Someone: why do u always say u feel sick
Me: because, my sweet dude, I literally cannot determine the line between my mental illness and physical unwellness anymore. I am Literally Always Ready To Die I am in a constant state of uncomfort my guy it always makes me feel like I’m gonna be ridin the queasy train to regretville
Me: haha
I don’t know Kesha is telling the truth, and I am willing to leave it up the the legal system to determine whether her producer should be convicted and what his sentence should be.
I do not, however, think that she should be legally obliged to never write or perform another song unless she records several more albums with someone she clearly hates. I’ve got issues with the American legal system, but in this case the issue I have is with Sony and Dr. Luke, who have the ability to release an artist from a contract that she will never complete, and that is shoveling mounds of awful publicity on them, but are still NOT WILLING TO DO IT. Apparently this is to set an example to other artists and show them that there is no way out of your contract…ever…in any case…even if it means you never write a song again with us or without us.
That seems like a pretty awful reason to put a person through this Hell.
It does not seem like the behavior of rational, compassionate adults to see this situation and say “Well, what if she’s just throwing a tantrum…what if she’s just making it all up to get out of a contract.”
Even if that is the case, the contract must be an awful enough thing in the life of this young woman that she will go through years of expensive, painful, embarrassing bullshit to free herself from it. If I was the entertainment industry CEO in this situation, I would be questioning not just the legitimacy of my actions, but the legitimacy of my entire business model if it requires such draconian control over the freedom of performers.
Yeah. This.
There’s the crucial piece missing from this: Any discussion of Kesha’s case HAS to stop doubting the truth of her accusations.False accusations are incredibly uncommon – so uncommon that they occur about the same rate as pretty much every other crime. Yet we treat it like it’s an epidemic. Mistrust of survivors is why rapists get away with what they do and why victims refuse to come forward. As Hank notes above, “the contract must be an awful enough thing in the life of this young woman that she will go through years of expensive, painful, embarrassing bullshit to free herself from it.” Can we not apply the same logic to her accusations of rape? Why would she go through the legal process – a process that is notoriously damaging to victims – if she wasn’t telling the truth? And if even celebrities can’t seek justice for their assault, what does that mean for everyone else?
We have a video about false accusations that gives a realistic perspective on how often they occur. If you have questions or doubts, watch it. Be a part of the conversation and work to support survivors.
There is a serious trend of doubting survivors when they disclose, whether legally or personally. This mistrust creates such a harmful environment for survivors, and it only discourages them from seeking help. Especially considering the publicity of Kesha’s case, doubting her sends the message to survivors that their word will not be trusted. False accusations are very uncommon. Our communities have so much to gain from trusting victims when they disclose, and so much to lose from silencing survivors