Ben Taylor: Purveyor of Rape Culture

<p> <style type="text/css"> P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }</style> </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in">[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"drupalimc_large","fid":"8098","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","typeof":"foaf:Image"}}]]</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Do you know this guy?</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Need a hint? He's a perpetuator of rape culture.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in"> <style type="text/css"> P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }</style> </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times-Roman, serif"><font size="3">On Friday, June 28th, eight Rochester activists met musician Ben Taylor outside The Little Theatre during the tail end of the <a href="http://www.rochesterjazz.com/artist_lineup/?artist_id=880">Rochester International Jazz Festival</a>. Taylor, the son of famed musicians James Taylor and Carly Simon, in recent years, has been attempting to find a place in the spotlight by writing inflammatory lyrics without substantial artistic merit. The activists aimed to meet his audience at the door to educate them and passersby about the glorification of rape culture present in Taylor's lyrics, specifically in his song "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrpYBm1inNs">Wicked Ways</a>.” Their goal was to ultimately influence people to avoid his show and stand in solidarity with those affected by sexual violence.</font></font></font></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in">[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"drupalimc_large","fid":"8099","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","typeof":"foaf:Image"}}]]</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times-Roman, serif"><font size="3">Taylor appeared on WXXI's 1370 Connection radio show on Thursday the 27th, where he played his song, "Wicked Ways.” In this song, Taylor explicitly illustrates his desire to get an attractive woman intoxicated so that he can "have [his] wicked way with [her]." He even warns the woman; "don’t you fight it/ 'cause I know you’re gonna like it.” A female caller raised her concern about the references to date rape in the song, and Taylor dismissed the concern by stating that the song is "only a joke,” and that he was using sarcasm. He told the caller that if she saw him playing the song, she'd see him laughing as he sang, which should verify to her that it's just a joke. The caller pointed out to him that an audience can't see him through the radio, and Taylor quickly dismissed her by saying that it isn't his fault when an audience interprets his lyrics differently from the way he intended. The host followed up by announcing that the interview was over, never having taken a critical approach to Taylor. </font></font></font></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times-Roman, serif"><font size="3">Taylor's dismissal of the caller's concern, as well as his apparent ignorance to his perpetuation of rape culture in his lyrics, inspired a Rochester activist to organize a protest outside Taylor's two Friday evening shows at The Little Theatre. The activists took to the street with lyrics sheets to pass out to ticket holders who waited in line as well as passersby, and signs with rape statistics and messages to directly address Taylor's misogyny. After reading the lyrics, about 25 people told the activists they had reconsidered their choice to see Taylor's show. Many people the activists spoke with outside the theatre were surprised at Taylor's material, while a small minority heckled the activists. </font></font></font></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in">[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"drupalimc_large","fid":"8100","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","typeof":"foaf:Image"}}]]</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times-Roman, serif"><font size="3">Shortly before the second show began, a highly intoxicated Taylor came out of the theatre to confront the activists, calling out, "Tell me how I'm a misogynist!" The activists explained to him that, given the current statistic of 1 in 6 women falling victim to rape in her lifetime, making jokes about or glorifying rape is intolerable. The activists explained that he had entered a community with a rich history of women's rights and that he needed to respect that by leaving "Wicked Ways" out of his set list. Taylor expressed that women are his "stars and moon," and that rape is a "disgusting" tragedy, but that the activists were misunderstanding him and his lyrics, and that he is not responsible for that misunderstanding. The confrontation turned slightly aggressive when Taylor grabbed lyrics sheets out of the hand of one activist and declared that he would pass them out and turn people away from his show, himself. He then insisted that his staff take a group photo of himself with the activists. The activists uncomfortable accepted, then Taylor ended the conversation to play his second set. </font></font></font></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times-Roman, serif"><font size="3">According to a member of the audience who was present for his second show, Taylor expressed that he was saddened that people had interpreted his lyrics too literally instead of viewing them through the lens of popular culture. Taylor is just one of many members of popular culture who perpetuate rape culture without understanding what that really means, or why it's a problem, but the fact that his act was called upon for the Rochester International Jazz Festival, which is typically viewed as a family event, is truly questionable.</font></font></font></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in">[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"drupalimc_large","fid":"8101","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","typeof":"foaf:Image"}}]]</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in">&nbsp;</p>

