Customer Reviews

Michael Jackson: The Magic, The Madness, The Whole Story, 1958-2009

5 star:		(80)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(27)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(27)

 

 

I did nothing this past weekend but read this book. Michael Jackson is incredibly interesting to me- a compelling and unsolvable mystery. Was he vain, or did he have body dysmorphic disorder? Did he want to be white, or was he trying to cover up disfiguring vitiligo? Was he heterosexual, gay, or asexual? Was he a pedophile, or was he a repressed child who was only able to relate to kids? How could he be so outgoing on stage, but so shy and reserved off stage? Was he destroyed by the media/lawyers, etc, or did he destroy himself? In certain interviews, he seems exquisitely gentle, sweet, kind, and sincere... at other times, he seems childish, naive and evasive. I have the deepest compassion for this misunderstood man whose story of meteoric superstardom and crashing fall from grace could be a Shakespeare tragedy. The irony is that he was constantly being judged by people whose characters were inferior to his (eg the unscrupulous Mr. Martin Bashir)

In this biography, the nature of the relationship between the author and Michael Jackson is unclear. They first met when they both were kids, at a time when the author was too young to be a reporter. Some of the information he reports is uncited, and you are led to wonder where the heck it came from, as other reviewers have noted. I thought the author tried to be fair and presented both sides of the story for the most part. However, he often came across as judgmental; the facts alone would have sufficed, but the author usually sums up with his own opinion about Michael's psychology or behavior or motives- opinions I often disagreed with.

At times he would quote psychiatrists who had theories about Michael that I often thought were rediculous: for example, one psychiatrist thought Michael's interest in mannequins suggested that he was narcissistic. The mannequins were not replicas of himself, they represented people of several different ethnic groups. The obvious explanation for the mannequins is that he was lonely and couldn't relate to "normal" people.

The author is sick of hearing about Michael's lost childhood. He calculates that he missed out on a certain number of years of his childhood, and has spent double that amount of time recovering them as an adult. I'm not a psychiatrist, but I don't think it works that way... I'm pretty sure you have to experience your childhood when you're a child for it to count. He also suggests that Michael's vitiligo was caused by skin-bleaching agents, when it more commonly occurs spontaneously as an autoimmune disorder; the co-presence of lupus, another autoimmune disorder, makes this a more likely cause. Overall, I felt the portrayal of Michael was slightly more negative than positive. The stories that portray him as a cut-throat artist or an aggressive businessman are most interesting, but don't necessarily represent all aspects of his complex personality.

I definitely wanted to hear about his personal life, but not at the expense of his musical and professional history. For example, the creation and release of the "Dangerous" album was completely glossed over- by then it was all about the scandal. In contrast, he spends pages and pages describing the planning of a Jackson 5 concert series in Korea that never occurred.

At the end of the book, the author says that he still has doubts about whether Michael Jackson was innocent of Jordan Chandler's accusations. Among other reasons, he remembers Jordan's mother's poignant testimony at the 2005 trial, and states that it was clear she had been totally ruined by her association with Michael Jackson. Not sure what her ruin has to do with Michael's innocence or guilt? There are obvious major credibility issues with the Chandler family. Evan Chandler had motives beyond those that concerned his son. A nasty, vindictive man, he wanted to get back at Michael for some personal slight and wasn't ashamed to retire in luxury on someone else's hard-earned money. June's lawyer withdrew from the case- how often does that happen, especially knowing how much money was to be made? This lawyer later claimed he thought Michael was innocent. Jordan refused to testify against Michael, even many years later. So I thought the author could have put more emphasis on the Chandlers' lack of credibility. Early on in the book he talks for several paragraphs about how even if Michael were really gay, he would never act on it because of his strict moral upbringing and religious beliefs. Does child molestation not fall under the same category??

I still recommend the book, but suggest that you make your own conclusions about this enigmatic man.

Ok, so in the sad world of Jackson biographies, this is undoubtably the best. Taraborelli's style is conversational and enjoyable and I agree with the reviewers before me- it is difficult to put down.
However, there are a number of things that rattle the credibility of this publication.

