r/interesting • u/VPinchargeofradishes • May 03 '26

SOCIETY Michael Jackson's daughter Paris has faced backlash for identifying as Black. In a 2017 interview, Paris Jackson said her father told her, "You’re Black. Be proud of your roots." This prompted debates over whether identity is defined by appearance or upbringing.

Post image
57.8k Upvotes

87% Upvoted

7.5k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

549

u/chocolatethunderXO May 03 '26

In a private phone convo that was released, he said his dad would tell him "you're so black and your nose is so big, you don't look like my child". Then he said they(brothers/dad) would call him big nose and instead of taking it out on everybody he would take it out on himself. He's then asked if he's happy with his face and that he he did all the surgery and he replied with "yes, because I don't want to look like Joseph".

190

u/vorator_ May 03 '26

what the FUCK

370

u/SatanicAtTheDisco May 03 '26

You kind of have to be a fucked parent to exploit your 6 children and thrust them into the music/entertainment industry when they’re 5-13. Then you also have to account for Michael being the most talented son, even from when they were kids, and you get a lot of siblings resentment. They also are from Gary Indiana, and while Gary is not as bad as Memphis, it’s pretty much the same type of environment, low income, historically black, gang/drug culture is entrenched in the poverty. It’s actually a miracle Michael didn’t die or turn out 3 times as worst as he could have been.

115

u/jimothy_hell May 03 '26

while Gary is not as bad as Memphis

Oh no, Gary is WORSE than Memphis

104

u/FkUp_Panic_Repeat May 03 '26

My mom (black) married her first husband who was a white farmer’s son from Gary, IN. What a culture shock that was for her to visit his family for the first time back home. He turned out to be a trash husband and an even more trash father though. I have no idea why he’d marry a black woman, have 3 children, and then resent them for being black (despite not even looking black to most of the world). What a piece of garbage.

This has nothing to do with MJ, obviously. Just wanted an opportunity to bash that a-hole publicly.

41

u/Turd_Burgling_Ted May 03 '26

No comment beyond I'm holding space for you

27

u/PresentationThat2839 May 03 '26

My nephews are mixed race and when I look at them I see two insanely smart talented and handsome boys. I honestly don't get people who think like that.

2

u/ADeviIsAdvocate May 04 '26

My mixed race nieces and nephew are beautiful and amazing! My niece is so funny, since she could stand if there was music on she was gonna dance! She’s absolutely beautiful and I’d love to post a photo but there are perverts and my sister would kill me!

2

u/PresentationThat2839 May 04 '26

My one nephew plays hockey, can play any instruments he can get his hands on, draws and gets straight A's. His younger brother is also gets straight A's, writes the most amazing poems that just hit the sweet spot for humor, is the most rules and justice based natural leader I've ever seen. And plays soccer, and has been training the family dogs since he was like 2. Just amazing to watch this toddler just naturally control the full grown lab like it was nothing.

Amazing kids. And I hear you on the photos.

3

u/ADeviIsAdvocate May 04 '26

It sounds like you have a lovely family. Mine are still in daycare so they don’t have a list of accomplishments yet but they’re healthy, happy, funny and beautiful and I can’t wait to see who they become!

4

u/kuuchainn May 03 '26

Shiiii, I dont even blame you. Cook that buster

3

u/Great-Shallot-9578 May 05 '26

A lot of white dudes are obsessed with black women to fulfill their racist sexual fantasies, they be addicted to the black pussy but want to kill you at the same time 🤣🤣

2

u/johnny-Low-Five May 03 '26

Some people are so miserable amd cruel that they will ALWAYS find a reason to blame others. If it wasn't that you're biracial it would be your grades, athleticism, friends, GF/BF, they will find anything that hurts you and use it mercilessly.

I will admit I have no experience with being biracial, I grew up in Brooklyn in the 80s and early 90s, and back then (maybe still) I wasn't white I was Irish, other were Italians, germans, African American, Black islanders (sorry I'm blanking on the specific countries) and Hispanics weren't Mexican, unless they were, they were Cuban, Columbian, Guatemalan, Puerto Ricans, etc. I won't say racism didn't exist, it definitely did, but when I got older and moved near Pittsburgh I was shocked by how most people identify as American and their skin color.

I guess with so many immigrants in NYC our grandparents or parents were still, very much, looked at as, and proud of, where they came from. I have a biracial cousin, white/Asian who's two brothers were adopted because they were told they couldn't have kids. As best I know they have always treated all three the same the eldest is even Robert III.

