MovieChat Forums > The Jacksons: An American Dream (1992) Discussion > Joe Jackson wasn't that bad

Joe Jackson wasn't that bad

posted 12 years ago by Arimas01
22 replies | jump to latest

I don't know what he did to them growing up but according to this movie I didn't see anything that was so bad. If this is what the fuss was about then they are some really weak cry babies that need to man up. Micheal and Janet said that they didn't have it that bad but the others did. Micheal said that he was always used as the example. One of the older guys said that they were not abused and that they were punished like everyone else. One of the only parts that I didn't agree with was the "whoopin" that he gave Marlin for not getting the dance steps.
He work on a steel mill and still could hardly make ends meet. He didn't want that for his children. He had 9 children, 6 of them boys. Alot of men would have left but he stuck it out with his wife. It's hard enough to raise 1 blk male and keep them out of trouble, he had 6. The only one who has ever been in any real legal trouble was Micheal and he was found not guilty. I've never heard of any of them disrespecting their mother and to me, that one of the worst things you can do. You don't hear about them in the news selling drugs, robbing, or murdering people. They seemed to have grown into respectable people.

When I was a child I received "whoopins" as well and yes, they really hurt. My mom was alot worse than my dad was. We didn't get brutal beatings and it didn't happen often but they made their point. I can honestly say that looking back, I didn't get half the "whoopins" that I should have. I only got hit with switches (feeble tree limbs)or a belt. It hurt my feelings and my pride more than my body but I survived and I'm not a bad person. I know of people who got hit with extension cords. That's what I call abuse or like my mother said that she would sometimes get it while in the bath tub or with 4 or 5 switches at a time. She said she got hit with the first thing her mother could pick up.

I'm too old to be politically correct, I'm gone be real. Take it or leave it.

[–] hillbrian2005 12 years ago

Joe may not have been terrible but he did have a lot of affairs and even had a child by anoter woman while he was still married to Katherine. He was stern and he was very hard on the kids at times. The boys weren't perfrect though, I mean they all had affairs and two of them having kids by the same woman and Randy did get arrested for beating up his wife once. So, there were some things the movie never showed.

[–] Pisces_Sweetie_007 12 years ago

The movie chronicled from mid-1940s to mid-1980s. Everything else that happened after that (especially any event that occured in or after 1992 when the movie premiered) wouldn't be shown in this movie.

[–] Arimas01 11 years ago

The movie chronicled from mid-1940s to mid-1980s. Everything else that happened after that (especially any event that occured in or after 1992 when the movie premiered) wouldn't be shown in this movie.

Anything that happened past the 80's shouldn't have mattered anyway. By that time, most of them were old enough to be parents themselves. What would they look like at that age still being abused by their father? It would look to me, like they must have liked it if they are still sticking around to take it and I've never heard of anyone of them saying that he held them against their will.

As far as the posters who stated that him whopping his son for not getting the dance steps, I had already mentioned that he was wrong for that but at the same time, he has been labeled as a monster and I really don't see a good enough reason why. I'm sure that he wasn't offered any parenting classes and like I've said, the man had 9 children to raise and 6 were boys. He probably did what he learned from his father and so forth. They grew up in the GHETTO and in a 2 bedroom house. I'm sure he held out no hope of them getting a college education and rising above their circumstances if he didn't do something drastic. He did what he had to do as a man to keep his kids in line and away from the hard life, knuckleheads and street influences. I do not think that his actions were selfishly motivated. He could have easily left the kids and the mother and gotten the hell on out of there and never looked back but he didn't. He did what he thought was best for his family and he deserves respect for that.

Some people have let society and being PC take over their lives and have become really weak in the process. You're so busy criticizing his parental skills with his 9 kids, while you have 1 kid that's taking over your house and running you crazy. They're probably running the streets at all hours, coming home when they feel like it, not going to school or doing anything productive, having babies and leaving you to take care of them, using drugs, taking your money, having sex in your house while you are at work or even while you're home, cussing you out and using all types of disrespectful language right in front of you, in and out of jail and being a complete menace to society and a flat out embarrassment, while daring you to say or do anything about it and some of them even have the nerve to threaten you with violence in your own home. I'll bet Joe and Catherine never had to worry about any of that. The only one of them that has had any trouble with the law is Micheal, who was ultimately acquitted.

