US$100,000 per month would suggest that at the outrageous wage of US$1,000 per hour, her lawyer is billing her for 25 hours per week. If you believe that, you are a fool. If it's true, she is a fool.
1
I probably spend too much time reading the Times, daily. I'm thinking this may be the best piece of writing I've seen in 2016.
1
Hearts matter to those who cherish them. In a world torn by hate its hard to care for each every heart. To love those who have hurt you, can certainly be a test of individual ability to be compassionate.
I like you Kesha, I like that on one of your post you said I love everybody.
I like you Kesha, I like that on one of your post you said I love everybody.
1
I'm sorry but... who is this woman?
2
She, or it could be a He, really does not matter when caught up in the power of Music Makers without a Guardian Angel by one's side.
This is the author flaunting her access.
Nothing to see here.
Very boring.
Nothing to see here.
Very boring.
3
'Ghastly story and more bad news about what can happen to these young women. You need a powerful ally to stand by you when caught up in these cobwebs of intrigue and deceit. She might be able to make a come-back with the support of her fans, and if you have not heard of Kesha, here is an introduction. 'Rainbow' highly recommended'.
Lovely article. #FreeKesha
1
She has no more, nor any less, musical talent than anyone else. There are just as many skilled singers in every single live music venue in the US. She was a sensation because she sold her body (while dragging every female musician back twenty years), ignoring the fact that pretty faces and figures fade, and only musical talent endures. Her appeal was visual, not musical, manufactured, auto-tuned. Someone else manufactured her act. The dispute does not seem to be her artistic freedom- she's not switching to Gregorian chants or folk guitar strumming- but merely who gets the profits from the teenage-sex-appeal show of a now almost thirty year old woman.
The more interesting part of this story is the kind of contract allowed by today's entertainment industry laws, and the lengths necessary to break such a one-sided, unfair contract.
The more interesting part of this story is the kind of contract allowed by today's entertainment industry laws, and the lengths necessary to break such a one-sided, unfair contract.
1
Is there more to this story than 'hire an excellent lawyer before you sign a contract that could govern your career for years or decades'? I don't mean to be glib, but at the heart of this issue is a contract dispute. The conflation of the contract dispute and allegations of sexual assault doesn't clarify anything, especially since the rape claims are not judicable at this point.
The fact is that exploitative contracts have been a staple of popular music for at least the last century. This one has salacious allegations and a pretty white face attached to it, so I guess that makes it worthy of a cover story.
The fact is that exploitative contracts have been a staple of popular music for at least the last century. This one has salacious allegations and a pretty white face attached to it, so I guess that makes it worthy of a cover story.
1
I believe her. I hope that matters.
1
I don't care for Kesha's music, but that doesn't excuse what her producer did to her. And sadly, I'm also reasonably sure that he's done the same thing many other times and can now use what happened to Kesha as a threat for any other female stars who try to refuse his advances.
5
There's not one fact in anything you've said. Does that not trouble you? It should. Her accusation is nothing more than that at this point. We should all have empathy for her if the crime actually happened, but so should we for him if it didn't. Rape is a horrible thing, but so is a false accusation of rape.
To a broader point, something must be done about the egregious contracts the music business is allowed to get away with holding over people. Another commenter mentioned the 7 year rule. The music business fought for and was granted a special waver that only applies to music contracts, so that they can hold someone under contract for a given number of albums instead of a number of years. It's outrageous what they're getting away with.
To a broader point, something must be done about the egregious contracts the music business is allowed to get away with holding over people. Another commenter mentioned the 7 year rule. The music business fought for and was granted a special waver that only applies to music contracts, so that they can hold someone under contract for a given number of albums instead of a number of years. It's outrageous what they're getting away with.
1
Ms. Brodesser-Akner's writing is gorgeous --this is a complex subject covered with integrity and gracefulness.
