As an art school, and one that has supplied a large number of talents to Hollywood, students here have always been open-minded and very keen on following the entertainment industry.
Similarly, influenced by celebrity effects, Facebook's promotion here has also been exceptionally good; the vast majority of students are Facebook users, and active ones at that.
Just this morning, everyone received a system message.
This is not a post-era where manufacturers, in pursuit of profit, accept numerous advertisements and send out a deluge of spam emails and messages.
Pornographic services, credit card applications, financial scams, and so on, pollute users' eyes.
So, upon seeing the icon light up, almost a hundred percent of people would click on it.
Then, Michael's matter naturally came into view, followed by several options, a survey on whether public power was being abused.
Students who can attend university, especially prestigious ones, generally have higher quality, so there is no doubt what they would choose.
Although the wording of this tweet was carefully chosen, it was not very long and could not give people a complete picture of the event.
Many curious individuals naturally opened Google and Yahoo to start searching.
This situation was not only unfolding at the USC School of Cinematic Arts but also at major universities like Princeton, Harvard, and Yale.
Besides reading and understanding the situation themselves, students would also communicate with each other, and topics with depth and discussion points quickly became subjects of conversation and debate.
At this moment, Eric's second wave of public opinion offensive also arrived.
The first round only reported news related to Michael, but the content was still relatively vague.
The second round naturally released a video, and with the video as evidence, the outcome was sealed.
Those who were still wavering and debating instantly changed their stance, and the internet was quickly filled with condemnations of Tom Schneider and the police, accompanied by criticisms of violent law enforcement and the abuse of public power.
People not only criticized the Santa Barbara Police Department but gradually extended their criticism to the Santa Barbara Municipal Government.
People also began to expose various abuses of power around them, and the topic spread in all directions, focusing on how to effectively supervise Prosecutors and other aspects.
While criticizing, public sympathy for Michael also spread across the internet; a large number of people expressed concern for him and felt that he was being treated unfairly.
Especially after university students joined, they are the main force of internet surfing and are full of a sense of justice.
After understanding the truth of the matter, they naturally joined this major event, and a few hours later, this incident had already topped the trending topics list.
News about Iraq discovering weapons of mass destruction again, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez announcing their wedding date again, and Bush announcing talks with Portugal, all saw their attention greatly diminish for a time.
Forums and chat rooms were all discussing this matter.
As for Michael's anti-fans, they had all fallen silent at this moment.
A few still clamored that the police's illegality and Michael Jackson's pedophilia were two separate matters, and that the former did not prove the latter did not exist.
Logically speaking, they were not wrong, but the reality was that they were immediately showered with abuse, cyber-bullied, and threatened.
Think back to the kneeling death of Floyd, which triggered the Black Lives Matter movement; the police were absolutely guilty of violent law enforcement and negligent homicide, and there's no denying that.
However, many people did not know, or rather, it was deliberately hidden and covered up, that Floyd was not a good person either; he was a habitual offender.
He had been to prison 6 times, served 8 years, and had engaged in drug use, drug trafficking, armed robbery, and more, and he had even robbed a pregnant woman in her home.
He pointed a gun at the pregnant woman's belly, forcing her to hand over money; being able to harm a pregnant woman shows how ruthless Floyd was, and he was also a social scumbag.
But such a social outcast, just because he died, people instantly hailed him as a great hero and a spiritual idol.
As for his past criminal history, no one dared to mention it anymore; if you did, it meant you were racist, and you would be cyber-bullied.
Please, the man is dead, and you're still attacking him? Do you have any sympathy? Don't you know what 'respect for the dead' means? Don't you know what 'death clears all debts' means?
But after Floyd's death, his brothers, wife, and sister opened three accounts to raise funds from the public, completely treating his death as a commodity.
Over ten million US dollars were raised, but no grand funeral was seen, and the use of the funds was widely questioned.
Even a scumbag can become a hero and be whitewashed, let alone Michael, a positive energy superstar with numerous fans.
