Ape Culture - Michael Jackson Celebrity Adventure

Aren’t you glad you picked Gladys? Gladys is nice. She recognizes your potential and arranges for Motown execs to see your show. At this time, you are touring on the chitlin’ circuit, opening for the O’Jays, Jackie Wilson, Sam and Dave, The Isley Brothers, The Temptations, and James Brown….this is your college education, so to speak, even-though you are still a little tyke. You’d still be playing with your army men now if you were allowed to even have a toy.

You receive a standing ovation at the Apollo but you don’t have a record deal. So, Gladys takes you right to the door of Berry Gordy himself where you do a killer James Brown impersonation and the thing was done. Joe signs away all your rights to all the songs you will ever record as The Jackson 5 and the name 'Jackson 5'. He moves you and your family out to LA. where Berry Gordy takes over from there… by putting you through the highly successful slick-ifying entity called Motown, a.k.a The Corporation. By the time the soul-suits are done with you, you know how to walk, talk and dress. Your happy, catchy singles are hits in a matter of minutes. ABC, The Love You Save, I'll Be There, I Want You Back… Your live performances amaze and thrill everybody.

But you have grown beyond your years. People describe you as a 35 year-old midget. You are finally out in the world and can see how the other kids live. You begin to feel like your childhood was denied. You use all your new found power to degrade your older brothers, teasing them for their growth spurts and zits. You also buy a lot of pets to replace your long lost rat Ben. You have snakes, dogs, a wolf, birds, rabbits and chickens. Rebbie elopes. Jackie moves out. You live with the rest of your family in a 22-room mansion with 13 servants. Mom and Dad think life is pretty good and allow your image to be licensed on lunchboxes, buttons, calendars, t-shirts and sleeping bags.

When you go out on tour, your brothers like to pick girls from the audience and have them sent back in shifts for a little one-night lovin'. In the beginning Jermaine has to make do with the hand-me-down girls that have already been had by Jackie or Joe. Eventually Jermaine surpasses his older brother Jackie and become the undisputed stud for the groupies. Your brothers have many times had explicitly raw sex in front of your thirteen year-old self. Often you witness girls leaving, upset and crying.