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[roxy101]

MJ Estate: Discovery Channel Is 'Debased, Sick'
12/29/2010 12:22 PM PST by TMZ Staff  

Michael Jackson's estate is unleashing its fury on Discovery Channel for advertising an upcoming TV special set to run in the UK featuring a reenactment of MJ's autopsy.

Co-Executors John Branca and John McClain fired off a vitriolic letter to the Prez of Discovery -- obtained by TMZ -- in which they accuse the network of operating in "shockingly bad taste ... motivated solely by your blind desire to exploit Michael's death, while cynically attempting to dupe the public into believing this show will have serious medical value."

The Co-Executors are particularly outraged by a print ad, depicting a corpse sprawled on a gurney, covered by a sheet with a sequined glove sticking out.

Branca and McClain apparently realize they can't legally stop the show -- set to air on January 13 -- but they are appealing to Discovery's moral decency to cancel the program.

http://www.tmz.com/2010/12/29/michael-j ... pecial-mj/

[Serenitys_Dream]

http://tmz.vo.llnwd.net/o28/newsdesk/tmz_documents/1229_mj_discovery_letter_TMZ.pdf

[scorpionchik]

The glove was sold on the auction. Why they would perform autopsy show with the glove. Stupid people.
I actually said before and again would like to see the show for the comparison w/ "real" autopsy and find omissions and hear medical point of view of UK.
And the John McClain remains for me mysterious person. I have searched for the photo or any other articles related to exclusively him,not as a MJ's estate excecutive, but could not find any info nor photo. John McClain is very common name in the USA, including personage from "Die Hard" movie (Bruce Willis). Is this name coincidence?  :roll:

[Andrea]

This is just so ridiculous that it can't be serious.  And that picture??  Controversial to say the least...just how Michael likes it?  I wonder if this "autopsy" will actually air or not.  I'm also wondering if that picture is a bit of MJ's morbid humor coming out, it is sort of Thriller-esque, is it not?  It's almost like he's poking fun at the ridiculousness of it, not just the supposed re-enactment of his "autopsy" but the very idea that he's actually dead when clearly as we all know, he is not dead and very much alive.  And the letter from the two John's was a deliberate move to draw attention once again to it.  I also think the whole idea of maybe airing it is to show how the media can continue to de-humanize Michael, even after "death" and make people realize how much Michael has been wronged, in so many ways.

[looking4truth]

This is sort of off topic but I found another connection to Oprah. Discovery Health Channel will be replaced by Oprah Winfrey's OWN Network which is set to air on 1.1.11. So if I am not mistaken, this means the Michael Jackson Autopsy special will be airing on Oprah's network since the air date is 1.13.11. How convenient if this is the case, which I think it is. Here is a direct quote from their official site:

Here's the deal...
Oprah Winfrey has been on TV for coming up on 25 years. For an hour a day, she's been bringing "live your best life" television right into your living room. It's been great, hasn't it? Well now it's time for what's next. Not just for Oprah but what's next for you.

OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network will be a 24/7 cable network devoted to self-discovery, to connecting you to your best self and to the world.
That's right. 24/7. All day and all night. Whenever you want. TV designed to bring more better into your life.
It's about time.

On January 1, 2011, you will be part of a new network, a network of people who are all interested in reaching their greatest potential.

Oprah will be with us every day. She's the life force of OWN and will get a chance to explore all of her passions on the air.

OWN will explore the issues that matter to you and the moments that move you. We'll look at your health, your home and your relationships.

We'll show you stories of strength and transformation.
And we will engage you in your own transformation.

It's your life. OWN it.
How can you watch? Discovery Health channel will become OWN, so if you have Discovery Health you're in. Just click on the Channel Finder tab at the top of this page to find OWN in your area. If you do not receive Discovery Health, speak up. Your basic cable operator or satellite provider can hook you up.
And what happens between now and January 2011?
We are going to build this thing together, on television and online.
To get in on the creation, sign up for OWN TV Insider. We'll be in touch with answers, questions and maybe a few sneak peeks.

Source:http://www.oprah.com/own/about.html

I also noticed something else interesting. This deal was apparently inked and announced back in January 1 2006 if I'm reading this correctly. http://www.oprah.com/pressroom/Oprah-an ... he-Oprah-W It says underneath the title of the article Original Content | January 1, 2006 but further down states January 15, 2008. A little confusing so I am not sure when this information was given.