Accusing him of pedophilia at such a time is a very unwise act, in short, a brain fart! This is reality.
Since the latest media reports had not yet been released, few people knew the specific progress of the incident.
So many people thought of Facebook; this was Michael's only social account at the moment, and he frequently updated his status.
Those with accounts quickly rushed to Michael's homepage, found that it hadn't been updated, and left messages to greet him, asking him to quickly post an update to confirm his safety.
Those who were not fans casually clicked to follow, which also caused Michael's fan count to soar, increasing by over 500,000 in a few hours.
As for those without Facebook accounts, a group of people naturally chose to register, indirectly bringing a batch of new users to Facebook.
New York, Times Square, the most prosperous street in Manhattan, known as the Crossroads of the World.
The pedestrian traffic here is terrifying; a street half the size of a football field sees millions of people pass through every day.
This includes native New Yorkers, Americans from other places, and tourists from all over the world.
The surrounding skyscrapers are covered with advertising screens; this is not only a paradise for luxury goods but also the favorite place for advertisers.
The weather was beautiful today, and it was still that crowded street, where people were shopping and chatting.
Suddenly, the electronic screens, which had been playing different advertisements, almost collectively went black, and the bizarre situation immediately attracted the attention of passersby.
Then these large screens lit up one after another, but this time they were playing a video of the police raiding Neverland Ranch.
Some people initially thought it was a movie trailer, but the real footage told them that this was a living reality.
"OMG! What are these people doing? They're going to destroy Michael's home, oh my God!"
A middle-aged woman in her forties exclaimed; as a Michael fan, her age meant she wasn't an avid internet surfer and didn't know about this matter yet, but now she and her friends all knew.
"This is truly terrifying, that Prosecutor called Michael Jackson a n*gger, he's a racist!"
A Black man in a suit shouted angrily.
"Don't you know yet? Go online and check, the internet is already full of this matter, and TV stations will certainly follow up soon."
If Facebook mainly fueled the fire among university students, then the advertisements on these landmark buildings sparked social concern.
The attracted crowd also expanded from young people to the working class, among whom Michael's die-hard fans were more numerous and loyal.
And the same situation, besides unfolding in New York, also played out in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Detroit, Salt Lake City, and other places.
Eric had invested heavily this time; the cost of this event was no less than that of publicizing an Oscar-winning Best Picture.
But money is not important, the effect is important, letting people know that I am not to be trifled with, and my friends are not to be trifled with, is important.
As noon arrived, almost all TV stations had a tradition of broadcasting midday news.
At Fox Television, the female anchor had just finished broadcasting a somewhat amusing news story when her expression suddenly turned serious.
"We interrupt this program for a news flash. Just yesterday, Santa Barbara Prosecutor Tom Schneider, citing a child molestation case, led dozens of police officers to search Neverland Ranch."
"The law enforcement process was full of violence and discrimination, causing serious damage to Michael Jackson's private property, and using discriminatory terms against him."
"Michael Jackson himself was taken to the police station for questioning around 6 PM yesterday, but the police's law enforcement process again used violence, resulting in injuries to Jackson's arms."
"Please watch the video footage from that time."
The video edited the most violent segments and also included a clip of Tom Schneider being interviewed; his initial confident demeanor contrasted sharply with his pale face at the end.
Especially the part where he swore on his badge, it made people feel incredibly awkward and disgusted.
After the video finished, the female anchor looked sternly into the camera: "I believe the video has proven everything. So we can't help but ask, did Prosecutor Tom Schneider violate the law? Did the Santa Barbara Police Department violate the law?"
"Regarding the unfair treatment Michael Jackson suffered, whether it was due to a child molestation case without evidence or because of his skin color, Fox News will continue to follow."
NBC News Channel: "Undoubtedly, this was a premeditated act of violent law enforcement. The abuse of power is undeniable. We have not yet received any response from the Santa Barbara Municipal Government regarding this."
