc.
Look, I understand the confusion that has resulted from the Reformation and the fact that we are currently living through the worst crisis EVER to hit the Church, including the Arian crisis and including the Reformation, makes it even more difficult to see that Christ’s promise is being fulfilled - but it is. We’ve had terrible popes and bishops and countless bad priests. Still, as GK Chesterton wrote in his book Orthodoxy (penned when he was still an Anglican and when he was using the Catholic Church as an example of that orthodoxy intact) “the wild truth is reeling but erect”.
Now, you’ve kids to see to, I’m having a night off from overseeing my own blog and much as I love Dee to bits and am enjoying this exchange, I’m going to do absolutely nothing for the next couple of hours at which time I’ll hit the hay without checking emails in case there’s an update from Dee that I cannot resist!
Goodnight and God bless (if you lot live in Glasgow, we could arrange a debate sometime, wouldn’t that be great? Only if I win, of course!!)
Alex Woods. wrote:
There has been some interesting debate between Andrew and Patricia. Have you heard of a verse sung to Onward Christian soldiers?
Like a mighty tortoise moves the church of God,
Brothers we are treading where wev’e always trod.
We are much divided, many bodies we,
Very strong on doctrine weak in charity.
Aymi wrote:
Thank you for a well written and truthful article. I hope the truth comes out and justice is sought for Michael.
Ineke Olthuis wrote:
This is the best, the most true article that I’ve read till now!
Thank you! Michael is with God, He was a real Christian en great humanitairian. A whole clan took enormous advantage of him. It’s easy because artists are eccentric and their minds work different then the greedy ones.
May he be an excample for many of the human race!!!
Patricia wrote:
Andrew, I really must correct you, with much respect and a lot of genuine affection, on a couple of points.
The books you call the “Apocrypa” (not authentic) Catholics call the “deuterocanonical” (second canon) which includes 1 and 2 Machabees, where the doctrine of Purgatory has its roots.
Now, what you say about disputes in the early Church is quite true: there were disputes about which books should be included in the canon, but that was settled by the 4th century. Hence, we see, at work, the fact that the Church wrote (the NT) and selected the (OT) writings that we, today, call “the Bible”. A strict rule of thumb, however, is that, after the 4th century canon was settled by the Church, nothing was added to or deleted by the Church. At the time of the Reformation, all the books -including the deuterocanonical books - were part of the canon approved by the Church Fathers. Without a shadow of a doubt, Our Lord Himself would have used the deutorocanonical scriptures. No question. Not until the 16th century were these books challenged and discarded by Martin Luther on account of them being “too Catholic”.
I’ve been out all day and this is written in much haste but I hope I have remembered the key points I wanted to correct in your recent post, Andrew. Oh, just one more. You acknowledge that the error of private interpretation can lead to mistakes but say you rely on good scholarship. However, that system is not applied in any other serious sphere of life. What would we think, e.g. if the government delivered each one of us a set of law books and told us to work out the civil (if not the criminal!) law ourselves. No police to monitor us, no Parliament to pronounce on particular interpretations of the law etc. Crazy. It’s the same - only much more important - with the Bible. It needs, not just any old interpretation, nor the whim and changing opinions of scripture scholars, but an authoritative interpreter. The Church. That’s what the Scriptures tell us - the Church, not the Bible - is “the pillar and ground of truth”. (1 Timothy 3:15).
Luv n stuff - and God bless you, Andrew. (named after the patron saint of Scotland - you can’t be all bad!!)
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