Book Review: Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson

I, like many people, have had somewhat of a fascination with Michael Jackson, probably considered the greatest pop artist of all time. He was a person who was so talented yet so, well, eccentric (to put it lightly) and made many people wonder what was going through his head. And with his sudden and mysterious death in June 2009, the fascination continues to grow for many people--including me.

When I noticed this book, Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson, I was intrigued but also in a way put off. The book's author, investigative journalist and blogger Ian Halperin, recently released a book about Brangelina. He also wrote another book called Who Killed Kurt Cobain?, questioning if Cobain actually committed suicide. Other books include Celine Dion: Behind the Fairytale and Fire and Rain: The James Taylor Story (what dirt is there to dig up about that guy?). I was a little concerned I would be reading a 270-page issue of the National Enquirer.

But I found the book to be both balanced and well researched. Halperin spoke with close Jackson friends Macaulay Culkin and Liza Minnelli (although the later was while he was "undercover"). He even briefly spoke with Jackson, again undercover, and he believes Jackson was flirting with him during their conversation.

Halperin starts off his book saying when he decided to write it, he believed Jackson was a child molester and that he was guilty of all the accusations. However, when he did his research, he found many people, including top entertainment journalists, who agreed, but no one could present any concrete evidence to back up their claims.

Halperin's coverage of Jackson starts in 1993, when he was first accused of child molestation. Halperin gives great detail about the legal implications, the media coverage (including the harsh coverage of the TV show Hard Copy, that frequently paid its sources), etc. Halperin even mentions that the young accuser was under sodium amytal, a barbiturate that puts people into a hypnotic state, at the time of his confession. Halperin asserts it was given to his boy by his dentist father. Halperin also details how the prosecution had to examine and photograph Jackson's body to see if it matched up with how the boy described it; it turns out it mostly didn't. There's even a full transcript of the interview with the boy at the end of the book.

The book also covers his marriages to Lisa Marie Presley (who Halperin believes married Jackson to help convert him to Scientology and "cure" his alleged homosexuality) and Debbie Rowe. It also focuses on journalist Martin Bashir's documentary on the King of Pop, right before the 2005 accusations and trial. Halperin shares details of the trial that helped me see why the jury found him innocent; apparently the family of the boy in question had tried to get money from numerous celebrities and had been involved in previous lawsuits.

Additionally, Halperin describes Jackson's body image (questioning how many plastic surgeries he had and if he bleaches his skin white) and declining health. From the information Halperin got from his sources, he predicted on his blog in December 2008 that Jackson only had 6 months to live. There was a huge backlash, but it turned out, Halperin was right. Sources told him how frightened Jackson was of his 2009 concerts in London and how he told his daughter Paris not to be mad at him if he didn't make it to Father's Day. Halperin also asserted how people in Jackson's camp enabled the pop singer's drug habit by giving him what he wanted instead of stopping it.

I think Halperin did an excellent job of being unbiased throughout the book: he presents the facts, not leaning toward the picture of a completely innocent pop star or one of a monstrous child molester. He does believe, like I do, that Michael had a strange connection with children. Maybe the King of Pop was stuck in the childhood stage because he never got to have one; Jackson also told Bashir he was abused by his father.

We may never know the truth behind many Michael Jackson mysteries, but Halperin tries to help readers make up their minds about how they feel about him.

Book Review: How to Get Divorced by 30

When I first received this book, I thought, "Huh. What is this? Is this an advice book on how to get divorced?"

But once I started flipping through the pages, I realized How to Get Divorced By 30: My Misguided Attempt at a Starter Marriage, written by Sascha Rothchild, was a memoir.

The book starts with Rothchild approaching her 30th birthday and realizing she didn't want Jeff, her husband of 2 and a half years, at her party. Then Rothchild takes us back to her relationships before Jeff, what went wrong with those, when she met Jeff, how their relationship started out, when they decided to get married, and how Rothchild eventually decided to get divorced.

Rothchild, a TV producer and freelance writer for many newspapers and blogs, is so insightful about both her self and her significant others in all her relationships. Her unfortunately too late hindsight on her relationships may help the people reading her book. She walks the reader through her relationship and shows them the warning signs she missed. For example, she went to a lingerie party at the Playboy Mansion with another guy while she was dating Jeff, and he didn't seem to care. She also had to buy her own engagement ring, and could never get Jeff off of his La-Z-Boy recliner and away from his pot.

