Untouchable: The Strange Life and Tragic Death of Michael Jackson (REVIEW)

Our review posted on Amazon – November 30, 2012 (amended)

Have to agree with the NYtimes critic who labeled it a “dreary and bloated” read as it is both. However, Tom Mesereau, Michael Jackson’s lead attorney in 2005 trial, encourages people to read this book because towards the end of the book, Sullivan provides a section that is a detailed factual description of how and why Michael Jackson was acquitted on all 14 counts in a Santa Barbara courtroom.

It is understandable that Tom Mesereau recommends this book because the section on the travesty of Sneddon bringing charges and ultimately a baseless case against Michael Jackson in 2005 is clearly described in great detail. Undoubtedly, Mesereau made sure that Sullivan got the correct lowdown of the hellishness that Michael Jackson endured at the hands of malicious prosecutors and the crazed tabloid hacks like Dimond, Grace and Orth and their ilk.  After trial, Mesereau had stated to Larry King that a case of “malicious prosecution was warranted” but that he’d not spoken to Michael Jackson, the victim of overzealous prosecution about the possibility of bringing such a case. Besides recommending this book, Tom Mesereau wrote the forward for Aphrodite Jone’s book entitled “Conspiracy” and he said “it’s an excellent book and it’s the most accurate, honest portrayal of what happened in the Michael Jackson courtroom” because he supports books that write FACTS about the case. It’s important to Mesereau that the world KNOW the prosecution had NO credible scenario, evidence, witnesses or victims and WHY they lost.

Publishers thwarted Aphrodite Jones efforts to exonerate Michael Jackson because her book included no salacious bits, so she had to self-publish while they routinely printed drivel written by detractors. This sort of across the board denial of positive Michael Jackson books has been a standard for most publishing houses who have repeatedly churned out the standardized and accepted misinformation regarding Michael Jackson.

So according to Tom Mesereua -just like “Conspiracy”, Sullivan’s book proves Michael Jackson innocence, much like Geraldine Hughes “Redemption” and Mary Fischer’s “Was Michael Jackson Framed”-  but not so fast.

As good as that all sounds you have the flip side of this book that uses a myriad of questionable sources who have motives to impart certain types of information to Sullivan which he seems to take at face value. For example: Marc Schaffel – According to July 17th LA Times article – [excerpt]

“The executive producer of Michael Jackson’s aborted “What More Can I Give” single sold the rights to the charity project for $1 million to a Japanese company and kept half of it for himself.

The transaction was negotiated quietly in February between F. Marc Schaffel and Tokyo-based Music Fighters Corp., just three months after Jackson’s advisors fired Schaffel when they learned that he was tied to the gay pornography business.”

Sullivan, uses Schaffel, of all people, to cast doubt regarding the paternity of Michael’s children – [excerpt]-“He and Jackson didn’t have their first real conversation, though, until the year 2000, when they met at the home of the famous dermatologist they shared, Arnold Klein, a friend of Schaffel’s who became a significant figure in Michael’s life over the years, involved in aspects of the entertainer’s life that ranged from financial management to the conception of his two oldest children.” This phrase “conception of his two oldest children” is thrown in casually as a fact to infer what exactly?

Sullivan has stated the opinion that Michael Jackson was “presexual” and died a virgin and uses Tatum O’Neal and Brooke Shields as examples that he had no sexual interest in women. When Michael Jackson met these two, they were both minors, he was 19 and it would have been totally inappropriate for any sexual dalliances to have occurred or is Sullivan suggesting satutory rape acceptable if it proves your manhood? On the other hand, Sullivan totally ignores the fact that his wife, Lisa Marie Presley, throughout the years has made it clear that the marriage of two consenting adults not only was it consummated, but rigorously. Michael had every intention of impregnating her as soon as possible as they had envisioned a family life and it was, in part, her change of heart to have children, that lead to the demise of their marriage.

This is where Sullivan’s research skills come under question – He claims he bases opinion on autopsy yet – The autopsy report of Michael Jackson, by the LA Coroner clearly observed and noted on page 5, Anatomical Survey #3 Vitilgo, and notably his son, Michael Jackson Jr. has early displays of vitiligo on upper right arm, hands and neck just like his father had in early 1980’s – Between Schaffel or LA Coroner, verifiable source of information to draw an opinion on vitiligo and the paternity of Michael Jackson’s children would be the latter. Between Lisa Marie Presley and Sullivan, any right thinking individual for verifiable source on his sexuality and Michael’s carnal knowledge …would be his wife.

