Michael Jackson Attacks Sony

Jackson began a crusade last month with Reverend Al Sharpton and lawyer Johnnie Cochran against what they called "longtime record company exploitation of black artists." The usually reclusive Jackson made three public appearances last Saturday in New York. He lashed out against Mottola claiming he is "mean, he’s a racist, and he’s very, very, very devilish."

This seems like an odd outburst, considering there are many out there that consider Jackson to be ashamed of his own race. He claims he has a skin disease but there are those who believe that his disgust with his own race drove him to lighten his skin and have so many plastic surgeries that he now looks more like a white woman than a black man. Others believe that his attack on Mottola stems from him wanting out of his contract with Sony and that Jackson is trying to avoid repaying them for costs incurred during the making of Invincible.

Has Jackson gone mad or is he looking to deflect blame for his lack of album sales Invincible? Sony reportedly spent approximately $50 million promoting the album. Some music industry experts point to Jackson's history of bizarre behavior, including the child molestation charges, as the causes behind his waning sales and fading popularity. The $2 million in US sales of the album are a far cry from the $26 million 1982’s Thriller generated domestically. Is the King of Pop about to end his reign? His actions of late seem to be those of a man who feels he deserves whatever he wants. 20 years ago, he may have been right.