CBS Television: "For a long time, Prosecutors have held a transcendent position in the judicial system. This incident is clearly an example of how prosecutorial powers are difficult to supervise and thus abused. This matter should sound an alarm for the entire judicial system!"
ABC News Channel: "Even public figures like Michael Jackson can encounter violent law enforcement. One can imagine the difficulties ordinary people face in defending their rights afterwards. We must find effective ways to prevent similar incidents from happening."
The broadcast of the news on television further expanded the incident, but it wasn't over yet.
By the afternoon, the press's public opinion offensive took over, with major evening newspapers collectively making their move.
Moreover, many newspapers, unlike live TV broadcasts, maintained basic restraint, but newspapers directly started criticizing, with their stance clearly evident.
And to grab eyeballs and highlight their unique angles, the perspectives they chose also varied.
Some featured Tom Schneider with a pale face, being supported by others, on their cover, while others featured Michael with his arm injuries.
The most ingenious was The Independent, which directly used two Playboy magazines as its cover; at first glance, one might think it was promoting the magazines.
The Independent: "Not only was no evidence of child molestation found in Michael Jackson's home, but two collector's edition Playboy magazines were found in his bedroom."
"Does this then conversely prove that Jackson is a person with a very normal sexual orientation, and he also likes blonde, blue-eyed, wavy-haired women, just like any normal adult male?"
In the evening, inside Neverland Ranch, Eric couldn't help but laugh heartily as he looked at the newspaper.
"Michael, why do you collect this issue of Madonna's Playboy?"
Michael covered his face in embarrassment: "I just happened to see it, and then I bought it. It's been years, I even forgot about it myself."
"Really? And you still hide it in your bedroom?" Eric asked teasingly.
"If it's not in the bedroom, it can't be in the collection room, right? Little Elizabeth has even visited it, it's not suitable for minors."
"Uh, what you said seems to make some sense, but I always feel like something isn't quite right."
Lawyer Meserio walked in: "Good news, Michael, the current situation is very favorable to us. Public opinion is overwhelmingly supporting us."
"I just received news that several California assemblymen have criticized Tom Schneider and demanded that the Santa Barbara Municipal Government respond quickly."
"This time we are at an absolute advantage; both Republican Party-leaning and Democratic Party-leaning media are on our side."
"And they can't produce any evidence to refute us. The tide has turned, public opinion is furious, and the Santa Barbara Municipal Government will soon be unable to hold on."
"I think there will be preliminary results in three days at most, or even tomorrow. Many people have already gone to the Municipal Government building to protest with placards."
As he spoke, he opened his laptop, and the image showed that the Santa Barbara Municipal Government was still brightly lit late at night, with dozens of protesters still demonstrating and not leaving.
Eric sneered: "These officials are probably discussing how to deal with Tom Schneider. Let's just wait and watch the show."
"Should I also do something? Many media outlets have sent interview invitations," Michael asked.
"Accept them. Let's pick the major networks. You can appropriately embellish your experience and also lead the conversation to the case itself. This is a great opportunity to let everyone understand you better, which can gain a lot of goodwill and sympathy."
"But don't accept The Oprah Winfrey Show. Although that woman is also Black, she's not a good person; deep down, she's a bigoted liar."
Michael nodded: "Eric, also, please tell your people to stop. Since so many media outlets are involved now, you'd best withdraw quickly, hide yourself well, and protect yourself."
Eric looked at him: "Don't worry, Michael, everyone knows about our relationship. Some things can't be hidden, and there's no need to hide them."
"If those with intentions investigate, I can't hide even if I want to, but at least no one dares to act now; they also have to wait for the wave to pass."
"And don't forget, your trial is at the end of the month, so let's make a fuss for a few more days. I still want to maintain the heat until the trial."
"Let's consider this our preliminary battle against Sony. That guy is our ultimate target, and he's even harder to deal with!"