Rothchild's style of writing reminds me a lot of Chelsea Handler's, so if you like Handler's books, you'll love How to Get Divorced by 30. Besides rehashing her relationships, Rothchild lets us in on her wild child past (she started doing cocaine at age 13 and was dating a 19-year-old drug dealer at the time), and her kooky mother Susan (who doesn't allow her child to call her any form of "mom") who advised Rothchild, "Snort it if you must, but never inject heroin."

I'd be interested to see what a happily married twentysomething thinks of this book. As a single gal, I appreciated Rothchild's analysis of her relationships and marriage, and I think it showed me even more to be aware of the signs of a relationship that just won't work. I think it'd also be a helpful read of guys and girls who are thinking about taking the plunge.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary advanced review copy of this book from the publisher.

Book Review: Remember the Time

My mom always used to say she knew exactly where she was when she found out JFK died. I feel our generation already has two of those "moments": knowing where we were when we found out about 9/11 and where we were when we found out Michael Jackson died.

I had been driving home from work when I got text messages from two friends. I was really in disbelief and told them both that until I heard it from a reputable news source I wouldn't believe it. But when I got home and turned on the TV, there was the news on CNN, NBC, Fox News: Michael Jackson had died.

Most of my MJ memories consist of dancing to the Dangerous album with my little sister. My family had just gotten a CD player, and that was one of the only CDs my dad had. Emily and I would bop around to "Jam," "In the Closet" and "Who Is It" before dinner.

Others have many, many more memories of Michael, some of them personal. This includes Theresa J. Gonsalves, a writerwho shares her memories of Michael in her new book "Remember the Time."

Gonsalves is the muse for one of MJ's most well-known songs "Billie Jean," but she starts her story before the King of Pop penned that tune after her. Gonsalves was a schoolgirl in love with the Jackson 5, specifically Michael. She wrote hundreds of letters to the pop star, and made a decision she was going to fly out and see the singer perform with his brothers in Las Vegas for her 16th birthday.

It's amazing how easily the young Gonsalves got in contact with Michael. She called the hotel she knew they were staying at and asked to speak to the road manager, Randy Wiggins. She asked Wiggins if she could meet Michael when she flew out to Vegas, and Wiggins arranged for her to spend an entire week with the family.

Gonsalves and Michael bonded during her trip, and they started to talk on the phone -- all the while, Gonsalves continued to write Michael letters, something he really looked forward to receiving. They continued their friendship through Michael's solo success, with Gonsalves visiting him while he lived in New York with his sister La Toya to film The Wiz. During this time, Michael and Gonsalves started a more intimate relationship.

Gonsalves eventually moved out to California to be closer to Michael. Over the years, Gonsalves stopped writing as many letters, and just as Michael was slowly pulling away from his family, the same happened with his relationship with Gonsalves.

Through it all, Gonsalves told Michael she would always be there for him, and she kept running into him over the years, the final time being in 2003 in Las Vegas.

Through her recollections of her memories with the pop star and excerpts from her letters to them, Gonsalves sews together the special bond she shared with someone she saw as the man she loved, Michael, and not mega pop star Michael Jackson. Gonsalves showed she was more than just a groupie to the King of Pop; their relationship went much deeper than that.

Gonsalves also gives an interesting glimpse at the other Jackson family members, especially Katherine Jackson, who was kind to Gonsalves and showed her around California; a very bubbly and talkative Janet; and the religious La Toya. Gonsalves' one interaction with father Joe Jackson is memorable as well.

Included is a letter from La Toya to Gonsalves and a bunch of pictures of Gonsalves with Michael. Through reading "Remember the Time," people can get a feel for the Michael Gonsalves got to know: a kind man who loved his music and giving back to others.

Book Review: Moon River and Me

I can't say I knew much about entertainer Andy Williams before I started reading his memoir -- other than the fact that he was famous for singing the theme song from one of my favorite movies, Breakfast at Tiffany's.

After reading Moon River and Me, I now know a lot about this 82-year-old singer... and I'll say that the time I took learning about him was vastly enjoyable.

Williams' memoir starts back when he was a young boy in Iowa, singing at home with his family. His father soon recognized Andy and his brothers had talent and got them together to sing in a group -- the Williams Brothers. Jay Williams pushed his sons to practice, practice, practice, and then went from singing at a funeral parlor to singing on the radio. Then eventually had a successful traveling act with entertainer Kay Thompson.

Later on, Williams built a very successful solo career as a singer and even had a long-running The Andy Williams Show, known especially for its fabulous Christmas specials. Never slowing down, he currently sings at his Moon River Theater in Branson, Missouri.

