He was slapped, thrown under a cold shower, screamed at so loudly the walls shook, belittled in emails, called a freak, and told that the sight of him made people's skin crawl.
AEG's attorney had promised on the first day of the trial five months ago to expose "ugly truths" and "dark secrets" about Michael Jackson. Over the testimony of 58 witnesses across more than 83 days, the world heard details of Michael's private life and learned more than ever about his health issues and financial troubles. But the ugly truths and dark secrets that were laid bare in the courtroom were, in fact, the sinister face of the entertainment industry itself.
The AEG trial pitted the greatest entertainer in the industry against one of its biggest companies.
Reuters writes in an article that this trial did not merely bring AEG to the bar of justice — it called into question the entire machinery of the live entertainment industry: an industry that, once a contract is signed, seizes control over vast aspects of an artist's life.
Every artist in the entertainment world should take note: if the greatest among them could be humiliated and demeaned by a company, what treatment would the rest face? According to testimony from Jackson's attorneys' witnesses, this industry places no value on the artists from whom it derives all its prestige.
This trial is not only about Michael Jackson and AEG. It is a battle between artists and the industry, and the verdict will send a message to both sides. A finding of liability against AEG would be good news for artists, signaling that the industry's grip on them is not unbreakable. A finding of no liability, on the other hand, would be a boon for the live entertainment industry, emboldening them to exert even more control over artists going forward. A law professor at UCLA believes this is precisely why the trial has commanded the attention of so many in the industry from beginning to end, and why its outcome matters to everyone.
Source: eMJey.com / Reuters
He was slapped, thrown under a cold shower, screamed at so loudly the walls shook, belittled in emails, called a freak, and told that the sight of him made people's skin crawl.
AEG's attorney had promised on the first day of the trial five months ago to expose "ugly truths" and "dark secrets" about Michael Jackson. Over the testimony of 58 witnesses across more than 83 days, the world heard details of Michael's private life and learned more than ever about his health issues and financial troubles. But the ugly truths and dark secrets that were laid bare in the courtroom were, in fact, the sinister face of the entertainment industry itself.
The AEG trial pitted the greatest entertainer in the industry against one of its biggest companies.
Reuters writes in an article that this trial did not merely bring AEG to the bar of justice — it called into question the entire machinery of the live entertainment industry: an industry that, once a contract is signed, seizes control over vast aspects of an artist's life.
Every artist in the entertainment world should take note: if the greatest among them could be humiliated and demeaned by a company, what treatment would the rest face? According to testimony from Jackson's attorneys' witnesses, this industry places no value on the artists from whom it derives all its prestige.
This trial is not only about Michael Jackson and AEG. It is a battle between artists and the industry, and the verdict will send a message to both sides. A finding of liability against AEG would be good news for artists, signaling that the industry's grip on them is not unbreakable. A finding of no liability, on the other hand, would be a boon for the live entertainment industry, emboldening them to exert even more control over artists going forward. A law professor at UCLA believes this is precisely why the trial has commanded the attention of so many in the industry from beginning to end, and why its outcome matters to everyone.
Source: eMJey.com / Reuters