MJ Estate: Discovery Channel Is 'Debased, Sick'
MJ Estate: Discovery Channel Is 'Debased, Sick'
12/29/2010 12:22 PM PST by TMZ Staff
Michael Jackson's estate is unleashing its fury on Discovery Channel for advertising an upcoming TV special set to run in the UK featuring a reenactment of MJ's autopsy.
Co-Executors John Branca and John McClain fired off a vitriolic letter to the Prez of Discovery -- obtained by TMZ -- in which they accuse the network of operating in "shockingly bad taste ... motivated solely by your blind desire to exploit Michael's death, while cynically attempting to dupe the public into believing this show will have serious medical value."
The Co-Executors are particularly outraged by a print ad, depicting a corpse sprawled on a gurney, covered by a sheet with a sequined glove sticking out.
Branca and McClain apparently realize they can't legally stop the show -- set to air on January 13 -- but they are appealing to Discovery's moral decency to cancel the program.
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12/29/2010 12:22 PM PST by TMZ Staff
Michael Jackson's estate is unleashing its fury on Discovery Channel for advertising an upcoming TV special set to run in the UK featuring a reenactment of MJ's autopsy.
Co-Executors John Branca and John McClain fired off a vitriolic letter to the Prez of Discovery -- obtained by TMZ -- in which they accuse the network of operating in "shockingly bad taste ... motivated solely by your blind desire to exploit Michael's death, while cynically attempting to dupe the public into believing this show will have serious medical value."
The Co-Executors are particularly outraged by a print ad, depicting a corpse sprawled on a gurney, covered by a sheet with a sequined glove sticking out.
Branca and McClain apparently realize they can't legally stop the show -- set to air on January 13 -- but they are appealing to Discovery's moral decency to cancel the program.
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Comments
http://tmz.vo.llnwd.net/o28/newsdesk/tmz_documents/1229_mj_discovery_letter_TMZ.pdf
I actually said before and again would like to see the show for the comparison w/ "real" autopsy and find omissions and hear medical point of view of UK.
And the John McClain remains for me mysterious person. I have searched for the photo or any other articles related to exclusively him,not as a MJ's estate excecutive, but could not find any info nor photo. John McClain is very common name in the USA, including personage from "Die Hard" movie (Bruce Willis). Is this name coincidence? <!-- s:roll: -->:roll:<!-- s:roll: -->
I also noticed something else interesting. This deal was apparently inked and announced back in January 1 2006 if I'm reading this correctly. <!-- m -->http://www.oprah.com/pressroom/Oprah-an ... he-Oprah-W<!-- m --> It says underneath the title of the article Original Content | January 1, 2006 but further down states January 15, 2008. A little confusing so I am not sure when this information was given.
I am wondering if MJ could be a possible investor in this since he, too, wanted to do multimedia projects that included television, film and the internet. That would make sense if MJ is behind this autopsy special and why this special had to be air after 1.1.11. This is also another connection Oprah possibly being involved in this hoax directly or indirectly. Or this could be MJ's way of messing around with Oprah yet again with another controversy surrounding her new network. It is strange that TMZ doesn't state that it is Oprah's network though. Hmmm...
Not saying that Michael posed for that gurney pic too but it does seem to be like a joke is being played on the people who just assumed Michael died on June 25th...
Quite clever to use the media against themselves...
How in the world did TMZ get a letter that was just written today? They sure have some quick insiders snatching up this information.
I agree - why is this being shown now and why didn't TMZ mention that it's going to be officially under the OWN Network?
Popcorn anyone? I think this has to be a joke. If not we live in a real sick world.
I think you have some good points there. Oprah, CNN, TMZ are working with or for Time Warner, who is a sister of Warner Brothers, so one happy family <!-- m -->http://www.bittenandbound.com/2010/09/3 ... ext-oprah/<!-- m -->.
Now I'm really wondering why Branca& McClain can't legally stop the show <!-- s:shock: -->:shock:<!-- s:shock: --> I'm not a lawyer, but isn't it logical that DC needs consent of The Estate first to use MJ's name? Unless ..MJ is behind all this..
A lot of people say Michael made that story up to create controversy, maybe this is the same. <!-- s8-) -->8-)<!-- s8-) -->
Exactly. Running his own show behind the red curtain, as it were.
debased - Verb
Simple past tense and past participle of debase.
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/debased
Past tense
Past tense is the form of language used to refer to an event, transaction, or occurrence that did happen or has happened, or an object that existed, at a point in time before now.
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/past_tense
Past particle
A past participle indicates past or completed action or time.
http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/participlepast.htm
debase - Verb
To lower in character (individual), quality, or value; to degrade (an individual or object).
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/debase
So, this means that for Discovery Channel to have been "debased" that this happened in the PAST. The autopsy show has not aired yet, so this program is not the cause in the loss of "quality" of the programming.
This word is often used to describe the loss of value of Currency (money).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debasement
But there is another use:
Debasement
Debasement is the formal term for removal of a knighthood or other honour. The last knight to be publicly debased was Sir Francis Mitchell. More recent examples include Sir Roger Casement, whose knighthood was cancelled for treason during the First World War and Sir Anthony Blunt, whose knighthood was withdrawn in 1979.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debasement_%28knighthood%29
Nice <!-- s;) -->;)<!-- s;) --> I couldn't agree more. I am reading between the lines. I see more than one scene in which money is being made because of the blind greed to exploit many deaths.
