Episode 85 – Sentenced to Neverland

In this episode, Elizabeth and Karin discuss the recently published essay Karin wrote, Echoes Without Presence: AI, Michael Jackson, and the Crisis of Cultural Authenticity. They discuss specific topics as mimesis, misremembering and disremembering and imagination. Feel free to connect and ask us questions. REFERENCE AS: Merx, Karin, and Elizabeth Amisu. “Episode 86 – Echoes Without Presence” Podcast, Michael Jackson’s Dream Lives On: An Academic Conversation, 13 no. 2 (2025). Published electronically 21/11/25. https://michaeljacksonstudies.org/episode-86-echoes-without-presence. The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies asks that you acknowledge The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies as the source of our Content; if you use material from The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies online, we request that you link directly to the stable URL provided. If you use our content offline, please credit the source as follows: “Courtesy of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies.” All content is copyright-protected. Any unauthorised reproduction, redistribution, or use for artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automated data collection is strictly prohibited. Episode 86 – Echoes Without PresenceBy Elizabeth Amisu & Karin Merx Elizabeth Amisu, PGCE, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies and author of The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife. Find out more about Elizabeth here. Karin Merx BMus, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies, and author of  ‘A festive parade of highlights. La Grande Parade as evaluation of the museum policy of Edy De Wilde at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam’. Find out more about Karin here. Our References and Where to Easily Find Them: Karin Merx, ‘Echoes Without Presence: AI, Michael Jackson, and the Crisis of Cultural Authenticity’, The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies, vol. 5, issue 1 (November 2025). Karin Merx, ‘From Throne to Wilderness: Michael Jackson’s ‘Stranger in Moscow’ and the Foucauldian Outlaw’, The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies, vol. 1, issue 1 (June 2015). “Was Michael Jackson just a pop icon… or a philosopher in disguise?”Discover the dangerous ideas behind his music, persona, and legacy in this online course, based on the acclaimed book The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson.Enrol today. https://onlineartseducation.co.uk/course/dangerous-philosophies-of-michael-jackson-online-course/

In this episode, Elizabeth and Karin discuss the essay, Sentenced to Neverland: Michael Jackson, Peter Pan, and Queer Futurity by Amy C. Billone. This essay is published in Michael Jackson: Grasping the Spectacle, edited by Christopher R. Smit. REFERENCE AS: Merx, Karin, and Elizabeth Amisu. “Episode 85 – Sentenced to Neverland Podcast, Michael Jackson’s Dream Lives On: An Academic Conversation, 13 no. 1 (2025). Published electronically 21/10/25. https://michaeljacksonstudies.org/episode-85-sentenced-to-neverland The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies asks that you acknowledge The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies as the source of our Content; if you use material from The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies online, we request that you link directly to the stable URL provided. If you use our content offline, please credit the source as follows: “Courtesy of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies.” All content is copyright-protected. Any unauthorised reproduction, redistribution, or use for artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automated data collection is strictly prohibited. Episode 85 – Sentenced to NeverlandBy Elizabeth Amisu & Karin Merx Elizabeth Amisu, PGCE, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies and author of The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife. Find out more about Elizabeth here. Karin Merx BMus, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies, and author of  ‘A festive parade of highlights. La Grande Parade as evaluation of the museum policy of Edy De Wilde at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam’. Find out more about Karin here. Our References and Where to Easily Find Them: Amy C. Billone, ‘Sentenced to Neverland: Michael Jackson, Peter Pan, and Queer Futurity, ed. C. R. Smit (Ashgate 2012) pp 39-50. Elizabeth Amisu, ‘The Isle Is Full of Noises’: Revisiting the Peter Pan of Pop.” The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies 1, no. 1 (2014).https://michaeljacksonstudies.org/the-isle-is-full-of-noises-revisiting-the-peter-pan-of-pop/ Elizabeth Amisu, The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife (Praeger/Bloomsbury, 2016, 2024) Elizabeth Amisu, Online Course Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson, https://onlineartseducation.co.uk/course/dangerous-philosophies-of-michael-jackson-online-course/

