Martin Bashir = Jerk

[LynnM]

aahmom1
I don't think immaculate conception is the phrase your looking for. Immaculate conception refers to Mary(Jesus' mother) being born without original sin. Mary had both a mother and a father. I think your confusing it with the virgin birth of Jesus.

As far as whether they are actually his children, I don't think there was a good enough clear picture of the kids shown to say definately one way or another

 

[Pam]

I, for one, was happy to see an interview with a celebrity where it was, for once, not a sugar-coated, gushing lovefest of 'I love you, you're the greatest thing since sliced bread."

What can we say, folks? Jackson allowed this journalist access to his life and home for what, 8 or 9 months? Access with a camera crew. This stuff obviously happened.

He's weird, he's disturbed and now Jackson can't handle the fact that everyone knows that.

And yes, I agree that he or any other sick individual like him, would never be allowed to have my child stay in his house, let alone his bedroom!

Sick and sad. Sick and sad........

Pam

 

[antkim]

I'm ashamed to say I do feel a bit sad for this man.He was abused for many years and that must be terrible.BUT as far as we all know so were his brothers and I don't see any of them living in "NEVERLAND".They live normal lives with normal families.
As far the the case being settled out of court everyone is saying"he" wanted to settle the case and the parents just wanted the money.Did you ever think that MAYBE the parents wanted to settle so their child wouldn't be all over the media?Not something I would want my child to go through ESPECIALLY having to do with sexual abuse!And as far as Michael being turned off by sex or asexual that has nothing to do with being a sexual abuser.You don't have to like it to use it as a weapon.
I'm not saying I have any evidence that he commited abuse but I wouldn't be surprised if something like that was proven one day.
Shame on the parents who allow their children to spend unsupervised nights in his care-celebrity or not.
I have a hard time believing him because he didn't even tell the truth about the mother of the 3rd baby.Two different stories in one interview.Seems to me he forgot his first story.
Just my thoughts!Kim

 

[pat fan]

I have to say some of the interview was a bit strange,and some of it was TOTALLY blown out of proportion.

1) Everyone keeps harping on the sleepover thing.Did anyone listen to the interview?MJ slept on the floor ,NOT in the same bed.In my mind,there is a HUGE difference.

2) Has no one here ever had a close relationship with someone who was not blood related?A favorite "Aunt" or "Uncle" who was really a friend of the family,not a blood relative?Ever hear of godparents?A person who you entrust your children to but who is usually not a blood relative(just trying to make you think).

3) The face.Big deal.He lied/lies about it.So what.It is a big issue for him and if it makes him fel better to change it into something completely foreign,who are we to judge.

His father obviously did a huge number on him and he has not gotten the proper care for that.Who's to say if that had happened to us we wouldn't be just as strange.Being so much in the spotlight,so famous,so rich and so abused at such a young age it's amazing he's not weirder(is that possible?).I can't imagine not being able to leave my house without a mob following me and people analyzing every little thing I did.

My opinion,he's a pretty strange duck but not a child abuser.Would I leave my children with him?No.Why?I don't know him.I wouldn't leave them with anyone I didn't know.Just let the man be,he lives a pretty lonely/sad existence from where I'm sitting.Isn't that bad enough?

 

[AmyA]

I may not be qualified to answer this thread, because I turned the interview off after about 10 minutes. I don't think we'll evr know for sure if he is a child molester---but as other posters have said, whether or not there is anything sexual going on, it is not appropriate for him to have other peoples' children in his bed (or even bedroom) (barf!!!).

I feel bad in a way for him, too. I also think he can be as much of a freak as he wants to be. However, when there are children involved, a line needs to be drawn. I just can't comprehend the parents that allow their children to hang out with him.

 

[kdibattista]

people are harping on the sleepovers because he SAID he slept in the same bed with other children (not the 13 yo that he was holding hands with). He flat out admitted that Macaulay Caulkin and his brother stayed in the same bed with him along with others. There IS something wrong with that!!!!!

 

[stego]

Jerk-Name calling.

He betrayed Michael's trust in order to advance his career, and slanted Michael's actions into misrepresentations of the truth.
What is the truth? Do you know the truth?

For a person as shy as Michael to open up means a lot, and Bashir completely violated that trust and bashed Michael.
How do you measure how shy Michael is? There are two sides of the story-Michael’s & Martin-who are we to know if that trust was violated? Bashed-in what way? If he was slandered, that is another thing. Michael could sue him.

