I know this could spark off a massive debate, or it may lie here unoticed...but whatever, I thought I should share my view...not that many will care, but some might

What do people think of the recent documentries that have been shown? Firstly, Martin Bashir's interview 'Living with Michael Jackosn' the interview that was supposed to 'Show us the real man', then Jacko hit back with his version of events 'Living with Martin Bashir: The footage you were never meant to see?'

Where will it all end? Ok, so the come back show was inevitable after what Bashir said in his documentry, but i heard yesterday on the grapevine that Bashir was to release even more footage! Now is this really necessary? Ok guys, enough is enough!!! Bashir we got your side and Jacko we now have seen ur side....can we give it a rest?

Now, I am a michael Jackson fan and I dont think the way that the press has treated him is fair at all, but thats the English press for you....its all 'selective' media. As long as they have headline grabbing news that will sell their papers they don't care who they hurt or bring down along the way.

Although I am a fan, I will admit there is alot of stuff that is still unclear in my mind. Both interviews put together still leaves many things unanswered!!!

Maybe another Bashir show will clear things up....coz i feel certain within the month we'll be having 2 hear about yet more stuff about either Jacko or Bashir!!

....and you would think Tabloids would have more interesting things to write about what with a looming war with Iraq...but like I said before...its all selective media!!!

Yes, I live on Mars.

But anyway: I think Jackson opened himself up to all the "tabloidization" he's been subject to lately. I mean, you don't go around looking like that if you didn't want attention. True that it's all selective media; things are going to be biased in some way or another, there's no preventing it. But he's been stereotyped already, and now that we know he sleeps with children (around him, ahem, heh) and holds babies outside of windows ... it's rather hard to see him as anything but strange.

As for the tabloids writing about the probable war - that would be utter and ultimate insanity. If the tabs can make Jackson into a paedophile and Oprah into an 11-tentacled rabbit-android symbiote of doom, then one can only imagine the horrors of the war as we learn that Osama is actually a penguin with mind-control powers.

I have to admit I am fed up with the way Jackson is portrayed in the press. I'm not saying sharing a bed with other peoples children is right but look at how the two documentries where picked up by the media!

Martin Bashirs interview caused uproar, and Jackson dominated many of the front pages of newspapers the next morning...then a few weeks later we see the documentry about Jackson's side of things and next morning.....Nothing!

The media have picked Jackson and now have the ability to portray him in which ever way they please, unfortunately because he is different it is in a bad light.

The media will never treat Michael with the respect he deserves...so maybe I'm wasting my time with this post...(actually to be perfectly honest I am bored outta my brains & this forum is really good)

Unfortunately, like many famous people its the media that makes them and unfortunately it is what breaks them aswell

Alex Band's No1 Fan

and micheal jackson isn't desperate for press? are you forgetting his parade through new york calling the head of sony racist? the fact that his last few albums have bombed because he's creepier than marilyn manson by a whole freaking lot? i'm surprised there isn't another greatest hits album coming out soon with all the attention he's getting...

don't believe I said Jackson *wasn't* desperate for press, all I said was its stupid the way the media are allowed to get away with portraying someone in a light that is not always the way they live their life.

Now I'm not gonna sit here and say that he's not weird, he's not strange and he's not eccentric....because both me and you know that its not true, but the way all this has blown up is because of what the media focus on. Take the front page of the sun the day after Bashir's interview *Jacko:I sleep with Children* Yeah fair enough he has shared a bed with kids (which is not something I would encourage) but anyone who was glancing @ that front page would immeadiatly think that there was sex involved. Now neither me or you are in the position to judge whether or not there has been sex because we don't know the full ins and outs of his life.

He's may not be someone who conforms to societies expectations, but in this day and age what is classified as normal? Before we judge him, you gotta try and understand him, if you look at him and his childhood from a psychological view you don't see a freak...you see a broken man, someone who never had a childhood which has seriously affected his mental state!

I think he brought it all onto himself. He didn't think of the consequences when taking action and he pays for it. For example, dangling his kid from the balcony might of been fun for him at the time but now he probably wishes he hadn't done it.

that dude is wacko! he deserves to get eaten alive by the press. i luv it.

U love it? You love the idea of someone being hounded and pushed to their limit? Never mind him being wacko, i think we have the prizewinner right here!

um yea sure. the media takes advantage of things a celebrity does. thats why u use your head and dont do anything that they can use against you. he didnt, therefore he gets slammed. no doubt he is an excellent artist, but he asked for it. i have no pity for him.

i'm sure he doesnt want pity, what kind of person does?

No offence to you but different countries...different media