Way back in the halcyon days of 2003, BarFly's Miss Jen Lane interviewed Portland's number one Michael Jackson fan - Arica O'Dell - for a "BarFly Profile" featured in October 2003 issue (#44, for those of you with at home BarFly libraries/shrines). Only a small portion of the interview could be featured in print, but here on the unfettered interweb is our encounter, in its entirety.

When did you get the tattoo? Is it your only one?

I met Michael on June 11th, 2003, in Gary, Indiana, and got it tattooed on June 14th, here in Portland, at Tigerlily. I have the symbol from the "HIStory" album, too. I got that one first, on his birthday, in 2001. I know so many fans that have [the HIStory symbol] tattoo. I thought I was being all creative when I got it. But, pretty much any other fan I've met with a Michael Jackson tattoo has the same thing!

Not too many people have his signature tattooed on their chest, though...

Tyler, one of my good friends, Michael signed his back, and he got it tattooed, too! Tyler lives in Toronto, but we met at a Michael Jackson concert in 2001. But, we're really good friends, we talk all the time. We go to see Michael together. It's good to have a travel buddy, because all you know is your hotel, [Michael's] hotel, and the venue, that's it. Every other fan I know has other fans to hang out with, but I'm all alone here, in Portland! It's so sad! But, there's a big group of fans who follow him. We cram 11-12-13 people into the same hotel room. He has the most loyal fans in the world. If there's a bad article printed somewhere, the fans will all write in, demanding an apology. If someone really wants to offend me, it's by talking about Michael, saying he's a pedophile, that he bleaches his skin. The general public is so shitty. So is the press. None of it's true. People are so disrespectful, calling him 'Jacko', even Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden get their full names printed, but they call him 'Jacko'. I mean, if you're going to be mean to him, at least use his fucking name. People don't realize that Michael is a person and he has feelings.

When did you get into Michael Jackson?

My little brother, when I was 5, we went to a garage sale, and someone was selling the "Thriller" cassette. My two year old brother just grabbed that tape, and it sounds cheezy, but it was fate. Two year olds can't pick out music! We listened to that cassette all the freaking time! And I started to like him. The first Michael album I ever bought was "Music and Me".

I used to try to not be so obvious about my being in love with Michael Jackson, but every once in a while, I'll see someone I haven't seen since second or fourth grade, and they'll be like, "Are you still obsessed with Michael Jackson?" I guess I wasn't hiding it so well. I put Thriller in the time capsule for my TAGS class in fourth grade, 'cause I wanted people to know that people loved Michael.

When I was little, I thought I was going to lose my virginity to him. I mean, I honestly thought that would happen. When it did, and it wasn't him, I was like, "Wait! You're not Michael - get off of me!" All kidding aside, I would love to sleep with him. He's gorgeous. I think it's good he knows his fans think he's attractive, 'cause he gets so much shit in the press. I love his teeth! The whole time I was sitting there with him and he was similing and talking, I wanted to run my tongue along his teeth. I'm just obsessed with his teeth. And I love his eyes. When you talk to him in person, he stares right into your soul.

When you see him in person, the atmosphere totally changes, he's not of this world. Not like he's a freak or an alien, just that there's something about him, that just draws people to him. A lot of people are closet fans because of the stigma attached to him, all the bad press. People are afraid to admit they like him, but as soon as he's in the area, people cry. I've seen huge grown men cry, not just a tear, but totally cry, get hysterical over Michael, just 'cause he's there. I used to be like that. The first couple of times I saw him, I just totally cried. But I keep it together if he's within eyesight. I don't want him to think that I'm a person who's gonna jump on him. It's just so disrespectul, it's scary, to see someone you love being treated like that. People rush him and jump him and knock him to the ground, pull his hair and rip at his clothes. Michael's security are so good, they know the difference between fans that are going to protect him, or jump on him. They know just by looking at you. I remember thinking I could just kill to touch him, but that when I do touch him, it will be because he wants me to, when he invites me to touch him, or shake his hand.

So, how'd you get to meet him?

Tyler and I went to Indiannapolis to see him. Michael had some court thing he had to do - some idiot was suing him. When he was there, he got the key to the city from Gary, Indiana, so we went to see him there, too.

