SUPPORT JACKSON COULD PROBABLY DO WITHOUT

Although Michael Jackson might seem like a man who could do with a bit oif friendly support right now, he might wish he was getting it from a quarter with a little more credibility than Pete Townshend. Nevertheless, Pete wades in on his behalf:

The day before, a jury cleared Michael Jackson and another absurd celebrity trial collapsed. We 'celebrities' live in Reality Shows these days. I was pleased Michael was cleared. My only experience of his dealings with children is that he has unselfishly helped every cause, and individual child, I have sent his way. In one case he hired a circus for the Down's Syndrome children of a special school of the daughter of a friend of mine, and showed up to happily, and - yes - in childlike enthusiasm - watch the show with them. This little girl believed she was Michael's future wife, and he so kindly allowed her to sit next to him, as his future bride. His feathers may be badly burned, and he may be damaged in other ways too, but he is something of an angel.

Of course, its not entirely surprising that Peto feels something of an affinity with jackson - like Jacko, his behaviour was dubious; like jacko, he seems to believe that the problem is more with how other people feel about what he got up to rather than any actually problem with having stranger's kids in your bed (Jacko) or downloading child porn in the interests of some sort of freelance research (Peteo). Yes, Jackson may have done many, many wonderful things for children and brought light and joy to the faces of many of them - but that really doesn't mean the police shouldn't hold him up to the same standards of behaviour as anybody else, does it?

And if we were Pete, we'd think twice before saying we'd sent kids Jackson's way. That would be a gift to a cruel, cynical satirist.

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