Come To Nashville with a Dream, Leave with a Nightmare: The Lesson of Austin Rick
“I just need people to truly know what actually happened to me down there, during that time.”
–Austin Rick
It happens every single day. Hungry individuals from all around the country and world move to Nashville to pursue a dream of making it big in music. All of their lives they’ve been compelled to follow that dream, to doggedly pursue their deepest passions, and are told to not let anyone or anything deter them from their goals and never let up. They’ve been inspired and goaded forward by friends, family, school guidance counselors and clergy to set their expectations high, and work hard for what they want. These young artists will do anything to fulfill those dreams, because that’s what they’ve been told to do. And that’s what makes them so incredibly exploitable.
Perhaps they’re exploited when they’re told to put aside their own songs, and their own musical vision for the work of staff songwriters and celebrity producers. Perhaps the exploitation is the work of image consultants and media coaches, who are enlisted to scrub the individuality from artists and dehumanize them for their reinvention from person to product. Perhaps it’s choreographers who tell them how to act, and how to move on cue, with everything scripted for them down to the split second.
And it doesn’t matter how much they promise themselves that no matter how crazy things get they’ll hold onto themselves, because ultimately there is a very small group of individuals who actually hold the power to decree whether that artist will make it big in the country music business, or not. Crossing them would mean the cataclysmic dashing of all of their lifelong dreams. Currying their favor may mean the absolute realization of them. So they acquiesce to whatever is asked of them, until they look into the mirror one day, and may not even recognize the individual staring back at them.
Accomplishment in mainstream country only has so much to do with talent. That’s clear when you look down the dividing line between the haves and the have nots. It has to do with an individual’s willingness to acquiesce to the Music Row machine, and the skill to do its bidding. When Luke Bryan moved to Nashville, he was purely a songwriter—and a good one—who had little desire to be a performer. Now Bryan barely contributes to his own material, and has been made a millionaire by being willing to do whatever the marketers and consultants tell him to. But for every story like Luke Bryan’s, there the story of a hundred hopefuls who never made it, and how their lives ended up far from the glamour of the mainstream country industry.
It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that the rash of sexual assault and harassment claims emerging in American society eventually made its way to Nashville. If anything, we should be shocked it took so long. Frankly, I am embarrassed that I wasn’t on record predicting such a downfall of a high-profile executive or producer in the days before it was exposed that Kirt Webster—one of country music’s most powerful individuals as the President and CEO of Webster Public Relations—was the accused perpetrator of numerous sexual assault and harassment claims from a former artist and previous employees.
“He sexually assaulted me repeatedly, he drugged and sexually violated me, he offered me publicity opportunities and magazine columns in exchange for sexual acts,” Kirt Webster’s principal accuser Austin Rick said in public statements. “He paid me to keep my mouth shut. And he did everything under threat that he’d make sure nobody in the industry ever heard my name again.”
And as we read the details of the numerous sexual assaults Austin Rick alleges, we wondered why would any individual put up with this? Why did it take Austin a year to extricate himself from this sexually abusive situation? How could it be allowed to go on for so long? And the answer is simple: Austin Rick had a dream. And the man who could either fulfill that dream, or crush it irrevocably was Kirt Webster. And Kirt Webster knew it. And with that sheer power, he was able to override any concern of repercussions, from Austin Rick or anyone who may have knowledge of the type of behavior that by some accounts was rampant around the powerful publicist.
That’s the thing. In Nashville, many knew about the sexual proclivities of Kirt Webster. For years there had been rumors of his hot tub parties—one of which was apparently the setting of Webster’s first alleged assault against Austin Rick. I personally had even heard about these parties previous to the allegations, not knowing that sexual assaults were allegedly occurring, but individuals questioning their garish and lewd conduct in what was supposed to be professional gatherings.
Others did hear the murmurs of inappropriate and potentially illegal behavior, or maybe even first hand accounts coming out of his office about lewd conduct, viewing pornography, and sexual harassment and intimidation. Now, The Tennessean has detailed even more instances of inappropriate behavior from Kirt Webster, including Kirt using his position as the publicist for Dolly Parton to curry favor with gay fans in exchange for backstage passes. The Tennessean has also confirmed the Nashville Police are looking into the matter as the accusations continue to pile up.
