Although it has only been recently broadcasted and heavily publicised, singer/songwriter Ke$ha has been in the midst of a legal battle involving her rapist, better known as her producer, Dr. Luke. Ke$ha has claimed that her producer sexually and verbally assaulted her over the past ten years and filed for a lawsuit, hoping to end her contract. However, she was denied this request earlier this week, meaning that she has to work alongside her abuser in order to ‘do the commercially reasonable thing’, AKA make more money for Sony/Dr. Luke.
Ke$ha and her producer, Dr. Luke
I have been following this case since mid-2015 and admittedly, I haven’t paid any attention to it recently because I believed that it would work in Ke$ha’s favour. Although there are intricate legal and career complications, I was mostly shocked by the overall ignorance towards sexism and feminism. It disgusts me that the court and the record label valued their monetary desires way more than fundamental human rights. The court denied Ke$ha of her freedom because they believed it was irrational to make such an impactful decision involving the music industry based on ‘flimsy evidence’.
I’m definitely not claiming that only women experience sexual harassment at work but it is much more common and frankly, not much is done to protect women. To me, this case was not solely about whether Ke$ha won or not but rather, it was a chance to promote feminism and demonstrate all the good that it stood for. Without a doubt, it is extremely difficult to talk about sexual assault as many
women feel oppressed and responsible, and are often are labelled as ‘sluts’ and other derogatory terms. It’s not easy to go against an abusive male figure who seems to constantly assert his limitless power. The fact that Ke$ha was able to so openly express her experience caused many victims to feel less ashamed about something they had no control over. Women who are brave enough to report sexual harassment shouldn’t be punished in any way. They shouldn’t be viewed as ‘attention-seekers’ or ‘petty feminists who want to destroy all male dominance’. They shouldn’t be dismissed just because they don’t remember the exact logistics of possibly the most traumatic experience of their lives. A woman’s speech shouldn’t be considered less valid just because she is a woman.
Ke$ha has had a large impact on my life so it’s disappointing that she has to face her abuser on a regular basis. I have never been an avid fan of her music but I have always respected her values. She may not the model citizen but she exposed myself, and many others, to important controversial topics such as gender roles, body image, gay rights, and feminism. Her views on feminism resonated with me the most – she was someone who promoted feminism through her actions rather than just her words. Her neglection of female stereotypes was apparent in her songs where she portrayed herself as the stereotypical male. This made her seem irresponsible but is completely relevant because it shows the large discrepancy between how society views each gender, especially in the music industry. (For example, she was often criticised because she drank and engaged in ‘promiscuous’ activity in her music videos while male artists do the exact same thing and are idolized.)
It’s easy to be self-proclaimed feminists and supporters of gender equality but it’s difficult to stand up for what is right, especially during times of hopelessness. However, as the voice of the next generation, we must realize the importance of shedding light on these issues at all times. We have to listen to the difficulties that women face everyday – that men may be oblivious to – and consider their difficulties valid. As a society, we need to stand up for women who may be vulnerable, whether it’s simply putting a hashtag (such as #FreeKesha) in a tweet signing a petition.
All opinions expressed are my own.