Furthermore, the preposterous idea of having a detachable nose and a “jar full of noses” by the door and Sullivan’s claim that Michael actually allowed one photograph of him without a prosthesis to be taken, would be humorous if not such a pathetic attempt at demeaning Michael Jackson. Again, the Coroner would have noted on the autopsy report clearly such a bizarre abnormality as a nose prosthetic, when they took the time to note something as faint and minor as a bit of scarring behind his ears.

Dr. Patrick Treacy, a personal physician to Michael Jackson during his time in Ireland in 2006, who has left a review dated November 26th on these very same pages under the reviewer name “peege” said that Sullivan never spoke to him personally – ” The author never once asked me a question even though I could have quite easily answered all the issues above. Rather he chose to participate in idle newspaper speculation and also chose to quote me third-hand from other articles. As the fans know, I certainly would not have broken Michael’s confidentiality but I am surprised in an almost 800 page novel there was never even one call- to me that appears to be really poor research.” Furthermore, Dr.Treacy speaks on 106.8 Sunshine Radio Ireland and totally dispels much of what Sullivan has written and opinionated in many interviews. Pls search on Youtube “Dr. Patrick Treacy radio interview about Michael Jackson” and listen to someone who KNEW Michael Jackson during his last years of life – He clearly states that the reason why Michael did not join him at the children’s hospital in Limerick, Ireland, confirms that Michael had vitilgo and debunks the idea that Michael was “drug addict” as he saw none of that and as a physician that speaks volumes.

If Sullivan had given Dr. Patrick Treacy similar respect that he demonstrated towards Tom Mesereau when digging for facts that prove Michael Jackson’s complete and utter innocence, then his book would have taken on an even more substantial air of objectivity and verifiability in regards to his health.

Mesereau said “MJ was treated differently because he was a celebrity” and still even in death, Michael Jackson is treated differently.

Michael Jackson lived under a 25 year microscope of presumptions and assumptions from a rabid media that as Mesereau deemed is an “Industry of pundits trying to be stars” and routinely use “factual inaccuracies and obvious bias” when writing a story

Sullivan states in his book “Two of my most valuable sources insisted upon absolute confidentiality.

 They would not allow me even to quote them anonymously or to identify them as sources in any way.”

Herein lies the biggest problem with Sullivan’s book because he admits to basing his most “valuable” information on unnamed “inside sources” like the media tabloids have for over two decades while printing unfounded salacious MJ stories.

While the Mesereau section of Sullivan’s book regarding Michael Jackson’s innocence is accurate the rest of the book is littered with innuendo, factual inaccuracies and obvious bias. What Tom Mesereau may not have considered is the Chandler factor that raises that “shadow of a doubt”  in Sullivan’s mind.  He includes sordid bits of an incomplete psychiatric interview, from Ray Chandler website.  The interview has no final determination by the psychiatrist, Dr. Gardner, which is standard, as to whether or not the child was telling the truth.  Even more telling is that Ray Chandler only published bits of it on his website, after Dr. Gardner had died to eliminate any legal issues he would have incurred by publishing this partial private patient/dr confidential interveiw.  The interview between  Dr. Gardner and Jordan Chandler, was neither part of any trial, nor legal deposition but Sullivan added it to his book so that “doubt” would be instilled in the readers mind as well.

Overall, he depicts Michael Jackson as a mentally damaged, weak, financially irresponsible megalomaniac who relied on the largess and the beneficence of others to get through life and somehow had no part in building his huge empire. This book is utter nonsense.

Collaborators and personal friends of over 25 years can attest that this depiction of Michael Jackson has no resemblance to the man that they honored, respected and loved. One must wonder why none of them were interviewed.

MAbbas

Please see our post Tom Mesereau:Vanguard for Michael Jackson and watch his interviews with Larry King Live

NOTE: If any Michael Jackson fan reads this book we would stress and encourage a review to be written and posted on http://www.amazon.com/Untouchable-Strange-Tragic-Michael-Jackson/product-reviews/080211962X/ref=cm_cr_pr_btm_link_4?ie=UTF8&pageNumber=4&showViewpoints=0    Several 5 star reviews were posted  during late December, no doubt to encourage holiday sales,  an obvious tactic by Sullivan’s cronies to eek up the ratings, so it’s imperative that factual reviews from readers continue to be posted.

The days of slandering Michael Jackson with impunity are over.