Michael Jackson Traumatizing Children Even After He’s Gone?
While news broke yesterday that the one of the homes of Michael Jackson, the Neverland Ranch, might ironically be turned into a place to rehabilitate children, now, according to the Mirror, a primary school teacher has had to apologize for sharing the Michael Jackson hit, “Thriller”, with his students.
Head sorry after pupils traumatised from watching Michael Jackson’s Thriller music video http://t.co/HwXJEDxisv pic.twitter.com/wSWCvRrOty
— Daily Mirror (@DailyMirror) February 2, 2015
Head teacher at Berrywood Primary School in the U.K., Mr. Chris Reilly, has had to apologize for some of his teachers showing their 7- and 8-year-olds clips of the 13-minute Jackson video.
Why apologize for sharing one of Jackson’s most popular hits?
Because, as one mother said “Lots of children had night terrors as a result of watching the video.”
“Thriller” is the Jackson hit that features Jackson turning into a zombie and then breaking out some sweet dance moves with the other zombies. The video, which was once voted “the most popular of all time in the Guinness World Records,” was apparently too much for the small children, and as many parents said, should have been shown only with parental consent.
Mr. Reilly had to send a letter to the parents of his 630 student filled school.
In the letter, as seen on the Daily Echo, Reilly says, “It is with considerable regret that I am writing to you to apologise that the children in classes KP/3 and CF/3 were yesterday shown the Michael Jackson Thriller music video without parental consent being sought.”
Reilly added, “With hindsight it is also regrettable that more careful consideration of the content and potential impact on the children was not applied before they watched it.”
Reilly did point out that, although Jackson’s full video was considered to be a “short film,” because the teachers showed the abbreviated version, and only of the dance sequence, they “are not subject to age classification,” which is why teachers did not think to seek parental guidance.
Reilly did tell parents in the letter, though, that the issues were “addressed internally.”
“I fully understand the concern and anger felt by parents as a result of this error,” said Reilly trying to lessen parents’ anger over the Jackson “Thriller” issue.
The whole incident has people talking, though, all over the world. Some people are claiming that there’s nothing wrong with showing children the Jackson video, calling them “wimps,” and other’s mocking the fact that Jackson could still “leave kids traumatized.”
@DailyMirror what a load of hysterical wimps. Slap them – don’t apologise.
— Gav (@Socialistdawn) February 2, 2015
@DailyMirror Jacko, leaving kids traumatised? Never!
— KRF1 (@KelvinFortune) February 2, 2015
“Thriller” was on the 1982 Michael Jackson album of the same name and came to be one of Jackson’s biggest hits.
[Photo Courtesy of Playbuzz]
