Jackson faces tough fight to revive career

Jacalyn Valla, 15, Kayli Grossi, 18, and Kayla Breen, 18, all friends from Lompoc, CA, stand outside of Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch in Santa Ynez after Pop Star Michael Jackson's child molestation trial concluded Monday with a not guilty verdict on all counts in Santa Maria. PHOTO: AFP

The 1980s "King of Pop," 22 years ago produced the best-selling album in history, "Thriller," and became one of the world's most famous entertainers.

But he is arguably now better known to many for his eccentric antics and the damaging accusations that he molested a young boy.

The 46-year-old musical legend's entertainment career was frozen after his November 2003 arrest as he focused on clearing his name, but it had been slowly declining for years before the case came to light.

"I don't think we're going to see Michael Jackson make a huge comeback even with an acquittal," said pop culture expert Robert Thompson of the University of Syracuse in New York.

"Even before this trial, we had ceased to look forward to his latest music release and had started to look forward to his latest scandal," he told AFP.

Other experts agreed that Jackson's career, further damaged by his highly publicised trial, may never quite be the same again.

"Things could work differently, but can a guy of his age make a comeback?" questioned Todd Boyd, a professor of film and pop culture expert at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

"I think it all comes down whether a new generation of fans is going to support him," Boyd told AFP.

But music fans appear to believe that Jackson's image is irreparably damaged and that his career will not survive trial.