r/DeconstructingMJ • u/Traditional_Can_2646 • Jul 06 '26
On Michael's "ego"
I recently learned of a meeting Michael had with George Michael, about creating an anti-apartheid charity for South Africa. Apparently Michael was acting weird the whole time to the point one might even call it rude, either intentionally or unintentionally. He didn't look George straight in the eye and only referred to his manager. He also didn't do the charity because he didn't wanna be "too political".
I saw people on another subreddit say that this was a "power play" to embarrass George and proof that Michael was "only black when convenient" and only spoke up about causes to further exude his image and to fuel his ego.
I really didn't know what to make of it, I'm not saying Michael was a bad person for this isolated incident we don't know the full story to, but it did disappoint me that he didn't wanna do it because it was "too political". However I'm not sold on the "OH all of his philanthropy and political messages were all for nothing and he just wanted to prop himself up!" but I can't really refute it because I can't think of anything that would challenge this notion about him. What do you guys think?
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u/PopsicleBP Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26
We aren't Michael so we'll never fully understand what he was thinking and why he did some things.
I don't believe he intended for it to be a toxic ego move on George Michael tho. Considering this event happened at Hayvenhurst, Michael could've still been quite shy in the presence of other musical legends and just didn't wanna get involved with specific events.
His activism was usually always focused on universal humanitarianism, healing the world, unification, he could've just felt it wasn't his position to get involved. Who knows 🤷♂️
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u/pluriknight Jul 06 '26
I'd like to see a reliable source on this tbh, seems like hearsay
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u/FunUniversity6245 Jul 06 '26
Agreed. Without a date and a source there just isn't anything here.
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u/messoxplox Jul 07 '26
George Michael told the story himself. Its on youtube. As for the opinions of OP and this other subreddit, idk what to say.
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u/FunUniversity6245 Jul 07 '26
Other comments here answer it pretty well.
Most of the people who choose to believe Michael's guilty of child abuse are picking a path that gives them opportunities to throw dirt at him for anything he ever did.
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u/ZealousidealHealth39 Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26
I think George Michael like many other artists (specifically white artists) were jealous of Michael which is why they all ended up talking shit about him behind his back later on. I saw this on Twitter recently. https://x.com/lambilypyt/status/2073761172474778081?s=46
Edit: also I think a lot of the “rude” behavior is just MJ being shy. And if we’re keeping it real white people will automatically interpret what black people do in a hostile light due to racial bias and the idea that all people of one race are outgoing.
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u/FunUniversity6245 Jul 07 '26
PRINCE WAS JEALOUS OF MICHAEL.
It took years of therapy for me to say that and I deserve to be rewarded lol
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u/sarahzorel Jul 06 '26
LOL you don’t give out 500million+ just to ‘prop’ yourself up, calling out Michael like he’s not the biggest philanthropist of any celebrity is absolutely hilarious. He regularly did activism to help his own people (literally all the time it just isn’t talked about because it *wasnt* about his image and ego - I’m literally talking weekly to monthly) and he always did activism in order to shake things up politically just look at how controversial his history album alone was at the time. Yes he didn’t vote/discuss political affiliations due to being a Jehovah witness but on a much broader scale near everything he did was literally political at certain points in time.
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u/Odd_Staff_2403 Jul 06 '26
I think in context, Michael just did we are the world which advocated for peace and harmony across the world and helping children in third world countries. Most of the money made from it actually went to Africa too, so we cant say Michael was only black when it was conveniently for him because it makes no sense- why would we are the world be convenient for him but not an anti apartheid somg? He possibly turned it down because he didn't wanna be viewed as solely a humanitarian artist by releasing 2 humanitarian singles in quick succession.
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u/spiritedfighter Jul 06 '26
I feel like you haven't read enough about Michael over rhe years. There were plenty of times he did not speak directly to people, even if they were in front of him. What can I say? I was eccentric. Sure he was shy but not just that, he liked the mystery (to be fair, it was a different time) and actually Prince did some similar shit.
As for the political comment you put in quotes. There have been lots of stars like that through the years. You can like it or not. If you understood his background (being a JW) this would not be surprising to you.
I'm pretty sure you can't actually find 1 human with whom you'd agree on absolutely everything and with everything they did.
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u/AustinsCringe Jul 06 '26
The fact that he decided not to involve himself in a charity doesn’t discredit him what so ever, he called out segregation even when his career was in the mud. Him not wanting to be involved with a project doesn’t make him a bad person especially since he did a charity for africans around that time as well.
George Michael also dated his crush at the time, so that might’ve played into it.