Think Twice: Michael Jackson

At a time when we’re debating where policing is going, we’re going to tell you where the police came from. Guided by Peabody award-winning host Chenjerai Kumanyika, Empire City will provide the first accessible narrative history of the American police and its place in popular culture. Who are the police? And why were police departments created in the first place? To find answers, we’re going to tell the origin story of the largest police force in the world: The NYPD. We begin in the late 1800’s at a moment when the entire police force was on trial. It’s the biggest corruption scandal in the history of the NYPD, and it all plays out like a high stakes courtroom drama. What follows is the action-packed account of how the NYPD got to this point and what happened next. It involves Black abolitionists fighting slave patrols in the courts of Gotham; two rival police forces duking it out for power at City Hall; the origins of the true crime genre; and how the NYPD spread their tactics worldwide. Listen to Empire City wherever you get your podcasts: Wondery.fm/Empire_City. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Michael Jackson spends his final days preparing for a series of comeback concerts, but tragedy strikes before rehearsals are even completed. In the aftermath of Michael’s death, a reckoning begins over everything he left behind. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ten years after first being accused of child sexual abuse, Michael Jackson finds himself in court facing criminal charges related to a new alleged victim. Meanwhile, Michael’s fans rally around their idol and try to help him get through a new low point in his career. Think Twice: Michael Jackson was produced by Dustin DeSoto, Benjamin Frisch, Kim Gittleson, Danielle Hewitt, Sam Lee, Leon Neyfakh, Andrew Parsons, and Jay Smooth, and edited by Diane Hodson. The lead producer for this episode was Benjamin Frisch. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the aftermath of the 1993 sexual abuse allegations, Michael Jackson marries into musical royalty and attempts to rebuild his legacy with the most audacious project of his career. Think Twice: Michael Jackson was produced by Dustin DeSoto, Benjamin Frisch, Kim Gittleson, Danielle Hewitt, Sam Lee, Leon Neyfakh, Andrew Parsons, and Jay Smooth, and edited by Diane Hodson. The lead producers for this episode were Dustin DeSoto and Benjamin Frisch. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Michael’s eccentric behavior and ever-changing appearance pique the curiosity of the public and the press. But was Michael a tabloid victim or a genius public relations ringmaster? Think Twice: Michael Jackson was produced by Dustin DeSoto, Benjamin Frisch, Kim Gittleson, Danielle Hewitt, Sam Lee, Leon Neyfakh, Andrew Parsons, and Jay Smooth, and edited by Diane Hodson. The lead producer for this episode was Sam Lee. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Michael Jackson climbs to new heights with the success of his Thriller album and the groundbreaking music videos that follow. But he finds that his fame and faith are on a collision course, and he's forced to make a choice. Think Twice: Michael Jackson was produced by Dustin DeSoto, Benjamin Frisch, Kim Gittleson, Danielle Hewitt, Sam Lee, Leon Neyfakh, Andrew Parsons, and Jay Smooth, and edited by Diane Hodson. The lead producer for this episode was Dustin DeSoto. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As the Jackson family tries to stay relevant as former teenyboppers, Michael Jackson breaks away in New York City and stars in a movie based on The Wizard of Oz that sets the course for the rest of his life. Think Twice: Michael Jackson was produced by Dustin DeSoto, Benjamin Frisch, Kim Gittleson, Danielle Hewitt, Sam Lee, Leon Neyfakh, Andrew Parsons, and Jay Smooth. It was edited by Diane Hodson. The lead producer for this episode was Benjamin Frisch. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Jackson family signs with the Motown Record Corporation and moves out to California. As Black artists across the country are achieving new levels of visibility, the Jackson 5 become an overnight sensation and a young Michael must navigate growing up in the spotlight as the front man of America’s hottest boy band. Think Twice: Michael Jackson was produced by Dustin DeSoto, Benjamin Frisch, Kim Gittleson, Danielle Hewitt, Sam Lee, Leon Neyfakh, Andrew Parsons, and Jay Smooth, and edited by Diane Hodson. The lead producer for this episode was Danielle Hewitt. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Michael Jackson’s childhood, or lack thereof, is cited constantly in the conversation around his relationships with children. In this episode, we go back to Michael’s earliest days in Gary, Indiana, where he grows up under the domineering hand of his father while he and his brothers take the local music scene by storm in search of a better life. Think Twice: Michael Jackson was produced by Dustin DeSoto, Benjamin Frisch, Kim Gittleson, Danielle Hewitt, Sam Lee, Leon Neyfakh, Andrew Parsons, and Jay Smooth, and edited by Diane Hodson. The lead producers for this episode were Jay Smooth and Sam Lee. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As news breaks of the first sexual abuse allegations against Michael, reporters scramble to dig up any information they can while Michael Jackson’s PR machine battles to control the narrative. Meanwhile, a by-the-book LAPD detective struggles to investigate the case in the midst of the frenzy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s 1993 and Michael Jackson is on top of the world: receiving lifetime achievement awards, appearing at Bill Clinton’s inaugural gala, performing at the Super Bowl Halftime Show. More popular and powerful than he’s ever been, he uses that caché to create a music video that stands among his most personal and prescient works. Then everything falls apart. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

More than a decade since Michael Jackson’s death, his legacy remains complicated and unresolved. Think Twice: Michael Jackson is an exploration of the King of Pop’s life and impact – and an investigation into why his global influence continues to endure, despite the disturbing allegations against him. In this ten-part series, journalists Leon Neyfakh and Jay Smooth bring you a new perspective on the Michael Jackson story, based on dozens of original interviews with people who watched it unfold from up close. You can binge every episode of Think Twice: Michael Jackson, ad-free on Amazon Music, Wondery+ or Audible. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.