Damien Shields · @damienshields
27th Jan 2012 from Twitlonger
My thoughts regarding the demise of Maximum Jackson.
I just wrote a very long, drawn out response to the current circumstances Maximum Jackson finds itself in. I have deleted it. This is all I have to say.
Once upon a time Max Jax was my home. I'd visit daily, for hours on end. It was often referred to amongst the MJ fan community as the "friendly" and "laid back" alternative to the much larger, well established and ruthlessly competitive fan sites.
When Michael died, things were bound to change in the fan community. Fan sites would see reduced numbers and activity. Discussions would slow down. But what was not anticipated was the entities in charge of protecting and growing the legacy of MJ (Sony Music and the MJ Estate) would disrespect him so much so that their first posthumous disc of unreleased songs included three tracks that were not Michael Jackson. Yes, fake songs. They were supplied by MJ's friend; Eddie Cascio and were released despite the objections from the Jackson family, and majority of Michael's fans.
The release of the fake tracks would nearly destroy the fan community. Almost every discussion on the Max Jax forums (and other fan site forums) would somehow escalate into a full scale argument over these tracks. It was the "Doubters" (those who thought the songs were fake) vs. the "Believers" (those who believed that they were real)
Fast forward 12 months and the situation is the same. Many fans are not over it and never will be. It's causing lingering distress for fans and fan sites. The disaster is permanently etched in the the discography of Michael Jackson - a sacred thing that MJ worked so hard at perfecting and protecting for 40 years.
The blame falls solely at the feet of the Estate and Sony. They defied the Jackson family. They defied the fans. And now we, the fans, NOT them, are paying the price. They release fake songs on a Michael Jackson album and the damage has been done. A moment (releasing new music) that could have been SO beautiful and celebrated with love and joy turned out to be detested and protested causing pain, stress, confusion and heartache. Sound dramatic? It is. That's how much MJ means to his fans.
Those culpable offered no apology and showed no signs of remorse for the fuck up. They (the estate, Sony, Cascios) got paid and we (the fans, Jackson family and MJ) got hurt.
And in turn, Maximum Jackson as a fan site, has paid the price.
I miss the old Maximum Jackson very much.
@maximumjackson