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'Sexual favours were the norm in music industry'

bbc.com

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Re: 'Sexual favours were the norm in music industry'

#21

Post by simonh »

killtimeatwork wrote: post #10
MichaelMoser123 wrote: post #7

what interests me is: how do people maintain their integrity in such a foul environment? I mean if you can't look yourself in the mirror then how do you keep on creating anything?

A polish pop star who once said that her career took 10 years longer to go off than it otherwise would because she refused to sleep with the important people in the biz. So, you can maintain your integrity.

At a very real risk of being permanently blocked. Just because one person managed to succeed despite not being compromised, that doesn't mean it's possible generally. It seems more likely that almost all the artists that refuse to compromise have their career killed right there.

Re: 'Sexual favours were the norm in music industry'

#23

Post by simonh »

jonathanstrange wrote: post #16

Everybody involved has always known and assumed that so much that it's almost a cliché. I mean, people were warning about predatory record producers since the 60s or so. Since I'm not against prostitution either, I can't really be angry about this old hat. (Not that I think it's good.)

Entertainers can work their whole lives to break into the business, investing their heart and soul into it, only for one gatekeeper to hold all of that hostage. They hold incredible leverage. That's in no way similar to offering someone a few quid for sex.

Re: 'Sexual favours were the norm in music industry'

#24

Post by jaywalk »

sokoloff wrote: post #15
nabla9 wrote: post #13

It makes perfect sense. Music industry is a economics of superstars. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1803469 Very few stars get huge profits and after that it's long slim tail. Talent or high work ethic is not enough for success, "getting discovered" aka someone likes you and invests the initial money and effort is another factor. If personal effort is not enough and the artist has nothing else, selling your ass for an…

Now we’re just haggling over the price.

I was worried I'd get into a bidding war with someone who says they'll do it four times.

Re: 'Sexual favours were the norm in music industry'

#25

Post by usrusr »

MichaelMoser123 wrote: post #7

what interests me is: how do people maintain their integrity in such a foul environment? I mean if you can't look yourself in the mirror then how do you keep on creating anything?

It's really simple I think: the vast majority of "transactions" won't be well defined "do x to get y" offers but just things that may or may not change certain odds. There's an entire spectrum between the extremes of pure romantic love and list price prostitution and I believe that the point were you really can't fool yourself anymore can be surprisingly far from the former.

Re: 'Sexual favours were the norm in music industry'

#27

Post by alistairSH »

FriedrichN wrote: post #3

I would be surprised if it wasn't the case. Industries like these have too many 'king makers' and people idolize the established figures too much. It's basically the same mechanism by which the abuse is facilitated in closed religious communities.

And US Gymnastics and other sports.

Re: 'Sexual favours were the norm in music industry'

#29

Post by throwaway0a5e »

usrusr wrote: post #25
MichaelMoser123 wrote: post #7

what interests me is: how do people maintain their integrity in such a foul environment? I mean if you can't look yourself in the mirror then how do you keep on creating anything?

It's really simple I think: the vast majority of "transactions" won't be well defined "do x to get y" offers but just things that may or may not change certain odds. There's an entire spectrum between the extremes of pure romantic love and list price prostitution and I believe that the point were you really can't fool yourself anymore can be surprisingly far from the former.

Combine a mild dose of self delusion with a huge potential payoff and world view that everything is crap and there's evil everywhere and you'll have no trouble living with yourself no matter what you do.

Re: 'Sexual favours were the norm in music industry'

#30

Post by benburleson »

A12-B wrote: post #26
subpixel wrote: post #9

I’m reminded of an axiom, which I will paraphrase: Everything is about sex. Except sex, which is about power.

I've always thought this phrase is a bit silly. It completely erases the existence of asexual people and their goals and ambitions.

Or, is the lack of sex about power, reinforcing the axiom?
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