http://perceptive.kinja.com/sony-hack-re-ignites-questions-about-michael-jacksons-p-1672116301
"They Don't Care About Us" was denounced by The New York Times even before its release, and did not reach much of its intended audience because the controversy caused by the New York Times article would go on to overshadow the song itself.
Bernard Weinraub, husband of Sony Pictures Chief Amy Pascal, was the writer of the Times article.
The SAME DAMN AMY PASCAL who is at the center of all these racially insensitive emails about other black entertainers such as Kevin Hart and President Obama.
Pascal was previously Vice President of Columbia Pictures, where Jackson, who wanted to star in films, had a motion picture contract that was never fulfilled. Later she became head of Sony Columbia Pictures. Jackson's recording contract was with Epic, a division of Sony.
"They Don't Care About Us" was Jackson's statement against abuse of power and the political corruption that enabled it.
In this article it says the song "They Don't Care about us" was inspired by two events, the acquittal of the officers in the RODNEY KING BEATING as well as Michael Jackson being harassment by the D.A conducting an investigation at his home with a strip search prior to any charges being filed.
Bernard Weinraub's pre-release story accused Jackson of having "bigoted lyrics" in the song. He described the entire HIStory album as "profane, obscure, angry and filled with rage." The criticism seemed disingenuous, as the lyrics were taken out of context.
Black man, blackmail
Throw your brother in jail
All I wanna say is that
They don't really care about us
Many of Weinraub's email messages to Pascal were exposed in the Sony hack; one advised her to fire an executive which she promptly did
Jackson and Spike Lee made two separate short films for "They Don't Care About Us." "He was not having good relations [with Sony/Epic]...there was friction there," - Spike Lee said in a recent interview with ICONIC MAGAZINE
Jackson and Spike Lee made two separate short films for "They Don't Care About Us." "He was not having good relations [with Sony/Epic]...there was friction there," said Spike Lee in a recent interview with Iconic magazine.
The first version, recorded in Brazil, features the Afro-Brazilian drumming group Olodum. If you're familiar with the song, this is the version you've probably seen. Already in production at the time of the controversy, it uses sound effects to obscure the objectionable words.
But the "Prison" version is a tour de force; Jackson had even more to be angry about. Jackson and Lee chose to film in a Long Island jail, said Lee, because "a lot of people in prison shouldn't be there. A lot of people are there for a much longer time too. In American prisons, there are more brown and black people than white."
Jackson would not win though - at least not then: the Prison version was banned from American television.
"They Don't Care About Us" was denounced by The New York Times even before its release, and did not reach much of its intended audience because the controversy caused by the New York Times article would go on to overshadow the song itself.
Bernard Weinraub, husband of Sony Pictures Chief Amy Pascal, was the writer of the Times article.
The SAME DAMN AMY PASCAL who is at the center of all these racially insensitive emails about other black entertainers such as Kevin Hart and President Obama.
Pascal was previously Vice President of Columbia Pictures, where Jackson, who wanted to star in films, had a motion picture contract that was never fulfilled. Later she became head of Sony Columbia Pictures. Jackson's recording contract was with Epic, a division of Sony.
"They Don't Care About Us" was Jackson's statement against abuse of power and the political corruption that enabled it.
In this article it says the song "They Don't Care about us" was inspired by two events, the acquittal of the officers in the RODNEY KING BEATING as well as Michael Jackson being harassment by the D.A conducting an investigation at his home with a strip search prior to any charges being filed.
Bernard Weinraub's pre-release story accused Jackson of having "bigoted lyrics" in the song. He described the entire HIStory album as "profane, obscure, angry and filled with rage." The criticism seemed disingenuous, as the lyrics were taken out of context.
Black man, blackmail
Throw your brother in jail
All I wanna say is that
They don't really care about us
Many of Weinraub's email messages to Pascal were exposed in the Sony hack; one advised her to fire an executive which she promptly did
Jackson and Spike Lee made two separate short films for "They Don't Care About Us." "He was not having good relations [with Sony/Epic]...there was friction there," - Spike Lee said in a recent interview with ICONIC MAGAZINE
Jackson and Spike Lee made two separate short films for "They Don't Care About Us." "He was not having good relations [with Sony/Epic]...there was friction there," said Spike Lee in a recent interview with Iconic magazine.
The first version, recorded in Brazil, features the Afro-Brazilian drumming group Olodum. If you're familiar with the song, this is the version you've probably seen. Already in production at the time of the controversy, it uses sound effects to obscure the objectionable words.
But the "Prison" version is a tour de force; Jackson had even more to be angry about. Jackson and Lee chose to film in a Long Island jail, said Lee, because "a lot of people in prison shouldn't be there. A lot of people are there for a much longer time too. In American prisons, there are more brown and black people than white."
Jackson would not win though - at least not then: the Prison version was banned from American television.