Yet nobody was willing to say or do anything publicly until now, because it would likely mean their careers in music. And not just artists, but other professionals in the industry whose names may be turned to mud if they dare turn the tables on one of Nashville’s top power brokers. It was only an individual who had already lost everything, and built a life and career beyond Nashville, that was able to speak out, insulated from the repercussions of crossing Kirt Webster.
As Hollywood was unraveling with similar stories of sexual harassment and assault, it felt like it was only a matter of time before Nashville coughed up its own secrets. And who believes this stops with Kirt Webster, especially with the systematical way women, and apparently some men, are treated in the industry? Now Nashville feels on edge just waiting for the next shoe to fall.
Twiggy Ramirez, the bass player for Marilyn Manson, was accused of raping an individual some 20 years previous, and was immediately let go from Marilyn Manson’s band in late October. Kevin Spacey was accused of an inappropriate sexual relationship over 30 years ago, and his Netflix series House of Cards was immediately canceled. However when rapper Nelly was arrested for raping a young woman, WHILE ON A FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE TOUR LAST MONTH, there was no effort to replace or remove him from the tour. In fact it was the accuser who was publicly shamed, had personal details leaked from the local police department to TMZ, and was forced to answer claims of being a gold digger in the public medium.
That is when it became incredibly evident that the country music industry was unwilling or unable to take claims of rape and sexual assault seriously, and the press corps wasn’t willing to hold the industry’s feet to the fire, until now.
Granted, all of these accusations against all of these men are unproven at this point in time. But prudence, and respect for the gravity of the accusations should always be adhered to as the charges and accusations are investigated. This isn’t about innocent until proven guilty. Unquestionably, there is always the possibility an accuser lies about an incident for whatever reason. But rarely do people ask “What is the motive?” before assuming the accusations are fabrications. In the case of Austin Rick and his claims against country publicist Kirt Webster, there is no motive. Austin Rick is not looking to re-enter the country music industry. He’s an academic now pursuing his doctorate. His country music dreams were already shattered.
Then there is the story of country performer Katie Arminger. Last week Fox News ran what they believed was an exposé on the unfair treatment of women in country music, with Katie Arminger as the example. The impetus for the story was all of the sexual harassment and assault cases that were coming out in the public as part of the “#metoo” campaign. However Saving Country Music ran a detailed story on Katie’s accusations against her former label and management over 1 1/2 years ago, even laboring to unearth court documents that went into great detail about what Arminger was being asked, which was to sex up her image, and flirt with radio executives.
At the time, Katie Arminger’s story dovetailed with the whole “TomatoGate” controversy of why women were so absent on country radio. And here 2 1/2 years after “Tomatogate,” and 1 1/2 years after the Katie Arminger revelations, what has been done in country music to curb this type of behavior, or the absence of women on radio?
Perhaps the reason we’re no longer seeing women on radio is because they’re not putting up with harassing behavior by fat cat radio programmers anymore, or perhaps those programmers, in fear of lawsuits and public retribution, have cut the inappropriate behavior out. Good for these young women, however now that means there are little to no avenues for country’s women to find favor with radio, because the misogynistic environment that excluded them in the first place and expected seedy favors for radio play still persists.
In Nashville, as in Hollywood—and permeating throughout the population of performers and industry professionals, and even into the journalism corps—there is a wink nod culture to not speak up, and to not question authority, with the worry of losing your career looming over everyone’s head. Even as the accusations began to surface about Kirt Webster—as they did for Harvey Weinstein—it was a test of intestinal fortitude to see who would report the story, or even acknowledge it. A simple retweet of a news story could mean your career if Kirt Webster survived. Even now, it is the story everyone is talking about, but few are acknowledging publicly.
In the instance of Harvey Weinstein, actors were asked to speak up on the matter. Who of great popularity in country music has come out to publicly distance from the behavior of Kirt Webster, from the Webster Public Relations roster or anywhere else?
