Think Twice: Michael Jackson Podcast with Leon Neyfakh, Jay Smooth cover art

Think Twice: Michael Jackson

Think Twice: Michael Jackson

By: Leon Neyfakh
Narrated by: Leon Neyfakh, Jay Smooth
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About this listen

More than a decade since Michael Jackson’s death, his legacy remains complicated and unresolved. Think Twice: Michael Jackson is an exploration of the King of Pop’s life and impact – and an investigation into why his global influence continues to endure, despite the disturbing allegations against him. In this ten-part series, journalists Leon Neyfakh and Jay Smooth bring you a new perspective on the Michael Jackson story, based on dozens of original interviews with people who watched it unfold from up close.

Episodes of Think Twice: Michael Jackson contain explicit descriptions of child sexual abuse and may be triggering. Listener discretion is advised.

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Episodes
  • Episode 1: Is This Scary?

    Episode 1: Is This Scary?
    Apr 27 2023

    It’s 1993 and Michael Jackson is on top of the world: receiving lifetime achievement awards, appearing at Bill Clinton’s inaugural gala, performing at the Super Bowl Halftime Show. More popular and powerful than he’s ever been, he uses that caché to create a music video that stands among his most personal and prescient works. Then everything falls apart.

    You can find a list of books, articles, and documentaries we used in our research at bit.ly/ThinkTwiceMJ
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    47 mins
  • Episode 2: All Children, Except One, Grow Up

    Episode 2: All Children, Except One, Grow Up
    Apr 27 2023

    As news breaks of the first sexual abuse allegations against Michael, reporters scramble to dig up any information they can while Michael Jackson’s PR machine battles to control the narrative. Meanwhile, a by-the-book LAPD detective struggles to investigate the case in the midst of the frenzy.

    You can find a list of books, articles, and documentaries we used in our research at bit.ly/ThinkTwiceMJ
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    56 mins
  • Episode 3: Big Boy

    Episode 3: Big Boy
    Apr 27 2023

    Michael Jackson’s childhood, or lack thereof, is cited constantly in the conversation around his relationships with children. In this episode, we go back to Michael’s earliest days in Gary, Indiana, where he grows up under the domineering hand of his father while he and his brothers take the local music scene by storm in search of a better life.

    You can find a list of books, articles, and documentaries we used in our research at bit.ly/ThinkTwiceMJ
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    51 mins
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I was gripped by this series. Most of it is more of a biography of Jackson than anything else, but of course it leads up to the allegations against him and his tragic death. I felt it was well-balanced and a pretty comprehensive exploration of his legacy.

Fascinating

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This podcast has a good premise, but ultimately it felt quite aimless and apologetic. I feel like there was excessive time dedicated to his cultural history and small tangents about his impact on the industry, which is interesting, but ultimately not really of any substance.

There wasn’t enough time dedicated to the actual accusations put against him, and overall the tone is very light considering what he did. You couldn’t get away with doing a podcast like this about R Kelly or Chris Brown, so I don’t know why MJ is special. Pretty weak, Leon

Pretty disappointing

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I thought this was a really well balanced podcast. So interesting. As someone who has researched so much about mj I learned so much in the podcast. It was so well balanced too not assuming anything but listing the facts. That was until the last episode. When they covered leaving neverland they only featured people who believe the documentary. They didn’t seem to cover the arguments that simply what they said couldn’t be true at least for the timelines they discussed. There’s so much evidence out there that the timelines and some of their statements in leaving neverland simply couldn’t be true, such as the train station not being built when the boys visited etc. it would’ve been nice if they’d covered that too. Instead they made fans sound like they’re nuts with blind faith, it’s not true we did our research.

Great balanced coverage until the end

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I've been following Leon Neyfakh's work since Slow Burn so was interested to see how he'd tackle a subject as contentious as this one. This is another well-researched podcast on one of the most tragic and divisive celebrity stories of our day. It walks through Michael Jackson's life and career, the abuse he said he faced at the hands of his father, and the damaging effects of early childhood fame. It features interviews with a range of people who interacted with Jackson during different phases of his life - clearly a lot of research has gone into creating each of the ten episodes. I was hooked throughout and listened to the whole thing within a few days.

The podcast does not shy away from covering the more disturbing areas of Michael Jackson's career, namely the abuse allegations and the bizarre cultural amnesia which has occurred since the release of Leaving Neverland. Unfortunately there seems to be a campaign led by people with vested interests, both financially and psychologically, in protecting Jackson's legacy and doing whatever they can to deny the testimony of the numerous alleged victims who have come forward to accuse Michael Jackson of sexual abuse. People may label this podcast as biased because it largely supports the claims of the victims but the only agenda I could see here was a journalistic one from two fans of Jackson's music trying to get to the bottom of what most likely occurred here.

Balanced and well-researched

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Great well researched podcast. Very balanced and unbiased. Thought provoking and challenging. A great listen. I binged it all in one sitting.

Very balanced

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A good attempt to try and clarify the complexities of this man. He was a fantastic musician and singer but also a horrific paedophile. Other documentaries try and minimise his crimes and explain them by saying he had a bad childhood. This one makes his criminal behaviour quite clear. How did he get away with it for so long?

Separating the wood from the trees

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I really enjoyed this, very interesting and level opinions, lots of information that's not widely documented

Very enjoyable

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A really great podcast. The presentation is interesting and keeps you listening. It’s a mad story!

Would recommend

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This is actually a very well balanced and interesting portrait of a controversial figure that can really divide a room. I think it's highlights the affection people have for his music without ignoring the clear controversy in his story. Most people have a view that you have to either love him or hate him. I think this podcast does a good job of highlighting the highs and lows without shying away from the glaring issues. It's a pragmatic look at his legacy.

It's a shame people have chosen to review bomb this without listening to it all, it does touch on all aspects. As someone who enjoys investigative journalism and true story podcasts, I found it interesting from that point of view.

An interesting portrait

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I have been studying, thinking about and writing about Michael Jackson since 2006. I have to admit there were some things in this podcast that I didn't know. It was presented in an engaging and compelling way.

However, I wouldn't say that it was impartial. There was a lot of information left out when discussing the various allegations - particularly with reference to the (1993) Chandler family and the (2005) Arvizos. I felt that the podcasters sided with them.
Now, even if you believe that Jackson was guilty of abuse I STILL wanted to see a fuller picture presented. There was definitely a lot left out.

One thing that wasn't mentioned was the emotional abuse that MJ may have (unintentionally) subjected these children to due to the damage done to him. In my opinion it is easier to see that potential emotional damage was done rather than the sexual abuse, which may or may have not taken place. I don't know; I wasn't there.

I also felt the ending of the podcast was very rushed.

However, it was a good listen and I found it hard to switch off.

Hugely interesting but not especially impartial

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