I am wondering if MJ could be a possible investor in this since he, too, wanted to do multimedia projects that included television, film and the internet. That would make sense if MJ is behind this autopsy special and why this special had to be air after 1.1.11. This is also another connection Oprah possibly being involved in this hoax directly or indirectly. Or this could be MJ's way of messing around with Oprah yet again with another controversy surrounding her new network. It is strange that TMZ doesn't state that it is Oprah's network though. Hmmm...

[Andrea]

That pic on the gurney reminds me of this for some reason:

Not saying that Michael posed for that gurney pic too but it does seem to be like a joke is being played on the people who just assumed Michael died on June 25th...

Quite clever to use the media against themselves...

[voiceforthesilent]

http://tmz.vo.llnwd.net/o28/newsdesk/tmz_documents/1229_mj_discovery_letter_TMZ.pdf

How in the world did TMZ get a letter that was just written today? They sure have some quick insiders snatching up this information.

I agree - why is this being shown now and why didn't TMZ mention that it's going to be officially under  the OWN Network?

Popcorn anyone? I think this has to be a joke. If not we live in a real sick world.

[everlastinglove_MJ]

I also noticed something else interesting. This deal was apparently inked and announced back in January 1 2006 if I'm reading this correctly. http://www.oprah.com/pressroom/Oprah-an ... he-Oprah-W It says underneath the title of the article Original Content | January 1, 2006 but further down states January 15, 2008. A little confusing so I am not sure when this information was given.

I am wondering if MJ could be a possible investor in this since he, too, wanted to do multimedia projects that included television, film and the internet. That would make sense if MJ is behind this autopsy special and why this special had to be air after 1.1.11. This is also another connection Oprah possibly being involved in this hoax directly or indirectly. Or this could be MJ's way of messing around with Oprah yet again with another controversy surrounding her new network. It is strange that TMZ doesn't state that it is Oprah's network though. Hmmm...

I think you have some good points there. Oprah, CNN, TMZ are working with or for Time Warner, who is a sister of Warner Brothers, so one happy family http://www.bittenandbound.com/2010/09/3 ... ext-oprah/.
Now I'm really wondering why Branca& McClain can't legally stop the show :shock: I'm not a lawyer, but isn't it logical that DC needs consent of The Estate first to use MJ's name? Unless ..MJ is behind all this..

[happythoughts]

That pic on the gurney reminds me of this for some reason:

Not saying that Michael posed for that gurney pic too but it does seem to be like a joke is being played on the people who just assumed Michael died on June 25th...

Quite clever to use the media against themselves...

A lot of people say Michael made that story up to create controversy, maybe this is the same. 8-)

[chloead505]

I am a lawyer and I can assure you that the family or the Estate WOULD succeed in bringing action against Disc. It's against the Human Righs Charter in the first place. Protection of privacy and human dignity, anyone? OMFG really.

[Andrea]

A lot of people say Michael made that story up to create controversy, maybe this is the same. 8-)

Exactly.  Running his own show behind the red curtain, as it were.

[PureLove]

Isn't it wierd that it says "via email and Fed-EX" at the top? And addressed from two people with one signature? This looks fake to me.

[Serenitys_Dream]

The use of the word Debased in the title is interesting.

debased - Verb
Simple past tense and past participle of debase.
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/debased

Past tense
Past tense is the form of language used to refer to an event, transaction, or occurrence that did happen or has happened, or an object that existed, at a point in time before now.
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/past_tense

Past particle
A past participle indicates past or completed action or time.
http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/participlepast.htm

debase - Verb
To lower in character (individual), quality, or value; to degrade (an individual or object).
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/debase

So, this means that for Discovery Channel to have been "debased" that this happened in the PAST. The autopsy show has not aired yet, so this program is not the cause in the loss of "quality" of the programming.

This word is often used to describe the loss of value of Currency (money).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debasement

But there is another use:

Debasement
Debasement is the formal term for removal of a knighthood or other honour. The last knight to be publicly debased was Sir Francis Mitchell. More recent examples include Sir Roger Casement, whose knighthood was cancelled for treason during the First World War and Sir Anthony Blunt, whose knighthood was withdrawn in 1979.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debasement_%28knighthood%29

[thepeacock2012]

The Dr. Oz show is produced by Sony...and we all know who introduced us to Dr. Oz... :lol:

[Im_convincedmjalive]

in which they accuse the network of operating in "shockingly bad taste ... motivated solely by your blind desire to exploit Michael's death, while cynically attempting to dupe the public into believing this show will have serious medical value."

Nice  ;) I couldn't agree more. I am reading between the lines. I see more than one scene in which money is being made because of the blind greed to exploit many deaths.

Pay attention public, your being warned that you are being duped into believing the show holds value.

Peace