Why does it seem like as soon as a country music artist loses radio relevancy, they immediately start speaking out about the ills of the system? Is it because they’re no longer benefiting from it, or because they finally have the freedom to be honest without grave repercussions in their career?
The story of Austin Rick might be the most extreme case of a performer having a dream, and being exploited by the Nashville system. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a good example of how the system works against many as they show up to Nashville and trust the people in power to have their best interests in mind, only to be taken advantage of. It’s the dreams these emerging artists hold that give the power brokers in Nashville an unfair advantage over them, coercing them to sign contracts that are tantamount to slavitude, getting them to give up their personal freedoms of expressions and do things they normally wouldn’t do, and at times, even succumb to sexual harassment and assault, solely because these young performers want to fulfill that part of themselves that tells them they can be a country music star.
Dreams are the things the propel mankind forward. They’re the things that give us hope. Nearly everyone harbors the dream of being a big music star at least at some point in their life, yet it’s a very finite amount of individuals who have the stuff it takes to actually become one. But nobody should be taken advantage of just because they want to be.
November 2, 2017 @ 8:28 am
While thinking about your other article that listed all his performers I had to wonder how many of them succumbed to his crudeness and evil? I also wonder why the silence from them is deafening. It also made me wonder if the reason women haven’t fared well as of late maybe they wouldn’t put out for the scum bags. Yes that is a plural.
It’ll be interesting to see how deep the Nashville police will dig. Lots of money and careers on the line here.
Keep the FOIA in mind Trigger.
November 2, 2017 @ 8:47 am
Great article Trig
November 2, 2017 @ 8:58 am
Well when you’re a big enough narcissist to have the humble dream of superstardom and mainstream commercial success anything is possible.
November 2, 2017 @ 10:04 am
I completely understand what you’re getting at, but many people who have a dream in music have no idea they have an alternative to the mainstream industry. And for many years, they didn’t if they wanted to make a decent living and raise a family. It’s the same reason so many people listen to mainstream music when they have much better alternatives out there. They just don’t know they have better options. We can sit in judgement of them, or we can work to educate them about the options they have, present them with alternatives, and hope they make better choices. Yes, it’s a conceit to dream of standing center stage in the middle of a stadium with tens of thousands of people cheering your name. But that’s a dream most every American is impregnated with through popular culture from an early age. It’s also the dream that gets them fucked over when they show up to Nashville, and just want to demo a few songs they wrote.
November 2, 2017 @ 1:40 pm
Dead on Trigger . Dead on . Its a cultural thing . THIS culture measures success by $$$$ , adulation and sex appeal …….all of the things the entertainment industry holds out as leverage to up and comers with those ‘ measures’ ingrained .
November 2, 2017 @ 4:56 pm
It’s not about being a narcissist, it’s taking all of those “you can do it” and “we believe in you” comments to heart, and not wanting to be viewed as a failure. The victims aren’t the ones to fault in this situation, it’s those who take advantage of the “power” that they have over anyone, usually young people, who will do “whatever it takes” to reach the goals they have set or others have set for them. I hope that all of these people in power are quaking in their boots, because the days of “they let you do it” are gone. Sooner or later God will cut you down!
November 2, 2017 @ 9:06 am
Random Trig but do you know if this was the guy that Sturgill told Joe Rogan was a known pederast in Nashville and had a history of it that was well known?
November 2, 2017 @ 9:59 am
That’s a good question and thanks for jarring our memories. I don’t know if this is the same guy Sturgill was referring to. It very well could be, or it could be one of the numerous pervs we know are out there in the music industry using their positions of power to take advantage of people. What I can tell you as someone who works in this business and sees a lot of dirt come across my desk, this is by far an isolated situation. But it takes someone willing to speak on record and using their name, and putting their reputation on the line to bring them down. Otherwise, it’s just conjecture, and can even be taken as slander if you put it in print. Even now, there’s scores of former employees of Webster reaching out to the media to tell their story, but many of them are not using their names. Because if they did, they may never work in this business again.
November 2, 2017 @ 9:12 am
We do need to clean up from years of bad behavior. I simply hope we stop short of total PC homogenization. Or else we are playing right into the hands of Trig’s monogenre–One Music, One Audience.
