Love In The Jackson Camp : Why Michael Seemed Out Of It

Love in the Jackson family always seemed to be complicated. Everyone was with people they weren't married to. At least on the men's side of the family. Michael, looking from the outside, seemed to view this activity with complete disgust, and disappointment. From his own father, to his brothers, they, more than anyone else, gave Michael reason to distance himself from relationships. It is not because he was gay, or just didn't like women. But some of the women who were involved with the Jackson men, were not the type Michael himself would be involved with.
 First of all, Michael was religious. He really did believe in monogamy. So, extra martial relationships were tantamount to disobedience to God. But in 1984, things seem to come to a head.
 There is the Paula Abdul connection. Many people do not know that Abdul was having a serious affair with Jackie Jackson. The two met up when Jackie hired Paula to choreograph the Jacksons' "Torture" video. In fact, Paula would be instrumental in many of the videos put out by Janet for her "Control"  album.
 Michael was angered by Jackie's affair because he has strong feelings about infidelity. "Michael is disgusted when he sees anyone he knows who has a wife or fiancee' involved in any sort of philandering," said his former band director James McField. "All of that really upset Michael. I've heard him make comments to people. I once saw him go up to a guy who was looking at pictures in a dirty magazine and say 'I should tell your wife. ' To him, just looking is bad."
 Of all of the sister-in-laws, Michael was closest to Enid Jackson, Jackie's wife. Now, he would be losing her because of Abdul. Paula always said publicly that Jackie and her were just friends. But Enid said, "I found out for sure that they were having an affair when she called me at home and told me herself." There were many things that were going on that verified the affair, but it is safe to say that they were together, seriously.
 Michael Jackson lived in a world where most of the men he knew were philanderers. His mother had to deal with Joseph's relationships, among with the knowledge of a child born from one of the "other women." From a child, Michael had seen both Jackie and Jermaine use women as sex objects. Michael, was still a devout Jehovah's Witness, and saw the behavior by some of the men in his world totally wrong, and the results, devastating. So, at twenty-six, Michael was afraid of romance, and sexual love.
 Photographer Francesco Scavullo recalled Michael asking him, "What do you do about falling in love? Are you afraid they're just after you for what you can do for them?" Scavullo answered "Michael, you can't live your life that way. You have to take a chance."
 Michael said, "I'm scared because of what I've seen The men in my family don't know how to treat women. I don't want to be like my brothers."
 So much can be said about the various relationships with different members of the Jackson family, and the mental, emotional, and financial toll it took on all parties.But with Michael, the question was always, "What's his situation?"

 Comedians would make jokes, making Michael look like he was gay. If anything, the more people speculated, the more famous he became. But Michael, it seems, just added fuel to the fire, and left himself open to blatant lies about his sexuality. True, it's personal, but being evasive, proved to be one of his faults.
 Thank you J.Randy Taraborelli "Michael Jackson- The Magic and the Madness" pgs. 378-382