Craig,

That was well-explained in an inconsistent sort-of-way.  Seriously, though, I share your perspective, but I find myself reminding people today of the man’s alleged horrors as those same people fall over themselves praising his music,
which hasn’t been any good in over a decade now.  Nevertheless, I may be placing my Thriller LP under lock and key in the hopes that’s it worth some decent money in the future.  I’m no music buff - what kind of prospect/tradeable chip do I have in a Thriller LP, anyways?

Regarding comparisons between Manny and Jacko (and there’s a match I never thought I’d be contemplating): Jackson is responsible for his own actions regarding child molestation (yes, I think it’s almost certain that he was a serial abuser). That he, as an adult, is responsible does not alter the fact that his conduct was a likely bi-product of his own abuse and cruel upbringing, which has been fairly well documented. As a performer, Jackson should be judged on his talent and professionalism, which, when he was physically well, was pretty much beyond reproach. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has no character requirements, given what the profession is like and the people in it, this is hardly a surprise.  I can respect Jackson as a performer but not as a person, and I can deplore his conduct as an individual while recognizing that he was, in great part, a victim.

Manny, while also immensely talented in his field, is emphatically NOT admirable in every aspect of his play, and in assessing the relevance of character to talent and acievements in entertainment, this is key. His character issues have led him to be unavailable to his team (as in the suspension); he has, in many case, not been a good team mate; he has behaved unprofessionally on the field (hustle, concentration lapses, undignified conduct) to the detriment of his team. While none of Manny’s non-baseball conduct (such as, if Boston writers are to be believed, not honoring pledges to give to charities and his high school athletic program) comes anywhere close to Jackson’s in degree of loathsomeness, his baseball-related conduct is worse than Jackson’s music-related conduct. If craft-related character and non-craft-related character,added together, form a kind of character OPS, Manny’s and Jacko’s might be pretty close. (I’d argue that, given their more general adulation as sports heroes, athletes’ non-craft-related character is still somewhat craft-related, but that’s too complicated to go into now). Personally, I don’t admire or like either of them. I have more respect for Jackson as a professional than I do Manny. I think, off the field or stage, Manny is the more likable individual but the less worthy professional.

Jake,

If Jackson was known to have molested only red-headed children, it would not be a non-sequitur.  I took the original comment to mean that he was a molestor of male children, and the author of the post’s subsequent follow-up convinced me he meant to be only factual.