[In Indianapolis,] I recognized Lee [Michael's second cousin and personal assistant] when he came out of the hotel. I asked him to give Michael a message: "Will you tell Michael I think he's gorgeous and hot, with a capital H-O-T?", and Lee laughed and said, "Yeah, I'll tell him." Fast forward to two days later, in Gary. We thought we'd missed him, we were trying to follow him, but we lost him, then we just happened to turn left, and there was the motorcade. Michael stopped to get some food. I got out, and Lee recognized me, and waved us up. We shoved our way up to the front. I about shit myself, "Ohmygod! I'm about to meet MICHAEL!". I mean, that's been my dream since I was five! So, we stood outside the limo for what seemed like forever. Finally, the door to the limo opens, and we're waved inside. Michael was sitting in the far end of the limo, in the front, and we got in and we sat in the back, and I just remember thinking "Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmyfuckinggod, I'm sitting next to fucking Michael Jackson." I didn't cry till I got out of the car, though, I composed myself. So, Tyler and I just sat there smiling, and neither of us said anything, then Michael said, "How're you guys doin'?" and I was just like, "Ohmygod, Michael Jackson is talking to ME", and Ty said, "Good", and I said, "Good, now. I can't believe you're right here, I can't believe I'm meeting you!"

I told him I'd been a fan since I was five and I was turning 21 at the time, and he said, "Oh, God Bless". My friend Tyler had a Jacksons' Victory Tour shirt from '84, and he'd crossed out the Pepsi logo on his shirt, and Michael nudged his makeup artist, and said "Look, he knows!", and I held up my Dasani bottle, and said "Not a Pepsi product!", and he laughed. I forgot to tell him I loved him, but I was excited that I made him laugh, and got to hear it in person! He has the cutest laugh I've ever heard in the entire world! Next time I meet him, I'm gonna tell him he's hot, tell him he's a sexy motherfucker. Maybe not 'motherfucker'. Michael doesn't like swearing.

I was shaking, and I said, I have a tattoo I want to show you, and he said, "Oh, good." I said, "This is gonna look bad, I have to undo my pants", and pointed to where it is [on my hip], so I wouldn't scare him, and he said, "Oh, don't worry." So, I showed it to him, and he said, "Can I have a closer look?", and my heart started beating faster than it already was, and I realized I'm gonna touch him, ohmyfuckinggod! I couldn't believe it was happening! I dreamed about it my entire life. I said, "Can I come up there?" I wanted to make sure he knew I wasn't going to jump on him. He stuck out his hand for me to take, and he helped me up, and I sat right next to him, and our knees were touching! I showed him my tattoo and he said "Oh, iss beautiful", and he TOUCHED IT! And then, I started blathering about how long I've been a fan, and I told him about a [Jackson trivia] card I stole from Starbucks, and he laughed and signed it for me.

We talked about my other tattoos, and he touched my arm, and I asked if I could have a hug, and he said "Of course," and hugged me. I have a picture of that, too, but I keep that to myself. It's sooooo personal. His hair was on my cheek when I hugged him, and he smelled good, he smelled like flowers. So, I hugged him, and hugged me back, and in the picture, both of his hands are flat on my back and he's smiling!

We talked about some other stuff, and then it was Tyler's turn. Michael autographed his back, and my chest.

How do you support your Michael Jackson habit?

I work full-time. I don't go out often, but when I do, people buy my drinks. I don't go to movies often. Ever since I was little, all my money went to Michael anyway, buying memorabilia. When I first started going to see Michael, I was amazed at all the fans, fans from all over the world, that follow Michael Jackson. When I say follow, I mean people who go to see him when he has an interview, an appearance, or a press conference, not just a concert. I have friends all over the world from this, literally. A girl told me, "Well, the way I see it, you can either buy all the merchandise, or you go see Michael." That really stuck with me. From then on, I stopped buying. Everytime I see a magazine, I want it, but I don't buy it. You have to make sacrifices. All of the money I spend on going to see him, I'd spend on him, anywyay. I'd get my $3 allowance in second grade, and go buy Thriller or something, so it's always been that way.

When's the next time you'll see him?

I don't know. I'm on probation. I got arrested at a war protest in March, so I'm on probation, and I don't know when I can leave the state. I don't know when I'm gonna see Michael again, and it kills me. It's not just about Michael, it's about going to see my friends. The fans are like a huge family. In every family, there's people you just hate, but we're all in it for Michael, when it comes down to it. When a tabloid or something prints something mean or untrue, we all write letters. I want to let him know how much we've got his back, how proud we are of him. I don't like the term fan, it seems trivial. I prefer supporter, friend, lover. I'd love to be his lover. I want to let him know that, and that I think he's sexy! That's what I'm gonna tell him next time I see him.

BarFly would like to extend our sincere condolences to Arica, and to Michael Jackson's supporters, everywhere.