(no subject)

[apocalypsos]

Accused Soldiers Didn't Know Geneva Rules -- As has already been said by doqz, bullshit. Jesus, I don't remember the Geneva rules, but I know well enough that doing what they did was wrong. And apparently, the Geneva Convention rules are pounded into your head during basic training. Hell, I can remember learning a pretty basic version of the Geneva Convention rules during my two semesters of military science in college, and that was an alternative to a health credit, for crying out loud.

Jackson Pleads Not Guilty to Molestation -- At this point, it's not Michael Jackson that creeps me out anymore. Yes, he's accused of some pretty heavy counts here, but I'm so used to it by now, I'm not even surprised. Is he guilty? Hell, I don't know. Sometimes, I think so ... sometimes, I don't. (Mostly, I think yes. But whatever.)

No, it's not Michael who creeps me out anymore, it's his more deluded fanbase. It's people like Oh-Woe-Is-Me-Ooooo, who, when I was telling the charges to another co-worker at work tonight, said, "Oh, I don't think he did it. I mean, he's famous." Famous?! Excuse me, you don't think he did what he's accused of because he's famous?!

Eh, I'm sorry, but that's the wrong answer. You get to think he's innocent because you don't believe the other person's side, or because you don't think all of the evidence holds up. He does not get a free pass on criminal charges because "he's famous." It's like Chris Rock said about OJ -- if Michael wasn't Michael Jackson, he wouldn't be Michael Jackson right now, he'd be Mike the creepy child-molesting bus driver.

EDIT: Bosslady just called me. At midnight on a Friday. To offer me six hours worth of overtime for two hours of work tomorrow. And she wasn't even drunk.

I'm pretty sure it was revenge for her getting pissed off at Bossman today, but I'd have to be fucking braindead to pass it up.

SON OF EDIT: I can just see it now. I'll be working on the next part of the Jubes/Elizabeth fic at the movies tomorrow just because I could use the overtime pay to buy more shit I don't need. Is there a rule against writing femslash before a showing of Mean Girls? You'd think it'd be required or something.

Comments

[anne-jumps.livejournal.com]

ORENTHAL THE BUS-DRIVING MURDERER!
I love saying that out loud sometimes. When I'm alone.

The fanbase is really scary though.

[dargie.livejournal.com]

And how often have we heard "ignorance of the law is no excuse"? They defend themselves by saying that they were just doing what they thought their commander wanted them to do. Hello? Nazi war criminals were only following orders, too, and they ended up dead or in prison for it.

I'd love to say something deeply philosophical at this point, but I'm just too disgusted.

[lots42.livejournal.com]

Law nothing. You have to be some kind of deluded psychotic to think that scaring prisoners into thinking they might be electrocuted is somehow ok.

[robyn-ma.livejournal.com]

i don't think MJ did it, but not because he's famous (or even because i particularly like him — though i have a soft spot for the 'thriller' album). i just don't think he has a sexual bone in his body. i think he has definite psychological problems, mind you. but when he has kids sleep over, i think it really is a sleepover, like kids would have, because emotionally he never grew up. i also don't think it's too far-fetched that the parents of some of the kids would see an easy dollar sign in accusing him of molestation.

so, to sum up: a decidedly weird and sad person, but molester? i dunno, he doesn't seem to fit the profile.

[akacat]

I'll ditto this, I sincerely doubt that he knows what his equipment is for. And the potential profit for anyone who accuses him is enough to make me doubt their claims.

Of course, I do think he needs a keeper. As much for his protection as anyone else.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

See, that's the thing. Sometimes, I totally agree with that. I certainly agree with the take that he's out of touch with reality. I heard a pair of DJs the other day wondering if he'd "dress up" for court and if he even understood that he could get in trouble with the judge if he shows up in his Sergeant Pepper get-ups. And that was the exact line of thought that went through my head, too. "Does he even understand ..." should not begin a sentence in reference to a supposedly sane 40-year-old man.

But every once in a while, he just does stuff that makes me think ... uh, ewww.

I think his main problem is he needs to hire at least one person who's willing to say, "No, Michael, normal people do NOT do that." He's surrounded by people who intimate to him that it's perfectly okay to sculp your face into Peter Pan's and have sleepovers with little boys. Even if he isn't doing anything nasty to the kids, when you're a forty-year-old man who has sleepovers with little kids, that's fucked up. (Of course, the parents who allow it mak me wonder, too.)

[robyn-ma.livejournal.com]

oh yes, most certainly fucked up, but is he fucked up in a predatory way? there's the question.

people get all squicky about asexual entertainers who have close proximity to kids anyway — look at pee-wee herman's media-created scandals.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Oh, the charges against Pee-Wee are ridiculous. Yes, he was jerking off in a XXX theater and had a porn collection. Which puts him on par with about 95% of the male population. Sheesh.

[laurelin-kit.livejournal.com]

Mean Girls rocks. You'll love it.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

I did. I think my favorite bit was "Danny DeVito! I love your work!" *dies*

[laurelin-kit.livejournal.com]

I need to use that to shoo someone away now. Seriously. Damian is GOD.

[avariel-wings.livejournal.com]

If Michael wasn't Michael Jackson, he'd probably be a damn sight better-adjusted and just plain more normal. Every true child star I can think of off-hand (with the seeming exception of Elijah Wood) has come out of it fucked-up in some way, he's just an extreme case.

[snellios.livejournal.com]

Word.

[illandaria.livejournal.com]

*Friends you randomly because your journal amuses me greatly and it's always being metaquoted*

On another note, though, my roommate is a rabid Michael Jackson fan. The fact that there are people out there more fanatical about someone that creepy than she is freaks me out.