The recent release of the trailer of a British comedy, Urban Myths, has also led to the production’s demise.  Due to the portrayal of Michael Jackson, the entire program will not be aired.

The casting of a Caucasian actor to portray Michael Jackson, who was African American, set red flags up on the production since last February.  In a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey, an adamant Jackson vehemently declared that he would not want a white actor to portray him.  The moment a white actor was selected for this role, Jackson’s daughter, Paris, was immediately offended.

She posted on twitter in response to the release of the trailer by stating, “I’m so incredibly offended by it, as I’m sure plenty of people are as well, and it honestly makes me want to vomit.”

Not only was casting an issue for Jackson’s daughter, but the entire depiction of her father was viewed as despicable by her and her family.  Paris referred to Joseph Fiennes, the actor portraying her father, as, “shameful.”

Should the entire program have been thrown out the way it was?

Riley Burke says, “Yes it should have.  Everyone already got their Michael jokes and references in.   What’s the point continuing to deride the Jacksons.  He has kids.  Imagine how difficult it would be to see those headlines about your dad, even after he died.”

Though it seems that the Jackson family has put up with its share of derision regarding their father, did they perhaps lose sight of the fact that the depiction of him was a part of a comedy series.  For those unfamiliar with Urban Myths, it is a show depicting fake stories in a comical manner, similar to Comedy Central’s Drunk History.

People seem to forget that a far worse depiction of the king of pop once reached the big screen here in the United States.

This depiction can be seen in Scary Movies three and four.  In these films, Jackson is not only portrayed as a white man, he is also portrayed in a way that references the child molestation allegations that surfaced against Jackson in 1993 and 2005.  Michael eventually filed a law suit against the creators of these films, but the allegations of defamation of character did not make it very far because the films were clearly recognized as comedy, which gives the creators more room to make portrayals that could be construed as offensive.

These depictions were universally accepted by most in the world of comedy, and this far less offensive skit by Urban Myths has been deleted.

Senior Ethan Mattingly states, “I know his family has put up with a lot of jokes and jabs at their dad, but I don’t think something like Urban Myths can really change his legacy that much… He’s [Jackson] still the King of Pop.”

The never ending controversy of the Michael Jackson child molestation case will continue to shade his legacy, regardless of his image in a comedy that can be compared to a show with a title like Drunk History.