I thought this might be of interest as there is a lot of talk about boycotting SONY at the moment. This is a fact sheet of information, complied by fans, which was given to me in Santa Maria in March 2005.
Reply
That Butterflies In Your Tummy Excitement when you are in the just going about your day to day life and you get THAT phone call or text. One minute you are in the supermarket, wondering what to have for dinner and do I need to buy cereal and then you check your phone and OOOOMMMMGGGGG!!
Im talking about when Michael used to come to Europe. For one crazy week about once a year, Michael would come to Europe for a public appearance, ie an Award Show or similar event. And when he did, we would drop our normal lives and live in this crazy mad bubble world.
Michael knew how to play the game of publicty very well. He knew how to work the system. He knew that by letting fans know his location , ie the hotel he was staying at, then the event or award show would gain instant free publicty. He knew how to get into the papers by not doing very much and by him being in the papers would raise the profile of whatever he was promoting at that time.
Thats how it worked, and deep inside us we knew we were being used for free PR, but at the time, it didnt matter to us.
It would start by his travel details being leaked to certain fans or by him allowing himself to be papped at an airport. Then by word of mouth, through text and phone calls, the news would circulate around the fan community.
Whenever he travelled to Europe, for a public event, he would always stay at the same hotel, for example in London, there were 3 or 4 hotels within a mile which he has stayed out.
Once word went around that Michael was on his way to London, we would head into central London, and go to these hotels. There was always the same group of fans there, many of us who only ever met each other when Michael was in town.
It was like a small community, year after year, the same faces, the same pattern of events. All of us at one time had been “newbies” who started off with a burning desire to see Michael. Many of us started off on our own, and learned the unspoken rules about how things were done.
Outside the hotel, we learned from those who had done this before. We learned that to get close to Michael you had to get his attention and stand out, but we also learned that to get close to Michael you also had to gain the trust of his security. We learned that the media were to be shunned and avoided, we learned that keeping Michael safe was the most import thing, even if it ment we might not see or get close to him. We found out what NOT to do when Michael was out and about, ie jumping barriers or banging on the car windows. We found out when Michael wanted us around and when he didnt. We found that above all, not to give up and that having patience will in the end make everything worthwhile.
We fiercely protected Michael and his whereabouts from the media and general public, but at the same time, we knew when it was ok to to tell people or the media what he was doing. Many times, to help pass the time we would give PAPS or tv crews wrong information, just to get them away from Michael.
For me, those trips were like a lesson in the school of life. I learned to stand up for what I believed in and not to care what people thought. I learned tolerance and understanding of different cultures and races, as being outside the hotels everyone was the same, just there to see Michael. I learned how far to push my body and spirit, I learned not to give up when things seem impossible. I found out more about myself going to see Michael, than in any other aspect of my life.
Now looking back, we thought it would last forever. We always thought there would be a next time, whether that was in a few months or next year.
Many people dont understand us or why we went to see Michael. They call us stalkers, they say we were a danger to Michael, they say we didnt respect Michaels privacy. All I can say to those is, what would you have done, if you had been told that Michael is staying at XXXXX Hotel, 5 miles away, and fans have been meeting him , and giving him presents. Look deep in your heart and answer, would you have have said, oh thats nice and not thought anything more, or would you have tried to get to that hotel????
nows heres an interesting little phrase that has suddenly popped up in the fan community in the last year, MIKE LIKE BEHAVIOUR.
It seems to be used more and more frequently as the months go by, and the people who use it most… the people new to the fan communities!!
Every time, a long term member of the fan community speaks out against, or has an opinion about things happening in the fan community, this phrase gets pulled out.
It seems that people new to the fan community have this godlike fantasy image of Michael. The Michael they know is based on what they have seen on tv or on the internet. They only have seen the happy smiling Michael, most often onstage or being interviewed. They see the public side, the polite, smiling mask hiding true feelings, the soft spoken, well mannered, very gracious person.
But this is just one side of a very complex man. People new to the fan community have never had personal interaction with or have seen the real man behind the superstar Michael Jackson.
The real Michael was at times very different to the public image.
Im not saying he was Jekal and Hyde but he very carefully and cleverly kept much of his real person away from the public image. Thats what people new to the fan community fail to understand. They just see the public persona and dont understand there is alot more that they never knew about.
The public image of superstar Michael Jackson was that he spoke with a high pitched soft voice, where as in real life, the man Michael spoke with a much deeper and low pitched voice. Thats why , over a year later, many people still question whether it was the real Michael at the London press conference for the concerts. They have this fantasy image of Michael Jackson, and the man on the stage didnt conform to their fantasy image , cos for the first time he actually felt comfortable using his real deep voice!!
ok, so let me give you some more MIKE LIKE BEHAVIOUR
1. The real Michael picked favourite fans and gave them special privilages over other fans
( there goes the fantasy that Michael loved all fans equally!!)