1. Taraborrelli contributes to the Daily Mail, a smutty British tabloid.
2. Taraborrelli allows the Daily Mail to refer to him as Jackson's "friend" and even "lifelong confidante." This is incredibly far from the truth. Taraborelli makes no such assertions himself, but allowing himself to be referred to as such is just as bad. This type of self-aggrandizing disregard for the truth undermines his otherwise seemingly-semi-credible work. (Also of note, the Daily Mail also calls Stacy Brown a family friend. Brown is another Jackson biographer who revealed that crucial portions of his biography were made up for sensational purposes when under oath in Jackson's 2005 trial)
3. There are some things that Taraborelli reports as fact that could only have reached him through a biased, drawn-out grapevine. For example, Jackson's sex life with Lisa Marie. Also, the portions written about the nature of Jackson's relationship with Jordie Chandler, particularly the pieces where Jackson is alone with only the family in their home when Jackson is like, obsessively staring at Jordie. Who the HELL told Taraborelli that? One of Chandler's parents? Good ol' Uncle Ray? Knowing that Taraborrelli took liberties with the fact here and in other places where he will put incredible detail into scenes of which he couldn't possibly be aware makes you wonder where else he did this(and, also, if he knew all this- why did he not know that it was Jackson's insurance who paid the Chandlers the $20 million and not Jackson himself?) Does it make for enjoyable prose? Yes. But it's basically FAN FICTION.
4. Taraborrelli associates with some pretty shady anti-Jackson characters. He considers Diane Dimond a close friend. Frankly, I don't understand how someone could see past her tasteless witch-hunting to become a friend. He also gave interviews to this guy who's in this name escapes me, but he made a documentary called "Michael Jackson: What Really Happened" This documentary is so poorly made, it seems like a middle-schoolers powerpoint. And basically everything in it is ridiculous and incorrect.
5. Taraborrelli's participation in the 2005 trial was less than admirable. He seemed to favor the prosecution's chances when, upon review of the transcripts and evidence, they never had a case. He also got all of this credit for being so "close" to Jackson, but then he went along with all of the reporters who entertained themselves by relentlessly mocking their cash cow. I spent one week on the press there, and I was blown over by how unprofessional the environment was.
6. Taraborrelli admitted in an interview that he hadn't been keeping up with Jackson's story for the past few years. This means that the final portion of this book was scrambled together in a month.
7. The reason, Taraborrelli admitted, that he had been ignoring Jackson was because he was mad at him. .....seriously? ...are you joking? FEELINGS SHOULD NOT MATTER IN BIOGRAPHY WRITING!!! Taraborrelli, you are not Jackson's FRIEND. You aren't allowed to be mad at him! This is unprofessional and immature.

All of this said, I do think this book is worth a read. Taraborrelli writes well and definitely appears to come much closer to fact than any other biographers. His sources listed are extensive, yet vague in some very crucial areas. Unfortunately, the truth will never be known when it comes to Michael Jackson. Some lie for fame and money. Celebrities will lie for their image. Taraborrelli does seem to care for Jackson and is capable of discussing his life without his comments dripping with mockery like other "journalists." Sadly, I imagine this is as good as it's going to get.

ETA 12/18/2009: After following him on Facebook for the past four months, my opinion of Taraborrelli has greatly increased. I understand why he made the choices that he did now, and, upon reflection, I appreciate his work much more. I look forward to the next edition.

After the announcement of Jackson's death I began researching about his life and times. In my effort to create a holistic perception of this artist I bought Taraborrelli's biography of Jackson.
After examining this book very thoroughly I was surprised by the vagueness, the inconsistencies, the half-truths and the omission of facts that permeate this biography. I have decided to evolve myself to a project of exposing this so-called biography in order for other readers not to be fooled by this author and create the wrong impression about Jackson.