In part 2 of our discussion about Margo Jefferson, we discuss articles from the Guardian and her essay in the catalogue of the On the Wall exhibition. REFERENCE AS: Merx, Karin, and Elizabeth Amisu. “Episode 83 – part 1 – On Michael Jackson” Podcast, Michael Jackson’s Dream Lives On: An Academic Conversation, 12 no. 4 (2025). Published electronically 21/08/25. https://michaeljacksonstudies.org/episode-84-part-2-margo-j/efferson The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies asks that you acknowledge The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies as the source of our Content; if you use material from The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies online, we request that you link directly to the stable URL provided. If you use our content offline, we ask that you credit the source as follows: “Courtesy of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies Episode 84 – Margo JeffersonBy Elizabeth Amisu & Karin Merx Elizabeth Amisu, PGCE, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies and author of The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife. Find out more about Elizabeth here. Karin Merx BMus, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies, and author of  ‘A festive parade of highlights. La Grande Parade as evaluation of the museum policy of Edy De Wilde at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam’. Find out more about Karin here. Our References and Where to Easily Find Them:  Margo Jefferson: ‘I have always loved Michael Jackson’ ( Guardian, 2018) Was I in denial? Margo Jefferson on Michael Jackson’s Legacy ( Guardian, 2019) Margo Jefferson, A Life and Afterlife of Shape-Shifting in NPG’s, Michael Jackson: On the Wall ( Tent Cat, National Portrait Gallery, 2018). Margot Jefferson, Ripping Off Black Music: From Thomas “Daddy” Rice to Jimi Hendrix Jefferson, Margo. Ripping Off Black Music From Thomas: “Daddy” Rice to Jimi Hendrix (Harper’s, 1973) – https://amzn.to/4ffn5Kl “Was Michael Jackson just a pop icon… or a philosopher in disguise?”Discover the dangerous ideas behind his music, persona, and legacy in this online course, based on the acclaimed book The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson.Enrol today. https://onlineartseducation.co.uk/course/dangerous-philosophies-of-michael-jackson-online-course/

In this episode, Elizabeth and Karin review the books written by Margo Jefferson, On Michael Jackson, editions 2007 and 2018. This is part 1 of the discussion; the next one is about articles in The Guardian and the catalogue of the On the Wall exhibition. REFERENCE AS: Merx, Karin, and Elizabeth Amisu. “Episode 83 – part 1 – On Michael Jackson” Podcast, Michael Jackson’s Dream Lives On: An Academic Conversation, 12 no. 4 (2025). Published electronically 21/08/25. https://michaeljacksonstudies.org/episode-83-part-1-on-michael-jackson/ The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies asks that you acknowledge The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies as the source of our Content; if you use material from The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies online, we request that you link directly to the stable URL provided. If you use our content offline, we ask that you credit the source as follows: “Courtesy of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies Episode 83 – On Michael JacksonBy Elizabeth Amisu & Karin Merx Elizabeth Amisu, PGCE, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies and author of The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife. Find out more about Elizabeth here. Karin Merx BMus, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies, and author of  ‘A festive parade of highlights. La Grande Parade as evaluation of the museum policy of Edy De Wilde at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam’. Find out more about Karin here. Our References and Where to Easily Find Them: Margo Jefferson, On Michael Jackson (Vintage Books, 2007; Granta Publications, 2018).

In Episode 82, our Anniversary episode, Elizabeth and Karin discuss the essay Michael Jackson’s Gesamtkunstwerk: Artistic Interrelation, Immersion, and Interactivity From the Studio to the Stadium by Sylvia J. Martin. REFERENCE AS: Merx, Karin, and Elizabeth Amisu. “Episode 82 – Gesamtkunstwerk” Podcast, Michael Jackson’s Dream Lives On: An Academic Conversation, 12 no. 4 (2025). Published electronically 25/06/25. https://michaeljacksonstudies.org/podcasts/episode-82-gesamtkunstwerk The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies asks that you acknowledge The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies as the source of our Content; if you use material from The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies online, we request that you link directly to the stable URL provided. If you use our content offline, we ask that you credit the source as follows: “Courtesy of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies Episode 82 – GesamtkunstwerkBy Elizabeth Amisu & Karin Merx Elizabeth Amisu, PGCE, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies and author of The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife. Find out more about Elizabeth here. Karin Merx BMus, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies, and author of  ‘A festive parade of highlights. La Grande Parade as evaluation of the museum policy of Edy De Wilde at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam’. Find out more about Karin here. Our References and Where to Easily Find Them: Sylvia J. Martin, ‘Michael Jackson’s Gesamtkunstwerk: Artistic Interrelation, Immersion, and Interactivity From the Studio to the Stadium’, Liminalities: A Journal of Performance Studies Volume. 11, No. 5 (November 2015)

