Talking Heads and Gladys Knight: Stop Defending Janet Jackson

I wrote earlier that I wouldn't blog about the Jacksons anymore right now, but I couldn't resist. Sorry.

I was just watching a HLN segment about the Jacksons. Talking heads were suggesting that Janet may have been right about Michael's Legacy as it pertained to keeping his children out of the spotlight as it pertained both to Paris taking a role in a movie and to Paris' and Prince's Twitter activity. While There may have been an element of truth in Janet's sentiments, her manner of acting out on her feelings was absolutely not what Michael Jackson would have wanted for his children. Michael grew up with a father whose parenting bordered on abusive at the very least, and he had strong feelings on the subject; Janet or anyone else slapping Paris is probably very nearly the last thing Michael Jackson would have wanted. He wouldn't have been much happier with his sister calling his child a "spoiled little b---h.

Gladys Knight  and various talking heads are having a field day with the whole "Who's the adult here?" conversation. If we're going to talk about who is the adult, let's consider who was acting the least mature in the conflict. Who uttered the first expletive? {Janet Jackson] Who hit first? }Janet Jackson} So if Janet Jackson is to receive deference and respect for being the adult, shouldn't she first behave as one?

Paris and Prince were wise to resist when Janet, Randy, and Jermaine attempted to take them to Arizona. They might very well have been mistreated had they gone. They would have traveled to a location where they would have been under the total control of people who are jealous and resentful of them. If Janet would slap Paris in view of observers, what might have happened behind closed doors?

Finally, in preparing his will [which has already been found to be valid], Michael had every opportunity to name any of his brothers or sisters as guardians for his children. (His failure to name his nephew T.J. is less significant in my opinion, as Tito Jr. would have been under thirty years old when the will was prepared, and was as such, probably too young for consideration at the time.) Instead, the other person named by Michael Jackson as a guardian for his children was non-relative Diana Ross. That should have been an indication to Janet Jackson as to where she stood generally in the grand scheme of secession to guardianship of Michael Jackson's children, which was behind Diana Ross, but possibly ahead of Nancy Reagan.