You can continue to take the easy way out and let this "politically correct" society raise your kids if you want to but when your kid gets out of hand, see what this same "politically correct" society has for your kid. They will chew your kid up and spit him out faster than you can blink an eye and have you wishing that you could start over and make different choices. Better you punish your kids now than society getting to them later.

Don't Worry  Be Happy.

[–] furienna 12 years ago

Yeah, beating the *beep* out of your son for missing a dance step is perfectly normal. Joseph Jackson was a creep, deal with it!

Intelligence and purity.

[–] novastar_6 11 years ago

He was an abusive P.O.S who didn't care WHAT happened to his kids just as long as they kept him rich and even now he LAUGHS at their being afraid of him for so many years. The day he dies there won't be a single tear shed for that bastard, the world will cry out GOOD RIDDANCE, and Michael should've outlived him, but evil never dies so that's why Joe's still here and Michael's dead.

[–] cobalt_s 11 years ago

He was a saint compared to The Cowsills' dad!

[–] jefgg 11 years ago

The late Murry Wilson was also a horrible stage father. Wilson was the father of The Beach Boys members Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson, and Carl Wilson, uncle of bandmate Mike Love and manager and music publisher for their band.

[–] Sparky48 11 years ago

I agree with the OP.

What many don't seem to realize, especially those who are relatively young, is that black men from Joe's generation and before used corporal punishment to discipline children. True to the biblical saying, "Spare the rod, spoil the child," many fathers from that time period, including mothers as well, physically punished their children when their kids became insolent or unruly.

Being that I'm from the same generation as the Jackson brothers, trust me, I know all too well. Unlike today, "time out" didn't exist back then, and if you got out of line the consequence would have been a belt, a switch, or even a foot to your rear! Today of course, this would be perceived as "child abuse," but at that time it was the customary way for parents to raise their children this way. (Personally, I think that if parents today reverted back to this form of disciple, children would be better off.)

As for physically punishing his kids for their mistakes (e.g. "whippin" little Marlon for missing dance steps), JJ was just a relentless perfectionist who was striving to train his sons to become top-notch professional performers. Although the J5 were obviously very young when they first came into prominence, they were already highly polished performers, and their competence as accomplished entertainers was attributed to Joe's guidance and preparation. It may have seemed sadistic at times, but it was highly effective, and without him I doubt it very much if the group would have become so successful.

Actually, Joe Jackson missed his call: he would have made a great basketball coach.

[–] marbleann 11 years ago

Well I look at Life with LaToya, yes I admit and I love it. lol She is very close to her father and he is very protective of her. She was bothered though that his kids always called him Joseph and she asked him if she can call him dad. Well he said yeas and was kind of shocked to realize they don't call him dad. Actually he is a character.

This movie can be over exaggerating his abuse. In any case I like looking at the show. She is such a drama queen but she has had relationship problems one of her husbands threatened to kill the father and Michael if she did not write that book. And yes her friends back her up about that. She hangs around with Brenda Richie and Paris Hilton's mother, who seems to be smart and some other Hollywood housewives. And she is suppose to marry her manager of 15 years. It is a mess. Blanket and Prince showed up the other day. So it is pretty interesting and they seem all to love her. And she is very nice. She never was one of those greedy siblings that tried to hijack MJ's kids from the grandmother, she stayed out of it.

[–] deem_bastille 10 years ago

what you did to and with your children discipline wise in your own home was your own business. once he started whipping them OUTSIDE and setting up and encouraging fights OUTSIDE he crossed the line. now he just wants attention: look at me! look at how BIGAMAN Joseph Jackson is! Don't be messin wif me!'

OH THANK YOU GOD! THANK YOU SO BLOODY MUCH!!! Basil Fawlty

[–] Sparky48 10 years ago

'what you did to and with your children discipline wise in your own home was your own business. once he started whipping them OUTSIDE and setting up and encouraging fights OUTSIDE he crossed the line. now he just wants attention: look at me! look at how BIGAMAN Joseph Jackson is! Don't be messin wif me!''

