Michael has stated many times that he was afraid of his father Joseph. Michael has said in an interview "I am scared of my father to this day. My father walked in the room -- and God knows I am telling the truth -- I have fainted in his presence many times. I have fainted once to be honest. I have thrown up in his presence because when he comes in the room and this aura comes and my stomach starts hurting and I know I am in trouble". All Michael wanted was a father who showed him love. Joseph had a hard time showing affection, he never really told Michael he loved him or comforted him. Michael did say that he had some childhood memories that proves to him that Joseph did love him.
When he was 4 years old there was a carnival and Joe picked him up and put him on a pony. It was a small gesture that meant a lot to Michael and displayed Josephs love. That one moment made Michael feel good and let him know that he was loved. When MJ was a kid he had a real sweet tooth for glazed doughnuts, so every 3 weeks there was a bag of glazed doughnuts on the table, MJ said it was like Santa Clause secretly leaving presents at night. Joseph was afraid of showing human emotion and didn't know how to deal with it; which is why he didn't want Michael to see him getting the doughnuts for him.
Joseph had a hard upbringing as well. He grew up in a poor family in the south and his own father had a hard time showing affection and Joseph received beatings also. Joseph handled his own abuse differently than Michael obviously but I feel that we should try to see some things from Joe's perspective based on the childhood that he had and show him more compassion. I read posts about Joseph and people call him all sorts of terrible names and they make him out to be evil, but he is not. I was able to meet him and he was very nice to me. I heard Joseph say in an interview that he did grieve and cry when he found out MJ had passed but he did it in private because he didn't want anyone to see.
That is also a sign that he has a hard time showing emotions like MJ said, but it doesn't mean that Joseph doesn't feel emotions. In the past years Michael has said that Joe has been trying harder to become closer to MJ and have more of a father-son relationship. Michael said that he knew that Joe loved him, even though he didn't show it in a traditional way. Michael also said in an interview that "Joseph is very different now, and that time and age has changed him. He sees his grandchildren and he wants to be a better father. It is almost like the ship has sailed its course and it is so hard for me to accept this other guy that is not the guy I was raised with. I just wished he had learned that earlier.”
Michael knew Joseph pushed him and his siblings so hard to save them from a life of poverty and indignity; he pushed them because he loved them. He never wanted anybody to look down on his children. I'm not defending everything Joseph did to Michael but I wanted you guys to have a better understanding of why he did them. Michael said he is a lot like his father in many ways. He is strong, courageous, confident and has many important values instilled in him. So if you love every bit of Michael then that means you could love a little bit of Joseph.
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