And that is the name of blasphemy on the heads of the beast that is Music Row.
November 2, 2017 @ 9:18 am
” An artist creates his own moral universe ” . I can’t recall who said this but since hearing it I’ve heard it echo time and time again when these stories surface.
Its demeaning to have to sell yourself in any way to achieve what you feel is a goal worth sacrificing yourself for ….artistically , spiritually and or sexually , but to some extent we all do it as a survival strategy. I think its time we stop reacting to these stories as though they are aberrations in human behavior and accept that they are , perhaps , more ‘ normal ‘ in terms of our behavior as a species than we want to believe . We are a human animal …driven by an ageless programming to pro-create which is informed by sexual cues and mostly normal desires that , for social reasons , are often not permissible.
We have become a society which consistently sends out mixed messages on ALL fronts …not just sexually ( don’t use fossil fuels …but buy this huge mother ******* SUV then complain about gas prices…..build a bigger , more energy-consuming house ………sex up a 14 year old’s appearance by advertising make-up and dieting and playing songs that condone what her folks are telling her NOT to do ……etc etc etc… ) .
Its a time of huge upheaval on the planet in so many ways …its a confusing world ….confusing socially ….confusing morally , confusing sexually with much of this confusion attributable to amazingly efficient technology , instant global communication not to mention the antics of people in power once considered respected role models ( Trump ……THIS is a role model ????? )
As a society ….as parents …we have not done a great job of ensuring that our kids are protected from and yes even insulated from this diverse and questionable array of conflicting opinion , philosophy and behaviour . And , of course , our job in this respect has become progressively harder as population and technology explodes at an exponential pace .
No ….I haven’t digressed from my point . I strongly feel that what we are hearing now in terms of the sexual exploitation stories in our confusingly chaotic contemporary scenario is only what has been happening forever… but covertly . I am most definitely not condoning it . …only trying to understand and rationalize it as an unfortunate but real by-product of being human . Positions of power hold tempting ‘opportunities’ which allow the most unacceptable aspects of human nature to manifest themselves and in many many instances , create addictive tendencies … tendencies which would not necessarily manifest themselves in someone with far less ‘power’ …male OR female .
I hate to even entertain the notion that the genie being out of the bottle in these ever-changing times and this frantic pace of life means we can ever put it back in . What we’ve come to accept as socially ‘normal’ in these times is a far cry from what we ( society /civilization ) accepted even 30 years ago.
We are navigating uncharted waters at a pace no one could have imagined . And shit happens at unsafe speeds .
November 2, 2017 @ 10:19 am
Old fashioned and out of place arguments will always be passed over by the more advance thinkers in society. They don’t have time to go backwards and this kind of thought will be repeated like political blurbs and stances on Fox News in living rooms. Nothing to do but just shake your head, it can’t be the dominate and the winning argument. “It’s the way it’s always been” and “shit happens sort of crap argument”, because you’re attracted to that kind of behavior. “It’s powerful.” Rub your hands together when you say it.
Sexual Harassment is an American thing. It’s called progress, we’re moving on from tyrannical power of lords and castles.This is the land of the free and the brave, now. We get to eat the cowards for lunch. Dangle goods and fame in front of the faces of those they’d like to **** have intimate understanding of. Imagine yourself reporting someone important and powerful in whatever industry you’d like to be a winner in here in America. What’s going to happen in the minds of not so brave people. Here in progressive America the jury is always out. Like it is with you. Now, try it in somewhere else in the world. It’s wrong or it isn’t.
November 2, 2017 @ 12:28 pm
Not totally sure I get your point BM but if you are echoing my thoughts that it is indeed a confusing time in America/Canada /The West ….and in fact everywhere …then yeah…I guess I kinda do get your point . And yes …in many places some behaviour is just Right or Wrong . Period . I’m inclined to think that this may be the ONLY way to maintain order when you consider the chaotic state of things globally . However the Church of England ( and many other religions ) once thought that was the answer too so they rewrote the bible and put the church at the top of the social hierarchy . Until , of course these doctrines and religious ‘ restrictions’ began to undermine the power of the church itself and the instituion of religion needed to address contemporary mores to even maintain its own existence . Confusing ..? you’d better believe it . However my ultimate point is that nature won’t be denied …..and human nature is the REAL issue , I believe . We are maleable intellectually and spiritually but not so much naturally .
