Opinion
The world’s clown
Yaniv Halily
Published: 28.06.09, 18:45
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25 Talkbacks for this article
1. Jackson was a Jew hater
dave   (06.28.09)
in his last days he turned to be an Anti Semi. remember "Jew me, sue me". we will never forget.
2. stupid article. Jackson was ridiculious and without talent
(06.28.09)
3. A sick & sad individual who inflicted it on innocent boys
L ,   Israel   (06.28.09)
I'm sure his victims' families and he himself are relieved it's all finally over too.
4. "We loved Michael Jackson" ?! I didn't!
Jane ,   London, UK   (06.28.09)
He was about as bad a role model as it's possible to imagine. He didn't invent the moondance but he was a talented entertainer. Was is horrible is the MSM's attention on him, when demonstraters in Iran and being killed and tortured, and others are having their houses and cars severely damaged. The west is morally bankrupt! http://tiny.cc/iranjackson Jane
5. Jackson’s life sadder than his death
(06.28.09)
Jackson’s life sadder than his death?
6. The world in gloom?
Indifferent ,   USA   (06.28.09)
"he world has been overcome by a sense of gloom over the weekend upon the death of Michael Jackson..." So, the whole world knew of and loved mikey jackass? Gee, I thought the arab-loving arab-bowing excuse for an American president was widely believed to be the messiah... not mikey jackass! On the other hand, I'd sooner believe anything mikey jackass would say over anything oBOWma would say.
7. Michael is THE MOST RECOGNIZED person on this earth!
Daniel Gordon ,   Phoenix, USA   (06.28.09)
He has contributed to global culture though his songs. He as done much for the poor and the hungry through his humanitarian efforts . Bottom line is, Micheal has done for this world more than any Jew has ever and will ever do!
8. #3 Who are you to judge anyone?
Sophie ,   Israel   (06.28.09)
How do you know what really happened, what gives you the right to judge someone you didn't even know? People need to stop looking into all this gossip and just remember the music instead. Celebs private lives is none of our business.
9. Yaniv Halili fantasized by most didn't!
martin ,   tel aviv   (06.28.09)
"His Neverland ranch with its zoo, amusement park, and hoards of servants provoked our sense of jealousy and desire for an ostentatious and materialistic lifestyle". Most people didn't fantasize about living on a ranch with lots of little boys. Yaniv Halili did, so what can one say? Martin
10. and now i must weep over the girly boy that sings?
transvestite dies ,   from drug overdose   (06.28.09)
11. Agree with #8
Sam ,   Tel Aviv   (06.29.09)
It is amazing to see all the venom spewed at this 'strange' but nevertheless never proven guilty of crimes musician. I believe the responses to Jackson's death tell more about the judegmental character of Israeli society than about the truth of the man himself. From what I understand, Jackson was a man who loved children and all people--not sexually---and maybe we could learn something from that.
12. Perfect article, pathetic comments
human ,   planet Earth, alas   (06.29.09)
Fantastic, spectacular fools leave comments on this site. Nice, interesting article; sad, sad world judging by the comments...
13. so much ....
aline ,   israel   (06.29.09)
...hatred! what's wrong with some people?
14. Stop hating!!
Edan ,   Tel Aviv   (06.28.09)
Whatever you say about him you cannot deny the talent. I've never seen anyone dance with as much style and body control and there's never been anyone who reached that level of fame. Is there anyone in the world who hasn't heard of Michael Jackson? I don't believe he raped or even groped children (though the jokes were funny, I have to admit). But there was no doubt that he was VERY wierd. But I think that was just a result of his very extra-ordinary life experiences and that he was actually a good person.
15. Daniel...What about Jesus?
Mark ,   Lodz, Poland   (06.29.09)
16. No. 7 Daniel Gordon
NYC Girl   (06.29.09)
Including Jesus?
17. i like his songs
soso ,   jerusalem   (06.29.09)
specialy that of the nature it had an efect on my soulbut his life had the effect on his soul not mine .. i admire the his music and songs not his life
18. To #16
M. Hartley ,   Atlanta, US   (06.29.09)
Are you speaking of that world-famous Mexican singer? Hahahaha
19. #4 Jane in Londonistan
Cynthia ,   USA   (06.29.09)
If you're so concerned about what's happening in Iran, why did you wait until Michael Jackson died to express your concern? And why do you live in the west if you think the west is morally bankrupt? Don't expect the world to stop because the Islamic Regime is beating and torturing people. They've been doing this for years in case you haven't noticed. And perhaps you can explain why the Arab/Muslim world has been silent while atrocities are being committed in Iran? Are they morally bankrupt as well? You're capitalizing on Michael Jackson's death to bash the west and that's vicious.
