Ok, I have to ask this question - about Michael Jackson....

I have Vitiligo and and always keep a jar of Dermablend on hand.  That mess is devastating.  You can gradually lose color or it can disappear almost over night.  I lose my color on my face around my eyes, mouth and nose.  My color always comes back after treatment with steriods which causes weight gain. 
The skin bleaching option comes into play once the condition has progressed to a certain point where you have to do something to be an even color.  I think my WLS has cured my problem because the underlying condition has been resolved by my weight loss. 
Vitiligo can be hereditary or triggered by Thyroid problems, diabetes, adrenal gland issues or Lupus.  Michael Jackson had Lupus. 

Did Michael have some identity issues? Yes and no.  I think the skin color was a non issue because of Vitiligo... the nose is another story....  How many black folks have gotten nose jobs because they have been called big nose?  There is booming business for plastic surgeon in ethnic rhinoplasty.  Micheal just went overboard with it.   

I don't believe the oldest two are his biological kids but it really doesn't matter because he raised them as his.  I adopted kids and there's no difference.  Your mom or dad is whoever raises your behind. 

You hit a nerve with me on the nose!  Dad used to joke that God slapped a wad meat in the center of his face, made a peace sign then shoved it in the meat wad for some nostrils.    Still, he said he'd never change it.  Can you imagine asking a surgeon for a broad, flat nose like Dad's?  He'd have to invent a technique for that one.  I don't think its been done. 

One of our local news anchors has vitiligo. I had never heard of it until Michael Jackson and I didn't really research it until the anchor did an awareness segment on the condition. He wears make-up on the air. I felt bad because as part of his segment, he agreed to wear a hidden camera while out in public with the condition. He was totally unrecognizable as the anchor. You should have seen how he was treated while doing this, and children were afraid of him. One child yelled out to his mother that he was a monster.

Another thing that I noticed is that he has the same (I guess) look that MJ's plastic surgeries has been blamed on in regards to MJ's look. Perhaps all of his appearance issues were not all plastic surgery related. MJ also had lupus, there are 3 types of lupus and his may have been discoid lupus that affects only the skin. He may have also had a combination of discoid lupus and systemic lupus which all in turn could've caused or flared the vitiligo.

Autoimmune disease will ravage a person's appearance in a heartbeat. I feel that it is a shame that it took that man dying for many (speaking of the media) to suddenly show compassion. The media had the grand opportunity to educate and bring awareness about this condition, but instead they chose to cruxify him at every turn. I am truly more sad about that than the fact that he's dead.

As for Mr. Joe Jackson, I guess that he is the new whipping boy. everyone is so quick to believe that Mr. Jackson was this horrible monster when the man keeps saying that he used discipline but not abuse. There is a difference. Everyone has jumped on the Joe Jackson abused his children bandwagon but know good and well that they were around too many people for that man to have even had the opportunity to harm someone in the manner in which the media describes. I have never been to quick to just believe all of that stuff.  There are many other elements that come to surface for those who have suffered severe abuse, yes it could've happened (behind closed doors) but I would never know and will not choose to hate the man because of that reason.

As for Mr. Joe Jackson, I guess that he is the new whipping boy. everyone is so quick to believe that Mr. Jackson was this horrible monster when the man keeps saying that he used discipline but not abuse.

I dont know ....I am only going by the fact that Michael and at least one other siblings (Latoya) accused Joe of physical AND sexual abuse (in face to face interviews and autobiography). I find it difficult to believe that children would make that up about their own father. Since hes never had to be accountable in a court of law...hes innocent of said abuse. However, I think something in that household definitely had a long lasting and negative impact on at least Michael and Latoya. They were the more vocal of the children on these issues. 

Hey Mahogany,
those are very good points that you make regarding Michael and Latoya.

Latoya did however recant her story regarding sexual abuse in an interview. She said that her former husband Jack Gordon forced her into saying those things.

Also when the Jackson's (an American dream) movie was originally aired, Jermaine and a few others said that many of the depictions were a pack of lies. Heck I almost don't know who to believe. I just find it hard to believe that Joe could've monsterized those kids the way that the media describe when they were being watched like the golden gooses that they were.

 

Didn't Michael say that he was so afraid of his "daddy" that he would faint at the site of him.  I'm sorry even if my daddy beat my azz to town and back it would take some serious fear to make me pass out at the site of him.

Don't believe that he didn't have time to beat them crap,  that sounds like the whole,  He didn't have time to cheat bull, when everybody knows it takes just a few minutes.

He could have been popping the **** out of Michael right in front of people, and because of who  they are no one would have said a dam word.

Hey thurrr Lee and welcome back.

Yes I saw the recent airing of the interview where he said it and still have my doubts. That is the same interview where he said that it is okay to share your bed and it landed him in trouble again, also the same interview where he was shown dangling blanket over the hotel balcony. Due to those incidents alone, I've always had that small question of doubt in regards to his claims as well as his sisters claims of sexual abuse.

My big question has always been why haven't the other Jackson family members spoken out about all of this. As stated before I really do not know who to believe. Perhaps it all did happen but it is very hard for me to grasp the concept of it all without having the full story. Now if some concrete film footage were to surface then that would take away that inklin of doubt that I have.

Yes...its just been tragic for all of them altogether. I mean the father should be celebrated since he IS the main reason they are successful yet that not the case for whatever reasons.  So sad. 

Disipline of the 70's is 21 century abuse.  I'm in MJ's generation and grew up in a racially and culturally diverse area.  Not a religious, ethnic, national origin or color group did not beat our asses as discipline.  The neighbors would beat you then tell your parents so you were beat again.  But we were never abused.

I think JJ was the typical old fashioned spare the rod spoil the child parent.  I don't know about the sexual abuse but in the 80's repressed memory issues of sexual abuse were everywhere.  We now know the treatment to uncover these memories has resulted in creating false memories indistinguishable from reality. 

I'm not defending JJ for sexual abuse.  For his kids sake, I pray it did not happen.  If it did I hope he suffers for it.

"Disipline of the 70's is 21 century abuse.  I'm in MJ's generation and grew up in a racially and culturally diverse area.  Not a religious, ethnic, national origin or color group did not beat our asses as discipline.  The neighbors would beat you then tell your parents so you were beat again.  But we were never abused."

Gurrrl tell me about it! I was more afraid of Mrs. Cooper the cafeteria lady at school than I was my own mama. Very few kids back then ruled the roost because there could be a possible whuppin waiting at every turn. As a result many children even got spanked, when it did happen it was usually the boys.