‘The Michael Jackson Tapes’
On Friday we learned that Rabbi Shmuley Boteach was releasing a new book compiled from recordings that he made with Michael Jackson, supposedly with MJ’s permission, in order to share with the world the secrets that MJ wanted everyone to know. On Friday night, Dateline on NBC aired some of the recordings that Boteach made with MJ:
Speaking candidly to Rabbi Shmuley Boteach in conversations that were recorded with the express purpose of sharing them with the public and publishing them in a book, Michael Jackson related extensive personal information. During 30 hours of conversation, they discussed the star’s childhood scars, the price of fame, his spirituality, married life, his love for his children, his demanding father, his thoughts about dying young, his deep fear of aging, racism, his closest friendships and much more. With Michael’s sudden and unfortunate death, Rabbi Shmuley was moved to fulfill his friend’s wish that his true self and heart be known to the public. Their talks are the foundation of “The Michael Jackson Tapes: A Tragic Icon Reveals His Soul in Intimate Conversation.”
Despite the fact that MJ makes clear in these recordings that he did want Rabbi Boteach to release these conversations, I still can’t help but feel it is still extremely exploitative:
Who is making the money from this book? That’s the question that stands out in my mind. Even still … I cannot help but be intrigued by these conversations that Boteach had with MJ. After the jump, check out video from Dateline to hear some of the MJ recordings for yourselves — they are insanely enlightening …
The entire Dateline episode is on You Tube … I urge you to watch Part II HERE to hear MJ talk about how evil his father Joseph Jackson truly is. The man is a monster and is, IMHO, mainly responsible for MJ’s tortured and troubled life. Here are links for Part III, Part IV, Part V and Part VI of the Dateline episode. The information provided by Michael Jackson himself is the most enlightening, honest and compelling I’ve ever heard.
Also, as a reminder, tickets for Michael Jackson’s This Is It movie go on sale today … showings are sure to sell out so I’d urge y’all to get your tickets while you can.
[Source, Source]
Tags: 'Dateline', Michael Jackson, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach
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September 27th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Okay, what am I missing here? Why was MJ talking to a rabbi? He wasn’t Jewish was he? And why would he ask a rabbi to divulge this information? I”m sorry, but I’m missing the plot.
September 27th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
In a way I can understand this. Watching that memorial and the subsequent speeches on MJ, I found myself uncomfortable with the way people positioned themselves to talk about him. It was obvious they had not seen him or talked to him in so many years. Some of his family was still using him in death when he became big news again. If I was a friend of MJ, I might be tempted to release those tapes to reveal the bullshiz and shut some people up (or embarrass them- looking at you Madonna and Joe Jackson). But then again it doesn’t fix anything now.
September 27th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Any money made should be put into a trust fund for his children that is out of the reach of greedy, grasping “well meaning” relations.
They are gonna need that money…shrinks aren’t cheap!
September 27th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Well… now we know that Brooke Shields was absolutely genuine in her speech at the memorial about the time they spent together…
September 27th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
Wow…. Rabbi Schmuley is a real backstabber.
If MJ wanted the tapes released, then why did he sever all relations with Rabbi Schmuley?
September 27th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
I’m not a true believer since my Mom passed when I was 15 yrs old. However, I think that even with permission, these should not have been made public. If MJ truly wanted them to be public…he would have done so himself. Why has it taken so long for the Rabbi to bring them to light? And…where are his ethics?
September 27th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
wow this site sure posts a lot about MJ
September 27th, 2009 at 10:39 pm
I have always believed that he was guilty and now Im coming to terms with the fact that it doesn’t really matter whether or not he was guilty it’s not my place to judge him nor is it anyone else’s place to judge him. His soul has moved on and it is in God’s capable hands. So whether you believe in his innocence or guilt he’s just a person and I think we should let him, and his family, rest and have their peace with it.
September 27th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
Thanks Trent for the great linkage.
I had missed this!
September 28th, 2009 at 9:43 am
Michael’s obsession with children creeped me out. And I am not going to change my opinion now that he is dead.
September 28th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Okay… the dude hung out with mannequins…. That makes it hard for me to believe that it was anything more than his OWN PERCEPTION that “M” was jealous of him. She seems more like she was having fun with the idea of these 2 big stars hanging out together…. It’s not like she got any extra fame for being around him… He wasn’t anything to help fuel her career. She did fine (and still does) on her own. I can’t imagine that she would have actually been jealous of him. I think it’s sad that she spoke so lovingly of him and emphasized how ‘human’ he was… and then THIS comes out. That’s just mean.
It makes me think of a mean suicide letter… saying things that are morphed by someone’s mental problems… saying things about people, after you’re dead, that they have to live the rest of thier lives- knowing you felt THAT way about them, and then there’s no way for them to clear it up or make it better.
September 28th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
@Pixies…. I see your point.
September 28th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
I don’t doubt that M was jealous of him and she probably told Michael that back in the day when they were hanging out and she got to know him.
M is a marketing genius.
She made sure she was seen in public with him when her career was just beginning but on the upswing.
Maybe she found herself actually liking him and opened up and mentioned she loves that his fans faint and cry.
I can see that. Totally.
September 28th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
I finally finished the series and I am GLAD that the audio was released. It gives Michael the Last Word.
As a gen-xer and a HUGE Michael Jackson fan to the point I went back and bought Jackson 5 and Off The Wall, I read EVERYTHING about Michael I could get my hands on. This included the numerous biographies. Many of them repeated the same stories but they were consistent and eerily coincide with these tapes.
By that time
I understood the mannequins.
I understood the children.
I hate Shmuley Boteach for leaving doubt
when questioned about Michael’s intentions.
Shame on him.
(stepping off soapbox)
September 28th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
I can believe M was jealous because of her self absorbed “tribute” she gave to him at the VMAs.
September 28th, 2009 at 11:53 pm
Oh. Well THAT
Was Madge giving HER last word.
I loved it more than Janet’s performance.
.. and I love me sum Janet
September 29th, 2009 at 12:16 am
MJ was so un-sexual i can’t imagine that his obsession with kids was anything more than a yearning for a childhood he never had. he wanted them around to live vicariously through them. i admire michael for trying to maintain an innocence in a ’sinful’ world. the combination of his severe need for therapy and narcissism made it so that he was probably impossible to treat. he would never be humble enough to overcome his past. i’m afraid that his early death was a path carved out by his father for the very beginning, and no amount of fame, therapy, or love could change the outcome.
September 29th, 2009 at 3:02 am
@J to tha Da: I didn’t think she sounded self absorbed… to me it sounded like she identified with him because of things they had in common but that she felt he had a rougher time in life, which she felt bad for. It’s all perception.
October 1st, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Judas
October 1st, 2009 at 12:09 pm
The author is a modern Judas, looking sociologically not religiously