2. The real Michael made public things he was told in confidence
(Mariah Careys marriage problems with Tommy Motalla)
3. The real Michael did not care about being on time, or how his lateness would affect other people
(holding up Uri Gellers wedding)
4.The real Michael swore and flirted with woman, had hate campaigns against people, and got angry, and Im not talking about song lyrics!
5. The real Michael could be rude, leave people out in the rain, snub , rip people off and like a complete diva at times
This is why I get so mad when this phrase MIKE LIKE BEHAVIOUR gets used time and again.
Those who use this phrase to attack long standing members of the fan community really have no clue who the real Michael was!
On Monday 28 June I went to Neverland. This was my first visit back there since early July 2009. I was soo horrified and angered to see that in the months since my last visit, the walls at Neverland had been defaced and vandelised by so called fans. It broke my heart to see the beautiful walls covered in writing. Never in all the years that Michael was living there have I seen such disrespect for Michael. I have been visiting Neverland since Jan 2004. Fans have been visiting Neverland even since Michael bought the property over 20 years ago. Never in all those years have “fans” shown soo little respect for Michael. All the years I have been visiting there fans have made sure that Neverland is cared for, making sure we dont leave any litter, etc. I spoke to one of the security about all the writings on the wall. He said that the owner is not happy about the walls being defaced. He began working at Neverland a few months before June 25, and he remembered all the chaos at Neverland in the days after June 25. I told he I was at Neverland in the beguinning of July 2009 and there were no writings an the wall. He agreed and said that the writings on the walls started when the big fan groups started coming to Neverland. He said and I quote ” we can tell they are not real fans” . When the tourists and sightseers saw the fan groups writing on the walls, they started too. Now everywhere is covered, even the security intercom. People even have written on the big brown main gates, the gates that have stood at the entrance to Neverland for over 20 years. How could you? why did you do this? Would you have written on the walls when Michael was living there? I have heard rumors that because of the writings on the walls, that there is a possibilty that in the future, the entrance to Neverland may be changed, and that there will be no acess to the main gate and wall area. I have also heard on twitter, that “fans” have now started writing on the walls at Forest Lawn and Havenhurst. Have you no respect for the Jackson family? Due to the actions of these so called fans, the majority of the fans will be penalised. For 20 over years , because the fans acted in a respectful way, we have been allowed to visit Neverland and the Jackson home in Encino. Now that is under threat, and could be taken away from us, all because of the stupid selfish actions of a few fans!!
ok, so Im back in London, after 2 weeks in LA. It was such an exhausting trip, both physically and emotionally. I will write up my trip bit by bit, but in short, we went to Forest Lawn twice, on June 25 and on July 6, Neverland twice, Disney twice, Universal Studios, a Justice 4 Michael demo, a bus tour of central LA, explored Santa Monica, Jacksons home in Encino, Michaels house at Carolwood, Michaels star on Hollywood Walk of Fame,went shopping, explored Los Olivos, met up with some fan friends, and soo much more. Im still jetlagged and its soo soo hot in London, and its hard to get back to reality after 14 days of being in an American bubble
ok, 12 hours till Im on a plane heading to LA, to go somewhere I dont want to go, but I know I have to go. The day Ive been blocking out, the day I dread facing has come around. The memories of that night never go away, the pain so deep I’ve never felt before. For 12 months Ive keep the pain hidden away, locked deep inside of me, cos Im scared of what will happen when I let it out. That day is now here, when I must walk up the road and through those gates and face the reality.
I think I get it now, why I have this burning need to go be at Forest Lawn on June 25. Being home last week, after my Gran passed away, things started to make sense as to why Im still in deep grief, why it still hurts soo much and why I haven’t begun the healing process.
Last week, my Gran passed away, and even though the family is in shock and deep pain, the traditional rituals and procedures clicked into place. As with everyone else who I have known who has passed away, there is a certain routine to Irish Catholic Funerals. The person is either “waked” in the house or brought to a funeral home, where they are laid out in an open coffin, and people come to pay their respects, and offer their condolences to the family. There are traditional funeral prayers which everyone says, and everyone gets to say goodbye to the person. Then the coffin is closed and there is a funeral procession to the church where more traditional funeral prayers are said.
The next day there is funeral Mass, and another Funeral procession, this time to the graveyard. As the coffin is lowered into the ground, there are more traditional Funeral prayers and everyone says a last goodbye as the coffin is covered with flowers. Afterwards all the family and close friends have a get together, where memories are shared and people celebrate the life of the person who has passed away.
Its only just hit me now, thats why Im having such a hard time coming to terms with losing Michael. Its because my brain connects losing a person with all the Traditional Irish Funeral rituals and procedures, because thats how Ive always dealt with losing someone I know. Over the last 25 to 30 years, I would have gone to many funerals in Ireland, and all of them have followed the same rituals and procedures. For Michael I didnt have any of that, the age old procedures that just click into place when someone in Ireland passes away.
Thats why its soo soo hard for me to deal with all this pain and grief because I dont know how to deal with it not following the same pattern Ive been part of all my life.
