People News
Jackson St. Tropez holiday in drag, guest of Saudi King Fahd's nephew
By Stone Martindale Oct 12, 2006, 3:14 GMT
Michael Jackson EPA/KAY NIETFELD
Teetering on the streets of St. Tropez was a disguised Michael Jackson caught wearing his trademark floppy hat, sunglasses and even a pair of high heels.
While Jackson's face was well hidden, the cha cha shoes, skinny legged women's jeans and fluorescent orange handbag blew his anonymity with paparazzi.
The 48-year-old singer is in St Tropez during his latest trip abroad currently as a guest on the French Riviera, accompanied by his three young children. Prince Alwaleed, a nephew of Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd, hosted Jackson and family on his private yacht, Kingdom 5KR.
The UK Daily mail reports "after tottering through the backstreets of the exclusive coastal village, a weary-looking Jackson stopped off roadside for a little rest, and to shelter from the 28 degree centigrade heat.
During a trip to Ireland earlier this year the singer, who has been staying with Bahrain's royal family since being acquitted, arrived at Cork airport wrapped in ladies scarves.
January he wore an abaya, the traditional garb for Muslim women in the Arab state of Bahrain where he has been living for the past 12 months.
The Daily Mail reports "Jackson was reportedly found dressed as a woman, applying makeup in the ladies' toilet, during a recent shopping trip."
Jackson's spokesman claimed it was a simple mistake as Jackson did not understand the Arabic sign saying 'Ladies'.
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Older Talkback
page: 1
These photographs have been proven as fraudulent.
Whilst these photographs were taken in France, Jackson was in Ireland. He has forced the original publisher of the story to print a retraction and an apology and is gearing up to sue any publication which does not follow suit. Furthermore, the photograph looks nothing like Jackson anyway. For starters, Jackson has a huge cleft in his chin, whereas whoever that is in the photograph does not.
As a journalist, I am sick and tired of reading this sort of yellow journalism. A journalist's job is to research a story before going to print, and to allow both sides to tell their version of the story. Failing to do so is unethical. The slightest amount of research would have told the original publishers that Jackson is at a spa-resort in Ireland and has been for months. Furthermore, Jackson was never contacted before this story was published.
These people use every trick and every loophole to chastise and comdemn this man. If they accuse him of saying something - how can he prove he never said it? If they accuse him of doing something - how can he prove he never did it?
Fortunately for Jackson, this is one instance in which his innocence can be proven very simply. It'll be nice to see him stand up to the lazy, hack journalism that has plagued his career.
Media treatment of Jackson is one of a few select topics which sometimes leave me feeling particularly ashamed of my profession. Many in the world of newspaper journalism are actually banned from running anything positive on Jackson at all, yet are actively encouraged to belittle him and if lying is necessary in order to do so, they're actively encouraged to do that as well.
The laws in place that prevent a journalist from being forced to name their sources in a court of law do not help the situation. It becomes not a case of having to prove that you are telling the truth, but of the victim having to prove they you are lying, which, 9 times out of 10, is impossible.
Journalism is in a sad state right now. Even now it has been proven that is not Jackson in the photographs there are hundreds, if not thousands, running the story as a fact without even providing the photograph for people to draw their own conclusions.
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sprintracer4Oct 12th, 2006 - 18:05:10
It just keeps getting better...
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