History Trivia / MichaelJackson

** Sony cut the ''Invincible'' promotional effort short, although they claimed to have spent $20 million on it by then anyway. Jackson had informed Sony he would quit doing business with them as they meddled too much with his works....just before his album was about to hit the racks. ''Also'', he refused to do an U.S. concert tour to support it, took a long time to record it, and the costs of production totaled about $30 million. He probably assumed that two Madison Square Garden concerts/tributes to himself and a subsequent [=TV=] special edited together from them were enough, and they might have been if they hadn't been held on Sep. 7 and 10, 2001 -- just before [[Main/TheWarOnTerror much bigger news for all media to cover broke]].

** When releasing the ''Bad'' album, Michael Jackson wanted it to feature the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBv9me5amX4 "Streetwalker"]] song instead of [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nouY3gPAwWM "Another Part Of Me"]], the latter which is considered by his fans to be much superior. "Streetwalker" was added to a 2003 re-release of ''Bad''.
*** This actually came down to a tie breaker vote when putting together the album. Jackson wanted "Streetwalker" while producer Quincy Jones preferred "Another Part of Me". They eventually brought the choice before Jackson's manager Frank [=DiLeo=] who, and as Quincy tells the story, shook his butt more vigorously to "Another Part of Me", hence it made the album cut. If you like, which song is preferable can be left as an exercise to the reader.

* OneOfUs: His [[http://www.pinsane2.com/pinorama/events/MJ_09/kr/michael_jackson_arcade_entry.html arcade machine collection]] is a sight to behold.

** Michael had wanted to get the roles of Spiderman, Edward Scissorhands and the Phantom of the Opera.
** Not to mention the music video for "Scream". There is, in order of appearance: CoolStarship, Anime clips, him and his sister Janet playing Pong...on a spaceship.
* PhotographicMemory: Many people have said Michael had a photographic memory. He could remember names, stories, info relating to encounters with people many years before.

* SoMyKidsCanWatch: The stalling of his musical career led to what Akon said was a reason for ''This Is It'': Michael's kids had never seen his father performing.

* TheTysonZone: The biggest example of the trope aside from its namer.

** Ten years earlier, "I Want You Back"--the Jackson 5's debut on Motown Records--hit #1 and was followed by three more #1 singles. Michael's pre-''Off The Wall'' hits included "Got To Be There," "Rockin' Robin," and the chart-topper "Ben."
* BunnyEarsLawyer: Wesley Snipes [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPjkgTA2J8Q said]] that he once spent three hours speaking with Michael “about metaphysics, psychology, ‘how the black man is treated,’” saying, “people don’t know about Mike on the real, Mike had a consciousness that could blow your mind and he could recite things that could blow your mind as well.”

* MistakenForAnImposter:

* [[FriendToAllLivingThings Friend To All Animals}}: Michael would get in trouble for feeding the rats and mice who lived in his home as a kid.

* BunnyEarsLawyer: Wesley Snipes [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPjkgTA2J8Q said]] that he once spent three hours speaking with Michael “about metaphysics, psychology, ‘how the black man is treated,’” saying, “people don’t know about Mike on the real, Mike had a consciousness that could blow your mind and he could recite things that could blow your mind as well.”

** Michael had a large photo of Diana Ross’ picture from the cover of When Fools Fall In Love on his '''bathroom''' wall at Hayvenhurst. Interesting that the picture of Diana Ross had her in a [[http://stargayzing.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Diana-Ross-Why-Do-Fools-Fall-In-Love-FRONT-FULL.jpg titillating bikini]]...

** Michael once showed up a party PDiddy was throwing just to meet the “girl with the derriere” aka Beyonce and dance with her.

* CovertPervert:

* In 2002 he had planned to produce and star in the movie "The Nightmares of Edgar Allan Poe", about the last years of writer Edgar Allan Poe. He was to star as the famed 19th century author (who was Caucasian), and had written music for the film as well.

*** MJ only denied an Al parody once -- "Snack All Night" for "Black Or White" -- and it wasn't a ''full'' refusal, he just asked Al not to put it on an album (he was fine with Al singing it at live shows instead.) as Jackson thought the message of the original song was too important to be parodied. In fact, Al was given blanket permission to parody any of his songs, with the exception of "Black or White."