10
The music industry is littered with stars far bigger than Kesha whose careers have been derailed because they became sidetracked by litigation involving their contracts and creative control. George Michael's story comes to mind, an established pop star with WHAM, he went solo with the mega-hit "Faith". Then he followed it up with "Listen Without Predjudice"-- but battled Sony about his contract, his image, and complaining about not getting appropriate promotion or airplay because he wanted to be taken more seriously. Huh? In a music video from "Listen Without Predjudice" he famously burned his leather motorcycle jacket, an apparent symbol of the lightweight pop image was no longer willing to put out. Huh? He took himself out of the game in his prime, and never recovered. Fortunately for him, he had already written a catalog of hit songs to have a continuing stream of royalty income, and brand recognition big enough to support nostalgia tour shows and remain a celebrity.
Kesha has no such deep catalog, nor such name recognition. In such a fickle business, I think it's short-sighted not to ride whatever image, character and sound you've created for as long as possible--and equally foolhardy to get hung up on naive ideas of being "true to yourself", or not being "packaged". Huh?
Kesha has no such deep catalog, nor such name recognition. In such a fickle business, I think it's short-sighted not to ride whatever image, character and sound you've created for as long as possible--and equally foolhardy to get hung up on naive ideas of being "true to yourself", or not being "packaged". Huh?
6
Has anyone noticed that some who express our American values like "innocent until proven guilty" or "give him his day in court" when it comes to charges against men by "girls" are all too willing to say "lock her up" at Trump rallies and in online comments sections?
7
No. Not at all.
But there are plenty on the the left who are eager to take a female's word at face value.
But there are plenty on the the left who are eager to take a female's word at face value.
3
Per your article: "Kesha is no longer the artist we met in the late aughts: blazing dollar sign in her name in place of the S, gold Trans Am that she said she wanted to have continuous sex in, 24-7 party girl, dredged in oil and breaded like a schnitzel in glitter.
Really NYT? All the real artists out there, and you choose to focus on an amoral, burlesque sideshow? The story of the femme fatale isn't playing...sorry!
Really NYT? All the real artists out there, and you choose to focus on an amoral, burlesque sideshow? The story of the femme fatale isn't playing...sorry!
11
Amoral is calling all Mexicans rapists. Singing songs with naughty lyrics makes you amoral in 2016? Maybe if you are 102.
4
You think lat is talking about "naughty lyrics"? I don't. I think he's talking about her deeply warped and coarse set of values.
1
How many victims have to step forward before a sexual predator like Luke gets spanked and sent running into another industry? How hard is it for a handful of music industry executives to replace this one guy? And, musicians have to force this question into court: "restraint of trade." It is both clear and present in this case.
3
So that's where the girl with the dollar-sign S in her name went. Glad I didn't get to know her then, and am not much interested in knowing her now.
Ignore her rape/sexual abuse accusations because, when pursued in a civil, rather than criminal, trial, they are immediately suspect as mere leveraging, usually for a bigger settlement. It happens all the time in divorce court. I know, I'm a lawyer.
But what a way young women these days have decided to assert their feminine power--by celebrating raunchy, vulgar, slutty behavior--behaving more like men than men can get away with.
What then was the point of the equal rights movement? So that women could have the right to be as disgustingly uncivilized as men? Someone needs to rescue the movement from the likes of Kesha, and other young women in the entertainment industry like her (Amy Schumer, Lena Dunham, et al, immediately come to mind). Trashy, uncivil behavior is just that. Women used to be concerned to restrain such behavior in men, and could, by withholding their affection. Without that restraint, with women competing with men to be as raunchy as they, how coarse might social discourse become?
Ignore her rape/sexual abuse accusations because, when pursued in a civil, rather than criminal, trial, they are immediately suspect as mere leveraging, usually for a bigger settlement. It happens all the time in divorce court. I know, I'm a lawyer.
But what a way young women these days have decided to assert their feminine power--by celebrating raunchy, vulgar, slutty behavior--behaving more like men than men can get away with.
What then was the point of the equal rights movement? So that women could have the right to be as disgustingly uncivilized as men? Someone needs to rescue the movement from the likes of Kesha, and other young women in the entertainment industry like her (Amy Schumer, Lena Dunham, et al, immediately come to mind). Trashy, uncivil behavior is just that. Women used to be concerned to restrain such behavior in men, and could, by withholding their affection. Without that restraint, with women competing with men to be as raunchy as they, how coarse might social discourse become?