In this episode, Karin and Elizabeth talk about their experiences as exhibitors on KingVention ranging from 2016 till 2025. They discuss the first event and how fantastic that was with the big Dangerous Cover, the people they interviewed and remember Nicole, the student who did the course Michael Jackson Studies and who passed away not very long after. We dedicate this episode to her. We go into 2022 when Elizabeth was at the event, 2023 and 2025 where we represented the Journal, sold and signed the hardback and the paperback version of The Dangerous Philosophies. This year we did two talks. One about AI and Michael Jackson together with The Big MJ Debate and a MJDLO about the academic void: How to preserve Michael Jackson’s Legacy and how Fans can Contribute. REFERENCE AS: Merx, Karin, and Elizabeth Amisu. “Episode 81 – The Road To KingVention” Podcast, Michael Jackson’s Dream Lives On: An Academic Conversation, 12 no. 4 (2025). Published electronically 26/05/25. https://michaeljacksonstudies.org/podcasts/episode-81-the-road-to-kingvention. The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies asks that you acknowledge The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies as the source of our Content; if you use material from The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies online, we request that you link directly to the stable URL provided. If you use our content offline, we ask that you credit the source as follows: “Courtesy of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies Episode 81 – The Road To KingVentionBy Elizabeth Amisu & Karin Merx Elizabeth Amisu, PGCE, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies and author of The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife. Find out more about Elizabeth here. Karin Merx BMus, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies, and author of  ‘A festive parade of highlights. La Grande Parade as evaluation of the museum policy of Edy De Wilde at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam’. Find out more about Karin here. Our References and Where to Easily Find Them: MJDLO, MJAS Exclusive: Live from Kingvention 2016, https://michaeljacksonstudies.org/episode-15/ Elizabeth Amisu, 2023 Kingvention Speech – ‘An Introduction to Michael Jackson Academic Studies’: https://youtu.be/VlJknkJsk68 Elizabeth Amisu, Transcription of the 2023 Speech – An Introduction to Michael Jackson Academic Studies

In this episode Elizabeth and Karin discuss the essay by Philipp Dominik Keidl where he explores how Michael Jackson fans responded to the sexual abuse allegations made by Wade Robson and James Safechuck in the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland. The focus is on a phenomenon Keidl terms "forensic fandom," where fans produce counter-documentaries and online content to defend Jackson's reputation by discrediting his accusers. These fan-made videos, particularly those associated with The Michael Jackson Innocence Project (MJIP), serve as a form of "media tribunal." The essay argues that these efforts are less about seeking truth and more about reinforcing myths that undermine allegations of sexual abuse, ultimately contributing to a toxic fan culture that silences victims and perpetuates harmful stereotypes. REFERENCE AS: Merx, Karin, and Elizabeth Amisu. "Episode 80 – The staging of a Media Trial" Podcast, Michael Jackson's Dream Lives On: An Academic Conversation, 12 no. 2 (2025). Published electronically 21/04/25. http://sya.rqu.mybluehost.me/website_94cbf058/episode-80-the-staging-of-a-Media-Trial. The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies asks that you acknowledge The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies as the source of our Content; if you use material from The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies online, we request that you link directly to the stable URL provided. If you use our content offline, we ask that you credit the source as follows: “Courtesy of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies Episode 80 - The Staging of a Media TrialBy Elizabeth Amisu & Karin Merx Elizabeth Amisu, PGCE, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies and author of The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife. Find out more about Elizabeth here. Karin Merx BMus, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies, and author of  ‘A festive parade of highlights. La Grande Parade as evaluation of the museum policy of Edy De Wilde at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam’. Find out more about Karin here. Our References and Where to Easily Find Them: Philipp Dominik Keidl, "The Fans of Michael Jackson v Wade Robson and James Safechuck": Forensic Fandom and the Staging of a Media Tribunal, American Behavioural Scientist 2022, vol.66(8) (Sage Publications, 2022).

