Film + TV
Controversial Michael Jackson show won't air following backlash
by Tyler Munro
January 13, 2017
Earlier this week, we shared a look at Urban Myths, a fictionalized, nonsensical TV special about a rumoured road trip Michael Jackson took with Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando after 9/11. That isn’t the crazy part. The crazy part was how Jospeh Fiennes, a white man, looked cast as Jackson. As seen above, his portrayal was at once offensive and abhorrent; a caricature of the pop legend exacerbated by the fact he was being portrayed by a white guy.
The backlash was swift and furious.
And after finally taking the kind of consideration they should have taken before greenlighting, shooting and advertising the program, Sky TV has now opted not to air it at all.
“We have taken the decision not to broadcast Elizabeth, Michael and Marlon, a half hour episode from the Sky Arts Urban Myths series, in light of the concerns expressed by Michael Jackson’s immediate family,” Sky said in a statement reported by Billboard. “We set out to take a light-hearted look at reportedly true events and never intended to cause any offense.”
Offense was certainly taken.
Jackson’s daughter, Paris, tweeted that she was “incredibly offended” by the portrayal, adding that it “makes her want to vomit.” Jackson’s fans followed suit. Back in 1993, Michael Jackson addressed rumours that he wanted a white child to play him in a commercial. “Why would I want a white child to play me? I’m a black American,” he told Oprah. “I’m proud to be a black American.”