In death, as in life, Michael Jackson cannot get away from his father. Joseph Jackson, the same man who brought a Michael Jackson imitator to the BET Awards four days after his superstar son died in 2009, is coming to the Cannes Film Festival. Why? He’s bringing his “Jackson Family Foundation” to the Playboy Manson, known in Cannes as the Villa Oxygene. This not exactly hot ticket is designed to raise money–for what, exactly, it’s unclear. (There’s no record I can locate on GuideStar of such a 501 c 3 registered charitable organization.)
But Jackson and the promoter, named Richard Nilsson, are obviously hoping no one cares. The date is Tuesday, May 17th, and the tickets range from $1,500 euros (for a VIP pass) to 150 euros each for a Jackson Family Pool Party and/or Jackson Family Night. http://www.richard-nilsson.com/jacksonfamilynight.html The websiite promises “bikini bunny servers”–and I don’t think they mean mainframes when they say servers.
Sources also tell me that Jackson arrives on May 15th. “He’s selling some movie idea, and maybe a biography,” Jackson is also reportedly asking for money for interviews.
Yikes. It’s a good thing Michael perfected the dance spin because he must be doing it in his Forest Lawn vault every day.
I wish I could attend this event, but the real business of Cannes will be at hand. Still, there’s nothing like a Joe Jackson press conference for a business or event that will never take place. I have fond memories of the one he called on September 7, 2001, the morning of Michael’s 30 th anniversary show at Madison Square Garden. Joe wanted us to know he was starting an online video service to sell clips of Michael and the Jackson 5. Or how about at that BET event, when he announced he was starting a new record company? Or better yet, what about the restaurant he started on Sunset Boulevard in his family’s name back in 2004? It closed before the menus had stains on them.
As for the press conference, dig this advisory: “We reserve the right to accept or refuse any registration request. No legal action may be taken in this regard.”
You cannot make this stuff up.
