Was Paris Jackson Exploited When Sharing Her Love for "Daddy?"

by Tina Kells | July 9, 2009 at 12:12 pm

1850 views | 58 Recommendations | 26 comments

I think that listening to Paris Jackson speak of her love for her "daddy" was the most moving part of Michael Jackson's memorial service, but it seems that many on the web feel differently. Was Paris Jackson exploited when she was allowed to speak out at her father's public memorial?

Many feel that she was...

But my quibble was never with the service. Clearly it seems to have been cathartic for many, and a fitting tribute to an amazing entertainer. My issue was with the way Paris Jackson seems to have been encouraged and even prodded to reveal her face and voice to a billion people, throwing away the protection her father had so carefully created for her all her 11 years of life. Perhaps it is a tradition to honor the dead in homegoing, but then again, most homegoings are not televised into every country on the planet. Paris' words would have been fitting and appropriate at the private family ceremony that preceded the public memorial. In front of television cameras, it just felt like her private grief was being packaged for public consumption.

I have one nagging Michael Jackson-related issue that just won't let me rest until we talk about it.

Michael Jackson's children, had the singer been alive and able to attend his own memorial service, would have been covered in veils or masks and daughter Paris would never have been allowed near the mic to share her heart-wrenching grief with 31 million viewers (in the U.S. alone).

The kids -- now in the care of grandmother Katherine Jackson -- have been a regular presence in coverage of the pop star's tangled legacy. And at Tuesday's excessive (and excessively covered) tribute to the fallen star, the children were not only front row, center and easily accessible to photogs, but 11-year-old Paris was allowed to address the crowd, telling the world that "Daddy was the best father you can ever imagine."

In all fairness, many people also considered the Paris Jackson tribute the most moving part of Michael Jackson's memorial. In that I am not alone. A CNN poll the day after the Jackson memorial showed that a majority were most touched by Paris Jackson's 45 seconds on the stage.

Of all the musical and spoken -- and danced and sign-languaged -- tributes made at the Michael Jackson memorial service on Tuesday, none were more moving than the 26 words strung together by his 11-year-old daughter Paris Jackson...

But Ms. Paris Jackson was unrehearsed, unprepped, and uncoached -- though I suspect also over-encouraged to speak at her father's funerapalooza. And in her honest words came this personal point:

Like him or not, judge him or not, exalt him or denigrate him, Michael Jackson was a father to a child.

In that way -- and in my personal experience, perhaps that way alone -- he was as normal as any of us.

CNN even declared the Paris Jackson speech to have been a surprisingly candid moment in an otherwise carefully choreographed performance. In a memorial service that played out more like an awards show than a funeral, Paris Jackson brought us all back to reality reminding fans and onlookers that a real man was dead, and that those who loved him were in pain.

"Ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine," she said, fighting back tears as relatives consoled her.

"And I just want to say that I love him so much," she said as she burst into tears and sought refuge in the embrace of family members. Watch her emotional goodbye »

For many watching, Paris' appearance marked a rare glimpse of a child who has spent most of her life shielded from the public.

Born to two mothers -- Jackson's ex-wife Debbie Rowe and an unidentified woman who reportedly served as a surrogate -- Jackson's three children lived and traveled the world with him, their faces often covered by veils and masks when appearing in public.

In its execution, the speech appeared to be a surprise to those onstage and off.

Had all of Jackson's three children been thrust in the spotlight at the memorial service I may agree with those who feel Paris Jackson was exploited, but based on what I saw I can't join the critics. As the mother of an 11-year old girl I know that Paris is old enough to decide for herself that she wants to share her love for her father with the world.

The other Jackson children were not pushed or prodded to make a speech and Paris' words seemed to me to have been an impromptu tribute by a loving child in deep mourning. It would have been cruel to tell her she could not speak at what must have felt like her last chance to, on some level, directly address her father through the fans who loved him. This was a little girl desperately missing her daddy and nothing else.