Michael Jackson does not have a sexual bone in his body, he loves children, and he would do anything to help them.
How would you know if Michael does not have a sexual bone in his body?

If he sleeps with kids it's not as if he's having sex with them.
Have you been in the bedroom and observed his actions?

What's wrong with Michael not growing up, he's not hurting Bashir by climbing a tree, but every innocent action that Michael did, Bashir turned it into a way to bash him.
Not growing up. Think about that. Does that mean that by not growing up he can raise children? In exactly what way did Martin turn it into a way to bash him?

The only thing that I didn't like about MJ was the placenta thing, but overall this made me feel that he is a much better person than anyone gives him credit for, and that Bashir is the scum of the earth. If I saw Bashir I'd spit in his face, what a lowlife.
Exactly what is your experience with medical knowledge of childbirthing?

How do you base your feelings on him being a better person?
Martin is scum of the earth. That is a label, again name calling.

Spit in his face. You’d spit in someone’s face because of an interview?
With someone you don’t know personally? Or do you know Michael personally?

Lowlife. Namecalling again.

I’m hoping quite possibly someone with years of journalistic experience can also analyze Martin’s work, in a professional & ethical manner.

 

[Tina]

I don't understand how Bashir betrayed Michael's trust. The cameras were not hidden. Michael knew he was being filmed. He opened his mouth and let it all out. He could have refused to answer questions, but he didn't. He volunteered this information. If he didn't want anyone to watch, he should never have agreed to be interviewed.

 

[TimeforMe]

I, too, feel that Martin Bashir is a real joke and doesn't have an ounce of journalistic integrity in his body. I agree with the OP that he gained Michael's trust and then turned the story into a sensationalistic one-sided piece of crap like the tabloids do. MJ is obviously not a normal type of person generally accepted by society, but I do feel he genuinely loves children in a pure sense and is essentially harmless. I think he felt it was a good opportunity to let the public know the real him. It was the reporter who twisted it around. Remember, we only saw what the reporter felt was conducive and supportive of HIS slant on the story. That is too sad, IMO.

There are MANY celebrities who have settled out of court to avoid having things dragged out and there are MANY people who capitalize on celebrities' stardom by filing false lawsuits simply for the $$. That is not an admission of guilt by any stretch.

Bashir freely expressed his negative and extremely judgmental opinions throughout the interview and it was very obvious that he had pre-formed them prior to the interview. MJ was sadly a very easy target.

While I did find the whole interview somewhat disturbing, what was the MOST disturbing was watching someone manipulate another human being into trusting him and then betraying and humiliating him in front of the whole world. That is just plain sickening.

 

[kdibattista]

While I did find the whole interview somewhat disturbing, what was the MOST disturbing was watching someone manipulate another human being into trusting him and then betraying and humiliating him in front of the whole world. That is just plain sickening.

Again, I need to ask..... how did the interviewer MANIPULATE Michael? The interview was not scripted - I did not see Michael looking at a piece of paper and reading the comments he made. He said whatever he wanted to say. I think Michael did a very good job of humiliating HIMSELF - he certainly needed no help from Martin

 

[Mermaid02]

Michael Jackson DID THIS TO HIMSELF. He agreed to let the cameras follow him for EIGHT months. Wake up people- Jackson may have been a victim of his evil sadistic FATHER.... but he is 44 years old now- he wasn't "tricked" by Bashir. There comes a time when you HAVE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR OWN ACTIONS AND STOP BLAMING EVERYONE ELSE. He is a sad, sick, pathetic character- a shell of the man he COULD have been- IMO... now he's just upset that the world KNOWS it instead of just thinks it!

 

[wdwguide]

I find it extremely puzzling and disturbing that the Walt Disney Company, which is in the business of selling "magic" and "making dreams come true for children at heart" is deriding this man for having made their business model his life philosphy. Not only that, but they did so in a tabloid-like manner that this company really should not resort to (I know that they did not film the documentary, but I would expect somthing like FOX to purchase this sort of junk, not the WDC).