November 2, 2017 @ 12:45 pm
Only in America will a man say it’s Human Nature in circumstances like this. You’re lucky to be here. Try saying this case is based on Human Nature in another country. In this country we say it’s not natural to shit where you eat. It’s not confusing if you think about it while taking the rest of the world into account. The term sexual harassment is unheard of in other parts of the world. It’s a big, huge deal here for a reason. It’s called progress, evolution. Now the other point of your comment which involved homosexual harassment is also a uniquely American issue that will also only be found here. Thoughts on sexual harassment being wrong? Or, do you have thoughts on sexual harassments being wrong?
November 2, 2017 @ 1:51 pm
Evolution , indeed , BM ….one would hope we have indeed evolved in a way that understands what it takes to make social structures work in terms of respecting and acknowledging human rights . BUT …..this intellectual evolution does not by any means address , beyond attempting to curb , the basic instincts of the species . And sexual drives /persuasions / behaviours are informed to a large extent by these basic instinctive urges like it or not . They will prevail ON THEIR OWN TERMS to the detriment of the person and society regardless of any legal or social structures implemented to arrest them . I am not arguing whether or not it is ‘ right ‘ …only that we are at the mercy of our human instincts and programming .
November 2, 2017 @ 4:34 pm
I’m not sure why you are arguing for genetic predispositions to rape. Coercion, or drugs to be serviced is rape. Coercion no matter what your urges or instincts is against the law. Here’s the definition:
co·er·cion
kōˈərZHən,kōˈərSHən/Submit
noun
the practice of persuading someone to do something by using force or threats.
If you feel differently it’s actually your problem. It’s a fact that you can breakdown and analyze. If anyone reading needs more help understanding. I suggest this site or others in your area: http://www.sanashville.org/
November 2, 2017 @ 4:49 pm
Well ….I didn’t think I came across as arguing for a ‘ genetic disposition to rape ” , BM , so apologies if I wasn’t clearer . However yes …we do have genetic dispositions and I don’t think that point is in question any longer . And that acceptance of our genetic disposition is pretty much my point in a nutshell . We do what we can to harness that when it infringes upon the rights of others according to laws and morals …but we need to accept it as fact in order to more accurately understand the wherefores and the whys .
One of my favourite lines from an old Woody Allen movie was a reply from Max Von Sydow when his wife questioned him about how the Holocaust could have happened. ( paraphrasing ) ” The question is not how or or why it could have happened ” he said ” but why it doesn’t happen more often “
November 3, 2017 @ 11:22 am
Well, this certainly was a delightful chat. Wishing you and your lineage “happy holidays” for many seasons.
November 2, 2017 @ 9:25 am
Great article Trig. I know people can always count on you to cover a story that many in Nashville will choose to run from.
November 2, 2017 @ 10:04 am
I’ve been down here for almost a year and this ain’t too hard to believe. It’s amazing and sad how much some of my peers would do just to get a record deal and be famous. I mean I understand there’s give and take but how much will you let em take of yourself? I didn’t move here to be a puppet and no amount of money or anything like that could make me sing this bullshit. I know obviously this is a whole other level of messed up and I feel bad for the guy but I feel like this is a great metaphor for how it all goes down. This is just the most serious case of it. Hopefully some folks will open their eyes and think about how much they’re willing to do to get where they wanna be. And a problem I have with this story is he wanted to see how he’d look in playgirl magazine. I’m sorry but what would make an aspiring young male country singer think that starring in a magazine like that would be good for your public image? Not good judgement on his part. But it’s a terrible deal hopefully they get rid of all the bad guys here.
November 2, 2017 @ 10:08 am
Keith Urban’s appearance in Playgirl Magazine was seen as a watershed moment in his career. It’s also the moment Urban says he most regrets.
