Yesteday's Oprah- Jackson children

[Queen2PrincessG]

Ok, so I think Oprah is probably one of the worst interviewers out there. I've watched two of this seasons shows, JK Rowling and then yesterday's interview with Katherine Jackson and Micheal's children.

Was anyone else shocked to hear Katherine say that's how black people raise their kids? I lost a little respect for her right there.

 

[Mimi1965]

I missed it

What did she mean-that black people dangle their babies out of Hotel windows?

(being snarky-I saw some video of that incident yesterday)

 

[DMass]

Nothing that comes out of the mouths of the Jackson clan shocks me anymore. Michael wasn't the only whacko in that family.

 

[MIGrandma]

I don't think Oprah is a bad interviewer, but I haven't seen the Jacksons episode yet. I record them all, then just watch the ones I'm interested in later. I did see the episode with JK Rowling and enjoyed it. I liked the one with Lisa Presley too.

 

[Queen2PrincessG]

No she was discussing Michael saying his father beat him with a belt often. She said - lets just be honest Oprah. That is how black people raise their kids.

I think the window dangle was a blown out of control. My DH throws DD up in the air so high. It scares the crap out of me. He always catches her though and while it makes me panic she loves it.

 

[disneyjunkie]

Was anyone else shocked to hear Katherine say that's how black people raise their kids? I lost a little respect for her right there.

What did she say? Why were you shocked?

She isn't the only person who thinks that white, black, latino, Asian,... parents raise their children different from one another. Everyone has the same goal, but MAY go about it in a different way.

I didn't see the show, but I DVR it. Will watch it tonight.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I wasn't really shocked, because of the way she said it. - Her voice and hesitation were kind of like "OK, I realize you can't say this, so I will." I certainly don't think she was trying to say every person of color feels that way, just that, back at the time they were talking about, it was pretty common among the people she knew.

I was doing housework and just catching bits in the background, so I don't know about the whole interview.

I did actually like the JKR one, though. - I thought Jo seemed pretty comfortable with Oprah as an interviewer. (Of course, I'm hanging on every HP word until the new movie comes out, so I was probably biased.)

 

[disneyjunkie]

No she was discussing Michael saying his father beat him with a belt often. She said - lets just be honest Oprah. That is how black people raise their kids.

She was being honest.

Many black people DID raise their children that way. I'm 42, I don't know anyone that I grew up with that wasn't spanked with a belt.

 

[PatsGirl]

I'm not much of an Oprah fan but I did watch yesterday's show out of pure curiousity. I'm not a Michael Jackson fan either but I really can't stand his father I admired the way his mother seemed to want to be honest and actually turned on her husband by saying "I guess it's time to be honest" about the physical discipline.

As for being offended by it, I am caucasian but know as well as most that SOME black families in the South (and SOME white families here in the backwoods Northeast as well) used physical punishment as a deterrant to bad behavior back in the 60s when those kids were little. My father believed in spanking (not whipping though) as do I to this day. What offended me was the father's inability to admit it and his several attempts at covering it by deciding there was a difference between "beating" and "whipping" because I'm not sure there is.

 

[Christine]

I was not shocked at all by what she said. I think that for the time period they were referencing (late 50s, early 60s) using a "strap" as was referenced was a fairly common occurrence in the the white AND black communities. Of course, Mrs. Jackson cannot speak for the white community so she had to refer to the black community.

I was just discussing this in my carpool this morning. I am 46 years old (white) and raised a lot by my grandmother who was the most loving woman I know. She used the "strap" on me two times. It was very light, it hurt less then a swat on the bottom, and I wasn't afraid of her or bitter when she used it. But the use of it was very symbolic and it was accetable for someone of her generation. My mother (her daughter) never used that on me as I guess it was out of vogue with the younger generation. Katherine Jackson and her husband are definitely closer to my grandparents' age versus my parents' age.

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

I'd like someone to ask Katherine why the heck Michael's kids are WHITE???!!! Who can the real daddy be???

 

[Christine]

I'd like someone to ask Katherine why the heck Michael's kids are WHITE???!!! Who can the real daddy be???

Because he's not their biological father. He claims to be for Blanket but not the older two.

 

[C.Ann]

I stopped watching Oprah years ago - right around the time she forgot about the people who helped her get where she is today.. (Pretty much how I feel about Dr. Phil as well..)

Not meant to offend anyone who does watch and/or enjoy her.. Just my opinion..

 

[luvmy3]

No she was discussing Michael saying his father beat him with a belt often. She said - lets just be honest Oprah. That is how black people raise their kids.

I think the window dangle was a blown out of control. My DH throws DD up in the air so high. It scares the crap out of me. He always catches her though and while it makes me panic she loves it.

Really While I cringe when I see any parent tossing their baby up in the air, it is so not the same as dangling an infant off of a hotel room balcony.

She was being honest.

Many black people DID raise their children that way. I'm 42, I don't know anyone that I grew up with that wasn't spanked with a belt.

Me either, but its not exclusive to black people so she really didn't have to bring that up.

 

[Jennasis]

Blanket is very clearly Michael's biological offspring. He looks just like his dad did at that age.

As for the other two, michael may not have been their biological father, but like any adopted child that doesn't make Michael any less their FATHER.

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

Blanket is very clearly Michael's biological offspring. He looks just like his dad did at that age.

As for the other two, michael may not have been their biological father, but like any adopted child that doesn't make Michael any less their FATHER.

True, but inquiring minds want to know....

 

[Jennasis]

True, but inquiring minds want to know....

Know what? Paris and Prince aren't biologically Michael's. What more do you need to know, or are you just talking about wanting an official statement?

 

[Christine]

Me either, but its not exclusive to black people so she really didn't have to bring that up.

Yeah, but she might not really know that. Black people's disciplining is all she knows (at least at that point).

 

[PUZZLDY5]

My husband grew up here in the south. Not that that has a lot to do with it but he said that he remembers his grandmother telling him to go get a "switch" off the tree and she would whip him with it. I don't know if that was normal for the south or just his family.
I grew up up north. I only remember getting a couple "spankings" in my childhood. Again, not sure if its a north south thing or a personal family thing.
We as parents "spanked" BUT it was a last resort.

 

[cabanafrau]

I really wanted Oprah to follow up w/ Joe by pointing out the obvious, his methods did not in fact keep his kid away from drugs, sadly very far from it.