10
For those wondering why the article is calling Kesha a superstar, she has had 10 Top Ten hits in the US, including 4 that went to Number One. Her single, "Tik Tok," was the biggest song of the year in the US according to Billboard magazine. It was also the biggest global seller of that year and went to #1 in eleven countries. Maybe she wouldn't have had long-lasting success even without the career interruption, but it's not a stretch to call her a superstar.
3
Sinatra was a Superstar......The Beatles were Superstars..........Ke$ha? She can thank autotune and her engineers.
13
Quit using the Beatles to knock other people down. It's tacky.
2
never bothered listening to tik tok till this morning (not my cup of tea) but that cover of the Dylan song (you can find the link in the article) is gorgeous. give her another look, you'd be surprised.
2
I have a hunch most folks are skipping the article in their excitement to post either their love or hatred for this woman. I don't know anything about her.
I recommend, however, that folks actually read this very well-written piece of journalism. I found myself sucked in by the themes of: An accusation of sexual assault in which we will ultimately never know what happened in that room, a descent into self-abuse and addiction in which artistic expression was used as a rope back out, how a person becomes a celebrity by becoming a mask of self-parody, what it's like to continue pursuing your art in vastly diminished and humbling circumstances. Also, I'll admit, the intrigue of a body of work that only a few can peek inside and see.
I don't why I clicked on this; I've never about her before. But that's what a great profile can do, is take someone you thought you had no interest in and compel you to hear their story to the end. Very well written.
I recommend, however, that folks actually read this very well-written piece of journalism. I found myself sucked in by the themes of: An accusation of sexual assault in which we will ultimately never know what happened in that room, a descent into self-abuse and addiction in which artistic expression was used as a rope back out, how a person becomes a celebrity by becoming a mask of self-parody, what it's like to continue pursuing your art in vastly diminished and humbling circumstances. Also, I'll admit, the intrigue of a body of work that only a few can peek inside and see.
I don't why I clicked on this; I've never about her before. But that's what a great profile can do, is take someone you thought you had no interest in and compel you to hear their story to the end. Very well written.
25
As somebody who just touched the creative world and then recoiled -- I'm so glad that I did. I'd rather self-publish and promote all the things that I do and end up with maybe just a small group of people appreciating my work, than be used, abused, and have my entire identity overshadowed and obscured by viciously selfish people. Really, there are things that are so much more important than money or fame. Kesha's story is a true testimony to that.
13
In sworn depositions she says she never had sex with the man. But when she wants to get out of her contract, she says he raped her.
So either was lying before or she's lying now that she has a financial incentive. If women want to be treated like equals, they have to act like adults that mean what they say, when they say it.
So either was lying before or she's lying now that she has a financial incentive. If women want to be treated like equals, they have to act like adults that mean what they say, when they say it.
18
People can be coerced into providing false testimony—it happens all the time. We simply don't know what happened. By the way, to generalize this case as a referendum on the right of women to be treated as equals is really disgusting. As if human rights were something that you, Matt in New Jersey, doll out to those you see fit.
10
Admitting rape has happened is a very personal experience and most experts agree it can't be commanded out of someone at a set time and location.
I don't think you are being reasonable in your assertion. In her mind, she might not think she had "sex" with him since she believes he raped her. If she was drugged at the time, she might have doubted her recollections (part of the point of drugging a victim).
I don't think you are being reasonable in your assertion. In her mind, she might not think she had "sex" with him since she believes he raped her. If she was drugged at the time, she might have doubted her recollections (part of the point of drugging a victim).
4
Lynn, the same argument was used in Duke Lacrosse and UVA Rape stories - the lies are not the woman's fault. Here's the thing - when there's no witnesses except the woman, then she has to be credible. Women like you are not doing rape survivors any favors by making excuses for those who lie at one time or another. It undermines all women's credibility.
