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Michael “Peter Pan” Jackson
2-Mar-2008
Written by: Sam Belkin
Second edition of celebrity opinion gossip.
Neverland is a place where kids never grow up. But Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch is a place where kids … do other things. And now it’s being put up for sale at a public auction next month. That is, unless MJ can come up with the sum of (zoom in) 24 million dollars …
The fantasy Neverland is a happy place for children, but we real humans have what in Seinfeld terms is called the “bizarro world” version -- almost like a parallel universe. It is known as the “Neverland Ranch.” Is Michael Jackson our real-life Peter Pan? Let’s check the facts:
Peter Pan, a literary creation of J.M. Barrie, was a mischievous boy who flew to the small island of Neverland so he would never have to grow up. Eternally lonely, he had all the time in the world to stalk ordinary young children, making promises of fairy dust, magic, and endless childhood happiness in order to lure them to Neverland, ultimately endangering their lives and getting them in trouble with their parents. Thus we see that though Peter Pan might tell you to think happy thoughts, he’s not the most wholesome Disney character.
The story of Peter Pan has been told in several ways. There is not much speculation, however, as to what Pan would do were he to lose his beloved Neverland, as Michael Jackson may in reality. What if the magical island was taken over or swallowed by the sea? What if Pan just wasn’t allowed back, and thus wasn’t able to show it off to friends? I guess in that case he would be forced to grow up. Steven Spielberg’s 1991 film Hook dealt with this adult Peter Pan idea, but it was diluted for children with a starry-eyed idealism and innocence and capped off with a happy ending. The way I saw this movie, Peter has grown into a corporate slut, and he has conveniently erased his entire childhood from his memory, much like the Bible has discarded the entire adolescent existence of Jesus Christ. I don’t buy it.
The Peter Pan character was too stubborn; he really, really didn’t want to grow up. Author Barrie even had a prospective title for the story of the older Pan: “The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up.” In other words, Peter mentally wouldn’t be able to handle it. His mind therefore would be incapable of moving forward even as his body aged. There would likely develop a serious rift in his personality. Part of him would instinctively revert to infantile behavior and impulses in order to relive, or continue to live, his supernatural childhood. Who knows, the older Peter might even be desperate enough to create a new, homemade Neverland as a safe haven from reality. Just as he did in the cartoon, he’d entice children to come with him to his makeshift Neverland to be his friend. His friends would naturally be children, as his condition would make him unable to interact with adults.
Another state of mind would also develop in Peter Pan. He will know and understand he’s a grown man, but won’t be able to come to terms with it. He’ll likely resort to alcohol and pills and develop a severe identity crisis. Though his young friends can get along with Peter the-child-who-looks-like-a-grownup, Peter the-psychologically-disturbed-adult will inevitably rear its head at unexpected times. This would not be very endearing for his young friends. The parents of those young friends of course will not understand Peter’s background. Having had non-magical childhoods, they won’t be able to empathize with Peter’s regrettable situation. They might even accuse Peter of doing inappropriate things with their kids, since they are unable to comprehend Peter’s innocent, childish intentions.
I’d personally vouch for Peter Pan’s innocence, but how can one really know? Adult Peter Pan would likely be a very troubled individual. He might not even understand his own intentions, or he might be confused by latent sexual impulses. The parents would have no way to prove anything, and the issue would remain uncertain to all. I believe that in this story evil people will exploit Pan’s fame and misery in order to make a lot of money for themselves. Perhaps a former Beverly Hills dentist, fired for malpractice, will be the antagonist that has his son testify to molestation in order to receive a settlement payment of millions of dollars. The reader assumes he is conniving enough to know that Peter Pan would pay such a sum to avoid media attention and wildfire rumors. Also: Lawyers might prosecute him in order to further their own careers, while the Media will fabricate facts in order to have the top story and get the best ratings. Peter would be overwhelmed and sucked dry; his mental state could no doubt only worsen with time.
One question would remain: Is grown up Peter Pan sociopathic? Psychotic? Is his personality disorder harmless, or does it have a dark side that no one can see? Either is possible, and both are as likely. And so it is with Michael Jackson.
The pop star is certainly a sociopath, but he may or may not be the villain everyone perceives him to be. It remains unknown. If MJ has reverted to childlike impulses, then while they may be the creepiest thing ever (especially because of his crazy fake face,) it also means that perhaps his sleepovers were as innocent as ours when we were kids. I do believe he’s psychotic, but so is Mel Gibson, so is Tom Cruise, Britney Spears, and countless other celebrities that have had their minds warped by constant media scrutiny and attention and the inability to lead a normal, quiet life. The real villains are the ones exploiting MJ’s obviously miserable and unstable mental condition for personal gain, simply because he used to be a superstar. Like Lauryn Hill once said, “If they hail you, they’ll nail you.” Though it’s an appropriate quotation, I think that my comparing Michael Jackson to Jesus Christ twice in one short essay would be considered in some circles far beyond sacrilege. Oh well.
Talk to other readers about this story.
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