Michael Jackson & Shmuley Boteach: A Debt of Unanswered Questions

Remember the Last Three Decades of Jacko Weirdness?

Simpler, golden times for Michael Jackson. Will he and Shmuley Boteach find debt relief soon? (Photo: flickr.com)

Over the years, we witnessed the eccentricity of Michael Jackson. From his constant changing appearance and repeated debt relief missions to his legal issues, we ask ourselves the question: Why did he do it? What lead MJ to go that far? For instance, we remember him dangling his son over a balcony, the constant wearing of surgical masks, his Caucasian/Hispanic children, and him wearing pajamas to his court date. Now that Jackson is dead, it’s morbidly fascinating to see how many of his secrets float to the surface, and which person provides the fishing pole and bait, so to speak.

Shmuley Boteach Documents Time with Jackson

In light of celebrity Rabbi Shmuley Boteach’s “The Michael Jackson Tapes” and new book on the market, Jackson isn’t made to appear realistic, or even human. He’s made to seem even stranger. During 2000 and 2001, Jackson kept in contact with Boteach on a daily basis while he explored Judaism. The two hit it off, considering Boteach complimented Jackson by calling him very handsome and even compared him to another great pop star, Britney Spears (if you can call that a compliment). Jackson then assisted the rabbi by speaking at his forum at Oxford University and revealing the clandestine information that would later form Boteach’s book.

At first read, you’d assume the book should shed light on lots of Michael Jackson’s awkward moments, but it never delivers on that hopeful expectation. In fact, the tapes raise certain questions that could never be answered. Here are four items things left me baffled after reading this book:

MJ’s Shrine to Shirley Temple (True or False?)

In the book, it is said that Michael Jackson had an unusual obsession with Shirley Temple. Jackson said an unidentified guy would travel with him, and the man’s sole responsibility was to set up a room-sized shrine to Shirley Temple before Jackson arrived. This leads a person to ask, “What was up with Michael Jackson’s fixation with children in general?” Remember the days of Jackson hanging out with Emmanuel Lewis and Macaulay Culkin? What made their relationship so cryptic and mysterious was that neither one divulged personal details of their friendship.

Michael and Janet

Boteach’s book never really discusses the true relationship between Michael and his sister, Janet. Some people have been questioning if they really did or didn’t get along. Numerous rumors, as well as Michael Jackson’s confessions, state that he did unfortunately pester Janet. Perhaps this is understandable in light of the treatment Michael received from his father and brothers.

One subject that wasn’t addressed was Janet’s vocals being turned down in the mix on their duet, “Scream.” As usual, rumors were spreading about Michael seeking debt relief right before the recording of the song. People began questioning if Michael tried to sabotage his sister’s solo for him to shine brighter for more album sales. It’s evident that Janet looked up to big brother Michael and wanted to follow in his footsteps. However, Michael Jackson didn’t seem interested in helping her. We could chock this up to his talent simply being greater than hers, or we could leave the subject unanswered as “The Michael Jackson Tapes” does.

MJ: Straight or Asexual?

There have always been questions centered on whether Michael Jackson was actually attracted to women or not. Some people assume that he was merely pretending, but with so little facts to back up his claim of heterosexuality, what is true and what is false? Boteach, however, doesn’t believe that Michael was gay at all, and provides multiple instances where Jackson showed interest in the opposite sex. Katie Couric, Princess Diana, Brooke Shields and Tatum O’Neal have all spent quality time with Michael, though he tells Boteach that he was never intimate with these women because of his bashfulness. Jackson admitted that he’s never had to ask a woman out, because they’ve all asked him first. Alas, the question of Michael Jackson’s true sexual nature will go unanswered in this lifetime.

Michael vs. Madonna. Why the “Beef?”

No one knows or has yet admitted what events transpired between Michael and Madonna to make the King of Pop say that she is “just not a nice person.” He left his comments at that, but the unanswered question is why. What happened between the two to make Jackson, someone who claimed to not dislike anyone in the world, find something objectionable about Madonna? And what made Michael vehemently claim that she was in love with him? The world may never know.

Boteach Provides Interesting Entertainment

There might be some individuals who are bent on glorifying the material Boteach has put together, simply because it has the names Michael Jackson and King of Pop attached. But information that is worth sharing and paying attention gives something to the reader or audience. I’m not 100 percent sure what “The Michael Jackson Tapes” uncover, but maybe all they’re meant for is what Michael Jackson himself gave to us: pure entertainment. And with the entertainment being distributed through Michael Jackson’s branded name, debt relief might forever be a thing of Jackson and Boteach’s financial past.