We are the man in the mirror

The more disturbing truth is that his offending was enabled by families blinded by the rewards of fame and celebrity; [by] staff and associates tied by the appeal of status and money ...

In his 1987 song Man in the Mirror, Michael Jackson implored his listeners to take a good look at themselves; to consider their role in promoting civil rights, protecting the planet and global conflict. The people behind the often harrowing documentary Leaving Neverland are focused on the alleged sexual crimes of the King of Pop, but like Jackson more than 30 years ago, they too are holding a mirror to society, asking us to consider our role in the unfolding tragedy.

We have been here before. Too many times. There will be many who will claim that Jackson died an innocent man, that his legacy is being attacked by those who sense weakness, opportunity and the fragility of genius.

But surely there has been enough substance in the smoke to suggest fire; enough evidence, albeit circumstantial, to support the painful realisation that a colossus of modern pop culture carefully nurtured an image of generosity, innocence and kindness while committing unspeakable acts behind the facade.

That Jackson was a predatory sex offender who preyed on young boys is horrible enough to contemplate, but the more disturbing truth is that his offending was enabled by families blinded by the rewards of fame and celebrity; staff and associates tied to the star by the appeal of status and money; and an industry and fans seemingly willing to ignore what was in front of their very eyes because of the sweet sounds between their ears.

Once more we have placed too high a value on the pedestal maintained by the powerful, while undermining the pleas of the powerless.

Lance Armstrong prospered for so long not just because of luck and guile, but also because cycling bosses feared the wider impact of his inevitable downfall.

Jimmy Savile spent decades sexually abusing young men and women, in part because his employers worried that they, too, might fall on the same sword.

The sexual abuse by George Pell and so many other religious leaders was facilitated by a church that put the maintenance of power over the wellbeing of its parishioners.

The #MeToo and Time’s Up campaigns have been controversial. For some, they represent a pendulum that has dislodged offenders both real and imagined. But the campaigns also serve to focus on the misconceptions we hold about people in power and the institutions that support them. Too often we assign notions of propriety that are not deserved, certainly not earned. And in doing so, we often cede that power and compound our own weakness.

This blindness to privilege can be exploited, as Jackson and others have demonstrated. But only if we let them.

The most important message from the Jackson documentary is that society should take a good look in the mirror, that it should always be on guard against the potential for corruption, moral and otherwise, and not assume that power and prestige are innately good or an inviolable manifestation of the values we hold highest.

Celebrities and others of privilege should not get a free pass. It is not just Jackson’s legacy that will need to be re-evaluated, but our often myopic view of those we place above others.