1
Great article. I would only suggest that background for the contract dispute can be found in past fights that Prince and George Michael (among many others) have had with record labels. Prince, for example, used a symbol instead of his name because of a legal loophole in his artist contract. That loophole has obviously been closed if Kesha's contract prohibits her from changing her name. Similarly, the prohibition on recording a country album is standard record industry language dated back to a Ringo Starr country album that was so atrocious I think it was destroyed by Ringo himself. There are similar prohibitions on recording gospel albums due to the marketing concerns of switching genres.
7
Interesting. So far, lots of taste based complaints or praise of her music that are somehow correlated to whether or not she is a victim or a victimizer...
3
Superstar? that's a Uuuuuuuge statement.
12
I'm facing the return of Saturn myself, so my heart goes out to Kesha on that front. With that said, I have some friction with Taffy's article, and it's not because I wanted to rewrite it from the ground up (way too many errors and lazy sentences, I hope she gets another draft together by this weekend's publication). Anyways, my friction comes in this: I live in a society that either sides with the victims or defends the abuser. It's one or the other, nobody ever says, "I'm reserving judgement." Based on the plethora of evidence, there could easily be an innocent man (akin to the Duke lacrosse players, or the fraternity brothers at VT) who is having his life ruined (both Kesha and her mother sent Luke private thank you notes, emails, and birthday cards for years after the alleged rape... and the allegation suspiciously arrived after they denied her release from her contract the first time). With that mentioned, she could be legally bound to her abuser (it's very suspect that she was specifically asked about the rape years ago in her lawsuit with her first manager: how would they have known to ask the rape question if it wasn't true?). I'd love to take her side, but there are simply too many suspect pieces of information that currently boil down to his word versus hers. This story doesn't really offer any news, but that final paragraph makes a new album sound promising. Reserve judgement.
9
Superstar? Really???
15
Ownership of others is what those seeking immense power crave. Look at the Chief Predators - The Con Don and Roger Ailes. This story reads just like those of their victims. I'm sorry for this young woman but in no way surprised. This is the game and if women - and some men - want to stay in this is what is expected.
Predators have no social conscience and our current system does not hold them accountable. The best thing we people around the world can do is not buy into their sick ideas and finance their sick empires.
Young people who want to "make it' in the "destruction" industries of stardom, fashion and music must have good guidance and be socially aware of themselves and the people destroyers they will meet. Good luck to this young woman.
Predators have no social conscience and our current system does not hold them accountable. The best thing we people around the world can do is not buy into their sick ideas and finance their sick empires.
Young people who want to "make it' in the "destruction" industries of stardom, fashion and music must have good guidance and be socially aware of themselves and the people destroyers they will meet. Good luck to this young woman.
28
Whether or not there is any truth to her allegations only God knows. Even if Lukasz Gottwald wins his defamation suit, that will not change the minds of people who believe her allegations and if he loses, it will not change the minds of those who do not believe them. The best thing that could happen is if the case is settled with a nondisclosure agreement. But what is truly sad about this situation is that someone who has a great deal of talent may never be able to share her gift with the rest of the world. I will lament the fact that I may never be able to listen to "Rainbow" as the author has.
14
People are not entitled to a career in music. There is an old joke that if it wasn't for the "artist" it would be a great business.
13
Rape culture. Pure and simple.
Sony allowing a rapist to continue to work for them dovetails perfectly with the fact that we have a man running for president who sexually assaults women.
I look forward to the day when the actions of men like this are no longer tolerated by anyone and they receive the punishment they deserve.
Sony allowing a rapist to continue to work for them dovetails perfectly with the fact that we have a man running for president who sexually assaults women.
I look forward to the day when the actions of men like this are no longer tolerated by anyone and they receive the punishment they deserve.
38
Does he deserve a day in court? Or, should we just toss him out based on this girl's allegation?
9
I think you mean 'woman's allegation.'
6
Apparently, the allegation of rape makes a man, automatically, a rapist. But really, it does not. And any culture that considers the two equivalent is abhorrent.