Well, first of all it's rather difficult to understand what you're saying because, in all candor, your writing isn't too keen. But when you say that he encouraged "fights OUTSIDE," I assume you're referring to the movie scene in which Jackie fights a neighborhood bully. If my assumption is correct, then I would say that you're confusing encouragement of fighting with the encouragement of self-defense. Joe was basically trying to teach his sons that the way to deal with bullies is to stand up to them and take the fight to them. (Incidentally, I think parents today should teach their kids this, rather than focus on futile and inane anti-bully campaigns.)

As for "whipping them outside," I don't know exactly what you're referring to, because I don't remember any scene in the movie that depicted this. But if he did do this all I can say is child discipline is child discipline, regardless of whether it is done inside or outside. Call me old school, but I am of the belief that when children don't abide by verbal commands, then force is the next (and I think necessary) option.

[–] Arimas01 10 years ago

what you did to and with your children discipline wise in your own home was your own business. once he started whipping them OUTSIDE and setting up and encouraging fights OUTSIDE he crossed the line. now he just wants attention: look at me! look at how BIGAMAN Joseph Jackson is! Don't be messin wif me!'

Back then, that's what most black fathers, especially in the ghetto, taught their sons...to stand up for themselves against bullies and fight back, instead of running because if you run once, you will be running forever. All it takes is one time and everybody and their friends will be picking on you until something happens. Also, they taught them to be men and fight with their fist, instead of using a gun, which is what's wrong with these young kids today. they're punks because nobody has taught them how to be men. Or Would you rather he piled his sons up in a car and handed them a gun to do a drive by on the guys that his son was fighting or would you rather the son run away from the bullies and make himself a target for all the other kids. Then come home from school one day and lock himself up in the house and shoot himself? Because that's exactly what can happen if you don't deal with a bully head on. Also, it was a good thing that Joe was out there to referee the fight because had he not been, those other guys would have likely jumped him.

You may be entitled to your own opinion but you are not entitled to mine.
Arimas, Samira

[–] Pisces_Sweetie_007 10 years ago

what you did to and with your children discipline wise in your own home was your own business. once he started whipping them OUTSIDE and setting up and encouraging fights OUTSIDE he crossed the line. now he just wants attention: look at me! look at how BIGAMAN Joseph Jackson is! Don't be messin wif me!'

I don't remember seeing Joseph whip his kids outside the house. All I saw was him telling Marlon to go outside and get a switch so he can beat him with it. That's as close as he got (in the movie) when it came to beating them outside.

[–] AmyJolamb 9 years ago

I admit he didn't seem as bad as I thought he was. He was very strict and spanning for missing dance steps seemed uncalled for but many parents are worse. I've heard the brothers and sisters give different accounts. I've heard one brother say his dad was very abusive yet I think Jermaine said his dad was just strict and wanted to keep the kids off the street. I have seen Latoya love him as much as any daughter loves her dad.

I've been in support groups for adults abused as kids and one interesting thing is each child views the childhood differently. For example one child may remember awful verbal and emotional abuse while another remembers what they call a very loving home. It amazes me but it is very common.

I've read a number of books about the Jacksons and I'm far from an expert but I'd say it seems the worst thing Joe Jackson did was have affairs. I have heard the brothers say if their dad wasn't as strict as he was there would have been no Jackson 5.

[–] TMC-4 (20488) 7 years ago

https://www.lipstickalley.com/threads/the-jacksons-an-american-dream-turns-25-years-old-today.1322332/page-2#post-33508921

I thought it was too nice on him. They just portrayed him as this old school dad who just didn't know how to discipline his kids other than physical punishment. But it didn't really say much about the totally unnecessary and indefensible mental and verbal abuse.

[–] sxymommacitaprincess_227 9 years ago

The only time he was in the right for shipping on them was when Tito broke the guitar strings. He and the others were told numerous times to never touch it. But Tito of course don't listen and he got exactly what he deserved. You don't wanna listen then prepare to face the consequences

[–] sxymommacitaprincess_227 9 years ago

Sorry for the typo. It should say whipping not shipping lol

[–] bbree 9 years ago

They Made him out to be a little more nice. Nobody was there to see what actually happened. Calling your child ugly and big nose isn't going to keep your kid out the streets. Plus by that time they were celebrities. So there is no excuse for calling your kid names like that. And the fact that they couldn't call him dad, yeah the guy had issues. He was phenomenal at getting them where they needed to be, but he wasn't how a father should be.