With all the fanfare and pageantry Friday surrounding pop star Michael Jackson on the long walk from his black SUV to his arraignment, he could have been striding into the Grammy Awards show. But no, this was the Santa Maria, Calif., courthouse, where he would plead not guilty to seven molestation counts, involving a boy who was an overnight guest at his Neverland ranch last year.
Adding to the circuslike atmosphere was the way Jacksonand his entourage treated the arraignment as a PR event, arriving fashionably late, with Jackson shielded from the sun by a handler's umbrella.
Indeed, the superstar was admonished by the judge for strolling into the courtroom 21 minutes late. "Mr. Jackson, you have started out on the wrong foot here," Superior Court Judge Rodney S. Melville told him. "It's an insult to the court."
Why was Jackson tardy? Although he was due in court at 8:30 a.m., his SUV arrived about 8:40. Still, the "King of Pop" thought his stroll from car to courtroom was a perfectly suitable occasion to wave to fans, flash peace signs, shake hands, and - unbelievably - dictate to a cameraperson the proper way to film the scene.
Yes, at one point, Jackson appeared to be instructing a cameraperson to keep his lens on him, not the crowd. You would think the guy was some temperamental movie director, not a man facing very serious criminal charges.
Jackson had a crowd for his performance. Busloads of fans poured in, holding banners and placards with supportive slogans. Many chanted "Innocent!" There were reports that fans were singing the Jackson 5's I'll Be There.
Jackson was not the only celebrity at this media blitz. His supporters arrived in style, including megafamous sister, pop star Janet Jackson, as well as brother Jermaine Jackson, an original member of the Jackson 5, and their parents, Joe Jackson and Kathrine Jackson.
All that was missing were folks from E!, the entertainment channel, dishing about who was wearing what.
Actually, one MSNBC commentator, a member of its legal team, discussed Jackson's ensemble. She seemed impressed that the 45-year-old superstar wore sensible clothes to court and not one of his flashy, "Sgt. Pepper" outfits. For the record, although he did wear a dark suit, his accessories were hardly standard courtroom attire: sparkly shoes, a medallion at his neck, and a white armband. His hair was immaculately coiffed in a silky flip.
Jackson's people, including supporters from the Nation of Islam, distributed leaflets inviting those in the crowd to a sort of "after party" Friday afternoon at Neverland Ranch, located 25 miles from the courthouse. It reminded me of the glamorous parties that follow the Grammys and the Oscars.
All of which left me stunned.
I love an outlaw. I think many rules are made to be broken. That's why I love rock 'n' roll.
Rock 'n' roll is about owning all that is wonderful and spirited in youth. It's about energy and yearning and rebellion.
Child molestation? That's the antithesis of rock 'n' roll. Child abuse destroys youthful spirit; rock 'n' roll nourishes it.
Now, of course Michael Jackson is innocent until proven guilty. He insists that his relationship with the boy, including overnight sleepovers, was perfectly innocent, and maybe it was. But the charges against him are so grim, it's hard to imagine how anyone, regardless of guilt, could treat them with anything but complete seriousness.
On Friday, when Jackson walked into the courthouse, instead of using it as a PR event, touching fans' hands, getting camera angles correct, and showing up when he darn well felt like it, I wish he would have simply been on time and walked in without glitz. It would have assured me Jackson understands basic human decency.
After his performance Friday, I'm not sure he does.