In this episode Elizabeth and Karin discuss the essay by Philipp Dominik Keidl where he explores how Michael Jackson fans responded to the sexual abuse allegations made by Wade Robson and James Safechuck in the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland. The focus is on a phenomenon Keidl terms “forensic fandom,” where fans produce counter-documentaries and online content to defend Jackson’s reputation by discrediting his accusers. These fan-made videos, particularly those associated with The Michael Jackson Innocence Project (MJIP), serve as a form of “media tribunal.” The essay argues that these efforts are less about seeking truth and more about reinforcing myths that undermine allegations of sexual abuse, ultimately contributing to a toxic fan culture that silences victims and perpetuates harmful stereotypes. REFERENCE AS: Merx, Karin, and Elizabeth Amisu. “Episode 80 – The staging of a Media Trial” Podcast, Michael Jackson’s Dream Lives On: An Academic Conversation, 12 no. 2 (2025). Published electronically 21/04/25. http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/episode-80-the-staging-of-a-Media-Trial. The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies asks that you acknowledge The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies as the source of our Content; if you use material from The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies online, we request that you link directly to the stable URL provided. If you use our content offline, we ask that you credit the source as follows: “Courtesy of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies Episode 80 – The Staging of a Media TrialBy Elizabeth Amisu & Karin Merx Elizabeth Amisu, PGCE, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies and author of The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife. Find out more about Elizabeth here. Karin Merx BMus, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies, and author of  ‘A festive parade of highlights. La Grande Parade as evaluation of the museum policy of Edy De Wilde at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam’. Find out more about Karin here. Our References and Where to Easily Find Them: Philipp Dominik Keidl, “The Fans of Michael Jackson v Wade Robson and James Safechuck”: Forensic Fandom and the Staging of a Media Tribunal, American Behavioural Scientist 2022, vol.66(8) (Sage Publications, 2022).

In the second part of the book review Unfinished Business by Judith Hamera, Elizabeth and Karin discuss how Hamera writes about Consuming Passions, Wasted Efforts and Michael Jackson’s Financial Melodramas. One of the important questions they ask is why using Michael Jackson and compare his dancing and financial gains and losses as deindustrialised. They ask if using only two documentaries, of which one is from Bashir –Living With Michael Jackson – and the other, This Is It, are reliable for academic research? REFERENCE AS: Merx, Karin, and Elizabeth Amisu. “Episode 79 – Consuming Passions.” Podcast, Michael Jackson’s Dream Lives On: An Academic Conversation, 12 no. 1 (2025). Published electronically 21/02/25. http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/the-labours-of-michael-jackson/. The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies asks that you acknowledge The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies as the source of our Content; if you use material from The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies online, we request that you link directly to the stable URL provided. If you use our content offline, we ask that you credit the source as follows: “Courtesy of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies Episode 79 – Consuming PassionsBy Elizabeth Amisu & Karin Merx Elizabeth Amisu, PGCE, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies and author of The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife. Find out more about Elizabeth here. Karin Merx BMus, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies, and author of  ‘A festive parade of highlights. La Grande Parade as evaluation of the museum policy of Edy De Wilde at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam’. Find out more about Karin here. Our References and Where to Easily Find Them Judith Hamera, Unfinished Business: Michael Jackson, Detroit, and the Figural Economy of American Deindustrialization (2017): https://amzn.to/416ZmoW

In the second part of the book review Unfinished Business by Judith Hamera, Elizabeth and Karin discuss how Hamera writes about Consuming Passions, Wasted Efforts and Michael Jackson's Financial Melodramas. One of the important questions they ask is why using Michael Jackson and compare his dancing and financial gains and losses as deindustrialised. They ask if using only two documentaries, of which one is from Bashir -Living With Michael Jackson - and the other, This Is It, are reliable for academic research? REFERENCE AS: Merx, Karin, and Elizabeth Amisu. "Episode 79 – Consuming Passions." Podcast, Michael Jackson's Dream Lives On: An Academic Conversation, 12 no. 1 (2025). Published electronically 21/02/25. http://sya.rqu.mybluehost.me/website_94cbf058/the-labours-of-michael-jackson/. The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies asks that you acknowledge The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies as the source of our Content; if you use material from The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies online, we request that you link directly to the stable URL provided. If you use our content offline, we ask that you credit the source as follows: “Courtesy of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies Episode 79 - Consuming PassionsBy Elizabeth Amisu & Karin Merx Elizabeth Amisu, PGCE, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies and author of The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife. Find out more about Elizabeth here. Karin Merx BMus, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies, and author of  ‘A festive parade of highlights. La Grande Parade as evaluation of the museum policy of Edy De Wilde at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam’. Find out more about Karin here. Our References and Where to Easily Find Them Judith Hamera, Unfinished Business: Michael Jackson, Detroit, and the Figural Economy of American Deindustrialization (2017): https://amzn.to/416ZmoW