K-E-Dollar Sign-HA

I am constantly astounded by the way social media is used to achieve political ends. Recently, the #FreeKesha campaign has been taking over my various timelines and dashboards. Pop star Kesha Rose Sebert filed lawsuits against her music producer Dr. Luke in 2014, claiming he had emotionally and sexually abused her. Dr. Luke fired back, claiming Kesha was making false allegations against him to get out of her contract. Since then, legal tensions have been extremely high as both parties work to achieve their ends without losing public favor. Recently, Sony ruled that Kesha would not be released from her contract.

Female artists are rallying on Twitter in support of Kesha

The backlash for this decision has been unprecedented. Countless fans have taken to their social media, using the hashtag #FreeKesha to bring awareness to the situation and show their support for her release from the label. There has even been a GoFundMe campaign started with the intention of raising money for Kesha to buy her way out of her contract, though many are skeptical whether or not that is a plausible solution. Several celebrities have also taken to social media to show their support.

I find it fascinating that social media plays such a huge role in every public decision nowadays. In this digital age, nothing is truly private. In fact, many companies use this to their advantage, spinning a story a particular way in order to shape public perception (which is pretty much PR 101). In cases like this, the question of police brutality and other recent cases of racism, it is impossible to hide from the public eye. Awareness is skyrocketing and everyone has an opinion, whether it is grounded in fact or not.

As someone who feels very strongly for women's rights and the voice of survivors, I am extremely upset with the ruling. I do not think anyone should be forced to work with someone, especially if there is even a question of past or existing abuse. It is a danger to public opinion and, more importantly, the client. Sony's image will surely suffer from this entire situation- rightfully so. The time to respond effectively has already passed. From now on, Sony will be forced to pick up the pieces and try to regain the trust of their audiences. I will be looking forward to more news on the subject and hopefully a compromise for Kesha.

Until next time!

Kathryn