#LeavingNeverland isn’t a documentary. It’s a work of fiction.

Casey Rain
The Violet Reality
Published in
14 min readFeb 20, 2019

In an era of flat-earthers, scripted reality shows, consumption overload and “fake news”, wherein lies the truth about the King of Pop?
Certainly not in Leaving Neverland.

American Jesus : Hold Me, Carry Me Boldly, by David LaChappelle

3 decades ago, Michael Jackson reached the apex of fame, when the success of Thriller turned Michael Jackson into the most famous man who ever lived. It’s no coincidence that it was during this time-frame that Michael penned a song entitled The Price of Fame, in which he lamented:

I want a face no one can recognize, in disguise
Someone called out my name
They thought of taking pictures, autographs, then they grab
My joy has turned to pain

You see, the real price of fame is the commodification of your very existence. This is the real Faustian pact, brought into the modern musical era first by Robert Johnson, but exemplified by the ultimate rags-to-riches story of the young talented black boy from the poorest ghetto of the United States.

Rags-to-riches might be the feel-good story, yet it isn’t the great American Dream. The end-game of industry is, of course, a structure in which you can continually amass wealth, clicks, views, attention, or whatever your heart desires by doing as little as possible. It should be clear by now that attention, and not work, is what drives…

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Published in The Violet Reality

Music, love and funk brought 2U by The Violet Reality — pop culture junkies, artists, and the world’s leading authorities on Prince. Subscribe on YouTube, email for info! We are not affiliated, sponsored or endorsed by The Prince Estate.

Written by Casey Rain

Things I write: Songs, Blogs, Tweets / Things I make: Music, YouTube Vids / What I love: Prince, Michael Jackson & Video Games / You should: Follow Me! /

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