November 2, 2017 @ 11:43 am
All I can say about that is I know Hank didn’t do it that way!
November 2, 2017 @ 10:56 am
Good writing as usual. I know I’ve said so before, but I say it again.
I wish I had a tenth of your skill with words.Thank you.
November 2, 2017 @ 12:44 pm
Just to touch on a couple small things in the article. One, it was asked who in Nashville has come out against this and I believe Randy Travis has fired the publishing company and come out against it. Secondly, I wouldn’t give Netflix too much credit, it’s my understanding House of Cards was already over by the time the Kevin Spacey thing happened, and now you have Danny Masterson and Netflix seems to be quiet on ‘The Ranch’.
November 2, 2017 @ 2:26 pm
I know Randy was just signed to a new PR company this week actually.
November 2, 2017 @ 12:46 pm
Can’t speak for the dudes, but where are these girl’s fathers? If I even got a whiff of my daughter being harassed, some wall to wall counseling with the offender would be in order.
November 2, 2017 @ 4:18 pm
Add Kid Rock, Dolly Parton, Charlie Daniels, Billy Ray Cyrus and Justin Moore to list of clients gone from Webster.
November 3, 2017 @ 6:40 am
Not that any of these artists would condone such outrages, but Charlie Daniels has to be some kind of pissed about this whole deal.
November 2, 2017 @ 4:41 pm
albert
November 2, 2017 @ 1:51 pm
Evolution , indeed , BM ….one would hope we have indeed evolved in a way that understands what it takes to make social structures work in terms of respecting and acknowledging human rights . BUT …..this intellectual evolution does not by any means address , beyond attempting to curb , the basic instincts of the species . And sexual drives /persuasions / behaviours are informed to a large extent by these basic instinctive urges like it or not . They will prevail ON THEIR OWN TERMS to the detriment of the person and society regardless of any legal or social structures implemented to arrest them . I am not arguing whether or not it is ‘ right ‘ …only that we are at the mercy of our human instincts and programming
…………..
Then what separates us from animals? And are asserting that we’re all alike?
November 3, 2017 @ 8:52 am
”Then what separates us from animals? And are asserting that we’re all alike?”
I think that in terms of our genetic ‘programming ‘ ..yeah we are ALL wired for survival and pro-creation . Perhaps intellectual evolution helps keep those instinctive and necessary predilections in check …but they will always be present in all of us to ensure the survival of the species. In this respect we are very similar to any other species .
November 3, 2017 @ 9:38 am
You mean multiply and replenish the earth? Or do you just mean survival and procreation like insects? I’m currently picking up more messages that say, “don’t bring humans into this world.” What if you want to be true to your prewired programming to pursue happiness, and the Kirt Websters are in your way. Do your eyes go black and all happiness drains? Do you de-evolve to just instincts for procreation? There some sort of wires crossed here. Man on man love relations don’t equal procreation…
November 3, 2017 @ 10:18 am
Are you saying they haven’t evolved intellectually?
What separates us is an ability to “think”, and everyone is wired differently, meaning we don’t all think alike, nor do we all act alike, including how we survive. We have to pro-create in order for our species to survive and we “think” about how we’ll do it, and the results of said pro-creation act. Animals act instinctively. Instinct is an inherent or ingrained or learned reaction to a ‘given situation’ (read;Pavlov’s dogs). The ability to think means we have the ability to respond (a reasoned action or conclusion), not react. Not all response is good, not all instinct is bad, but, there is a difference and as the “think” species to not utilize our ability to differentiate is akin to behaving in a non-human manner: as an animal.
These people ‘chose’ to act improperly. If not they’re just animals, (though I will say I’ve known animals who were better than most people in most situations). Some of those “most people” are now being outed as the animals they are, meaning they didn’t “think”, they reacted in a learned or ingrained manner. If ingrained then they were wired wrong or got some wires crossed along the way and “learned” they could act in a manner that neither helped them survive or pro-create, but to feel pleasured. It wouldn’t “pleasure” me, so, I’m not wired the way they are.
November 3, 2017 @ 11:14 am
So it’s like there are different species of humans, and they shouldn’t mix?
