Thank you Fred, as always. I have many takeaways from this post but I want to address number one. In 2020, and all that entailed, I suffered a heart attack. I share because although a cancer survivor having done chemo, which can affect the heart, it was ultimately attributed to stress. You ask us how we are, and in return share that you are struggling. I want you to know that you are hardly alone, not to minimize your experience, rather to empathize. I see all you do, have done for years, and I hope that you will care for yourself in the same way you care for us. I have grappled with depression on and off for the majority of my life, and find that for my self-preservation and more importantly my health, at times I have to pull back. Limit my intake of media. I realize that this is an absolute privilege that many do not have, but I also recognize that if I am in this for the long haul, I cannot give from an empty cup. I hope that you are finding the joy, it’s there, even when we have to look for it. Thank you for all you do, always.
Sending you solidarity from another person whose heart is often broken by the state of the world. The depression can feel so killing, and I hope, however alone you may feel, that you know you are not.
Thank you thank you thank you for this post. On your 5 items, I wanted to share 2 reflections.
I’ve often wondered, in my own depressive daze, how creators like yourself have seemed to show up with cutting insight and inspiring words to pull the rest of us out and help to reorient the pain. It makes your words all the more powerful, truly.
On the media exploitation of grave social horrors — THANK YOU. In addition to this gross rap battle, seeing the fkn P Diddy arrest special upon turning on my TV made me realize - they planned the raid with cameras. Not too much of a stretch when you realize the upsides: 1) they could make money off it; and 2) the police can control their optics and image, and it becomes propaganda. It shows even more blatantly the “justice system” is entertainment (we already knew the military gets a special editor role in most major studios to ensure positive portrayal). So it follows that if justice is entertainment, then so is any accusation (rap battle), assuming you’re famous enough to exploit those… Reminding me of Heard v Depp too.
I really appreciate all of this. in particular, your reflections on the Kendrick versus Drake thing. I've worked with many survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking and I can tell you that yes, it is very common for those causes to only be mentioned in a trivializing context or to score points. For example, the anti-trafficking realm is rife with tons of white savourism, etc and the powerful people in those spaces some seem to be interested in addressing core causes. another example would be the ease with which our family court system allows people who have perpetrated serious physical acts of domestic violence to have access to their children (for instance, physically assaulting a partner in front of your child is not somehow grounds for losing custody...? like how is that a safe parent?). so yes, this trivialization happens in many ways and spaces and while it saddens and infuriates me to see it happening yet again, it does not surprise me.
what I meant to say was that powerful players in the anti trafficking space rarely seem to be interested in addressing root causes of trafficking, preferring to partner with law enforcement versus helping to protect vulnerable populations in the ways that data already shows us would be more effective
Thank you for writing this. All of this. Thank you for the reminder to check in with ourselves, to disconnect, to listen to what our bodies are trying to tell us in the midst of all this horror. As someone who has felt the weight of depression all too often, I am sorry that burden has been upon you as of late, but I hope it allowed your body and brain the rest in may have needed.
So on the Drake and Kendrick Lamar thing, yes, it's awful. But hear me out. I'm an international sex trafficking victim. I listen to hip hop and rap specifically because it's telling stories and they are stories I resonate with and know intimately. I appreciate having the stories told and rather than a way to downplay crimes, it's a way of communicating. Just my take.
Thank you Fred, as always. I have many takeaways from this post but I want to address number one. In 2020, and all that entailed, I suffered a heart attack. I share because although a cancer survivor having done chemo, which can affect the heart, it was ultimately attributed to stress. You ask us how we are, and in return share that you are struggling. I want you to know that you are hardly alone, not to minimize your experience, rather to empathize. I see all you do, have done for years, and I hope that you will care for yourself in the same way you care for us. I have grappled with depression on and off for the majority of my life, and find that for my self-preservation and more importantly my health, at times I have to pull back. Limit my intake of media. I realize that this is an absolute privilege that many do not have, but I also recognize that if I am in this for the long haul, I cannot give from an empty cup. I hope that you are finding the joy, it’s there, even when we have to look for it. Thank you for all you do, always.
Sending you solidarity from another person whose heart is often broken by the state of the world. The depression can feel so killing, and I hope, however alone you may feel, that you know you are not.
Thank you thank you thank you for this post. On your 5 items, I wanted to share 2 reflections.
I’ve often wondered, in my own depressive daze, how creators like yourself have seemed to show up with cutting insight and inspiring words to pull the rest of us out and help to reorient the pain. It makes your words all the more powerful, truly.
On the media exploitation of grave social horrors — THANK YOU. In addition to this gross rap battle, seeing the fkn P Diddy arrest special upon turning on my TV made me realize - they planned the raid with cameras. Not too much of a stretch when you realize the upsides: 1) they could make money off it; and 2) the police can control their optics and image, and it becomes propaganda. It shows even more blatantly the “justice system” is entertainment (we already knew the military gets a special editor role in most major studios to ensure positive portrayal). So it follows that if justice is entertainment, then so is any accusation (rap battle), assuming you’re famous enough to exploit those… Reminding me of Heard v Depp too.
I'm so grateful for your insightful writings; thank you.
I really appreciate all of this. in particular, your reflections on the Kendrick versus Drake thing. I've worked with many survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking and I can tell you that yes, it is very common for those causes to only be mentioned in a trivializing context or to score points. For example, the anti-trafficking realm is rife with tons of white savourism, etc and the powerful people in those spaces some seem to be interested in addressing core causes. another example would be the ease with which our family court system allows people who have perpetrated serious physical acts of domestic violence to have access to their children (for instance, physically assaulting a partner in front of your child is not somehow grounds for losing custody...? like how is that a safe parent?). so yes, this trivialization happens in many ways and spaces and while it saddens and infuriates me to see it happening yet again, it does not surprise me.
what I meant to say was that powerful players in the anti trafficking space rarely seem to be interested in addressing root causes of trafficking, preferring to partner with law enforcement versus helping to protect vulnerable populations in the ways that data already shows us would be more effective
Hugs. Glad you are.
Thank you for writing this. All of this. Thank you for the reminder to check in with ourselves, to disconnect, to listen to what our bodies are trying to tell us in the midst of all this horror. As someone who has felt the weight of depression all too often, I am sorry that burden has been upon you as of late, but I hope it allowed your body and brain the rest in may have needed.
So on the Drake and Kendrick Lamar thing, yes, it's awful. But hear me out. I'm an international sex trafficking victim. I listen to hip hop and rap specifically because it's telling stories and they are stories I resonate with and know intimately. I appreciate having the stories told and rather than a way to downplay crimes, it's a way of communicating. Just my take.