1) The majority of the information provided in the book is attributed to people who are not named but presented under the vague terms of either "associates" or "friends". Descriptions of incidents about Jackson, crucial to the creation of an impression about him, are attributed to nameless "friends", "bystanders", and "witnesses". If Mr. Taraborrelli was not allowed to reveal names or be more specific about his sources due to privacy issues he should not have used information obtained by them at all. How do we know that he did not concoct this info about Jackson? One of the many examples is the description of a fight between Lisa Marie Presley and MJ (p. 565) where none information about the sources of the author was given. This is a sign of unprofessionalism which is evident throughout this biography.

2) The author describes Jackson's behavior as "odd" or "strange" while omitting facts that could justify Jackson's seemingly unusual behavior. One example is the reference of MJ wearing masks in public which is depicted as an eccentricity of Jackson without any further explanation given. Jackson himself explained in an interview he gave to VH1 in 1996 that he was required to wear a mask by his doctors since his debilitating dermatological disease vitiligo rendered him allergic to the sun and susceptible to skin cancer.

3) The author devoted a mere paragraph about Jackson's diseases just saying that Jackson was diagnosed with vitiligo and lupus without mentioning how these two serious diseases affected his life. He even says that some doctors (again nameless generalizations) support that vitiligo can be caused from the use of bleaching creams, something which is obviously not true. No dermatologists in their right minds would say that and even if someone did they should have been mentioned specifically. By saying "some doctors say" the wrong impression that MJ might have used bleaching creams and brought this upon himself can be created. After intensive research in various accurate and legit medical boards I have found that the use of bleaching cream is improbable to cause vitiligo. It can only cause skin burns, skin wounds and irritation and that is even if it is chronically used. "The most common side effect of skin bleaching is skin irritation and a burning sensation. The itching or stinging of the skin should be mild and temporary, with some reddening of skin where cream is applied".

4)Another major faux pas by Taraborrelli was the omission of many facts and evidence concerning the Jordie Chandler case. The father's shady past is not mentioned neither his financial problems nor his legal ones. (GQ magazine, "Was Michael Jackson Framed? The Untold Story", 1994)
Taraborrelli provides a very positive picture of Evan Chandler by frequently mentioning his good relations with his son and his interest in him something that Michael Freeman - June Chandler's attorney - does not agree upon. Evan had no relationship with his son prior to Michael's involvement. He had had another family and 2 other children. (Side note: Taraborrelli only mentions Chandler's one other child and not two). Furthermore, some disturbing descriptions concerning MJ's alleged obsession with the little boy reveal how biased against Jackson Taraborrelli really is. He says that MJ "stares and follows Jordie around intensely" (p. 447) while characterizing his relation with Jordie as "cosmic", a description undoubtedly used for sensationalism. Again, no evidence mentioned concerning Jordie's and Michael's alleged relationship. Moreover, Taraborrelli mentions that Evan suggested to Michael to build an extra wing on Evan's house for MJ to live in. Apparently he was that pleased with MJ befriending his son. What Taraborrelli does not mention is that after Evan (and not MJ according GQ magazine) found out that there were zone restrictions, suggested to MJ to buy him a new house. Taraborrelli did not even mention the criminal past of the attorney Barry Rothman who took the Chandler case or his "familiarity" with child molestation cases or even the bankruptcy he filed in November 1992 (GQ magazine, p. 5-8). Also the alleged conversation between Evan and MJ does not seem to ring true; it is confirmed that they had a meeting but what went on at the meeting no one was able to find out in many details. Again, from where does Taraborrelli derive his information?

5)Taraborrelli only mentions very briefly MJ's charity work which was a major part of his life the last 25 years. MJ repeatedly had visited hospitals and orphanages bringing toys and joy to underprivileged children around the world. His donations to charitable organizations were over 300 million dollars. He had sent 7 tones of medicine to Sarajevo in 1992 through the Heal the World foundation which was founded by him. He has an entry on the Guinness World Records in 2001 as the only celebrity ever who supports more than 30 charitable organizations around the world.

I would definitely not recommend this book as it presents a negative and biased view of Michael Jackson and it is a waste of your time and money. Instead, if you want to know more about the man Jackson really was you could purchase Jackson's books written by him. The one is Moonwalk and the other is Dancing the Dream. If you however want to read an objective book about MJ I would recommend the Michael Jackson Conspiracy by Aphrodite Jones. It is based on the transcripts of the 2005 trials and the evidence regarding the case.

