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'Sexual favours were the norm in music industry'

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

#171

Post by nabla9 »

beckman466 wrote: post #162
nabla9 wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These two things don't compare: a) People in position of power demanding sexual favors from people so that they can get on with their work or get small rewards. b) Competitive entertainers prostituting themselves for rare opportunities to become wealthy celebrities. Exchanges of sex for extreme rewards. Equating how people prostitute themselves for celebrity status and high income to the abuse that some background da…

> b) Competitive entertainers prostituting themselves for rare opportunities to become wealthy celebrities. Exchanges of sex for extreme rewards. No. I think you overestimate the frequency of this happening. Most people don't want to give sex for opportunities. Most of the people I've met just want their unique talent to be recognized and honored.

Many beautiful women marry rich ugly men they don't love for money. That's not abuse. It's prostituting oneself. I respect these women and men and their decisions. Sometimes sex is business decision.

Trading sex for favors is not automatically abuse.

People trade sex for opportunity because all other tings equal they may get opportunity over someone better. Superstars don't become superstars just because they have unique talents. They are as much or more results of marketing investments. When there are hundreds of equally talented individuals, picking one of them for marketing is more or less random.

When person has opportunity to continue as indie artist or sell their ass for million dollar opportunity, that's just a business deal.

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

#172

Post by bigtex »

linuxftw wrote: post #56
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?

Why do you think so many celebs face drug addiction? They're being exploited, often have to compromise their morals, and drugs are a coping mechanism. Institutions of power are masters of controlling people. It's almost scientific.

Also drugs are used as a control mechanism, as we say with the child stars who were being sexual abused. Get them addicted to drugs while the abuser gets what they want.

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

#173

Post by mercer »

lostgame wrote: post #79
azeirah wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I found that HN is generally not very friendly to LGBTQ+ people. I don't think it is because there's a certain type of phobia here, but most people here are very logical and analytical people which I've seen resulting in "logical arguments for and against the existence of ..." which is just.. Why We exist because we exist, nothing else.

And to speak up about it, as obviously pictured once again here - gets us downvoted into oblivion, only confirming our feelings of being unheard... For real, it's been such an issue here I have had emails with an admin but didn't press the issue further and I think it's due time to send another one. They really did seem to care and to be concerned.

I'm very much in your camp, so to speak, but I downvoted some of the upthread comments because I think they are responding to something that wasn't really said.

There's a massive difference between an observation and a judgment. Especially if that 'observation' is a commonly quoted statement (aphorism, as has been pointed out).

Personally, I'm pretty close to asexual if we'd consider sexuality a spectrum. As such, if anything, I find the observation valuable because it underlines how much sex plays a role in areas of life where really perhaps it shouldn't.

Pointing out something that is true or at worst perceived to be true is in no way equal to agreeing with it, or morally defending it.

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

#174

Post by enriquto »

kgwxd wrote: post #76
throwaawwaaaay wrote: post #53

HN: Legalize prostitution, it is normal work. Also HN: Sleeping your way to the top? THE HORROR. I know quite a few people who did the latter, they don't seem to regret it at all.

Sleeping your way to the top isn't what's under fire. It's the people in positions of power expecting sex.

These two things may be very difficult do distinguish in practice. In many cases the only difference will be in how you describe the situation.

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

#175

Post by lostgame »

caseysoftware wrote: post #110
lostgame wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Came here to post this, glad I didn't and forget we can't post about asexuality here. As an asexual person, not only are we not respected whatsoever here, but in my experienced, also personally attacked. That your comment about erasure is getting this many down votes is unfortunately absolutely common for HN, and I'm incredibly disappointed in that. Before people jump in who might not be asexual to try to defend this…

> I'm not sure why HN has it in for asexuals, but God damn guys, can't you ease up on us? Complaining about the erasure of asexual people as you use "guys" to erase non-men is an unfortunate combo.

My apologies. I use 'guys' gender-neutrally, I should have said 'y'all', which was the intention.

Thanks for pointing that out. I appreciate it.

