What media keeps getting wrong about rape
Rape is wrong, right? Right, so why do people keep supporting rapists? Currently, Dr. Luke is probably sitting at home counting his money. He continues to produce music with dozens of artists, as well as make a profit off of his music with Kesha. While Kesha, and many other rape and sexual assault victims live in fear and disgust, their abusers are living large.
Remember Brock Turner, who raped an unconscious woman behind a dumpster? Where is he? Not in jail! He’s probably doing the same thing as Dr. Luke. Neither of them are feeling the same shame or fear as their victims face every day. They’re merely feeling sad because they didn’t get enough “action.” They didn’t get more out of the girls they raped.
Sadly, we can’t even really say for certain where these men are now. We may get vague updates at most, but all we really know is that they aren’t in jail. The fact of the matter is that the media may focus on only one rape case out of the thousands that occur daily. There is media coverage for a couple short weeks and then the world tends to move on. The issue with this is that it just becomes some dramatized news — another “shocking headline” for you to read in line at the grocery store, and then people move on and forget that rape is a real problem for millions of people worldwide.
The reason that rapists are able to get away with their actions so easily is because rape trials are extremely complicated. Many women don’t press charges because the process for being tested is too overwhelming and scarring. Those who do get rape kits may not be lucky either. Tens of thousands of rape kits go untested. There is a lack of importance put on this rising issue.
All Kesha wants to do is leave her contract with Dr. Luke. She isn’t even pressing rape charges, or sexual assault charges. Despite the fact that Dr. Luke drugged and raped her, and emotionally abused her into an eating disorder and a plethora of other emotional issues, Kesha dropped all charges.
Luckily, other artists have been really supportive of Kesha. It began with support on social media, where fans and fellow artists alike were posting in support of Kesha. She began spending time with some of those artists, such as Lady Gaga, a great example of the importance solidarity is in situations like this. In April 2016, the artist Zedd released a song, “True Colors,” featuring Kesha. Kesha continues to work on her solo music, despite being unable to put out any new content until her contract with Dr. Luke is broken. In order to produce the song with Zedd, they needed permission first. While it was a great step in the right direction, Kesha continues to face the struggle many victims also face: lack of progress.
Kesha has continued to stay extremely positive through this all. She has expressed gratitude for her fans, or “Animals,” who continue to support her after everything and is extremely active on social media, inspiring her followers as well as showing her support for varying problems from mental health issues to saving endangered species. After everything that was taken and continues to be taken from her, she just keeps giving.
Kirsten Poulos is a first-year exploratory major who has been eating bread longer than Brock Turner was in jail. You can contact them at [email protected].