6. Joe Jackson Ridiculed Michael For His “Fat Nose” As a Child, Leading to Michael’s Obsession With His Appearance
In addition to beating his children, Joe Jackson also mocked and berated his children to ensure their hard work and compliance. For Michael, this often took the form of his father mocking his “fat nose,” a particularly brutal insult given the history of racial prejudice towards African American facial features, including noses. Michael said in interviews that this mockery led to a lifelong dissatisfaction with his appearance.