@sooner7nc: What's your definition of "freak"?....just curious.
The reason why he's the "most over-rated celebrity" is because he was a very easy target when it came to tabloids, newspapers, and magazines and the guy would never fight back against them. Also, the media made him this Bigger-Than-Life celebrity and the general public made him like he was God Almighty himself...
Yes - he did put himself in a lot of those situations that got him a lot of exposure. But, most of them were either...
Rumors (he bleached his skin to become 'white' - he had vitiligo),
Lies (diddled young boys - IMHO, He did have a eccentric relationship with children but I dont think it was sexual),
and Over-Exaggerated (sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber, buying elephant man bones, etc).
I really believe Michael was asexual who never had the time to grow-up; stuck being that little shy boy from Gary, Indiana...That was why he was so child-like and he felt the only people he could connect with was children, especially young boys. The guy even said he favorite past times are water balloon fights and climbing trees...yea, I agree thats not normal for a 40-something year old man at that time. But, thats his personal life. His musical talents...they were undeniable!
By calling him a "freak", I think that is harsh!
Calling him "strange", "eccentric", "mentally lost", - that I would agree.
Ciao,
MMN