The Hindu : Opinion / Editorials : Jackson's return to Neverland

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Thursday, Jun 16, 2005

Opinion

Opinion - Editorials

Jackson's return to Neverland

Celebrity criminal trials have always exercised a certain fascination over people. The trial of one of the world's great playwrights, Oscar Wilde, who was accused of homosexuality in 1895, ignited an extraordinary interest in the British public, particularly the literati, and, over the years, has provided the fodder for books, theatre, and cinema. But no country has been so feverishly obsessed with celebrity trials as the United States, where reams of newsprint and hours of television prime time are spent on dredging out every titillating detail and where far more significant events are ignored in the corporate media's strategy of confusing the public by dressing up celebrity scuttlebutt as news. The media circus on the Michael Jackson trial, which ended with the pop star being comprehensively cleared of child molestation and conspiracy charges, has perhaps played itself out. The screaming fans, the grandstanding witnesses, the satellite trucks, the miles of TV cables running around the courthouse, the glib talking heads, the pop psychology — the Jackson courtroom drama had taken on the character of a surreal spectacle. The United States' compulsive love affair with celebrity trials is not new. About a decade ago, the O.J Simpson trial — in which the sports hero was charged with murder and acquitted — set the tone for converting such trials into a cross between reality TV and soap opera.

Jackson may still be exposed to claims for civil damages, where the standards of required evidence are lower. However, the ordeal that began 19 months ago with his arrest in his Neverland ranch on suspicions of child molestation is behind him. For the 46-year old superstar, who appeared emaciated and tired after the trial, the future still seems clouded. While he can justifiably take comfort from acquittal on all counts, the trial, which focussed attention on the pornographic material recovered from his ranch, the disfiguring series of cosmetic surgery, and the admission that he slept in the company of young boys, has wrought deep damage to his global image. It is also not going to be easy for this entertainment icon — who ranks as one of the most successful pop musicians of all time — to stage a comeback. Jackson's best years are long past; in fact, his dominance of pop music began to erode in the mid-1990s. His fading popularity was expressed in the mediocre sales of his most recent album, the incongruously titled Invincible released in 2001. Jackson, who has been in the show business since the age of four and built himself through hard work into the world's biggest pop brand, knows that the acquittal provides him a small window of opportunity to resurrect his flagging career. That he has the talent to do so is not in question. In his 42 years on stage and in the studio, Jackson has repeatedly repackaged his music and image to great effect and greater success. The poignant question is whether he can do this one more time.

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