Of course not. But you can't say "he's not a pedophile, he's really an arrested 10 y.o. because he's trying to recreate his childhood" since the person emotionally arrested at age 10 and the pedophile have that trait in common.

I'm not saying that, the actual Psychologist who actually examined him and his accuser for the City of Los Angeles is saying that after extensive study and analysis. You can't dismiss his assessment with "Yeah, but pedophiles do that too."

Problem is, Sean, as uniquely fucked up and insulated as MJ's life was, he still has a moral obligation to examine his actions and know their consequences.

I agree. I agree completely. I'm think I'm just considering the possibility that his life was, in some ways, more comparable to Caligula's or Nero's, and look how they turned out.

I expect this of every mentally competent adult.

I'm not convinced he was mentally competent. As Barb notes, there does seem to be some indicators of dissociation.

I'm just considering the possibility that his life was, in some ways, more comparable to Caligula's or Nero's, and look how they turned out.

I officially am in love with Sean's spicy brains.

he did expose himself to younger children and he did sleep and cuddle with kids that weren't his children at his place. Those are damaging breaches of boundaries.

I agree.

I can't bring myself to be sad at his passing. I mourned for Michael years ago.

I think so. As I noted above, he did expose himself to younger children and he did sleep and cuddle with kids that weren't his children at his place. Those are damaging breaches of boundaries.

Actually, the exposure wasn't proven or he wouldn't have been acquitted. You can THINK he exposed himself to younger children, but you can't assume it as a fact if you're talking about "apart from the abuse allegations".

Which leaves the sleeping and cuddling. It is deffinately a questionable boundary. I can't say it is deffinately damaging, however. Ten people in jammies in bed watching Disney films and eating junk food isn't necessarily the stuff of emotional scars.

But I don't think from the available evidence that Jackson was, in point of fact, a mentally competent adult.

This is where I land. I work with too many celebrities who are not really mentally competent. I think MJ was way on the extreme end of this. I do think there is a very good chance of there being a mental condition that went hand in hand with his brilliance and a musician and a performer and that not only did his handlers keep him from a normal existence all of his life, but also shielded him from treatment and real diagnosis, lest it upset money machine.

But even if you posited no out-and-out sexual molestation, there is no question he made a habit of behaving in wildly inappropriate ways around vulnerable children who were damaged by it. No question.

How so? I mean, what specifically damaged someone?

This is where I land. I work with too many celebrities who are not really mentally competent. I think MJ was way on the extreme end of this. I do think there is a very good chance of there being a mental condition that went hand in hand with his brilliance and a musician and a performer and that not only did his handlers keep him from a normal existence all of his life, but also shielded him from treatment and real diagnosis, lest it upset money machine.

Yes, this. The money and position and handlers allowed it to be spun as eccentric behavior, though it was clear for much of his life that he was several degrees from normal or healthy.

I think MJ was way on the extreme end of this. I do think there is a very good chance of there being a mental condition that went hand in hand with his brilliance and a musician and a performer

I know I see this with writers all the time. The ones who are these brilliant, amazing talents are so often also outright mentally damaged.

and that not only did his handlers keep him from a normal existence all of his life, but also shielded him from treatment and real diagnosis, lest it upset money machine.

This is one of the things that really angers me about show business. The willingness to use people in that way--even with their consent, it's unethical.