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Hege Kristoffersen's avatar

Some great points here Elizabeth. As a singer/songwriter who worked for many years to make it in the industry I realised that making it would most likely jeopardise my integrity and I’m not willing to sell my soul to the music industry. It’s very toxic in so many ways. I do think you can be a lesser known artist and not sell out but the largest artists have to play the game of the system and that’s dirty, soul destroying game. The whole system needs a massive reboot.

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Grace Drigo's avatar

I hope he and all of the predators get what they deserve. Great article 🙏🩵

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Elizabeth Grace Martinez's avatar

thank you Grace

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C.J. Heck's avatar

A great article --I had no idea the music industry was going through this! You could write an excellent expose' with a little more research.

Kudos!

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Elizabeth Grace Martinez's avatar

I definitely could write a lot more, but I kept this short because I know I’ll have more to say on it

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C.J. Heck's avatar

I will be first in line to read it, Elizabeth.

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Leon Brown, Jr.'s avatar

Tell it!

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Elizabeth Grace Martinez's avatar

<3

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Elizabeth Grace Martinez's avatar

thank you CJ. :).

This is one of the most exhausting and scary things I’ve ever done, which is saying a lot. I had to give up the fight for a long time because the resistance to bringing it to light was too fierce. I’m not sure I’m even ready to come back

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Marilyn Graham Werden's avatar

I didn’t comment on this earlier because it’s so huge for me personally and I’m just a drop in the bucket. Someone who ran the other way as a young woman. I’m working on my own memoir/poetry collection about that stage of my life and also going forward. I resist the tell-all urge because I feel that it places too much focus on in this case the musician, when what needs to happen is to place the focus on oneself and reclaiming oneself. I especially hate the term “Me Too Movement,” because I feel that it belittles the scale of it, as in a giggly little girl’s voice, “Me too, me too.” It reduces both the personal and social magnitude of the very kind of thing you’re talking about. I do appreciate what you’ve written here. You’ve nailed it as just the tip of the iceberg.

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Elizabeth Grace Martinez's avatar

Hi Marilyn, I totally agree that there has always been too much emphasis placed on one specific big-fish monster, your Weinsteins, your Cosbys, etc, instead of the system as a whole. Every time one of those guys gets punished, it’s like a collective idea of “phew, glad that’s over!” when in reality, for every Cosby there’s 100 Heathcliffs.

I also don’t love the term “me too” but I don’t know what else to say to get the point across quickly and effectively. I’m open to ideas.

I think this will be my next essay - how the cult of personality belittles the me too reckoning. (open to new phrases for it.)

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Marilyn Graham Werden's avatar

I guess so, of knowing nothing else. But we are learning to give voice to something else. Our true selves.

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Marilyn Graham Werden's avatar

Nothing real, nothing human behind. Why are Americans so willing to buy an image that reeks of money and zero human kindness?

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Elizabeth Grace Martinez's avatar

just opened a draft and titled it

Capitalism and the human nature of needing a Hierarchy

Why the cult of personality hurts the Me Too Movement

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Elizabeth Grace Martinez's avatar

Capitalism and the human nature of having to have a hierarchy.

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Marilyn Graham Werden's avatar

I’ll let you know if anything comes occurs to me. I recognize that “me too” is now historically recognizable. Personality cult you speak of, yes, yet with nothing really or human behind it.

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Francesca Bossert's avatar

It’s gross and sad and disappointing but I think I usually live in lalaland when it comes to these kinds of things. Great article. I can’t wait to meet you. I’ll be in Spain as of the 13th🙏🌻

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