[...]

This book contains a lot of juicy tidbits about Michael, however it behooves me to try and figure out what is fiction and what is fact. The author describes many incidents that are hearsay or incidents that he took notes on years ago. It would be easy to leave something out or "exagerate" just a tadbit and that could change the whole meaning of the story. I think that concept was witnessed by us all during the trial when the media did not report anything going on in the courtroom that was to Michaels advantage. They wanted us all to believe he was guilty so they could sell us a story and create a frenzy. I think that is what Randy is doing here. I have to question Randy's friendship with Michael, since he continuously insinuated that Michael may be guilty of child molestation, and I have a problem with friends who turn around and use their associations for monetary gain. Since this is not an authorized biography, then it is safe to assume that there are probably many inaccuracies. If you want to look at the book as a "good read" then it is absolutely a good read. Just get it from the library, or borrow it from a friend. Don't put any more of your hard earned money into Randy's pocket. He needs to get a real job and stop using friends for monetary gain.

I have read several of J. Randy Taraborelli's articles he wrote for the Daily Mail (a trashy tabloid website based in the UK), along with a few excerpts from various editions of this book, and my one thought the whole time was "AND THIS GUY IS SUPPOSED TO BE MICHAEL JACKSON'S CLOSE FRIEND AND CONFIDANTE????!!!!!"
From stories about Michael Jackson burning his scrotum with bleach, to wearing only women's perfume, to waking up next to Lisa Marie with tons of makeup smeared all over his pillow and not allowing her to see his body, to staring obsessively at Jordan Chandler with lust, to having pictures of Macaulay Culkin in his underwear, I definitely am not interested in reading more of the same sensationalist trash obtained as secondhand information from a complete hack.
Oh, and I believe Randy got his stories about Michael Jackson's bizarre sex life with Lisa Marie straight from an article Blanca Francia sold to the tabloids for $20,000 (google Blanca and Jason Francia and you'll see right away why taking anything this woman claims as fact is ridiculous at best). The two accounts are practically identical.
Also, if you read Taraborelli's sources in this book you'll find a long list of tabloid after tabloid after tabloid. And this is where he is gathering his information from?? Well, I guess it makes sense when you consider that Michael Jackson stopped talking to this guy back in 1991 when the first edition of the Magic and the Madness was set to go in for publication and Taraborelli refused Michael and his lawyers' request to obtain copies of the book so they could check it for accuracy, stating some BS reason about it being important to leave the biography unauthorized for the sake of journalistic freedom or other such garbage. I'm sure when and if Michael read the book he realized why he wouldn't turn it over.
In short, I would strongly advise anyone who wants to read this heap to NOT pay for it. Borrow it from the library or a friend, but do not support Taraborelli's conquest for sensationalism. You can't be a friend of Diane Dimond's and a friend of Michael Jackson's at the same time. You do the math.

Probably my title says it all. This book only has three stars because this really is a very mixed review. However even as mixed as it is, I really enjoyed this book, felt it humanized Michael Jackson, felt the biographer was overall sympathetic to Michael Jackson and made the reader also feel sympathy for MJ.

Pros:

1. Humanizes MJ and creates sympathy in the reader that most other MJ books won't create.
2. It was over-all pretty credible and there didn't seem to be any kind of agenda to "bring MJ down."
3. It was funny.
4. It was as comprehensive as we're going to get.
5. It was probably as accurate as we're going to get.
6. It had a lot of interesting things about the MJ and LMP relationship, something which most people have wondered about. And I think makes a strong case that MJ was most definitely ALL male and very heterosexual.
7. Crisp and conversational writing style that makes reading a book this long very enjoyable instead of a chore.