Thats why its I just have to be there on June 25, no matter what, because in Ireland, thats what we do. Every year, as near as possible to the exact date, we go to a special Mass in honour of that person and visit their grave. Subconsciouslly thats what my brain is telling me to do, to go to Forest Lawn, because thats part of the traditions of how I was brought up.
hi there to everyone from mj.com and everyone from MJFSC, thanks for all the hits to my blog, great to see your all as two faced as I thought you were, soo all the support when my account was deleted was fake, well what a surprise…. HAPPY READING TO YOU ALL XXXXXX
so June 13 is here again… 5 years since that horrible day… when we prayed that the Jury would see the truth and and officially tell the world that Michael was innocent. I remember that day soo well, in the end it came so fast, the day we all knew would happen but were scared to face.
Listening to the Jury results over the phone, I felt soo physically sick. The events of the last few months playing in my mind, praying that everything would be ok, not ever thinking about any other outcome.
2004 /2005 was the best of times and the worst of times. The fan community pulled together like never before or since. The thought of losing him shook everyone so much, that personal differences seemed soo small and irelevent. The forums became our lifelines, day after day we logged onto MJJ FORUM and KOPBOARD. Fans united in pain, became experts on the American legal system. Legal terms and procedure explained in simple terms, facts extracted from the most obsure reports. We found which media reports could be trusted and which not. Fans in Santa Maria took notes and wrote up reports and posted on forums. Fans got together and paid money for the daily court transcripts for the media which were then posted on the forums.. For light relief we had the daily press images from Getty / Rex etc, to ease the pain, there were huge discussions on Michaels everychanging suits. Thanks to Michael Bush, fans even had the chance to be involved with how Michael looked. Michael Bush very kindly allowed the fans to give input on different styles or cloth.
In Santa Maria, the fans were amazing. Many fans both American and International moved to Santa Maria temparaly for the duration of the trial. When the hotels realised that fans would be staying months rather than weeks, they worked out a longterm rate. Fans often slept up to 10 people in a hotel room, space was always found for anyone who needed somewhere to stay. American fans who moved to Santa Maria found night time work so that they could be in court everyday. European fans who were students would complete assisgnments outside the court or late at night.
Carpooling was another thing that happened on a regular basis. Many International fans travelled to Santa Maria on their own, and had no transport. Fans who had cars always made sure that fans on their own could visit Neverland, 40 mins drive away. Transport back to Neverland would be arranged outside the court every day, allowing as many fans as possible to participate in the night time candle vigils at Neverland.
All theses memories, of such a tramatic times, makes me realise how different the fan community is today. Back then, everyone stood shoulder to shoulder, united in just being there for Michael, helping him every day to find the strength to walk into that court room.
Now it seems that everything has fallen apart. So many fan groups, soo many people with their own agenda, who all seem to be wanting the the attention, of being recognised for being THE ONE doing the most for Justice.
Looking back, I think thats the difference. In 2004 /2005 fans didnt care about the media spotlight, about being recognised for their efforts for the Justice Campaign. We all did our bit, but we did it in the fan community. The only people we wanted to know about what we were doing was Michael and his family. All we cared about was letting Michael know that the worldwide the fans supported and cared about him. Yes we had Michael Is Innocent demos, but we didnt run to gossip sites like TMZ, wanting public valadation for our efforts.
Im not going to hid the fact that there have always been personal issues between fans. Yes there were times when fans argued and fought, that there were times when the fan community was not nice place, that at times it was everyone for themselves and gossip and chinese whispers spread like wildfire.
But somehow, the fan community united, it was like an unspoken truce, because we all realised the bigger picture and that how petty and irrelevent our squabbles were compared to the very real fact that we could ALL lose Michael.
Now it seems like no one cares. The one thing that held us all together, no matter what, Michael himself, is gone. Everyone is out for themselves, everyone trying to prove that THEY are the ones doing the most for the Justice Campaign, everyone wanting the public recognition for being a Michael Jackson fan.
Being a Michael Jackson fan, when Michael was here, used to mean staying away from the media, doing things just for Michael, not caring what the public thought, not looking for public recognition and acceptance. We did things quietly, stayed on the fringes of the general public and society. Very often being a Michael Jackson fan was something we kept private, and very few people ever knew about our “Michael Life”.
Now it seems that you have to shout the loudest, wear a Justic tshirt all the time, be a member of a fan group. That you have to be sending emails and be tweeting. Interesting how all those who are the most vocal now, never did anything when Michael was actually here. That those who have experience in the fan community are scorned at and pushed aside.
Makes me wonder, if Michael was still here, would these same people be just as active, would they have created fangroups, and joined forums???
gee thanks for all the hits on my blog, seems like I really hit a nerve and got people all in a bother cos I dont sugar coat and santise my words and dare to say online what many many fans in real life think. Let me just remind you all again, this is my personal space, I write what I want to write. If you dont like it, why do you continue to be here. Other than 1 link on my twitter, I havnt posted a link to this anywhere else. I write to make sense of all the jumbled thoughts, to help me cope. HAPPY READING FOLKS, and why not have a look at older blog posts while you are here, and get to know me a bit better