Paris Jackson's moving words were not a power ploy by the Jackson clan or a sign of things to come if the children are raised by the same woman who made Michael Jackson a child star, it was a daughter who clearly loved her father wanting to say good bye.

Through Paris Jackson's words I saw a very human side of Michael Jackson that I had never been witness to before; for once I saw him as a father and not a controversial international icon. In my opinion, that makes the moment Paris shared with the rest of the world the most fitting tribute of the day.

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KL (not verified)

at 14:57 on July 9th, 2009

I feel that she felt the need to say something about her father and was given that right. So many times in the black community children are not given the opportunity to be heard. I am so glad that she has a loving family that will support her in her life going foward that was displayed for all the world to see. Debbie Rowe should not have any ties to these children as she gave her rights up for CASH. What type of MOTHER is that!!!!!! The media needs to sit back and allow the Jackson's recover from the lost of Michael in private.

Tina Kells

at 15:49 on July 9th, 2009

I agree, why should it be scrutinized that she wanted to say something about a man she deeply loved at his memorial service. I think it was brave and amazing that she spoke up and it still makes me cry to watch it!

albertacowpoke

at 15:58 on July 9th, 2009

I agree that she was genuine and not pushed into this. Why would anyone doubt her love for her father and that she had the need to say goodbye and tell him that she loved him?

Paschen

at 19:12 on July 9th, 2009

Live the child alone, What she said she said from her heart and this is her fathers funerals after all.

Some people seem to have an agenda trying to slander her father at every occasion they can get. Thank you for the post here Tina I agree.

A.. M. (not verified)

at 18:29 on July 9th, 2009

Jesus Christ! People find fault in ANYTHING! If you go back and look at the footage, Janet was about to speak into the microphone when Paris stopped them and said something to them. I assumed that she was asking if she could say a few words. It's so pathetic that people are not trying to twist Paris' spontaneous show of affection for her father. Pathetic.

Pythiian1

at 18:45 on July 9th, 2009

I think her statement was based on her personal desire to say something about her dad. I watched the footage several times, albeit more than I would have liked, since the news repeatedly focused on that moment.

Tina Kells

at 19:05 on July 9th, 2009

It still brings tears to my eyes. It was one of the few moments where I felt like somebody was speaking only for Michael and not performing for the audience. I was also touched by Brooke Shields talking about the two of them as children. Most of the show seemed to me to be a showcase of celebrities looking for a few seconds of extra fame.

Laughing-Samurai (not verified)

at 18:57 on July 9th, 2009

Paris Jackson, and the other children have been in the media limelight since the day they were born.

I think Paris Jackson would want to say something at the funeral of her father!

I watched it, I thought she was expressing her true feelings, but she wasn't talking to anyone but Michael Jackson!

Tina Kells

at 18:59 on July 9th, 2009

I agree... the 31 million viewers and 20,000 people in the stadium were not even on her radar. She just wanted to say goodbye to her dad.

Roy C

at 18:58 on July 9th, 2009

A great topic and I agree with you, Tina. I don't think that she was exploited and, of what I have seen of the event, that was the most moving part.

I was particularly happy that she could say what she said about Michael Jackson and that she could say it without any artificiality, role-playing or narcissism. That meat that, whatever else was true about Michael Jackson, he had fulfilled his role as father very well.

That girl was truly loved and hearing it made an aspect of his life that was hidden real.

Tina Kells

at 19:02 on July 9th, 2009

It was a rare glimpse at Michael Jackson the man/father. It was incredibly generous for her to share that with the world and I applaud the Jackson family for allowing her to speak when she so clearly had something important she wanted to say. It would have been so easy for them to keep all of MJ's kids in the shadows and not deal with some people twisting a genuine show of affection into something sinister.

integrityforamerica

at 19:24 on July 9th, 2009

People gave him strife in life and the same in death. I would love it if people just left him alone. He is a human before anything else, and no matter how weird he was, it was his life and he should have been allowed to live it the way he wanted. let him finally rest at peace, he deserves to finally just rest, the one thing he could never do.

sincererity (not verified)

at 20:37 on July 9th, 2009

a totally agree with intergrityforamerica. anyway i still feel the pain that MJ gone so soon. i start to like him when i saw him singing HEAL the world video. My daughter and I will play again and again this video and we sing along and in tears.... how wonderful if the leaders of the world and us can come together and heal the world. no more war, no more hunger, no more child abuse, comfort the sick...

sincerity (not verified)

at 20:41 on July 9th, 2009

RIP Michael. No more condenmnation about you. You Are Not Alone. God is with you.