6
I thought that contracts were subject to the 7 year rule? Either way, the story of a record producer abusing a female artist is nothing new, and sadly the record business will continue to side with the producers until that producer stops making money for them.
15
I find her to be repulsive. I don't for one second believe her claims of abuse. Apparently the courts agree with me. Coincidently, sexual abuse charges are made when she wants out of a contract. Gee, where are the feminists? A man could never use his sexuality as a weapon to break a contract. She's a disgrace to women who have been abused and exploited. This is where the double standard sets women back. Granted she's a pop star, but the blind support she receives before any facts are reported is proof that some women have an agenda, win at any costs, even lying about things that never happened. That's her right as they see it. Increasingly this backward and illegal way of behaving is gaining backblow from both men and women. If a man lies under oath and is proven that he has lied, he goes to jail. Women never pay for lying. They simply shift the focus and the courts tip toe around them. I know, a family member was accused of sexual abuse by a wife who was angry he wanted a divorce. The hell he endured for years, all lies. She was never punished. Why?
34
Bill Clinton lied to a Federal Grand Jury, got impeached and got to keep his job.
5
Actually he correctly answered the question as it was presented to him.
2
NIce try, Queens Grl, trying to compare CONSENSUAL sex that Bill Clinton had with predatory rapists like this producer, The King Predator and Con Don and Roger Ailes. There is NO comparison.
A woman - or man - should be able to walk down the street naked and not have their body attacked against their will.
A woman - or man - should be able to walk down the street naked and not have their body attacked against their will.
9
Kesha was a manufactured product with no trace of talent or voice. I still remember the nightmarish, auto-tuned 'hit' that was persistently played a couple of years ago on all radio stations and in the stores. Sadly, she represents the ugly, pestered face of the current music industry in the United States. That is systematically doing away with real talent for the sake of cheap gains (with the help of an uneducated, a-cultured audience, of course). The New York Times would do a better job at exposing this downfall that has seriously degraded even respected forums (the Grammy Awards have been a constant victim for instance)...
49
This description sounds frighteningly similar to the current Trump phenomenon. Just like the music industry has done away with real talent - starting sometime around Ronald Reagan the GOP has embraced a systematic doing away of real intelligence and common sense. Trump was "created" for the sake of cheap entertainment - all with the help of an under-educated/anti-intellectual audience all thanks to a generation of non-stop, wall-to wall Fox News/alt right nonsense.
16
Did you like... even read the article, or just come straight to the comments to leave a paragraph that sounds unironically like something Holden Caulfield could've penned? Just wondering, considering the second half of the article points out explicitly her transition from an industry-packaged image to a raw and real individual as a singer. Which is apparently exactly the kind of singer you're looking for, if only she were allowed to perform as herself.
Also, I think the NYT did write about a complex issue that is worthwhile and weighty in our current day society. The case is unique but ultimately dwells within a larger problem of how women are treated, how sexual assault victims and cases are viewed, and the power dynamics that may lead to it.
Finally, I just want to address your point about her audience being "uneducated and a-cultured". I'm a college graduate who likes Chopin just as much as Kesha's music - and I'm pretty sure most of my college acquaintances have similarly eclectic tastes. Because, as Kesha says in the article - no human is one dimensional. Sometimes we like careless fun, sometimes we're serious.
Also, I think the NYT did write about a complex issue that is worthwhile and weighty in our current day society. The case is unique but ultimately dwells within a larger problem of how women are treated, how sexual assault victims and cases are viewed, and the power dynamics that may lead to it.
Finally, I just want to address your point about her audience being "uneducated and a-cultured". I'm a college graduate who likes Chopin just as much as Kesha's music - and I'm pretty sure most of my college acquaintances have similarly eclectic tastes. Because, as Kesha says in the article - no human is one dimensional. Sometimes we like careless fun, sometimes we're serious.