20. Talent? What talent?
moshe ,   israel   (06.29.09)
I am surprised that so many of us should join in the hysterical hyperbole that has accompanied Michael Jackson's death. “The world’s greatest entertainer” has died. “The Daily Telegraph” (an allegedly serious heavyweight newspaper in the UK, devoted 5 pages to the news plus nearly one further page on an obituary. BBC Radio 4 (the hitherto serious UK news channel) had someone likening this MJ to Mozart or Beethoven, no less. Another claimed he was a greater dancer than Fred Astaire. The longest news item in The Daily Telegraph, MJ apart, occupied less than a quarter of a page. So MJ's death is by a margin of approximately 24:1 the most important news item of the day. Really? This would be Internationally, Nationally, Politically, Economically. So happenings in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, on the International Stock Exchanges are all of less moment. Where is the evidence for this overwhelming hyperbole? Seven albums heading the US charts? So what? Do we now equate talent and greatness with popularity? On that basis some pornographers are presumably on the way to immortality. In any case other artists have achieved more, (and particularly if we adjust sales for differing economic conditions over different periods of time, sold vastly more as well). Others have held the limelight for far longer and excelled across wider fields of entertainment. Where is the evidence for the singing ability? An irritating high pitched whine. Is that singing? And dancing – a rather clever little step called the “Moonwalk” and precious little else that has not been done by others or originated by others. The music, characterized by an overwhelming beat (which totally drowns any pretence at any melody) owes whatever excitement it might have to, principally, Quincy Jones, who has more talent in his little finger than Michael Jackson ever had (even though he is far from the front rank of arrangers). Where, amongst all this hyperbole, do we place the really original singers and innovators of the 20th century – Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Lennon and McCartney, Elvis Presley; the dancers – Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, or many others with real musical ability? The child Michael Jackson may have shown a little talent. The popularity that was generated at that time developed a considerable fan base for whom he could do no wrong and hysterically adulated him even after much crass commercialism took control and buried it: what he subsequently became was manufactured by others, whether publicists, arrangers, musicians and “media” experts; but musical talent? Where? He maximized in a spectacular way on any ability he had, well aided by those around him, and then failed to handle it. Let us sympathize with him for that. Let us regret the fact that he clearly had a tortured childhood and had to battle so unsuccessfully with his own dark demons, but we should leave him in peace and not so wholly exaggerate the scale of any “greatness”. That he was so extremely popular is only a reflection on the execrable taste of the record-buying public.
21. A voice for transgender people
Jackie   (06.29.09)
Michael Jackson proved it possible for a transgender to make it big and to live the good life.
22. News for Daniel (#7)
Shua ,   New York, USA   (06.29.09)
"Michael has done for this world more than any Jew has ever and will ever do!" ~ Daniel Gordon I won't bother listing the thousands of advances in science, medicine, technology, music, art, etc. that Jews have contributed to humanity over thousands of years. It is staggering. (see for example: http://cgi.stanford.edu/group/wais/cgi-bin/?p=2602) Instead, I'd like to point out to you, Mr. Gordon, these words (spoken in 1809) by our second president, John Adams: “I will insist that the Jews have done more to civilize men than any other nation. If I were an atheist, and believed in blind eternal fate, I should still believe that fate had ordained the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations.” I will point out to you sir, that while Jews are only 0.25% of the world's population (that's an infitesiminal one quarter of one percent), they make up 22% of all Nobel Prizes laureates. You Mr. Gordon, are a classic anti-Semite whose comment is born of both ignorance and stupidity. P.S. Hope you never have a heart attack; a Jew invented the cardiac defibrillator and the pacemaker. You know what? When EMS arrives, just tell them that you'd rather die than be saved by a Jew.
23.  Pssst. He is still dead. Even after 3 days.
Gideon Reader   (06.29.09)
Alleged child molester and possible pederast, definite psychotic and mediocre tallent(except for acting like a cartoon). Still it shows what a wonderful place america is. Where else could a small african american child grow up to be a badly dressed white lady)
24. MJ & the question of his antisemitism
traintalk ,   northern israel   (06.30.09)
Will the jokers claiming antisemitism explain this: http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/2000/12/My-Childhood-My-Sabbath-My-Freedom.aspx?p=1 source: http://trueslant.com/alieteraz/2009/06/26/was-michael-jackson-muslim-and-his-islamic-burial/
25. Debbie Rowe. reply to #1
Joseph ,   London England   (07.01.09)
Michael's wife and mother of his first two children was Jewish. He counted several Jews among his friends and expressed deep feelings about the Holocaust. I suspect the poor wording of one song had more to do with rhyme than reason -- and he apologised to someone who wrote to complain.
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