Long before Jackson's scandal came out his behavior labelled him as everything from a freak to a faggot - not my words. Kids who loved his music were still put off by his eccentricities and made fun of them - my son was a Jackson fan when the Thriller Tour hit town. And while children still make fun of him, his tour sold out in a matter of hours.

I suspect that Midchuck is on the right trail here. Certainly Shock Value is behind the parodies of the boy on the burning deck. And they are funny. Kids have a sense of humor.

The hate comes in at a later age - mid teens, when young males in particular feel threatened by homosexuals both because they are unsure about their own sexuality and they are afraid of unwanted encounters.

I do wonder why young boys in my youth did not have rhymes about the local priest who was known (at least among the boys) to be a predator.