Michael Jackson Says No To Auctions, Baby Elephants

Lucas Jensen | April 14, 2009 10:30 am

Your chance to pick up you very own Michael Jackson-as-Peter Pan golf cart may be in jeopardy, as Jacko has balked at next week’s auction of Neverland Ranch esoterica. The reason? He claims he didn’t get a chance to go through the Neverland collection to weed out personal belongings, even though every single item up for auction feels personal to an insanely creepy degree.

See for yourself: The auction’s 900-page catalog is online. I don’t think any non-royal (King of Pop doesn’t count) human being has ever aggrandized himself so much through his own personal belongings, so the whole “personal belongings” meme doesn’t wash. The real reason for Jackson’s waffling might be the saving of his own financial hide with 50 sold-out shows at London’s O2 arena, beginning in July. Of course, I’ll believe those shows when I see them. (Wait. I don’t have tickets.)

Jackson hired Julien’s to handle the auction, approved the press releases, and visited the auction site, but now he’s taking legal action in an effort to stop the whole thing. Tohme Tohme, Jackon’s mysterious svengali, contracted the consignment of “all movable and removable personal property located at Neverland Ranch” to Julien’s. So far, a judge sided with them. They expect the auction to make $15-20 million. The auction will be held April 22-25. And you can bid online if you want! If nothing else, the public viewing should be a hoot, as Julien’s has tried to recreate Neverland at its Hollywood auction house.

In other Jackson news, PETA has praised him for his promise to keep his new shows animal cruelty-free (previous reports had him riding elephants or something equally awesome onstage). That’s a real relief. I’m tired of all the animal cruelty I encounter at superstar concerts. That time I saw Avril Lavigne gut a pig onstage at Phillips Arena? Disgusting. Somebody should take a stand!

Shuttering Neverland: Michael Jackson’s Effects Go to Auction [NYT] Michael Jackson Leaves Animals Out of the Act [PETA Blog]