** He also approved Music/WeirdAlYankovic's parodies and Alien Ant Farm's cover of "Smooth Criminal", among other things, because he did have a healthy sense of humor about his work. Yankovic and Jackson got along rather well -- not only did he allow Yankovic to parody his songs, but also to use the set for the "Bad" video for "Fat". To return the favor, Yankovic made a cameo in Jackson's "Liberian Girl" music video. This troper read an interview with Music/WeirdAlYankovic in the early nineties where Al said that Jackson liked his work and tried to get him to tour with him once (which Al didn't do because he was filming [[Film/{{UHF}} a movie]]).

** Everything after 1993 if it weren't for the allegations.

** Michael originally wanted Music/WhitneyHouston to sing the duet "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" off the ''Bad'' album but her label wouldn't release her for fear she was becoming overexposed at the time.

*** MJ only denied an Al parody once -- "Snack All Night" for "Black Or White" -- and it wasn't a ''full'' refusal, he just asked Al not to put it on an album (he was fine with Al singing it at live shows instead.) as Jackson thought the message of the original song was too important to be parodied.

* FanNickname: Positive ones are "MJ" and "Bambi"... but the most infamous one is "Wacko Jacko", due to Michael's increasingly bizarre and erratic antics and appearance. Rumors say he ''created'' the name back when he was intentionally pulling odd stunts to get publicity, and gave it to the tabloids to use, but once he was getting in trouble for stuff he hadn't planned, he came to hate it.

** Michael's children are collectively known as "MJ3" (due to all three having some variation of "Michael Jackson" as part of their names) or "P3" (Prince, Paris, and [[KnownOnlyByTheirNickname Prince II]].)
* ForcedMeme: "The King of Pop", which Jackson's handlers created for him at the turn of TheNineties. It was introduced to the public via an awards show speech Elizabeth Taylor gave (the full phrase was "The King of Pop, Rock, and Soul", but was subsequently shortened -- ElvisPresley has long held the "King of Rock and Roll" title and James Brown "The Godfather of Soul"), and they made it a condition of airing the "Black or White" video that Fox and [=MTV=] refer to him as such in promos for it. The 2012 oral history ''I Want My MTV'' confirms the stories that his handlers carefully monitored how often the [=VJs=] referred to him as "King of Pop". As the insistent use it in Jackson promotional materials piled up as his career declined, it became common for the media to refer to him as the "self-proclaimed King of Pop". Even Jermaine Jackson's announcement of Michael's death to the press included the meme: "My brother, legendary King of Pop Michael Jackson..." That said, there are fans who insist that Taylor came up with the nickname herself and that it isn't a forced meme.
* HeAlsoDid: Played the Scarecrow in the 1970s urban ''Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz'' update ''TheWiz'' starring alongside Diana Ross, Nipsey Russell, Lena Horne and Richard Pryor.
* IncestuousCasting: His love interest in the music video for ''Say, Say, Say'' is played by his sister LaToya.
* NamesTheSame: MJ shares the same as a writer of another song he did, "Blame it on the Boogie;" a rapper whose stage name was OhNo and various sports players.

** In addition, J. K. Rowling turned down his offer to make a musical based off of ''HarryPotter''.
** Michael originally wanted WhitneyHouston to sing the duet "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" off the ''Bad'' album but her label wouldn't release her for fear she was becoming overexposed at the time.

** In addition, J. K. Rowling turned down his offer to make a musical based off of ''HarryPotter''.

** He also approved WeirdAl's parodies and Alien Ant Farm's cover of "Smooth Criminal", among other things, because he did have a healthy sense of humor about his work. Yankovic and Jackson got along rather well -- not only did he allow Yankovic to parody his songs, but also to use the set for the "Bad" video for "Fat". To return the favor, Yankovic made a cameo in Jackson's "Liberian Girl" music video. This troper read an interview with WeirdAl in the early nineties where Al said that Jackson liked his work and tried to get him to tour with him once (which Al didn't do because he was filming [[Film/{{UHF}} a movie]]).