Cons:

1. There are a LOT of typos. A LOT a LOT. For a book published by a mainstream NY publishing house, this is quite disturbing.
2. There is a blend of non-fiction and fiction and you can't always tell which you're getting. For example, many of the witnesses he quotes from aren't exactly the most credible witnesses, like Evan Chandler and LaToya Jackson. Among many others with heavy reputations for lying.
3. In some places MJ is portrayed as really immature and emo whining and throwing fits over everything, when IMO a lot of that behavior can be linked with panic attacks. (which MJ suffered) A lot of people who have panic attacks behave in ways (due to the stress and fear) that others judge as selfish or immature or emo and they don't really understand where it's coming from so they judge it as something that it isn't. I think a lot of the time MJ's behavior could more likely be linked to acting out from anxiety (if the accounts are all even true), rather than some heavy selfishness.
4. I felt like the author suspected he might have molested the Chandler boy, even though there is so much evidence that he didn't, and as others said, there are conversations and instances that the only witness who could have given him the story is someone like Ray or Evan Chandler, people who are PROVEN liars and shady characters. So who cares WHAT they say? it's never going to be an accurate story.
5. I didn't particularly care for his psychoanalyzing of MJ. For one thing, he interviewed shrinks who had never spoken one on one with MJ. How can someone who has never spoken with MJ properly psychologically analyze him? How can THEY separate fact from fiction in his life enough to figure out how his brain works? That makes no sense. I definitely do not believe MJ was in any way a narcissist. He was too generous and giving and too concerned with the planet, the animals, the children, disaster relief,etc. Narcissists are focused inward on their own person constantly. MJ was focused outward on helping and giving and performing and etc.

Overall though the book was good, and probably the most accurate account we're ever going to get in one place. It definitely wasn't too sensational or tabloidy and you got a sense that he really cared about MJ even if he didn't always understand him. Interestingly many of the situations where the author clearly didn't seem to like something MJ did, I liked it. I'm glad MJ stood up for himself and didn't let others push him around. I get the sense at times in the book that the author expected MJ to behave like a god instead of a man. That somehow a man backed into a corner isn't supposed to lash out. MJ has always been screwed no matter what he did. People have always scrutinized it and picked it apart. Which makes me wonder how much better others would fare if their entire lives were under the world's microscope like this.

Why do we get to look at all these little private details of MJ's life and pick it apart and stand in judgment of him, but the author of this book will never have that done to him. He may have his own neurosis and his own major issues. he may have a crumbling family and bizarre phobias, but we will never hear about it, so we will judge him as normal.

Not very fair, is it?

I had certain reservations about purchasing this book and then reading it. First, I tried to connect the author to Michael Jackson. I couldn't find any connection linking them, though, ok, I believe that they met "once upon a time". But, what I could find was information on the author himself. Not very positive for me, since he is linked to TABLOID news. But, ok. I bought the book and started carrying it around with me, while I read one chapter after another, in the hopes of getting "closer" to Michael Joseph Jackson. What I will tell you is that I immediately felt a sense of intense betrayal and disrespect. I did not like what I was reading, that was for sure. It felt like everything in that book was, word for word, TABLOID TABLOID TABLOID. It was more negative than anything else I have encountered. What I can't seem to understand is that is all the author really concentrated on, painting Michael in a negative light. Where is all the good that Michael inspired and did for humanity, for children, for the global community? Where is all the UNCONDITIONAL LOVE that he shared with EVERYONE? None of this is written about...from someone who claims to have been Michael's "friend". My own copy is a paperweight I cannot dispose of. I cannot trade it or sell it, because I don't want anyone to read MY COPY. And so, it's a huge paperweight, a sore spot in my vision just taking up space. If you're a TRUE MICHAEL JACKSON FAN AND A PART OF HIS GLOBAL COMMUNITY, this book will only cause you anger and pain. DO NOT SPEND YOUR MONEY ON IT. And, take it from Michael: "If it doesn't come from me, don't believe it."

Being a fan of Michael Jackson from the time I was a small child, I have read most of what has been written about him. In my opinion this book is by far the most accurate account of a man that has so much mystery surrounding him.

Well written and obviously tirelessly researched, J. Randy Taraborrelli has uncovered much of the mystique in an honest and accurate way. I'm not sure of any other biographer out there who actually knew Michael Jackson and his family. This is a true insiders perspective.

