8 Mar 2019

Otago academic on Michael Jackson

From The Panel, 4:08 pm on 8 March 2019

The already controversial documentary about Michael Jackson Leaving Neverland screens in New Zealand this Sunday. Two men accuse the tarnished King of Pop of sexually assaulting them when they were children. This has led to both local commercial radio networks putting Jackson's music on ice. The University of Otago's Ian Chapman says he wouldn't want to not include the music of the likes of Michael Jackson or Gary Glitter in his contemporary music classes. Dr Chapman says acknowledge the elephant in the room and then talk about the music and social impact within its historical context.