Still Processing

HBO’s “Leaving Neverland” — a two-part documentary that focuses on the stories of two men, James Safechuck and Wade Robson, who allege that Michael Jackson sexually abused them as children — prompts us to wrestle with our love for and discomfort with the pop star. We examine how Jackson seemed to have been culturally exonerated, and we ask what to do with a man whose artistic reach is so profound that “canceling” him — an imperfect way of dealing with problematic artists to begin with — might not even be possible.

Discussed this week:

• “How to Support a Friend or Loved One Who Has Been Sexually Abused” (Vanessa Marin, The New York Times, 2019)
• “Leaving Neverland” (HBO, 2019)
• “Moonwalk” (Michael Jackson, 2009)
• “The Oprah Winfrey Show” (ABC, Feb. 10, 1993)
• “Living With Michael Jackson” (ITV, 2003)
• “On Michael Jackson” (Margo Jefferson, 2006)