Williams' honest account of his life as a celebrity is heartfelt and intriguing. Williams lets the reader into his life, including discussing his despair early on as a solo performer (he finally hit rock bottom when he realized he was eating dog food at dinner to save money) to his divorce from his first wife, the beautiful Claudine Longet.

Williams' book is filled with all the celebrities who touched his life, including the Osmonds (who got their first big break on The Andy Williams Show), Judy Garland (Williams saw her struggles with prescription drug addiction firsthand when she was a guest on his show) and Bobby Kennedy (a good friend; Williams was actually with him when Kennedy was shot).

Not afraid to touch upon scandal, Williams also touches on his "brush" with the mob (the Williams Brothers performed at a casino owned by the mob); his romantic relationship with Thompson, 20 years his senior; and the murder trial of his ex-wife.

In "Moon River," Williams sings: "Two drifters/Off to see the world/There's such a lot of world to see." Williams certainly saw a lot of the world from his career as a performer, and his memoir is a gift to readers -- a delightful and entertaining glimpse into that world.

From the Penguin Group, Moon River and Me is on sale on Oct. 13.

Music Review: Heather Marie Marsden

I've always been a Disney girl, and I probably always will be. My first movie was Cinderella, and I used to act out The Little Mermaid with my friends when I was 4. I've been to Disney World multiple times, including this year, and even at the age of 24, I still get that "magical" feeling while I'm at the park.

One great thing about Disney movies is the music. Heather Marie Marsden must have realized this when she came out with her album, So, This is Love. Marsden, a singer/songwriter/actress who has appeared in Austin Powers and That Thing You Do!, has had her music featured on TV shows such as Las Vegas and Law & Order: CI.

For her newest projuct, Marsden lends her bluesy vocals to three Disney songs: "So, This is Love" (from Cinderella), "Everybody Wants to Be a Cat" (from Aristocats) and "Baby Mine" (from Dumbo). Marsden's smooth, jazzy voice blends in perfectly with the piano and other instruments on these tracks. She gives a grown-up vibe to these classic Disney songs.

For more information on So, This is Love and Marsden, visit www.heathermariemarsden.com.

Jon and Kate + 8: The Great Debate

I got sucked into this show this year while I was sick. I watched a couple of episodes during a marathon, and I quickly became attached to the cute Gosselin kiddos. I found Kate to be controlling and bossy, but I figured she needed to be to keep eight kids (and her husband, apparently) in check. Jon seemed like a cool guy to me, and one who loved his kids.

Very soon after I started watching the show, the incident with Jon and the school teacher in Reading came out, and then the proverbial poop hit the fan. You couldn't get away from the Gosselins. They were on the news, in the magazine rack at the grocery store...

After announcing they were separating, I was hoping they would stop their TLC show. Instead, the couple chose to continue it and show their separate lives with their children. I'm not sure if they had to fulfill their contract with TLC or if they like/need the money, but in my mind, this is not the right decision.

I feel so horrible for their children. One day they will grow up and get to watch the show and read all of these stories about their parents and their bad behavior. I find it ironic that Jon Gosselin claims he wants a private life, yet he chills in France with a 22-year-old party girl and goes to the Hamptons with a former tabloid reporter -- probably wearing Ed Hardy shirts both times (seriously, Christian Audigier should ban Jon from wearing his clothing).

He's obviously not thinking about his children during this tough time. I feel like he is probably having some early midlife crisis or a breakdown. He was married at 22, and had 8 kids by the time he was 27. Granted, that is a lot for anyone at that age, or any age, to handle. But does it excuse him to now gallivant around and relive his early adult years?

I'll admit I was sucked into all the drama, but what happened last week was the "last straw" for me. Apparently, Kate came back to their Pennsylvania home when it was Jon's turn with the kids (after a day of chatting it up with Regis and Kelly about her divorce). She called the cops when Jon wouldn't let her onto the property. Jon told the media that Kate tried to "cry it up" with the cops but they still made her leave the property.

I don't see why Jon felt he had to comment on this situation. I don't know if they both have this messed-up logic now where they think just because they are on this popular (well, used to be -- ratings are majorly down) TV show, that they need to tell America every little thing about their lives. If asked about this incident, why not just say, "No comment?" And why did Kate have to spill her guts on Regis and Kelly about her feelings about the divorce and Jon?

