Bubbles in happier times
La Toya Jackson had not seen Bubbles the Chimpanzee for twenty years, and she could hardly contain her emotions when she was reunited with the world’s most famous monkey in a Channel 4 documentary set to air later this month … but despite his keeper claiming the monkey remembered La Toya, Bubbles seemed remarkably nonplussed by the whole affair.
You can’t blame the chimp … he was shipped off to Florida over a decade ago to live in a retirement sanctuary for former showbiz apes (I kid you not), so you can imagine he’s got a lot of pent up frustrations and resentment issues going on.
Now 26, Bubbles is apparently protected from his own show business past and hasn’t been allowed to look at pictures of the King of Pop or watch video footage of himself or his former owner in their heyday. It makes you wonder … does Bubbles even know Michael Jackson is dead?
La Toya, the only Jackson who the producers could get involved with this dubious project, asked to “be alone” with Bubbles (which of course included the camera crew) before crouching down before the caged chimp and asking, “Do you remember me Bubbles? You’re looking like you do … do you Bubbles? Oh I wanna kiss you I wanna hug you but I know I can’t because you’re so big.”
On that bombshell, La Toya broke down and began to sob, it was all too much for her.
“I know … I think you remember me don’t you?”
“You know don’t you Bubbles …”
At this point Bubbles turned around and walked off …
No manners, but what a TV critic … he hadn’t seen it yet, but he knew he didn’t want to be in this show. His days of headline chasing and sensationalism are long gone, and it looks like he’s not willing to get dragged back into low grade documentaries for all the PG Tips in China.
La Toya was however spared having water spat at her by Bubbles, which apparently is one of his party tricks these days, so at least that’s something.
The ‘emotional’ reunion is the culmination of an hour long documentary called Michael Jackson and Bubbles – The Untold Story which charts the life and death of Jackson with reference to his pets … yes, again, I’m not joking.
Here’s a flavour of the confused programme: “Two lives, man and ape became entangled … Jackson the man who never had a childhood, and Bubbles the chimpanzee who grew up as a human … They were a superstar double act, but it wasn’t to last.”
The show then claims, “Once bubbles stopped being like a child, playful, being cute, in fact once he grew up, Jackson lost interest in him … and that’s a very telling thing about Jackson’s psychology”
In the next breath, the programme makers are forced to concede the point that an adult chimp is far too big and dangerous to be kept as a pet … therefore, it probably was the fact that he valued his life, rather than he hated Bubble’s lost innocence that resulted in Jackson “dumping” his monkey.
Cue 40 minutes of psycho-babble that connects a stunted emotional growth of Michael Jackson with a love of pets, because “they simply give and receive love.”
If you’ve got nothing better to do, and you want to know more about Jackson’s 13 rats, pet snakes and parrots … oh and not much about Bubbles, why not tune into this Michael Jackson cash in.
However, I personally think you’ll have a better time re-listening to Thriller.
Michael Jackson and Bubbles: The Untold Story is on Channel 4 on Wednesday September 15th at 10pm
Here’s that emotional reunion in full …
He didn’t walk away! He knew who she was! The media is always trying to twist things up! He got too big to keep and had to be care for by professionals! Brought a tear to my eye.
Michael gave bubbles up because he was becoming big and toos trong to live in the house, he could hurt someone.The media is always tring to twist things and bubbles didn’t walk away from latoya.