Like there are ponies, horses, mules and they aren’t all the same but they look sort of a like, but they are really, really different -and aren’t usually attracted to each other for procreation purposes?
Like hyenas and poodles don’t procreate. Eagle and crows tend to stay away from each other and live nothing like each other.
Crab and shrimp are both bottom feeders and resemble insects…
None of the creatures mentioned above realize they are going to die. Only people do. They say it’s what differentiates us from the others. We have rituals around our dead. What if there were a species of people weren’t able to grasp internally that they were going to… how would they behave, what would they believe the purpose of living was… would the people who just took it for granted, that some day they would die, see the others lack of awareness a form of comedy? Would the humans that didn’t realize that they were going to die be a huge source of confusion and security problems to the others? I wonder.
November 3, 2017 @ 11:40 am
Don’t be absurd. What if frogs had wings?
Humans have an ability think. THAT is what separates them from animals, and if “they” (whoever that is) wants to argue it’s about realizing you’re going to die, bring them on, because I really wanna hear how “they” refute the ability to think over a species that doesn’t realize they’re going to die being able to think.
November 4, 2017 @ 9:32 am
”If ingrained then they were wired wrong or got some wires crossed along the way and “learned” they could act in a manner that neither helped them survive or pro-create, but to feel pleasured. ”
”….got some wires crossed along the way….”
And THIS , if I understand your point DJ, is called addictive behaviour whether inherent or learned . The fact that a pleasure-inducing behaviour may be socially unacceptable or even illegal is something addictive behaviour doesn’t always recognize or abide by . Not to get too deeply into the mechanics of it but once those synaptic paths ( addictive behaviours ) are established they inform our powers of reason …” thinking” .
November 4, 2017 @ 12:52 pm
Addicted is not instinct. Instinct is a reaction, learned or inherent.
Addiction is most often self-induced -action- which often offers pleasure. pleasure: in this case; the bodies and minds ‘response’ (often referred to, inaccurately, as a reaction) to an outside stimulus introduction. The reaction is purely chemical mixtures. Though not to be taken lightly that is just an excuse because that chemical reaction can be avoided by not introducing the stimulus in the first place.
Animals react instinctively to pain and/or pleasure. Period.
Humans have the power to reason (think), therefore respond. They can ‘imagine’ the pain or pleasure. That they don’t doesn’t mean they don’t have it. It means it’s ignored, or justified, or “excused” which is just a word used in an attempt to justify an action or thought.
“Reason” is a ‘sound’ explanation for an event or thought.
Animals learn through repetition what generates good/pleasure, or bad/pain events.
Humans have the power to reason (think) BEFORE they act in order to ‘choose’ good, or bad outcomes of events.
Informing our powers of reason doesn’t equate to following through with action. (that would be influencing our powers of reason causing us to act, or not, situationally)
Being informed allows a choice to those who can reason, which even addicts can do. Animals can re-learn good or bad through repetition, but they can’t “reason” why. Humans can.
These people who exploit their power over others have the ability to know what they’re doing is wrong. It may become an addiction, but, to accept it and excuse it is just as wrong when it causes harm to another. At that point they have to re-think/re-learn, usually through punishment (inflicting pain by whatever source-mental or physical-) that what they ‘allowed’ themselves to do is unacceptable in any circumstance that involves another human or animal.
If they believe what they’re doing to be acceptable then they have crossed wires that has reduced their “pain” analysis and limited it to just ‘their’ pain/pleasure status as worthy of consideration.
That said, we’re all wired differently. But, that doesn’t give anyone of us the right to exploit another and usually adults who do pay the price (eventually, hopefully they do anyway) because those around them are afraid to stand up to the exploitation of others being a problem since it hasn’t seemingly harmed us (the by-standers), though in reality it has once we stop and “think” it through using readily available evidence that allowing it has diminished the bystanders humanity standing vs turning a blind eye, but, by then many have suffered, including bystanders.
