(Photo found on dormroomonline.com)
We live in a culture that dismisses women’s rape claims or even finds a way to blame them for it. Why do we live in a country in which the government gets to decide whether or not we get raped?
Last week, pop star Kesha Rose was denied freedom from her contract to record music outside of Sony working with her producer Dr. Luke. Kesha has been one of our favorites since Tik Tok but what we didn’t know is that for the past decade that she has worked with Dr. Luke she has been abused both verbally and sexually. In late 2014 Kesha filed claims against Dr. Luke for drugging and raping her, but Dr. Luke was cleared of all charges. As a producer, Dr. Luke created a drunk, party-hard, care-free image for Kesha so clearly when this came up she wouldn’t be taken seriously.
(Photo found on nydailynews.com)
In court, Justice Shirley Kornreic sided against Kesha claiming that it is impossible to free Kesha out of a contract that was already negotiated and typical for the music industry. Sony has also said that they can’t free Kesha out of her contract. Although they have given Kesha permission to record without Dr. Luke’s presence, they cannot actually dissolve the relationship between Kesha and Dr. Luke. Kesha is not a singer directly under Sony, she is actually under contractual obligation of ‘Kasz Money Publishing and Prescription Song’ which is owned by Dr. Luke. Therefore, it is up to Dr. Luke not Sony to decide to terminate her contract. Essentially, Dr. Luke has more leverage on deciding Kesha’s fate regarding her career and ultimately her life.
So why does this matter? Why is Kesha being called a liar when we can see her sobbing in the courtroom? Kesha’s case if one of many around the world in which abuse survivors are mistreated and ignored. The public, especially the Internet, has made it clear that it stands in solidarity with Kesha. Celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, and Ariana Grande have also voiced their support. We shouldn’t have to live in a society in which victims of abuse have to live in the shadows but once they come out are ignored and humiliated. No one should be forced to live with or work with their abuser, by forcing them to do so it encourages American rape culture that we so desperately need to destroy.