Recently, John Branca has set up his own TikTok account where the co-executor of the Michael Jackson Estate showcases videos of himself talking about Michael or showing some MJ items.
If Michael Jackson already had a TikTok account that was delivering engaging content, we would probably not have given too much attention to this but as Michael hasn’t, it raises the question to why John Branca gets TikTok to promote Michael Jackson, and doesn’t give an account to Michael himself? Isn’t Michael supposed to be the star? Not his lawyer?
Sure, anyone can have Tiktok and Branca is just as entitled as any other person to have an account and share his stories. But it’s being used to promote Michael Jackson products and updates – Is John Branca’s personal Tiktok now the official channel for Estate of Michael Jackson announcements?
At the beginning of November, John Branca’s TikTok account was created, right in the middle of the world promotion of the Estate’s new project: Thriller 40.
Evidently the promotion, roll-out and general marketing of all aspects of Thriller 40 have been relatively poor and regional Sony’s are blaming the Estate for preventing promotion, retail stores are claiming that inventory has been hard to get hold of, there are now four different logos for the project in circulation and meanwhile the Online Team are remaining tight-lipped.
At first, the videos were about Branca showing off some items owned by Michael Jackson like his Thriller jacket, glove or hat which he wore. The scenery of the videos shows Branca at ease in front of the camera, at home, surrounded by Michael Jackson related paraphernalia – Is that the Mr Brainwash Xscape painting hanging on the wall behind him? The painting appeared at the MJ On The Wall exhibition in 2018 as being ‘on loan from the Estate of Michael Jackson’. So if this is his house, it appears to be ‘on loan’ again? or maybe he purchased it from the Estate?
@john_branca A look at the iconic jacket Michael Jackson wore in Thriller #michaeljackson #michaeljacksonchallenge #michaeljacksonfan #michaeljacksonsounds #michaeljacksonedit #michaeljacksonlegend #michaeljacksondance #michaeljacksondance #michaeljacksonlovers #thriller #thrillermovie #thrillertok #billiejean #michaeljacksonstyle #tiktokviral #tiktoknews #tiktoker #tiktokcelebsnews #fyp #fypage #fypã‚·ã‚šviral #fypp #foryoupage #foryou #exclusive #mjthegoat #mjthemusical #mjone #mjfan #music #musicbusiness #musicbusinessadvice #musicbusiness101 #musicbus #entertainment #entertainmentnews #musicicon
Further questions are raised as to why these Michael Jackson items appear to be in his home / office and not archived in the warehouse with the rest of the Michael’s belongings, or on display for the world to enjoy. They’d have been great showcased at the MJ One Birthday Bash as an added incentive for fans to attend. It’s also a far cry from the 2013 tour of the archives Karen Langford offered CBS’s 60 Minutes in 2013, where she insisted gloves were worn to handle Michael’s possessions.
Like any fan, we’d all love to see and get our hands on Michael’s most personal effects, but surely their removal from the archives should be for the benefit of the Estate as an entity and not just any individual who has a set of keys.
The Thriller letterman jacket would surely have been much better showcased at the Michael Jackson Immersive Experience in New York where it could be enjoyed by fans and the public up close and personal, than on Branca’s Tiktok?
In the latest development with the cancellation of Chris Brown’s tribute to Thriller at the AMAs by ABC (Disney), John Branca reacted to this on TikTok:
@john_branca I think Ciara and Chris Brown would have done a tremendous job of honoring Michael. It is an absolute shame that ABC pulled their performance — and they have demonstrated a lack of appreciation for black music. #michaeljackson #thriller40 #thriller #blackmusic #chrisbrown #ciara #michaeljackson #tribute #michaeljacksontribute #music #michaeljacksonfan #ama #americanmusicawards
The Estate sued ABC and Disney a few years back regarding music rights, and they had the right to do so. Protecting Michael’s assets is one of the Estate’s key roles and ensuring that his beneficiaries are compensated when a major corporation such as Disney use them is the right thing to do. With this TikTok video it seems Branca is keen to open the gate to a further public war between the Estate and Disney. Meaning we can kiss goodbye to ever seeing “Captain Eo” (which isn’t a cartoon) being released in any format.
Yes, the Chris Brown scenario is extremely frustrating and the fact that Disney caved to the pressure from one journalist in removing the tribute is outrageous, they should be called out, constructively, as should the journalist who started all this – who Branca hasn’t mentioned at all.
The Estate used to have a great etiquette for being shady when defending Michael and used intelligent sarcasm in public letters and legal requests to get across their point, and we all felt a sense of air-punching alongside them.
Following his latest TikTok announcing Michael Jackson Museums, a massive announcement for our community as we were asking for this for over a decade as Michael’s possessions continue to hit the auction block, we are asking ourselves: Is the Estate are now going to make all official announcements through Branca’s TikTok now? Which not only limits some of the fans who do not have a TikTok account to see the news but also emphasis the spotlight on Branca personally and not on Michael and his Estate as an entity.
Fans have been instructed by the Online Team for over a decade NOT to contact John Branca directly, so perhaps this is a change of policy?
But wait, no worries if you haven’t got TikTok! Branca just launched his instagram account! Meanwhile, Michael Jackson’s official accounts continue not to announce key updates for fans such as the global fan parties, documentary screenings or the Immersive experience or any of the recent press releases. They’re littered with repetitive posts, poor quality graphics and inaccuracies. They have no focus and lack any form of soliciting engagement.
It’s great to see that John now has an appetite for social media – perhaps he could apply the same focus to that of Michael Jackson, after all, HE is the star.
You didn’t mention in the article that the glove Branca shows off appears in Bush’s book (Dressing MJ, page: 37).
I hope everybody remember for the 2012 Julien’s Auction where Bush sold near 1000 MJ worn items, most of them signed, but not by MJ’s hand. Watch it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWSVG7xFilo 😉 The signatures style on the glove and on the Thriller letterman jacket (and inside the jacket “To Bush”) is absolutely not MJ’s style. I’m pretty sure Tompkins signed them. Bush continued the tradition, but his fakes were much worse. I’d bet the dinner jacket was in Bush’s posession too, and he gifted it to Branca. I’m waiting for the day when I see this in a documentary on netflix.