 

[TimeforMe]

Originally posted by kdibattista
Again, I need to ask..... how did the interviewer MANIPULATE Michael? The interview was not scripted - I did not see Michael looking at a piece of paper and reading the comments he made. He said whatever he wanted to say. I think Michael did a very good job of humiliating HIMSELF - he certainly needed no help from Martin

I think MJ agreed to this interview because he felt that Bashir was someone who was open-minded enough to give a representation without bias. Bashir appeared sympathetic and perhaps even somewhat agreeable initially. It was only the commentary (heard by us) that made it obvious he thought MJ was a nutcase and then at the end with the questions which I think brought MJ to the realization that it was all a charade. I agree that MJ humiliated himself--but only because he was naive enough to think that the general public might be open-minded enough to accept someone so obviously out of the norm. I think he truly has a strong desire to be "accepted" and has no idea just how odd and socially unacceptable he is. JMHO, of course.

 

[Mermaid02]

I frankly don't see how a rationale person could not view Jackson's bizarre behavior as just that- BIZARRE. I'm not even talking about the child abuse allegations..... I'm sure his "handlers" told him NOT to do the interview.... but hey- his record sales are actually UP since it aired.

 

[Tina]

I think he truly has a strong desire to be "accepted" and has no idea just how odd and socially unacceptable he is.

Exactly! I think you've hit the nail right on the head. It is so obvious that MJ does not understand the real world. BUT that doesn't mean he should be able to do the things that he does - such as sleeping in the same bed with children that are not his own. He needs some serious therapy to help him understand this. What he really needs are for the people (employees or otherwise) around him to STOP telling him that he's normal. He needs those closest to him to be honest with him and tell him the truth.

 

[CRB#33]

Personally, if I had turned down the sound every time the interviewer spoke, I would have thought no different of MJ.

He has the emotional level of a 10 year old, for whatever reasons. He should not be raising children until he has psychiatric help.

Do you remember years ago, the movie about the Green Beret Doctor that supposedly killed his family? He invited an author into his life. The author started out believing in this man's innocence and by the end of his assignment was totally convinced of his guilt.

I guess this is kind of the same thing. What's he supposed to do after watching this disturbed person raise children? Sugar coat it? He saw what many of us see and maybe he wants the world to worry a bit more than they are about the children MJ's presence. Sure there's a good possiblity that there was a lack of journalistic integrity here, but any intelligent person should be able to see that the Journalist didn't even need to bash Michael. MJ does very well doing that by his life style and his lies.

We can feel very sorry for him, but it shouldn't cloud the fact that he does need help.

 

[richard3330]

I could not disagree anymore.

MJ AGREED to be interviewed by Martin Bashir, and IMO Martin done a great job - nobody could have shown Michaels life better.

If MJ was stupid enough not to watch the programme before it was screened then that was his problem and not anybody else's.

Michael shouldn't have given the guy so much access if he didn't want everyone to know what a WHACK JOB he is.

I totally agree.

 

[Olaf]

Bashir did his job pure and simple. Michael hung himself. Any other self-repecting journalist would have done the same thing.

 

[MeanLaureen]

I could see no way that you could call the interviewer manipulative. To me he asked the questions in a calm, straightforward manner. It's not like MJ tried to get away from the camera and he followed after him hounding him over and over again with the same question. At any time MJ could have walked away from that interview and he chose not to.

The interviewer seemed to have more concern for MJ's children than he did when they were out in the public's eye. When they were at that zoo, all MJ cared about was his fans, the cameras and furthering his popularity. His kids were left behind in the overwhelming crowd of reporters. I heard Bashir several times yelling that he had Prince. MJ had no idea where his son was and looked like he didn't care at that point.

Of course if he keeps spending money like he did that night in Las Vegas (a seperate report said the bill that night came to 6 million dollars! ) he will be broke in the next few years. As of right now his projected worth is only 350 million. (yeah, I know.. ONLY..lol)

The did say that the day after the interview was aired in England that the record sales for Michael Jackson hit record highs. Hmm.. maybe this was his grand scheme to put him back in the spotlight? I just can't help but think it failed miserably in the US

 

[maleficent1959]

I'm with CBR#33 and many others posters on this issue. I don't think Martin Bashir did anything but let Michael speak for himself during the interview. The post-commentary was about Bashir's observations during his eight months, and he continually stressed that these were his opinions, that he didn't observe anything abusive or improper in terms of sexual behavior with children.

Remember, Martin Bashir was a part of Jackson's inner circle for eight months. He may have been a huge Jackson supporter at the beginning. I'm sure he saw many things that he didn't include in the interview -- both postive and negative. If, after eight months, the man came to the conclusion that Jackson had some serious denial issues and questioned aspects how he raised his children there must have been something that caused him to believe that.

If the interview had done nothing but blow sunshine I think that would have raised more eyebrows than this one that questioned eccenticities.