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
Thank you, Ben Swank. demystification=healthy | speaking against injustice & malice=courageous Cool, these.
Silence is NOT golden – it is merely. . . silence. (Where would music be if this aphorism were true?) And the inexplicable, blind cleaving to this one tiny little aphorism has done more damage world over, throughout time, than anyone can possibly calculate. Speaking out against the bogey is rarely easy, comfortable, or fun.
[User discretion advised]
Go TM. and yes, we are very very privileged here as members. Mallory McClain and Alexis in particular have expressed this so well in their comments. Well done.
i think this guy got it right 2 pages back: Hate is spread like a mad disease everyday on the Internet. this isn’t the first page to express some kind of hate… I’m not saying that being racist or sexist is acceptable, because it flat out isn’t, but your need to involve yourself in this obviously spans from something much deeper. The truth of the matter is, you didn’t like what IfJackWhiteWereHood was saying… And that’s all well, but at least admit it. The fact that you care what one person is saying on the Internet shows your character. You can’t produce someone like Olivia Jean, who doesn’t mind calling people “worthless f@&ks,” and chastise someone else for perpetuating hate. I love Jack, and I really like what TMR is doing for music, but I can’t ignore the sad truth that drama gravitates towards ThirdmanRecords.. And I have to believe that it has to do with those who run the show.. I’m happy to debate this. I think a positive conversation is important. ….. GoodLordJC
Why do people think this is a lady??? That site was run by a guy….
BRAVO!!! I’m glad somebody said something! I’ve seen some pretty nasty things said about Olivia that are just disturbing that whomever the cowardly “lady”(I use that term loosely for that “person”)
I’ve had the honor of meeting and talking to Olivia and think she is so awesome and fun to talk to. We talked about our favorite punk bands and her amazing talent. I adore her to say the least.
For those that gain some kind of sick pleasure in putting themselves in a “relationship” with Jack, I say, “Check into reality, and get a life!”
Sorry, I hate to rant, but I’m with you Mr. Swank.
I think all of you at TMR are the nicest folks and go the extra mile for your fans. I got the sweetest birthday letter from you guys in April, and it made my birthday extra special.
Love from Danelle in Tulsa, OK. ❤️
Mr. Swank, I firmly believe life would be horribly boring if we all agreed on everything. This is the first time I have ever spoken my mind in a TMR thread where I wasn’t discussing art, and it’s definitely out of my system, as you put it. Thanks for the opportunity to address my concerns. I’m now on to awaiting my copies of Dodge and Burn, and participating in apropos discussions regarding the art you all produce. Cheers.
86 comments and not one “CANT WE ALL JUST GET ALONG!?” I’m shocked. Cheers to the 10 minutes of my life I can’t get back. Happy Tuesday. T minus 3 days until I can listen to the new Dead Weather album in my car!
I think a lot of people tend to forget that those in the public eye are actual people, with personalities and emotions too. Just because their job puts them in the spotlight doesn’t mean that they owe anyone anything. The fact that many of the TMR folks are as accessible, open and engaging with their fans as they are goes far and above what they have to do. I think that perceived intimacy might lead some people to take things too far and develop a sense of entitlement. Online anonymity and echo-chambers seem to exacerbate this. While I wouldn’t necessarily advocate for feeding the trolls, I absolutely support the message Ben has shared here.
Man I wish we new what @Quizze thought on the subject….oh wait she has already posted 15 times on this topic.
Here’s hoping for another 15.
Appreciate the post Ben. I have met some great people through TMR over the past year alone, but I have also encountered some unhinged ones. To second DeadWeatherDenver, I too have been personally harassed by someone actively commenting on this very thread. The mere fact that these same people seem to show up to complain on every post and forum just goes to show that TMR isn’t out to censor or blacklist anyone. I have never gotten a “censorship vibe” from TMR, ever. There are always going to be a few bad apples that try to spoil the bunch, but I try my best to shrug them off because for the most part I think this is still a community of mature, music-loving folks.
As a woman in the music business, I really appreciate this post. I never understood the outpouring of hate that OJ received, and it has nothing to do with her character. After talking to her a few times, it’s obvious to notice that she’s such a sweet and kindhearted person. She doesn’t deserve anything hat she received. Unless the world somehow collectively wakes up and realizes it’s flaws, there’s still going to be sexism within the industry. It sucks, and it’s disheartening, but I feel like this post gives hope to myself and other women trying to have a fair shot. It’s great to see a label standing behind its women musicians, and not just letting assholes on the internet win. Thank you.