Jackson reality show causes controversy

by LISA HERNANDEZ, opinion editor

 

Michael Jackson did everything he could do to prevent his kids from being hounded by cameras and the paparazzi.

He knew what it was like to be in the public eye at a very young age, and he wanted to make sure his kids didn’t go through the same thing. Some might consider that the amount of time spent in the spotlight was what eventually led to his sudden death. He wouldn’t want the same for his children.

His children meant the world to Jackson. He kept them as close to him as he possibly could. He tried to keep them away from the press and paparazzi, making sure that they were covered with scarves or masks. It seems a bit bizarre of course, but it seemed that was the only option Jackson had to keep his children from their fishbowl-type life. And no matter how hard he tried, since they were pop royalty by blood, a mask or scarf was not able to hide them.

No one publicly really knew what the Jackson kids looked like. However, after Jackson’s sudden and tragic death, the kids were thrust into the spotlight, and everything Jackson did to prevent that just seemed to fly right out of the window.

The images of the children were soon plastered on covers of newspapers and magazines all over the world. And it wasn’t just stories about their lives as the children of Jackson, but the media was now all over their personal lives. Questions of their paternity and who would receive custody were the headlines for several months after the death of their father. Whether they were ready for it our not, the Jackson children were the most famous of all celebrity children.

Talk surfaced recently about a new reality show revolving around the Jackson family after the death of the King of Pop. Rumor has it, the Jackson kids are supposed to appear on the show. You cannot be serious! I understand that reality shows are really popular on TV right now, but how far are networks willing to go to get good ratings?

Those poor kids just lost the only father they ever knew, and their mother is just a money-hungry woman hoping for her 15 minutes of fame leeching off of her dead ex-husband and her children. I don’t know why she tries to claim those kids now. When Jackson was alive, she didn’t have anything to do with them. It’s not fair that she just wants to come out of the blue and take them away from the Jackson family.

They are just children. Prince, the oldest of the three children, isn’t even a teenager yet. These kids are just trying to put their young lives together after their father’s death, and they really don’t need a camera in their faces right now.

Cut them some slack and let them grieve in private. I can’t imagine how hard it must be for them. They were so sheltered for their whole life, and now their father isn’t here to protect them, which makes it harder to try to live a normal life.

The recent “balloon boy” story is a prime example of parents using their children for fame.

In Colorado, a family dreamed of reality show fame by using one of their children. The Heene parents frantically called 911, one day last month, saying that their 6-year-old son had snuck into a giant balloon and flew off. The news soon spread as local police began the search for the boy, who was later found in the Heene’s attic.

Police later announced that the whole situation was just a hoax set up by the parents in order to star in their own television show. It is believed that the father is so sure that the world will come to an end in 2012 that he wanted to get rich quick with the show and build a bunker to protect the family if the sun explodes.

Well, I hate to break it to you Mr. Henne, but if the sun’s going to explode, a shelter isn’t going to protect you. Who knows? Maybe they’ll get what they want in the end. They will be famous…in prison.

Reality shows are getting way out of hand. I’m actually starting to lose interest in them. And that’s because I love TV. I honestly don’t know if I would even watch the show about the Jackson family.

I think it’s a really stupid move to try to create a reality show, especially so soon after Jackson’s death. You would have thought that they would let him rest in peace now, but they’re trying to use his death to gain publicity. That makes me sick. If they wanted to do that, then they should at least wait a year or so, just out of respect for the deceased. And if they insist on doing the show, at least keep the kids out until they can get everything together.

What makes matters worse is that some of the members of the Jackson family are actually on board with the kids being on the show. What surprised me the most is just that Janet Jackson was actually on board. I thought she would be the one person who would oppose it. Rebbie Jackson, the eldest of Michael Jackson’s siblings, refused to be a part of the show. She was the only one who stood up to the network and said that Jackson would be turning in his grave if he knew that his kids were going to be shown so publicly.

He wouldn’t want that for his kids, so why are other member of his family willing to put them through what he went through? Sounds like another money-hungry move to me. Don’t put those kids out there like that. Give it time. Their father hasn’t even been gone long enough for them to even attempt to get their heads on straight. If you really want fame, leech off your children.

They should allow those kids to be normal for a while; just let them enjoy their childhoods for now. We’ve seen what kind of damage the spotlight can do to young children.

Jackson’s kids will probably never really be like normal kids, but he did what he could to protect them from his grisly fate. We should at least try to honor his wishes. Don’t go using the pain and heartache these kids are going through to get ratings and money. It’s dumb, it’s heartless, and it’s greedy. Don’t disregard everything their father did to protect them; he did it for a reason.

Let those kids be kids, and let them try to put their lives together in private.