This is the stuff nightmares are made of. Why on Earth would the publishers of Ebony give the Abnormal One a feature piece? He's no fashion icon. He's not a model parent. He was accused of the most vile betrayals imaginable, and is teetering on the edge of financial ruin after being one of the richest people in the world. What is there to glorify?

Michael Jackson is the poster child for misfits. He has bleached, carved, shaved and crimped himself into a parody of a parody. He drifts from place to place, imposing on wealthy foreigners who think he's still the superstar he used to be until he wears out his welcome, then moving on to the next gracious host. Recently a Prince of Bahrain filed a $7 million suit against Jackson in a London court for just such a "misunderstanding".

The really clueless one here seems to be Jackson himself, who continues to live an extravagant lifestyle despite being without cash (he still has some investments he could cash in). He has no idea what's going on in the real world, as the photos in the Ebony shoot illustrate. Same pose, same anorexic hips, same mysterious wind tousling the same fake hair he's been wearing since 1992. The boots look at least that old as well. The only new thing here is the top hat, which is perhaps Jackson's feeble attempt to mimic Johnny Depp in Sweeney Todd. Give it up, Jacko. While you're at it, give those poor kids back to their mother(s?), too, so they can have a shot at a normal life, in a normal school with normal friends who can enjoy fresh air now and then.