27
I'm not a fan of Kesha's music. However, I don't see what our personal opinions of her music has anything to do with her lawsuit or this story. The idea that an musician who's first record was like a decade ago is responsible for "degrading" the industry is laughable. I could give you a thousand worse examples dating back almost to the invention of recorded music. It is POP music. It is, by definition, commercial. I look for my music elsewhere, but I still consider people who make pop to be artists and to have rights as both creators and as a human being. So #FreeKesha for sure.
Ah, the free publicity provided by the NYT must be so gratifying to Kesha...in 5 years, her music will have something like 1,500 hits per song, or less, on Youtube and in 20 years' time both she and her music will have long since been consigned to the rubbish heap.
30
The cover she did of Dylan's song is amazing. By the end i was nearly in tears.
Mr. Lukasz Gottwald with his vindictive actions has certainly shown what kind of person he is. SONY: you are enabling an abuser with your non-stance. Shame on you!
Stay strong Kesha. Can't wait to hear that beautiful voice of yours again.
Mr. Lukasz Gottwald with his vindictive actions has certainly shown what kind of person he is. SONY: you are enabling an abuser with your non-stance. Shame on you!
Stay strong Kesha. Can't wait to hear that beautiful voice of yours again.
35
So you're already convicting the guy? Nice. I guess you've not heard of innocent until proven guilty.
13
I would say Luke is an abuser even if he is innocent of rape.
He's abusing Kesha's career and her health (by nurturing an eating disorder earlier in her career).
He's abusing Kesha's career and her health (by nurturing an eating disorder earlier in her career).
3
abuse can take many forms. in this case, the producer is abusing the power that he has through a contract that exerts an enormous amount of control over the singer's career. she had to go to court to prevent him from releasing HER medical records. I hope that this is not something you would wish any of our employers would do.
Excellent story. Dr. Luke needs to free her from her contract, settle and move on. Regardless of the truth, he will only look controlling and toxic until he does. As it stands, his boorish behavior lends credence to her claims.That is why I am with Kesha on this...that, and her gorgeous voice.
#FreeKesha
#FreeKesha
64
If Dr. Luke is innocent and proves Kesha's allegations to be false, he will still be branded a rapist. It doesn't matter whether the man is guilty or innocent, he will forever be a rapist to the entire world. Hanging that stigma on a potentially innocent human being is why I'm reserving judgement. It's her word versus his and they both have strong cases against the other.
The New York Times should has got to get Katy Perry to comment. Perry was friends with Kesha before they were famous (at the time of the alleged rape) and Dr. Luke has had a hand in practically every Katy Perry album since she hit the scene. Perry probably would be a great gauge on the issue. It was so bizarre to me that every dumb pop star treated this situation like it was The Crucible and threw in their two cents, but the only person who stayed quiet was the one woman who knew both parties fairly well. Get that comment!
The New York Times should has got to get Katy Perry to comment. Perry was friends with Kesha before they were famous (at the time of the alleged rape) and Dr. Luke has had a hand in practically every Katy Perry album since she hit the scene. Perry probably would be a great gauge on the issue. It was so bizarre to me that every dumb pop star treated this situation like it was The Crucible and threw in their two cents, but the only person who stayed quiet was the one woman who knew both parties fairly well. Get that comment!
11
No expertise here, but I've read about the devastating effects that producers and contracts can have on artists. I understand that artists are voluntarily bound by these in order to get the music out, and compromises are part of the package, but potential for heavy-handed abuse comes with the package as well.
I wonder if all the platforms on the Internet now may encourage bidding for the new talented artists' attention, and therefore result in better, fairer terms from the outset. Or is the record industry too monopolized for that to happen?
I hope Kesha is able to regain her artistic freedom. Dr. Luke, regardless of the pending result of his defamation lawsuit, is acting punitively at this time, which is apparently his right under his contract. That's a shame for everyone.
I wonder if all the platforms on the Internet now may encourage bidding for the new talented artists' attention, and therefore result in better, fairer terms from the outset. Or is the record industry too monopolized for that to happen?
I hope Kesha is able to regain her artistic freedom. Dr. Luke, regardless of the pending result of his defamation lawsuit, is acting punitively at this time, which is apparently his right under his contract. That's a shame for everyone.
42