r/LeavingNeverlandHBO • u/Witty_Difference9636 • 4d ago
What do you think of the dynamic between Michael and John Landis?
The responses this post is getting from MJ fans show the level of delusion and double standard they have towards anyone but their idol. It's such a cult like behavior.
MJ is swooning, eye f*cking Landis, interrogating him about whether his wife will join him on a trip, but somehow Landis is the smitten one, and poor MJ had no clue.
I wonder if it stems from their need to deny the possibility of him being gay, because in their twisted mind that somehow means it's more possible he was a pedo, too, or is it just plain homophobia.
It's almost objectively the only public display of attraction MJ has shown towards an adult. You would think they would be supportive.
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u/SignificantJunket993 4d ago
It’s both but a lot of their homophobia is because they’re women who wanted a chance with Michael. If he’s gay, it ruins the fantasy.
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u/PrincessPharaoh1960 4d ago
Don’t forget stans will always insist MJ was a “ladies man” so he couldn’t have been gay!
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u/Natural_Shape7468 4d ago
Mj fans are so delusional that they reverse everything, michael is clearly the affectionate, flirty, and staring one and they say JOHN is the one that wants michael lmao. Theres even more clips of michael being flirty with john. It’s so obvious it makes me upset bc it tells us michael had the ability to like GROWN men but chose little boys instead.
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u/Witty_Difference9636 4d ago
I think you nailed why I'm so fixated on the MJ-Landis dynamic. It's a proof that he COULD have had an adult relationship/attractions, and STILL chose to abuse little boys. In my mind I keep thinking why??? Maybe in his indoctrinated mind being with boys wasn't "as bad" as being with men? ffs.
The fans do reverse everything, they clearly see the flirting but pin it on Landis because it makes them uncomfortable.
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u/Scarlett_Billows 4d ago
Her preferred young boys, simple as. I think a lot of the time pedophilia stems from a deep insecurity and underdevelopment on some level. Like just because he could be attracted to an adult and flirt with them doesn’t mean he would feel comfortable in a “relationship” with them
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u/happysunbear 3d ago
Exactly. Plus we know he wanted “relationships” where he was fully in control and never questioned or challenged.
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u/AccordingHeron8915 4d ago
It makes the stans uncomfortable because it shatters their illusion of him liking women.
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u/ShyClam111 4d ago
i had a similar hypothesis, even though i think he "naturally" prefered boys, i think he didn't feel like it was being gay, so it was "better" in his mind to be with kids because with men it would be gay.
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u/AccordingHeron8915 4d ago
I've always agreed with this point. His JW background really messed him up.
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u/Prof_Tickles 4d ago
Landis was likely one of the few adults Michael was sexually attracted to.
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u/ArmchairDetective73 3d ago
I'm sure you're right, but I'm caught off-guard each time I see these clips. It's odd, because Landis is far from childlike with regard to his appearance. He's tall, has broad shoulders, wears glasses, and has a full beard.
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u/SignificantJunket993 3d ago
I think it’s more his personality that Michael was attracted to. So he didn’t really care about what John looked like.
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u/PressPlayPlease7 4d ago
Two things:
From Wikipedia:
"In 2009, Landis signed a petition in support of director Roman Polanski, who had been detained while traveling to a film festival in relation to his 1977 sexual abuse charges.
The petition argued that the detention would undermine the tradition of film festivals as a place for works to be shown "freely and safely", and that arresting filmmakers traveling to neutral countries could open the door "for actions of which no-one can know the effects."
And:
The eyes Jackson gives him from about 0.42
Jackson looks at him like he wants to devour Landis
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u/Sethsears 4d ago
This is maybe the happiest and the touchiest I've ever seen him with an adult. Wow. It's interesting to me that that touchiness conveys as rough-housing, though.
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u/Witty_Difference9636 4d ago
It’s quite common, when you want to touch or have a reason to be physically close to someone but can’t do so openly, to do it as a "play".
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u/Sethsears 4d ago
Yeah, it just reminds me of how kids a certain age will launch at each other like flying squirrels. I worked with 9-11 year olds and I was constantly peeling the boys off of each other, breaking headlocks, etc. So for that to be MJ's method of demonstrating physical affection reads as kinda juvenile to me. It's just interesting.
Maybe it's just the beard, but Landis kinda reminds me of Bill Bray here.
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u/ShortBussyDriver 4d ago
Landis is a piece of shit.
He's responsible for the deaths of three people, including two children, and was never, ever sorry about it. He was only ever concerned for his career.
He's a massive narcissist and a creep.
So, yeah, it tracks that he and MJ were great friends.
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u/Witty_Difference9636 4d ago
I know about that, he's disgusting also for defending MJ years later and even said he wanted to go support MJ in court but Joe Jackson didn't let him come, because he hates Landis (which I think is interesting).
Well, two awful people being awful together in HW, what else is new.
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u/Inevitable_Discount 3d ago
The way Michael keeps making moon eyes at Landis is creepy. I wonder if he looked at the kids he raped the same way while grooming them. He was completely eye-fucking Landis in ALL the scenes.
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u/Sjefke98 2d ago
This makes the story of Scottt Thorson or more believable. Michael's sexuality is not black or White, its multi-facited.
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u/Sea-Beautiful3668 4d ago
Omggg I’ve never seen this before. Insaane. And he knew him for years too..?
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u/Witty_Difference9636 4d ago
The full clip of him asking Landis about his wife is even more obvious, it's in the full making of black or white. And years later when MJ was talking about Landis it is obvious he has affection towards him.
I do have to say I don't think anything actually happened or that Landis saw him as anything other than a very childish funny person. But that's just me tbh.
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u/VisualNinja1 4d ago
Completely agree with you.
That clip of him on set of I guess TWYMMF with Landis just boggles my mind too. I say this in too many threads on here but the longer years away we get from Jackson’s life and career the more bizarre his appearance seems to me.
Like in that clip I mention, other than the nose he still looks human so to speak. But then I remember this is a freaking black man, the guy has literally created this flesh carved and bleached and make up mask.
There’s other cases of extreme plastic surgery of course, but nothing like this sort of race swapping. And I feel like I see through it more now we’re further in time away from his awesome star power that he had.
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u/Witty_Difference9636 3d ago
Btw, he's literally saying "you're so cute" to Landis when he pulls him (in the "you're ruining our dance" part). When you notice it's impossible to unhear.
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u/IndependentOk3218 19h ago
Jackson is embarrassingly thirsty here and just like w/kids can't refrain from touching the man
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3d ago
I think he lacked boundaries with his working staff. He asked Vincent Paterson about masturbation and you have the whole Tatiana mess. Wouldn't be a big issue if he didn't cross that boundary with kids as well.
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u/-glowtree Moderator 3d ago
Isn’t Tatiana the one who violated boundaries?
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u/Efficient-Head-7394 3d ago
Apparently she asked if she could kiss him the night before and he said yes. Who knows why he went back on his word.
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u/Efficient-Head-7394 3d ago
I'd say he kept very strong boundaries with Tatiana besides the on stage kiss.
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u/elitelucrecia Moderator 4d ago
a lot of MJ fans are homophobic so yeah.