jacko

we have a nazi prince while the americans have the noncey (it being the acronym for “not on normal courtyard exercise – don’t say you don’t learn anything when you visit it!) king of pop. both have dodgy taste in clothes. both have probably been involved in some dodgy sexual encounters (though we do hope that the nazi prince was at least doing it with a consenting partner – but who can tell with these public schoolboys?)

michael jackson’s trial for being a child molester (apparently he is also up for extortion as well –who would have thought he was that hard up for cash?) has begun. up first is the important process of finding 12 people who can sit on the jury and judge jackson fairly. 750 people are up for the 12 places (why no one has thought to make this a reality tv thing is beyond me - you just know there are enough sad people out there who would 1] want to be involved in the jury and 2] more than enough people would watch it throughout all the twists and turns of the case (and yes jay i am thinking of you.!) it is suspected that of that 750 a number of people will have to drop out because they can’t afford to be away from job and family for the estimated six months of the case.
the defence and the prosecution have to weed out various people in order to find those people who are most “favourable” to their points of view. so they have to be careful not to find people who have strong views on racism, plastic surgery, bad pop records or child abuse (frankly how can you not have an opinion on child abuse it strikes me it’s something you can’t really have grey areas on – unless of course you are an official in the catholic church – ooops that’s me going to hell.)
they also have to look out for “stealth jurors”: the people who want to make a name for themselves with a media deal after the event, or who want to “save” or “punish” jackson in order to make a statement.
although i shouldn’t be surprised about it the media coverage has been vast and the number of his fans (who are called soldiers of love) who have travelled out to support jackson in his hour of need. in so doing they have shown that they are a little like their hero in the slightly cuckoo department.

so you have lidi gyampoh, 25, from canterbury, kent, left her three children, aged three, 18 months and six months, with her mother to travel for 23 hours to be at the court.
"i remember seeing michael on television when i was about five or six. i remember thinking, i really want this man to be my father. and that never really changed throughout my childhood.
(and already she seems like she is treating her kids with the respect that they need to grew into well adjusted adults .....)

[bit of a pat digression sidebar here - since when did being a parent become a right? it's people like lidi who make me think that people should have to pass a test before they can have kids - we have to learn to drive - why not learn to be parents? perhaps i will return to that little hobby horse another time - oh i know you can't wait for that to happen!]

or
manish pandya from hounslow, west london, said: "we believe he's totally innocent so we came here to support him. some of our friends think we're totally crazy but they're very supportive." (i’ve news for you manish you are crazy).

or (and a wonderful example of capitalist entrepreneurship and lack of morals)
"you want to know what i think, what i really think?" asked terrie h, selling pictures of jackson emblazoned with the word innocent for $5 each. "i think he's guilty. he's always with kids. a 46-year-old man? i'm just helping my cousin out selling these. we've sold six today. i don't believe he's innocent. i just don't."

in the end you hope that what ever the outcome is there is a fair trail carried out and that whatever the verdict is it is seen to be done correctly.

and in a parallel with out nazi prince you have to wonder at the people who advise jackson and who haven’t said at one time or another “look mike this appears to be a bit dicey you hanging out with kids without a responsible adult hanging around to make sure it’s all above board….” just like you would have thought that one of harry’s many staff should have said “harry dear swastika’s just don’t go with your eyes…..”

at least harry’s dodgy choice of fancy dress is not going to get him banged up, jackson’s alleged child abuse is going to see him turned into someone’s prison bitch. if he is lucky perhaps jonathon king and gary glitter will send him tips on how to survive when he is living his new version of oz. even better perhaps he can use peter townsend’s excuse “it was research!”