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tw: sexual assault and abuse
a thread containing some thoughts about burger records and how indie music spaces need to better protect survivors. 1/?
a thread containing some thoughts about burger records and how indie music spaces need to better protect survivors. 1/?
i’m glad that burger records is shutting down completely instead of going through with that terrible and disrespectful rebrand. but 1) this isn’t enough to protect survivors and actively prevent future harm and 2) this wasn’t an isolated incident of one scene gone wrong. 2/?
since their inception, so many of these predominantly white male indie rock spaces have frankly thrived off power differentials between older male artists and younger fans ... (cont.) 3/?
and because of their ~indie DIY~ nature, there’s also a lot more interactions between fans and artists at shows, at parties, etc, where there’s opportunities for abusers to take advantage of these power dynamics. this isn’t new. 4/?
(it’s a dif rant, but just think about the pervasiveness of the groupie label from rock’s early days where every female fan, not only the ones pursuing relationships — were viewed as sexual objects first. the groupie label has fallen off, but i don’t think the mindset has) 5/?
i can think of a few instances in the last decade where the response to abuse allegations is a) removing one specific member from a band or b) in some cases, the whole band gets dropped from label/management. but that’s it, and then it’s over and done. 6/?
and these responses always give me some pause because they seem to act on the assumption that these are isolated incidents of abuse rather than recognizing that it stems much further than that and is rooted in the scene itself. 7/?
it’s basically the bad apples metaphor and how contrary to the popular misinterpretation that it’s easy enough to weed out the few bad apples and fix the problem, the bad apples rot the barrel. 8/?
and on some levels, burger records is a different case since it’s the label staff/leadership facing allegations too, not just the artists ... (cont.) 9/?
... but like even now, im still predicting that some of these bands are just going to remove the member with the most severe allegations against them and release a vague "we stand with survivors" statement. 10/?
and maybe, if i stretch my imagination a bit, i can buy that other members of the band(s) didn’t know the full extent of what was going on behind closed doors. but the thing is so, so much of this abuse and predatory behavior takes place right out in the open. 11/?
you really expect me to believe you never heard your buddy making creepy comments about the fans at your shows? that you never saw him give minors alcohol and drugs? that you didn’t know he dated a minor for over a year *when she literally was on tour with y’all*? 12/?
i could go on and on about different ""red flags,"" but the point is, there’s a deeply entrenched culture of looking the other way within these indie music spaces, and this normalized complacency upholds dangerous and toxic power structures. 13/?
so yes, deplatforming abusers is a good first step! but survivors deserve more. i want to know what measures are proactively being taken to ensure that your band/shows/venue/label/scene are not only creating safe spaces for young folk & women but *hostile* spaces for abusers 14/?
i also don’t want other male bands to just distance themselves from any connection to known abusers and vow to never work with them again. like sure, that’s great, but i want y’all to look inward, recognize how you hold up these power structures too, & make your own plans 15/?
all this to say: believe and support survivors. don’t look at burger records as a one-off incident, but the result of a system and a culture that’s been festering inside indie music. and we all need to work within our spaces to dismantle it. 16/16
