Dear Vault members, friends, family, and associated members of the Peanut Gallery,
Your old friend Ben Swank here.... A couple of weeks ago I sent a small letter to a site express my distaste for the manner in which they were using and manipulating our materials which then exploded into a bit of an online kerfuffle. We were accused of censorship, harassment, Big Brother tactics (the book not the show) and generally being really bad people who hate Freedom Of Expression. I'd like to copy and paste that letter here below for you all:
We respect your right to speak freely. We also exercise this right ourselves, which is what we're about to do here. Here goes... We can no longer watch your Tumblr blog exist without pointing out the racism and sexism that is inherent to its content.
We realize that the tone of your site is humorous, and we sure do love to laugh, but the posts on your blog are often no more than literary black face, and it frustrates us to have Third Man-related content used with this mocking tone. Throw in the racist jab or two about Asians and a few dozen decidedly anti-feminist posts, and what we have is a blog full of negative and unproductive contributions to society.
This letter won't begin to address the libel your site perpetuates, of which there is quite a lot.
We can't ask you to take down your parody account, nor would we try, but let it be known that you offend us in every way.
A couple points if I may:
1. I never asked them to remove or censor their content in any way
2. I understand they considered their site a 'parody'. Still offensive. And this is the first time I've ever done something like this. It was the usage of our materials in that way and seeing it spread around the internet that got me to a place where I needed to say something.
I am a person that believes greatly in self expression and privacy. I want fans to have places online where they can discuss anything they like regarding Third Man without fear of our ire or scrutiny. But I've not said anything about this for a few years, but I'm going to go ahead and say this now... There is a strikingly (dare I say eerie) similar tone between those rants on that tumblr site to a lot of comments you see all over the internet whenever articles are posted about Olivia Jean or other female TMR-associated artists, same tone and phraseology that existed on this Black Belles hate-blog that used to exist, and the same tone and language used from this slightly unhinged person who emails me directly 20 or more times a day who thinks she (SHE being the woman sending the emails) is in a relationship with Jack White and who wants nothing more then to ruin Olivia Jean's career. What I'm saying is this could likely be one person working under different names and log ins (we have confirmation from our webmaster and other media outlets and websites that these originate from the same IP address) and what they are doing is embarrassing and irresponsible. This is all just to say that the internet is many things. A lot of those things are amazing, but there's a side of the internet where people can act in an anonymous and abhorrent manner that they would never act in real life and I hate to see other people exposed to, and believe, some of the hate and negativity that is espoused out there in the online vortex... Especially when so much of what is being said is based on falsehoods, conjecture and half-truths.
To be clear I very much encourage open discourse regarding music and criticism. I get that not everybody likes everything Third Man releases musically, we travel in a lot of musical worlds and not everything is for everyone. If this was about music in any way, then I would get it. But myself, I'm not a person who can stand watching cruelty based on racism, sexism, misogyny, homophobia, or how people look or dress. We all have freedom of expression. I'm all for it. I hope it can remain positive and stimulating, but that's not always the case and sometimes when it gets to be too much I'm going to express my freedom of expression and say so. Just like I'm doing now.
This is likely something people want to discuss further. I welcome it. Please leave comments and I'll check in and reply. I'll also try and make myself available on Vault chat to talk more if people want to.
thanks for your time and understanding,
Swank
Sometimes you just have to take a deep breath and consider the source……..The Internet has given the ignorant and unenlightened a much wider platform than they ever had. I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion, If we bother to pay any attention to them, aren’t we giving them what they want?
With regards to Olivia and Karen and Alison and the Alabama Shakes Front woman and Loretty and Wanda and Laura Marling and Secret Sisters and Smoke Fairies and Lillie Mae and those Peacock Darlings and Lanie and whoever that Burlesque Lady was and those Belles and the 5678s and Sara Romweber and the Employees and the Twins and the dialectician and the Hex Chick and the old lady on the cover of the two trees single and the drummer of the Gories and Rachel and Ashley Monroe and and and any professional woman who is tired of being used as a faceless nameless commodity for the sake of choosing a career in entertainment… My hat is always off to them as career women… As individuals its none of anyones business how they choose to lead their lives obviously as we have seen … If they choose some public form of expression to voice an opinion then it is a defining moment which is a split second in comparison with their callouses and and lonely pursuit of that individual voice and face hovering above a crowd… No One Person is likely the anonymous wave of dissent or the sole organizer of a lynch mob… That job is MOST LIKELY the job of a general or sergeant at arms who craves another war in hopes of stirring the passion and the coffers with a rattle of his saber… Shall we stop f@$king for peace now and start replacing bullets with flowers ??? Its clear to me now where the ammunition comes from now that i looked in over at the transcriptswirl and saw fans called whores and every other base name on thus blue earth… for all those needing to take a side here please Get Well Soon while the rest of us turn up the volume of some TMR release that sets us from from all these Bully Pulpit Prognostication
honestly…. swank is tossing one lady against another lady saying that its …likely… that she is to blame for ruining the career of a lady who calls paying customers lazy motherf&@kers…. and furtherspreads the chivalry by trying to further imply that the other ladies of TMR have been slandered as well… i dont think this is one of TMRs more chivalrous moments…. quite to the contrary its a personal moment of putting ones mouth before ones professionalism at the sake of stooping to mention some jackhood piracy on an entirely different page… its no better that the vault chat negative nancies with all their false faces
Well said, Mr. Swank. I like how you all protect your artist, especially the ladies. Chivalry still exists. And yes, I’m a feminist.
Amen Swank!
People need to develop a minimal, healthy relationship to the screens in their lives. Go outside and breath some fresh air. Get some sun and exercise people. :) Yikes. (I of course am speaking about the people mentioned above in Swanks post; not the people below commenting. Just to be clear) ;)
Seriously all this and people are trying to argue. A bit of white stripes advice here. Why can’t you be nicer to me? We are all people can’t we just try and be courteous to each other. You know that saying you don’t understand unless you walk a mile in another person’s shoes. We all have life outside of here and deal with our own things. A little kindnesses can make a huge difference in a person’s day or life. Little things you may do or say can have a much bigger impact than you think. Make that impact a positive one. We need to think before we speak with our fingers as we would with our mouths. Have a beautiful day every one play a song that make you happy, spread a little love. Pass it on pay it forward. Give and you shall receive.
Thus sayeth Jack White…
remember to read when you can remember to listen when you can don’t spread hate on the internet, i know you can don’t spread hate anonymously either spread positivity and talk about MUSIC and ART discuss your bands, their songs, the lyrics, the poetry, the equipment they use to make a sound the paintings you’ve seen, the people you’ve met that have turned you on donald trump is the one spreading hate and should be known for that face people look at people look at what they create use your power to create if you can’t draw, or write, or sing, you can create goodness you can create positivity that doesn’t mean people can walk all over you and you take it there are times to fight the good fight and stand up for what’s right that’s not spreading negativity whatever you type do it as if the person your referring to is standing right next to you in the room when you type it and see how different it comes out take you and your friends back to the moments of letting music take over your mind lay on your stomach on the carpet and look at an albums artwork and listen with your friends, after work, after school it’s hard to compete with a video game or the internet, music doesn’t stand a chance against all those flashy toys they have a purpose, but music shouldn’t suffer from them all of it should make music better, more creative music is sacred have a good day
Back atcha Brenda! Hey, peace be with evEryone, right?? (What a quantum load off that would be, phewww.) Look for the lovely little synchronicities in your day today. And let’s all listen to DODGE & BURN