* FanNickname: Positive ones are "MJ" and "Bambi"... but the most infamous one is "Wacko Jacko", due to Michael's increasingly bizarre and erratic antics and appearance. Rumors say he ''created'' the name back when he was intentionally pulling odd stunts to get publicity, and gave it to the tabloids to use, but once he was getting in trouble for stuff he hadn't planned, he came to hate it.

* [=~Name's The Same~=]: MJ shares the same as a writer of another song he did, "Blame it on the Boogie;" a rapper whose stage name was OhNo and various sports players.

* AscendedFanon: Jackson would often ''confirm'' the more ludicrous (and false) rumors about him. He would later stop this when he realized just how damaging it was to his image, although it was probably too late by then to save PR. There are even claims that ''he'' started some of the rumors (buying the Elephant Man's bones, sleeping in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber) as gleeful pranks on the media and created the "Wacko Jacko" nickname.

* FanNickname: Positive ones are "MJ" and "Bambi"... but the most infamous one is "Wacko Jacko", due to Michael's increasingly bizarre and erratic antics and appearance. Rumors say he ''created'' the name back when he was intentionally pulling odd stunts to get publicity, and gave it to the tabloids to use, but once he was getting in trouble for stuff he hadn't planned, he came to hate it.
** Then there's the strange issue of "The King of Pop", which is more of a ForcedMeme that Jackson's handlers popularized -- if not ''created'' -- at the turn of TheNineties. It was introduced to the public via an awards show speech Elizabeth Taylor gave (the full phrase was "The King of Pop, Rock, and Soul", but was subsequently shortened, likely because ElvisPresley has long held the "King of Rock and Roll" title and James Brown "The Godfather of Soul"), and they made it a condition of airing the "Black or White" video that Fox and [=MTV=] refer to him as such in promos for it; rumors flew that they forced all on-air personalities of the latter to use the term whenever he was brought up. As the insistent use of the term in Jackson promotional materials piled up over the years as his career declined, it became common for the media to refer to him as the "self-proclaimed King of Pop". Even Jermaine Jackson's announcement of Michael's death to the press included the phrase: "My brother, legendary King of Pop Michael Jackson..."

** He also approved WeirdAl's parodies and Alien Ant Farm's cover of "Smooth Criminal", among other things, because he did have a healthy sense of humor about his work. Yankovic and Jackson got along rather well -- not only did he allow Yankovic to parody his songs, but also to use the set for the "Bad" video for "Fat". To return the favor, Yankovic made a cameo in Jackson's "Liberian Girl" music video. This troper read an interview with WeirdAl in the early nineties where Al said that Jackson liked his work and tried to get him to tour with him once (which Al didn't do because he was filming [[{{UHF}} a movie]]).

** One of the writers of the Jackson 5 song shared the name with the actor for {{Barney}}.

* SureWhyNot: Jackson would often ''confirm'' the more ludicrous (and false) rumors about him. He would later stop this when he realized just how damaging it was to his image, although it was probably too late by then to save PR. There are even claims that ''he'' started some of the rumors (buying the Elephant Man's bones, sleeping in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber) as gleeful pranks on the media and created the "Wacko Jacko" nickname.
** He also approved WeirdAl's parodies and Alien Ant Farm's cover of "Smooth Criminal", among other things, because he did have a healthy sense of humor about his work. Yankovic and Jackson got along rather well -- not only did he allow Yankovic to parody his songs, but also to use the set for the "Bad" video for "Fat". To return the favor, Yankovic made a cameo in Jackson's "Liberian Girl" music video. This troper read an interview with WeirdAl in the early nineties where Al said that Jackson liked his work and tried to get him to tour with him once (which Al didn't do because he was filming [[{{UHF}} a movie]]).
*** MJ only denied an Al parody once -- "Snack All Night" for "Black Or White" -- and it wasn't a ''full'' refusal, he just asked Al not to put it on an album (he was fine with Al singing it at live shows instead.) as Jackson thought the message of the original song was too important to be parodied.