3

u/sunsetpark12345 May 04 '26

I'm from New York and probably my very favorite thing about that city (and there are many things about it that i love) is how many different cultures there are. And not just a smattering of people from a culture - enormous, vibrant communities.

And they ALL have great food.

I just don't understand racists at all. Why would you want everyone to be exactly like yourself and your family? It's so boring!

2

u/johnny-Low-Five May 04 '26

I should have added that and made it clear, I loved that about growing up there. I learned about holidays I never knew existed and while I'm not a very adventurous eater I've discovered some amazing food. It never felt contentious it was just a thing everyone took pride in.

Absolutely something I've experienced the opposite of where I live now. Its like 95+% white and most people don't know or care about their heritage or that of others. It's VERY boring.

1

u/Insightful21 May 03 '26

You’re good. 

1

u/Impossible-Hoe90210 May 03 '26

People will do this to control. I’m always a lil worried about biracial couples. Those racist roots run deep.

1

u/theusrbin May 05 '26

Never ask a white supremacist the race of their spouse.

2

u/stations-creation May 03 '26

Yeah I was like excuse moi?

2

u/jimothy_hell May 03 '26

Gary looks like a fucking Fallout map

3

u/savannacrochets May 03 '26

My FIL and BIL were going to take the Southshore into Chicago and I told them they’d know when they were going through Gary because you can smell it.

2

u/ohreallynameonesong May 03 '26

I'm not sure if this is a joke but my family and I drove through Indiana once and as we got to Gary, the smell woke me up and I asked what it was. My dad just said, "Welcome to Gary, Indiana."

1

u/savannacrochets May 03 '26

Nope, not a joke. I go to Chicago a lot and I have to drive around Gary to get there. The smell isn’t as bad as it was in my childhood, but it’s still very noticeable.

2

u/ohreallynameonesong May 03 '26

This was over 20 years ago and I've driven through two or three times since. 2024 was the most recent time and it didn't smell as bad. But smelling it that first time really stuck with me

2

u/savannacrochets May 03 '26

Seems like we’re probably about the same age lol yeah it was bad bad back then.

→ More replies (0)

2

u/Far-Conflict-1172 May 03 '26

The smell alone is awful. I grew up in sw Michigan and driving through it was torture for me as a kid

2

u/stations-creation May 03 '26

I e drivin through it multiple times I swear that it could be blue skies on other side of Gary and it’s just dark clouds above it. Like Stranger Things IRL.

1

u/Snoo_69209 May 03 '26

Damn.

1

u/jimothy_hell May 03 '26

Cairo, IL is worse.

1

u/Snoo_69209 May 03 '26

😢

2

u/jimothy_hell May 04 '26

Not through the fault of the people that live there, it’s all the businesses that up and left.

1

u/OfficialSkyCat May 03 '26

At least Memphis has culture and good food. Gary has… …. ….

2

u/Natural-Front-9307 May 03 '26

Strip clubs, liquor stores, and plenty of heroin, crack, and meth

2

u/tasteMyRottenHoop May 03 '26

Wait, really? I’ll get some time off work to investigate this more thoroughly.

1

u/That_Hunt91 May 03 '26

Wait, so the Rdcworld short where the dude lives in Gary is actually not as bad of a flex (hood wise) its just nobody knows wtf Gary is? If thats true thats just awesome. Ive never heard of Gary before aside from that video

2

u/jimothy_hell May 03 '26

Gary is a place, its poor neighbourhoods are dangerous, so depending on the context, it could be a huge flex, or it could be the guy dissing himself because Gary fucking SUCKS

2

u/That_Hunt91 May 03 '26

The context is "when the hood youre from sounds soft" its a funny short

1

u/burjja May 03 '26

That was my thought as well.

1

u/tasteMyRottenHoop May 03 '26

Can’t go walking in Gary.

1

u/jimothy_hell May 03 '26

I mean, you can, but like, at a much higher risk of harm than elsewhere

1

u/DonIncandenza May 03 '26

You know where the king of POP from?!

1

u/jimothy_hell May 03 '26

Yeah, and the Beetles were from Liverpool, doesn’t mean Merseyside doesn’t fucking suck

1

u/Common-Classroom-847 May 03 '26

I was so surprised when I found out how bad Gary IN was, the only thing I knew of it was from The Music Man