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

#177

Post by lostgame »

mercer wrote: post #173
lostgame wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And to speak up about it, as obviously pictured once again here - gets us downvoted into oblivion, only confirming our feelings of being unheard... For real, it's been such an issue here I have had emails with an admin but didn't press the issue further and I think it's due time to send another one. They really did seem to care and to be concerned.

I'm very much in your camp, so to speak, but I downvoted some of the upthread comments because I think they are responding to something that wasn't really said. There's a massive difference between an observation and a judgment. Especially if that 'observation' is a commonly quoted statement (aphorism, as has been pointed out). Personally, I'm pretty close to asexual if we'd consider sexuality a spectrum. As such, if…

I...might agree with downvoting maybe the poster's original point, but, as an asexual person, blanket statements like the world revolves around sex absolutely do seem to completely ignore the ever-growing movement of openly asexual individuals.

My responses, however, about the general negative atmosphere towards LGTBQ+ folks here, especially asexuals in particular - (no idea why, asexuals in particular; it's just relentless, sometimes) - also got downvoted into near oblivion.

They consistently have, and I regret even opening up about it, honestly, because I hate getting dragged into this shit online, but I wanted to actually back up and validate the OP who has evidently had an extremely similar experience to my own, that; yes, HN has a long-standing problem with LGBTQ+ relations, and neither OP or I are the first to experience or post about it.

That we choose to open up about the negative treatment, and get downvoted for it, for me; is an issue of respect and being heard.

Downvotes on a post saying that we feel the community needs work with regards to respect for LGBTQ+ people obviously only make, at least myself - feel even shittier and more unheard.

Getting downvoted into oblivion for opening up about the negative treatment of LGBTQ+ individuals on this particular forum seems clearly intentionally * phobic and that's just a shit sandwich I can't do much about.

Is it the stigma associated with asexuality? Is is just general * phobia? I'm not sure what makes HN in particular so awful with regards to LGBTQ+ issues - today has certainly all but reaffirmed that for me - but for such an intelligent crowd, and a bunch of people from the Bay area and shit; I'm honestly continually baffled and unfortunately it appears to be a growing issue that is getting worse, rather than improving in any way.

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

#178

Post by lostgame »

Clewza313 wrote: post #88
A12-B wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's ok. If you even slightly hint at being self righteous or virtuous you will get downvoted. I saw it coming the second I said 'asexual people exist', which is just a declarative statement of fact and nothing more.

They got downvotes because it's not relevant to the point of the saying. Which this little flap just underlined, because asexuality is defined as a lack of interest in sex, once again demonstrating that everything is indeed about sex (or lack thereof).

This is hilarious.

'Everything is about food.'

'Well, an iPhone isn't food.'

'Well, you had to mention that an iPhone wasn't food, therefore everything is indeed about food, or lack thereof!'

...

There's a term for this type of fallacious reasoning, I forget what it is - anyone?

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

#179

Post by kgwxd »

enriquto wrote: post #174
kgwxd wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sleeping your way to the top isn't what's under fire. It's the people in positions of power expecting sex.

These two things may be very difficult do distinguish in practice. In many cases the only difference will be in how you describe the situation.

Specific instances aren't really part of the point I'm trying to make. It's clear that there exists a non-zero number of people in positions of power expecting sex in exchange for opportunity and a lot of people just accept "that's how it is".

There is a surprisingly large number of comments here trying to justify this by redirecting focus towards the people who ultimately decided to give sex in exchange for opportunity. That's a completely separate debate that isn't even very controversial. It's those comments, and their upvotes, that concern me. Especially when they're high karma accounts on a site targeted at entrepreneurs that might be in a position to coerce someone towards choosing to give sex in exchange for opportunity.

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

#180

Post by dang »

throwaawwaaaay wrote: post #53

HN: Legalize prostitution, it is normal work. Also HN: Sleeping your way to the top? THE HORROR. I know quite a few people who did the latter, they don't seem to regret it at all.

Please don't sneer, including at the rest of the community.

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

That guideline is there because this is such a common, tedious, and reliably provocative form of flamebait. Please make your substantive points without flamebait.

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