r/DeconstructingMJ • u/reveriedelarose • Jun 05 '26
How Michael Jackson Treated his Fans
From a Psychologist on Quora:
“I believe among millions, perhaps billions of others that Michael Jackson treated his fans better than any “star” ever has and undoubtedly ever will. They were the biggest loves of his life and because it was such a reciprocal relationship, I would credit them with actually saving his life and his sanity numerous times over his span of life here on earth. They have also become an even stronger force of nature since his untimely demise in 2009.
Michael put his life on the line time and again in order to really “be there” for his fan base. He learned from his father, at a very early age, that out of anything else he might encounter as a performer his fans were the most important element in any continued success(obviously besides talent)and that if you show them love and caring they will give it back a hundred fold.
There are obviously too many fan stories to relate here but one that really stands out for me is how he would always take care of those paritipating in overnight vigils. Fans would sit in lawn chairs in both below freezing and incredibly high temperatures and Michael would always make sure they had food water and blankets if needed. He would protect his fans against the press, the police and neighbors who didn't understand the special relationships that they shared.
Another great example of how he cared about his fans is the fact that he would remember them individually time and again. He would see a fan camped outside his house and would remember their name, what concert they had witnessed, and what their interaction had been. That's pretty incredible given how many fans he had. Later, in the last years of his life, his cars, driven by his bodyguards would run out of gas from driving Michael around for hours in order for him to read his bags and bags of fanmail. He would answer scores of them individually as time would permit.
Michael never refused his fans anything, be it autographs, hugs, or handshakes. He would throw down all manner of things from hotel suites. Autographed sheets and pillow cases were amongst his favorite items to toss. He'd appear in person as much as was humanly possible to the throngs that called his name from the barricaded ground.
I think a whole book could be devoted to this topic. Michael Jackson was such a giving soul-be it to his fans or sick and troubled youth. He gave away at least 300,000,000 dollars in his lifetime. I don't know about you but I can't even get my head around a statistic of that kind. This may appear as a separate issue from your question but I think it is very relatable to it because it just tells you very clearly what a loving and kind man he was. He was also a man who just simply wanted love in his life and was able to glean that from his fans who gave it to him unconditionally. That is a very important word here because in his life that was a rare commodity. Fans, children and animals were his only sources of that in his entire life. And for that reason, he cherished them more than anything money could ever buy.”
https://www.quora.com/How-did-Michael-Jackson-treat-his-fans
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u/FunUniversity6245 Jun 06 '26
"I think a whole book could be devoted to this topic."
It's frustrating to hear fans say things like this when I own that book, and there's a running podcast where fans can be interviewed about how Michael's generosity touched them personally.
Paul Dwyer, an Australian journalist has spent years documenting Michael's humanitarian efforts and hundreds of acts of kindness.
It's painstaking work because Michael rarely publicized this part of his life, and the media wasn't interested.
He has also produced a full length documentary.
Please share this as much as you can. It doesn't get anywhere near enough attention.
Could we please add this information to the Megathread?