Animals don’t have that ability to “think” it through. An animal seeing another animal harmed will usually (unless it’s an off spring) run from the bad it sees until cornered. Yes, humans do that too, but, humans offer excuses for reason of which there are a few and valid, but excuses none the less. Animals just operate on good or bad. Period. It IS what separates us.
November 3, 2017 @ 11:20 am
“necessary predilections?” what’s that. seriously. foot fetishes? dressing up as stuffed animals? drugging and raping? weird middle class problems.
November 7, 2017 @ 8:24 am
“necessary predilections?”’
survival and pro-creation ( see above )
November 2, 2017 @ 6:07 pm
Kurt Webster (or Dirk Diggler, whatever his name is) looks like a sick f**k.
I feel very sorry for this kid.
I hope he has a good career and life.
I have no sympathy for any of these celebrities, journalists etc who make sexual demands on their subordinates.
I think there will be many more to come.
November 2, 2017 @ 11:17 pm
Boy, if Thom Schuyler wants to come out with another update of “16th Avenue” (I think he’s already done one), he could have a doozy. If I were a creative enough writer, I’d try to at least write a first line.
November 3, 2017 @ 4:45 pm
Wait. He performed sexual favors in exchange for magazine articles and publicity? I have a hard time having sympathy for a guy like that. You’re that obsessed with fame and potential stardom that you’d agree to sick shit like that? Wonder what would have happened if someone tried that with Willie or Waylon. My guess is a pistol to the face or an ass-kicking for the ages.
November 3, 2017 @ 4:54 pm
Nobody ever said that he performed sexual favors for anything. This accusation has been levied by numerous folks flying by this story and not taking the time to understand the details. Just because someone OFFERS you something, doesn’t mean you took it. Just because you were sexually assaulted by a man, doesn’t make you gay—not that there’s anything wrong with that.
November 4, 2017 @ 4:50 am
Ok but he kept his mouth shut about everything so as not to have his career “ruined” by this sick bastard. Being assaulted the first time you think would be enough to beat the shit out of the guy. Why stick around after the first time? Someone should have ended this sick bastard a long time ago.
November 4, 2017 @ 7:53 am
Hence, this detailed article explaining why this type of behavior is allowed to persist in a town like Nashville.
November 4, 2017 @ 12:25 pm
”Hence, this detailed article explaining why this type of behavior is allowed to persist in a town like Nashville. ”
……and in any arena where people can feel powerful holding the keys to the doorways to realizing aspirations OR stand to lose that power by ‘ doing the right thing ‘…….
November 7, 2017 @ 3:32 am
Women who speak out against their rapists are immediately innundated with questions regarding their actions, behaviors, lifestyle choices, down to what they were WEARING for Christ sakes… instilling them with guilt and shame ON TOP of the psychological and physical damage they’ve endured. Many survivors compare the trauma of coming forward to being assaulted a second time, it’s no wonder some choose to remain silent.
I can only imagine what the social ramifications of a MAN claiming rape would bring to this already fucked up table. It’s easy to say he should have “beat the shit out of the guy”, if you aren’t the one who was raped.
November 3, 2017 @ 9:03 pm
I find the Harvey Weistein thing atrocious more so because for YEARS people like Corey Feldman had been screaming and asking for help and people like Barbara Walters just shut him down, I believe in part to protect themselves and in part because in this society when it comes to abuse nobody really gives a shit about males.
And even more troubling for me than Weinstein are the people who stood by and did nothing ad I mean all the big names who are now throwing around hashtags and acting shocked and angered. Fuck you. You knew like my family and just turned the other way.
Sorry but I get testy with bystanders who do the whole denial, “better him than me” thing.
On the plus side I LOVE that women are not putting with this BS. They may not being getting played on mainstream radio because of it but frankly I think that is the better deal and pay off. Using your free will to say no thanks I’m going to do this another way you can go blow yourself just makes me love them even more. And I do think that is in part why no women are on country radio or much radio period and has been for some time.
November 5, 2017 @ 5:45 pm
Matt LeBlanc was a country artist?
March 26, 2024 @ 10:56 pm
“Surviving Possession: Inside Kirt Webster’s Twisted Toy Chest” will be released soon, and it will not take any prisoners.