It literally hurt me to hear about this ... I know we are all shaped and form in some ways by our parents and what they do (or don't do). I also know you can overcome your parents' mistakes and still be a good, moral person and not feel your character or personality got messed up by how your parents have treated you or each other. But I also know it really affects some kids growing up and can play a part in the development of them as people.

I hope the Gosselin kids come out of this as unscathed as possible. Although I will miss not seeing them grow up, I really hope this last season is the final one, and they will get to grow up without cameras around (I don't think the sextuplets even know what it's like to live without cameras) and deal with their parents splitting up like any other kids have to.

Broadway Follies

I've been cleaning out my documents in Word and I found this assignment from my senior seminar for magazine writing. Thought I would share -- it's a pretty funny story and I good memory of a time with Mom!

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The sweet, salty smell of popcorn permeated the air. Bright yellow cabs honked loudly as they whizzed down the streets. The sights, sounds and smells of the Big Apple overwhelmed me as I walked into the Ambassador Theater on 49th Street in New York City. I could hardly contain my excitement. I was going to see Chicago on Broadway! I had seen the film version of the musical four times in the movie theater. I bought the DVD the day of its release, and watched it so much that, if it would have been a VHS, I would have worn out the tape.

My La Salle friends had chipped in to buy me a ticket for my 19th birthday. They also bought an extra ticket so that my mother could go with me. My friend, Tina, had gotten the tickets from her brother who lives in the city.

Standing in a long line to enter the theater, I could hear the music coming from inside. I was clutching the white envelope that held our tickets in one hand, and grabbing my mom’s arm with the other. I felt more like a kid entering Disney World than a college student about to have a sophisticated theater experience.

We finally got to the front of the line, and a large man dressed in a security uniform looked at our tickets, ripped them and gave them back. We went into the clean, expensive-looking building and elbowed our way through the crowded lobby and gift shop areas. Before we entered the theater, an usher looked at our tickets again and directed us to our seats. We went up a flight of red-carpeted stairs to the upper level.

My mom found our seats easily. They were in the first row of the balcony section. Even more excited than I was before, I reveled in the fact that we had an outstanding view, and then became engrossed in my Playbill.

A few moments later, an elderly couple approached us. The woman, who was barely over five feet, had huge glasses and a big pearl necklace, was clinging to her thin, sickly-looking husband.

“You’re sitting in our seats!” the older man said, waving his tickets in our faces. The veins in his forehead looked like they were going to explode as he yelled at us.

My usually calm and polite mother jumped up, her silver bracelets clanging together loudly, and told the man that these were definitely our seats. The usher had even showed us where our seats were, my mom said. The elderly man just shook his head and said again that these seats belonged to him and his wife. His wife looked upset, and she clutched her necklace.

In the meantime, a different usher came up and asked what the problem was. We told him that we both had tickets for these seats.

“Let me see both sets of tickets,” he said in an authoritative voice, crossing his arms over his chest.

My mother and I gave him our tickets, as did the elderly couple. After examining them for a few moments, the usher laughed and shook his head.

“Yeah, you all have tickets for these seats, but yours are for tomorrow,” he said, turning to me and my mother.

I slapped my hand to my forehead, horrified. It was then that I realized that I had never really looked at the tickets, and neither had my mother. I had somehow confused the dates and was sure Tina had told me the show was on Saturday. But sure enough, after we left our seats and got our tickets back, we noticed that it said “SUNDAY” on them.

My mother and I looked at each other, both of us mortified. Her cheeks were rosy with embarrassment, and I’m sure mine were as well. She then explained to the usher that we were from Pennsylvania, had taken a bus to get here and would not be able to come back tomorrow for the show. The usher told us to speak with the house manager, a younger woman with curly brown hair.

After explaining the situation to her, she told us we could stand at the back of the rows on the ground level. So I stood in my uncomfortable heels for the first ninety minutes, not even able to tap my feet to “All That Jazz” because I was so embarrassed. Not only was I sure that blisters were forming on my feet, but I couldn’t see a thing from where we were standing. Roxie Hart looked like a little blonde blurb to me. I longed from the view we would have had from our seats in the balcony.

But our embarrassing mishap had its benefits, surprisingly. During intermission, the house manager came up to us and said, “Two people in the second row never showed up. Feel like sitting down?” she said, smiling.

We couldn’t believe it as an usher brought us to the second row on the ground level. We sat in the comfortable red seats, turned to each other and laughed at our bizarre luck. A heavy man sitting next to me turned and said in an excited voice, “Guys, you missed the first act! It was amazing!” I had to stifle my giggle and resisted the urge to tell him about my mistake.