Michael Jackson
Image Source: White House Photo Office, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
What Was the Accusation?
In 2002, legendary pop singer Michael Jackson was in Berlin, Germany, to accept an award for his charity work on behalf of children. On November 19, he appeared at a fourth-floor balcony of the Hotel Adlon and briefly held his youngest child, Prince Michael II, outside the railing while showing him to fans gathered below. The infant’s face was covered by a cloth, and Jackson held the child with one arm around his waist. The response from onlookers was a mix of cheers and screams of alarm because people feared that Jackson might accidentally drop the baby. Television footage of the moment was broadcast repeatedly, turning the brief appearance into an international controversy. British tabloids were especially harsh, publishing headlines that included “Mad Bad Dad” in The Daily Mirror and “You Lunatic” in The Sun. Critics described the act as reckless and questioned Jackson’s judgment as a parent. Jackson soon issued a short statement to the press: “I offer no excuses for what happened. I made a terrible mistake. I got caught up in the excitement of the moment. I would never intentionally endanger the lives of my children.”
Key Apologia Strategies:
Defeasibility, Mortification, Good Intentions
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