Krystal Watkins
Prairie View Agricultural and Mechanical University
A Review of Michael Jackson Conspiracy by Aphrodite Jones
First and foremost, this is a book aimed squarely at fans. With phrases such as "Michael made the earth stand still" (p. 7), "Michael seemed to have the appearance of an ancient king" (p. 13), and "The pop star seemed to have a white light around him that transcended all...(p. 17)" in the opening chapters, this book sets the tone for what prospective readers have in store. Jones uses the court transcripts and photo evidence never before seen by the public to tell the real story behind the salacious headlines and what went on inside and outside Michael Jackson's highly sensationalized 2005 criminal trial. Jones gushes her admiration for Jackson, but one wonders exactly how genuine it is. While it is undeniable that Jackson had and still has star power, some people need reminding that he was also human. Indeed, Jones (as all Jackson defenders must eventually) bases her tale and supports her story with the two myths attached to Jackson - those of victimhood and paranoia.
In the book, Jones uses both devices - Jackson as victim, and paranoia. It's not called 'Michael Jackson Conspiracy' for nothing. However, for all that, Jones misses one very important thing. She fails to give us a convincing motive for this supposed 'conspiracy' against Jackson by the media. She may believe that the media could have made money from his downfall, but that is mere conjecture. Conjecture doth not a conspiracy make. She even infers that there was a conspiracy between Sony Corporation and The Santa Barbara DA to wrest the 'Beatles' catalogue away from Jackson, but in the end even she has to admit that there is 'no evidence' of such a conspiracy (or even evidence of a connection between Sony and the Santa Barbara DA).
Tom Meserau (Jackson’s defense attorney) wrote the foreword for the