Annieareyouok (not verified)

at 21:06 on July 9th, 2009

I admire Paris Jackson and think she was SO brave to stand up before the world and it would have taken her a lot of courage. She is gorgeous and brought me to tears. She was amazing and my prayers go to her and her siblings.

Lauren Detonia (not verified)

at 22:15 on July 9th, 2009

To be Honest .. Paris is 11! her dad just died and shes upset .. she has the right to say what shes feeling i thought it was amazing she did that infront of that many people...People shoud leave her alone seriusly...R.I.P MJ - Amazing person. mabey people will leave the family of the most amazing singer/song writer/preformer/dancer/entertainer Alone now i think you should all be ashamed of yourselfs for Trying to find something bad in everything!.

yobitchwhatup (not verified)

at 00:02 on July 10th, 2009

i think paris is a beautiful and brave little girl for doing what she did and all this "exploited" bullshit is published by people who bought into the "wacko jacko" nonsense in the past 10 years or so, who cannot even bother to imagine that mj might have been a good person by any means. which he was. and i can tell that he was a good father to those kids. they are all beautiful and i wish them the best <33

Yamamoto (not verified)

at 06:27 on July 10th, 2009

I worked with children for more than ten years now, and I am a proud father of two angels myself. I don't like to say this as an admirer of a great entertainer (may you rest in peace MJ), but the outburst into tears of his daughter was unfortunately not genuine for certain.

Almost all of my colleagues at the faculty of social and psychological sciences thought so too. It was apparent as we took notice of the daughter's behaviour and facial signs from the beginning on stage while the brothers are speaking, towards the speech itself.

I understand and respect all comments that denies this fact though; we are all humans and bound to emotions. A lost parent is the worse thing which could happen for a child and critisizing this hypothesis of faking her outburst is thus understandable for the common.

This aside, I wish the family and beloved ones of MJ all strength and love in these hard times.

Debbie VanDerzee (not verified)

at 15:11 on July 13th, 2009

I am sorry but I feel Paris was forced into this "Good Bye Daddy" speech.....it was the Jackson's last effort to say "Look what a good dad he was".....The Nanny's raised those kids and one has spoken out that the kids "froze" when Michael walked into the room.

These kids will need therapy for the masks they had to parade around in......that was abuse in itself!

Timothyttatoos (not verified)

at 15:14 on July 13th, 2009

Totally rehearsed..the boys didn't even seem upset!

sebastien allix (not verified)

at 10:46 on July 15th, 2009

hello my name is sebastien, I have 14 years, my home is in france the city is Hirel, in Ile et Vilaine, I am like you I was moved by paris jackson I know what I am saying has nothing do with the tribute but since I've seen paris j jackson I resent feeling love.I know that for some people I will look stupid,but I don t care.I love that you go see it and tell him what I've said. I hope you will thank you if you do .thank you

sebastien allix (not verified)

at 10:47 on July 15th, 2009

please go a paris jackson say that I'm really in love with her I would go with it I beseech you I love it, understand it at least go see it and tell him if you help me thank you

sebastien allix (not verified)

at 10:47 on July 15th, 2009

please go a paris jackson say that I'm really in love with her I would go with it I beseech you I love it, understand it at least go see it and tell him if you help me thank you

rehana khan (not verified)

at 06:39 on July 16th, 2009

My heart is in grief for the three innocent children who were protected by their loving father mickhael i pray they find comfort with the thought that they are not alone their daddy is with the creator of this world May god give your dad best place in the paradise

Amin

Rehana