Lena Dunham: Why I Chose To Speak Out, on Buzzfeed
Rape apologists, in an attempt to silence victims, hurt an innocent man, by Amanda Marcotte on Pandagon/Raw Story
How Police And Hospitals Shut Down Rape Victims, by Danielle Campoamor on Buzzfeed
I’m a victim of sexual assault and the law failed. How many of us must speak out for you to believe? by Megan Carpentier on The Guardian
This next story is almost unbelievable: There existed, until earlier this week, a PR firm in Austin called Strange Fruit PR. You know, like the Billie Holiday song. The Billie Holiday song ABOUT LYNCHING. Apparently the founders of the firm (who were, of course, white) thought they could use the phrase t0 mean “someone who stood out in a crowd.”
Strange Fruit PR Firm Vanishes After Getting a History Lesson From Twitter, by Yesha Callahan on The Root
re: Strange Fruit: Honestly, Billie Holiday’s song isn’t the first thing that comes to my mind when I hear that phrase. I’d jump to something more like what the PR firm intended (something slightly off-center, probably in a good way – like finding a Wonka fruit on an apple tree).
But they’re a PR firm in the south…they should have done a little research.
Oddly enough, the first time I heard “Strange Fruit”, it was Tori Amos’s cover version. It’s very haunting, and since she herself comes from the south, it undoubtedly holds meaning for her, too. It was sung with a great deal of feeling (anguish) and could never be construed as anything BUT respectful.
@Bina: Where’s she cover that? I haven’t listened to Tori Amos in forever….
I knew Strange Fruit as a cover by UB40, a UK band. It was 1980, I was only 15 and didn’t have a clue about how dark it was as I never knew all the lyrics.
On rape/ sexual assault reporting – I am another of those women who would never report as the system is just failing victims so badly. I do not EVER want to be told that I am lying about something so traumatic, so I could never report. I would be prepared to take a bloody revenge myself though.
I’m glad Megan Carpentier refused to shake the hands of the legal personnel who let her down. In effect they told her to go straight to hell* — she was not obligated to treat them as though they were her chums. I’m glad she recognized it.
*(Maybe they couldn’t have sold her case in court but what they ended up literally adding to add insult to injury instead. That is not conduct deserving of an attaboy.)
Typos…sorry.
“I would be prepared to take a bloody revenge myself though.”
Ellesar, you and me both.
A Japanese dwarf flying squirrel!
It was on a rare CD (it dates back to just after Under the Pink) my brother gave me. Wikipedia says it was released as a B-side to “Cornflake Girl”.
(On the same CD, she also covers Jimi Hendrix’s “If 6 Was 9”, on a wonderfully messed-up piano fitted with guitar pickups, so it sounds incredibly gnarly.)