Pay attention public, your being warned that you are being duped into believing the show holds value.
Peace
If truth is a program with no medical value is necessary to appoint Michael Jackson, unfortunately many people die every day from overdoses of drugs or medicines, I think it's a way to exploit the "death" and take advantage of that situation.
ABSOLUTELY! Also, there is another picture of Michael posing in a coffin somewhere. I will try to find it. It was sent to me, but I never saved it.
OMG- I love him so much. He is SICK- but I love him! <!-- s:D -->:D<!-- s:D --> <!-- s
Btw- GREAT point about the letter being sent today (those quick insiders again)- and about the Estate indeed having legal recourse (UNLESS they do not want to...lol)
Take care and have a nice day, love and peace
Discovery Channel would argue that they're using a dummy, not MJ's body, and so they're not invading MJ's privacy. I don't know who'd win... I think it's hard to tell.
I don't think the show in question can use MJ's so-called actual photos of his so-called actual autopsy, but IMO this show is doing just what Mrs. Jackson feared - disrespecting MJ and impacting his 3 kids in a negative way especially if the kids should happen to see this show! Whether the show airs actual photos or no photos at all...I sure as hell wouldn't want to see or hear about my father's autopsy...whether he was the King of Pop or the local mailman...
BUT then again, Michael is ALIVE (hence the phrase "so-called autopsy photos"). This program set to air in January is proving to us that the media expects us to beLIEve everything and anything that is shoved down our throats! Bah Humbug to the media and ALL their outlets...remember we as people NEED to THINK for OURSELVES!!!
i honestly dont see why this was made a big deal out of,i dont see it, not even the elephant bones, whats wrong with both news?
maybe one of u could explain, due to the fact i see nothing wrong with it but everytime MJ names is brought up these two stories are his shadows,why?, and yes i know it was a pblicity stunt, but why was he called a freak over these two?
I agree. Why does everyone assume that everything is a part of his 'his' plan? I've tried looking at it from different angles, but I don't see how any good could come of a program like this. It's morbid and an invasion of privacy in the worst possible way. Far worse than the paparazzi. Members of the family and the estate have already spoken out against it. <!-- m -->http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wir ... d=12503367<!-- m -->
Even the people who usually disagree with each other are united against Discovery airing this. It's not just the fans, but the family, the estate and the L.A. coroner's office are all against it. The consequences for society of something like this airing are very steep and i don't think people take it seriously enough.
I was confused myself, but I read this article and it does a great job of explaining why this is wrong from any point of view.
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If you want to help do something about stopping it, here's a link explaining the process:
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I'm cynical about a lot of things with media and the hoax. But I don't think this is a joke at all. This seems really serious.
While I was reading the blog I started to think to myself, even if this show is not staged by Michael or part of the hoax it is mirroring what Michael went through in the media in 2005. Murray hasn't even gone to court for the PRE-liminary phase to see if there is enough evidence to even go to a full trial. Murray is being prosecuted, tried, and hung in the media jury and public perception of him because of all the stuff coming out like this autopsy show on Discovery.
Every time something is reported on Murray and his whereabouts, his vacation spots, his daddy issues, whatever it is: the public is being made to believe he is guilty. This is media bias and jury pollution. There will be alot of people who get pulled for jury duty and their minds will be corrupted and tainted by the media coverage before his trial.
Even if this Discovery channel show is highly disrespectful; I think it is a double edged sword. It will shine light on how Michael was crusified in the media before his trial in 2005. Murry is already guilty in many people's eyes, many people really still believe Michael is dead. This will also show the inconsistancies in the autopsy report; if they do the show correctly and follow the script they were handed when Michael made out his own autopsy. These people are a professional media show called Discovery and they are about to show the public some made up stuff. lol
This will draw more awareness to Michael's name, keeping his name in the spotlight, his family has shouted quietly for the longest to look for other criminals. Murray is a fall guy. This show may make more people aware of Michael's fake death.
Can you imagine how hard it must be to get the publics attention when your alive but now your dead and you need to come out to public view for a BAM. <!-- s:shock: -->:shock:<!-- s:shock: -->
Do you really think Michael could make an appearance while shows are saying he is dead? We barely believe anything here on this forum let alone the mass public is not ready for him to come back. I am seeing this as a blessing in disguise. It has it's advantages. The public needs to wake up.
Everything is not always as it seems.
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@Im_convincedmjalive: I really can't see how this would shine a light on what Michael has went through, do you honestly think that the public give a damn, you know how they treat Michael and how they think of him and this will even make it worse, Michael's name could be in the media in much more respectful way, this is so degrading, they didn't do this even with the most vicious murderers and criminals in the world, have never heard about it, this is so degrading and humiliating on all measures, and the public don't need such a documentary to see that murray is guilty or not, one thing because again they don't care, the only people who cares are MJ's fans, and we don't need to see an autopsy show that is exploiting our man to be convinced that murray is guilty or anything. Michael won't go this far because this is so sick, and again this is not like the chamber rumor or whatever, this time it's humiliating and degrading, and will stay in the mind of the people forever, i just can't imagine how his kids would feel about this, put yourself in the same situation and you would know, this has no good at all, nothing but more humiliation for Michael and more exploitation using his name, we don't have to accept everything even stuff like that, just because you believe in a hoax.
Have nice holidays guys.
Take care and have a nice day, love and peace