The Liz Smith Column | 06/30/2009 11:00 pm

Liz Smith: Michael Jackson's Arrested Development

Also in Our Gossip Girl’s midweek dish: Anna Wintour – Like the Pope?

You Nora Ephron fans! You people worried about your necks. Don’t miss the great photo by Ruven Afanador and the article by Ariel Levy in the July 6 and 13 issue of The New Yorker on the one and only Nora!

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Hoopla attendant on the arrival of the documentary titled "The September Issue" is the talk of fashionistas. This is the result of cameras following Anna Wintour and her editors for most of the year 2007 when they created the largest edition ever of Vogue magazine.

Bryony Gordon of The Daily Telegraph says that the film is sizzling. It just opened at the Edinburgh International Film Festival and is a riveting 88 minutes. The reporter writes that it makes "The Devil Wears Prada" look like an episode of "The Care Bears." Quoted is publisher Tom Florio on Anna: "She’s just not accessible to people she doesn’t need to be accessible to. She isn’t warm, because she’s busy." Then Candy Pratts Price likens Vogue to belonging to a church. Asked if Anna is High Priestess, she says, "I would say she is more like the Pope." Grace Coddington stands up for Anna and is the rare one who does, with Anna conceding she could not live without her.

Anna Wintour © Getty Images

53 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Didn’t know Michael’s parents didn’t live together. Puts a whole different perspective on Joe Jackson’s current spotlight activities.

By Laura Ward on 07/01/2009 1:31 am

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It’s pretty clear to me, Laura, that the "spotlight" is the only thing Joe Jackson is interested in. I have serious doubts that he feels any genuine grief over the loss of his son. In fact, I’m not sure he even considers Michael to be anything more than a public commodity that made money. I can’t believe anyone can be so pathetic. I have no idea what Katherine Jackson saw in him in the first place!

By Mary Utrup on 07/01/2009 6:25 am

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If Kathrine doesn’t live with Joe then fine let the kids stay with her. I was horrified to think of another child abused by that money hungry jerk.

By S G on 07/01/2009 8:27 am

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1) How did Michael Jackson get authorities to produce a birth certificate without the mother’s name on it? A birth certificate. A legal document of the State. A legal document a child would need for the rest of their life. Who allowed that to happen? And why?

2) Michael Jackson is not the biological parent of any of the children. Where are the biological parents? How much were they paid to produce and go away? Where are the legal papers that made them go away? Someone has them. Money changed hands. Why didn’t he want to father children….if he wanted children? Why all the mazes to hide things? Who enabled this?

3) Michael Jackson did not adopt the three children. Who allowed that? And why? Was he legally their foster caregiver? No? Why? Just some strange man given three babies and no legal ties to them? What judicial W(h)IZ let that one slide out the door?

4) I am thinking the State of California is one of Joe Jackson’s "Countries of the United States." A tarnished sequin of a Kingdom blinded by fame fairy dust coating every surface. You murdered your wife? Why, no you didn’t. That’s racism, and besides…you are famous. You murdered a woman you met in a restaurant? You get sent to jail, and you are given a television, a computer, email privileges, an iPhone. Why? Oh. Wall of Sound. Blah Blah echoey Blah. You want to molest children? Sure. You want an illegal baby? Here. Take three. You are famous. I’m starting to feel like California is some oozing poisoned poppy of a place.

By Washington Cube on 07/01/2009 4:08 am

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Washington Cube, I think you have lived in DC too long.

First, you need factual and tangible evidence for any of the assertions made above.

Second, if there are legal challenges to the will which there very well may be, some of this may come out and be proven one way or the other.

Third, one could criticize any of the 50 states, and DC and territories etc etc etc for slips of justice, errors, snafus.

On the flip side, California gives enormous legal power to the citizen who is savvy enough to use it. Not only that, but the education on how to use this power is freely available to anyone who wants to learn. In this, it is far in advance of the other states of the Union.

Now, about Michael Jackson, as they say in DC, do you want the truth, the whole truth, or nothing but the truth?

By F Fox on 07/01/2009 5:00 am

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Well Washington…here we go….our society has been under attack for a long time and this is what happens when an "anything goes" attitude is embraced.

Yep..Ca…I have spent many years living in the Golden State…but it is the land of crazy liberals. How is that working out for them? Not very well….Pelosi is making Billions…but the state and people…not so much…

Now…Obama and his cap and trade bill have hidden inside it…laws that other states will adopt the Ca. standards. Wowowow! What a great idea! Ca. is FAILING…it is IN THE TANK and the rest of the Nation needs to follow their lead!

What???

Yep..ALL houses being bought or sold will need to pass a federal inspection for energy efficiency. That’s right, as if it isn’t hard enough to sell a house…now you will have to comply with window, door, weather stripping standards. Or else…Yep…so many technologies will make BILLONS on the aveage home owner, just trying to get by….

Who wins…the government and the chosen few.

Who looses…the people. Again. Lose of control over our own property….more money given to the government ….hidden taxes. Those standards cost money you know…fees = taxes.

By Kelly In Texas on 07/01/2009 12:52 pm

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I read the oddest thing today, Kelly, and I hope it isn’t true. It said that the family of Michael Jackson wanted to bury him at Neverland, only there is this LAW in the STATE of CALIFORNIA that forbids burial on private property. It went on to report that the GOVERNOR of said STATE wants to see if he can get AROUND THE LAW so they can do that. I thought I would go ape shit. I guess that’s what is meant by being clever enough to work the law. How about…the law doesn’t apply to certain citizens of that state. I pray this isn’t true. Truly. I do. Idle gossip. Of course the Governor wouldn’t want the law broken for a celebrity. Would he?

Why bury him? Embalm him like Lenin, put his corpse in that glass walled Snow White coach and haul his remains around like a travelling freak show with a calliope playing….town to town.

By Washington Cube on 07/01/2009 7:33 pm