Taraborrelli's writing style is from a humanistic standpoint. Who was Michael Jackson the man? If you are looking for paparazzi style writing with flinging accusations just to sell a book, this is not it. Don't get me wrong, this book is full of juicy tidbits and things the public was not aware of, however they are truthful. So you know you are getting the REAL story. And the real story is riveting. I could not put this book down for 4 days!

I highly recommend this biography to anybody who wants the real story of Michael Jackson, not a 500 page tabloid.

Before Michael's death, I had never heard of the author of this book, J. Randy Taraborrelli, nor had I remembered how much I really loved Michael Jackson as an artist. My grandmother bought me the "Thriller" album when I was five-years-old! Even grandma did not escape the knowledge that this album and musical genius was one of kind and always would be. I would play it over and over again even as a small child. The song, "Thriller" was my favorite. The scary laugh at the end would get me every time! I have been a fan of Michael's music for the past 27 years. No celebrity death has hit me like when Michael Jackson died. I felt, as did many others, like I "grew up with him." Besides him being an incredible musical genius, he did so many wonderful things for not only people who knew, but complete strangers. I was in love with his musical talent as well as his heart. Over the years, I had children, went to work, and etc. But his music was never too far from my heart.

His death brought back incredible nostalgia. I bought Taraborreli's book shortly after Michael's death. After reading it, I am and always will be mesmerized by Michael's life. No one on this earth would have an effortless time dealing with all that he had to deal with. But I also agree with the author that Michael also made things difficult for himself as well. Who doesn't? If many of our lives were put under a microscope like Michael Jackson's has been since he was a young boy, how would we fair? I have to admit I cringed on the inside reading about the molestations. I have not been swayed either way in my beliefs of whether he is guilty or not. I am still just as foggy as I've ever been. For all the evidence that there was against him, there was always compelling evidence pointing to his innocence. One thing I know for sure is that my opinion really doesn't matter. There is only one judge in this life, and that is God. So I leave the molestation issue there, even though I pray and wish no child ever has to endure sexual of physical abuse of any kind, but I know that is not a reality.

I thought this book demonstrated the truly human side of Michael Jackson and what all he endured in life, both good and bad. His life was filled with incredible blessings coupled with just as many tragedies. The physical and emotional abuse he suffered as a child is very serious. Not everyone "gets over it" as many people felt he should have by now. Suffering from child abuse can and does cripple people for life if they do not receive any help, no matter how rich and famous they are. Money, fame, drugs, and other people do not erase the pain as many onlookers may have thought it should have for Michael. I felt a wide range of emotions for him. I felt compassion, admiration, confusion, respect, and absolute amazement. Underneath it all, Michael was a human being, and people need to remember that. Even if he did seem "superhuman" and may have even viewed himself in that light. I think Taraborreli did justice to his life and I love how he ended the book.

I encourage any Michael Jackson fan and critic to read this book. It is well worth the money and time. No matter what people's opinions are of his personal life, Michael Jackson was and will always be the best entertainer of all time. I'm thankful that I was blessed to live during his lifetime. I love his music and I always will. My prayer for Michael is that he is with God now. All the money, fame, and drugs can never replace what God can do to fill someone's life, heart, and soul. Sadly, Michael's life is a testimony to that. I so wish his life had ended differently. It breaks my heart that his children never got to see him perform, and that they have to go on with their lives without their father. It is a tragedy that he worked so hard and it took his death for a reemergence of his music to enter the lives of so many fans that have always loved his work. So many miss you and love you Michael. But I pray now that you are with the only true King of this world, and that is God. I believe Michael will finally know what peace is and will also be filled with the kind of love that no one human can ever fill. That's God's love. He doesn't have to search anymore for that kind of love, even though so many wish he was still here.

The book is interesting to read, but it also makes me wonder how accurate it is. Taraborrelli puts too much of his own opionions in the book (as most journalist do). He presents himself as something of a insider to Jackson, including a picture of himself and a teenage Michael Jackson, with arms wrapped around each other like buddies. Taraborrelli quotes many "sources" throughout the book, some he discloses but many he does not. By the time I finished the book, I had decided for myself that some of the book was based probably on facts, but certainly not all of it.