<p><style type="text/css"> <!--/*--><![CDATA[/* ><!--*/ P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } /*--><!]]>*/ </style></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><div class="media media-element-container media-drupalimc_large"><div id="file-8098" class="file file-image file-image-jpeg"> <h2 class="element-invisible"><a href="/file/8098">ben taylor 4.jpg</a></h2> <div class="content"> <a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/sites/default/files/ben%20taylor%204.jpg?width=500&amp;height=500" class="colorbox-load" alt=""><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://rochester.indymedia.org/sites/default/files/styles/drupalimc_large/public/ben%20taylor%204.jpg?itok=ePhYkGa9" alt="" title="" /></a> </div> </div> </div></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Do you know this guy?</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Need a hint? He's a perpetuator of rape culture.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"> <style type="text/css"> <!--/*--><![CDATA[/* ><!--*/ P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } /*--><!]]>*/ </style></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times-Roman, serif"><font size="3">On Friday, June 28th, eight Rochester activists met musician Ben Taylor outside The Little Theatre during the tail end of the <a href="http://www.rochesterjazz.com/artist_lineup/?artist_id=880">Rochester International Jazz Festival</a>. Taylor, the son of famed musicians James Taylor and Carly Simon, in recent years, has been attempting to find a place in the spotlight by writing inflammatory lyrics without substantial artistic merit. The activists aimed to meet his audience at the door to educate them and passersby about the glorification of rape culture present in Taylor's lyrics, specifically in his song "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrpYBm1inNs">Wicked Ways</a>.” Their goal was to ultimately influence people to avoid his show and stand in solidarity with those affected by sexual violence.</font></font></font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><div class="media media-element-container media-drupalimc_large"><div id="file-8099" class="file file-image file-image-jpeg"> <h2 class="element-invisible"><a href="/file/8099">ben taylor 1.jpg</a></h2> <div class="content"> <a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/sites/default/files/ben%20taylor%201.jpg?width=500&amp;height=500" class="colorbox-load" alt=""><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://rochester.indymedia.org/sites/default/files/styles/drupalimc_large/public/ben%20taylor%201.jpg?itok=_od_TOQI" alt="" title="" /></a> </div> </div> </div></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times-Roman, serif"><font size="3">Taylor appeared on WXXI's 1370 Connection radio show on Thursday the 27th, where he played his song, "Wicked Ways.” In this song, Taylor explicitly illustrates his desire to get an attractive woman intoxicated so that he can "have [his] wicked way with [her]." He even warns the woman; "don’t you fight it/ 'cause I know you’re gonna like it.” A female caller raised her concern about the references to date rape in the song, and Taylor dismissed the concern by stating that the song is "only a joke,” and that he was using sarcasm. He told the caller that if she saw him playing the song, she'd see him laughing as he sang, which should verify to her that it's just a joke. The caller pointed out to him that an audience can't see him through the radio, and Taylor quickly dismissed her by saying that it isn't his fault when an audience interprets his lyrics differently from the way he intended. The host followed up by announcing that the interview was over, never having taken a critical approach to Taylor. </font></font></font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times-Roman, serif"><font size="3">Taylor's dismissal of the caller's concern, as well as his apparent ignorance to his perpetuation of rape culture in his lyrics, inspired a Rochester activist to organize a protest outside Taylor's two Friday evening shows at The Little Theatre. The activists took to the street with lyrics sheets to pass out to ticket holders who waited in line as well as passersby, and signs with rape statistics and messages to directly address Taylor's misogyny. After reading the lyrics, about 25 people told the activists they had reconsidered their choice to see Taylor's show. Many people the activists spoke with outside the theatre were surprised at Taylor's material, while a small minority heckled the activists. </font></font></font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><div class="media media-element-container media-drupalimc_large"><div id="file-8100" class="file file-image file-image-jpeg"> <h2 class="element-invisible"><a href="/file/8100">ben taylor 3.jpg</a></h2> <div class="content"> <a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/sites/default/files/ben%20taylor%203.jpg?width=500&amp;height=500" class="colorbox-load" alt=""><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://rochester.indymedia.org/sites/default/files/styles/drupalimc_large/public/ben%20taylor%203.jpg?itok=jeP6_1Uh" alt="" title="" /></a> </div> </div> </div></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times-Roman, serif"><font size="3">Shortly before the second show began, a highly intoxicated Taylor came out of the theatre to confront the activists, calling out, "Tell me how I'm a misogynist!" The activists explained to him that, given the current statistic of 1 in 6 women falling victim to rape in her lifetime, making jokes about or glorifying rape is intolerable. The activists explained that he had entered a community with a rich history of women's rights and that he needed to respect that by leaving "Wicked Ways" out of his set list. Taylor expressed that women are his "stars and moon," and that rape is a "disgusting" tragedy, but that the activists were misunderstanding him and his lyrics, and that he is not responsible for that misunderstanding. The confrontation turned slightly aggressive when Taylor grabbed lyrics sheets out of the hand of one activist and declared that he would pass them out and turn people away from his show, himself. He then insisted that his staff take a group photo of himself with the activists. The activists uncomfortable accepted, then Taylor ended the conversation to play his second set. </font></font></font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times-Roman, serif"><font size="3">According to a member of the audience who was present for his second show, Taylor expressed that he was saddened that people had interpreted his lyrics too literally instead of viewing them through the lens of popular culture. Taylor is just one of many members of popular culture who perpetuate rape culture without understanding what that really means, or why it's a problem, but the fact that his act was called upon for the Rochester International Jazz Festival, which is typically viewed as a family event, is truly questionable.</font></font></font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><div class="media media-element-container media-drupalimc_large"><div id="file-8101" class="file file-image file-image-jpeg"> <h2 class="element-invisible"><a href="/file/8101">ben taylor2.jpg</a></h2> <div class="content"> <a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/sites/default/files/ben%20taylor2.jpg?width=500&amp;height=500" class="colorbox-load" alt=""><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://rochester.indymedia.org/sites/default/files/styles/drupalimc_large/public/ben%20taylor2.jpg?itok=A39st2yB" alt="" title="" /></a> </div> </div> </div></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"> </p>