Society's Child

Professor weighs in on David Bowie's statutory rape allegations

Dr. Rebecca Hains
rebeccahains.com
Mon, 11 Jan 2016 20:05 UTC

David Bowie performs in Hilversum, Netherlands on February 13th, 1974. Image by Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns

Today, on the day of David Bowie's death, people have been discussing an upsetting issue: Early in his career, David Bowie statutorily raped young teen girls—the underage "baby groupies" who were an open secret in the rock scene of the 1970s. This was despite the age of consent being 18 in California. (Their scene was the Sunset Strip.)

It's difficult to receive this information while mourning Bowie's death. It's particularly complex to negotiate for those fans who are aware of the complexities of rape culture and who have made a conscious decision to believe women.

The idea that Bowie is a rapist (albeit a statutory one) places him within a broader behind-the-scenes pattern that is not uncommon enough among male stars. Bill Cosby. Roman Polanski. Woody Allen. Mike Tyson. R. Kelly. Michael Jackson. John Lennon. The list of famous men who have raped or battered women or children seems endless. Though these cases vary in significant ways, they all reflect the same underlying problems: criminally predatory behavior and entitlement in men's celebrity culture.

Read the rest of this article here

Comment: Just because someone made well-respected art does not mean their sexual predation towards young girls should be overlooked or excused, even if it was early in their career, and especially when said artist never took responsibility for their actions.

Reader Comments

forestkitty · 2016-01-12T21:58:56Z

no doubt, these celebrities, especially british, are products of the same filth that created saville. why do you think they were propelled to stardom. they were groomed. for future bribe making. but elton john and others will never reveal the truth of that. for their layer of fame and glory is upon them. why would they trade that in for world consciousness. besides, they have many underlings to attend to. just like the nazi's. it's their turn to come out of the closet. and revel in their glory. while the zionists sit back and.....what? and americans sit back and......act all confused.

Highland Fleet Lute · 2016-01-12T22:02:59Z

"Today, on the day of David Bowie's death, people have been discussing an upsetting issue: Early in his career, David Bowie statutorily raped young teen girls—the underage "baby groupies" who were an open secret in the rock scene of the 1970s. This was despite the age of consent being 18 in California. (Their scene was the Sunset Strip.)"

MAYOR OF THE SUNSET STRIP DOCUMENTARY FULL MOVIE RODNEY BINGENHEIMER KIM FOWLEY
daniel distraction....[Link]

The Runaways’ Jackie Fuchs Tells Her Side of Kim Fowley Rape Story....[Link]

Cherie Currie from The Runaways - Full Interview.....[Link]

Highland Fleet Lute · 2016-01-12T23:27:30Z

I've lived most of my life in Brixton. I don't live there anymore. I live on the outskirts of The Square Mile. A short walk from William Blake's grave. A short walk from "The Eagle" pub on The City Road as made famous in the song "Pop Goes The Weasel". A short walk from where notorious East End gangsters The Kray Brothers were arrested. A short walk from the pub The Crown and Anchor where Stalin met Lenin for a beer (I could go on).

Anyway, where I lived in Brixton (on the same street where Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs was born and brought up) was just around the corner from the house where David Bowie was born, number 40 Stansfield Road. The house, long vacated by the Bowies (sorry, 'Joneses'), was then owned by this really old Jamaican guy who was constantly besieged by Bowie tourists. Bowie tourists from Switzerland. Bowie tourists from Norway. Bowie tourists from, well.... wherever, All Ziggy'ed up with Aladdin Sane lightening flash make up, all that stuff. One time I was walking down Stansfield Road and this old guy was out mowing his lawn , muttering under his breath in a broad Jamaican accent "I HATE DAVID BOWIE!!! I HATE DAVID BOWIE!!! I HATE DAVID BOWIE!!!.

LOL.

adjacent · 2016-01-13T00:38:20Z

Brixton was always an area of trouble, wasn't it ?

Winston Smith · 2016-01-13T05:56:38Z

Cool post, HFL

I dig it when folks provide personal perspectives that bring new info to the mix, adding flavor or insights otherwise unavailable or unknown. Cheers!

WS

Joan · 2016-01-13T00:21:09Z

I had a talk with my sister a couple of days ago, she told me she was in tears regarding the death of David Bowie. Cant understand why. Then she told me about the Canadian astronaut, couldn't tell me the name, that broadcasted his memorable song. Space Oddity, y'know, Ground Control to Master Tom...Hm

(my sister is not very enlightened, I try, but a lost cause, I have come to the conclusion she is an authoritarian follower).

Was there some truth in the drug filled euphoria he lived in at the time, regarding Major Tom, I don't know. But instead of living tin cans, I know for sure we live in "Little Boxes"

[Link]

For me this adulation of celebrity created persona is nauseating. I mean get real what did he actually do for society, did serve as an example.

He was a product of the drug induced euphoria at that time, in which the persona of David Bowie was created.

adjacent · 2016-01-13T00:36:40Z

Indeed. I've never liked any of Bowie's songs. The guy was on cocaine 24/7.

Highland Fleet Lute · 2016-01-13T03:05:26Z

"The guy was on cocaine 24/7."

Indeed he was, at least in the seventies he was.

Bowie coked out of his brains on The Dick Cavett Show 1974....[Link]

It was my sense that Bowie, or at least a large part of him, probably died in about 1979.

"I've never liked any of Bowie's songs."

Mixed bag. I've always liked side two of "Low" and the instrumental tracks from "Heroes".

Per example...[Link]

Idon'tcare · 2016-01-13T04:53:27Z

You peopel are sick.

The man's barely dead and put into the ground and already you, the scum of the earth, starts trying to tarnish his name with the same old baseless accusations of rape and drug abuse.

Does it make you feel better?

Does it make your worthless failures of a life look better in comparison?

Winston Smith · 2016-01-13T07:21:09Z

Hey, guy.....

I dug Bowie, too, man. My brother, a professional drummer, turned me on to him and his music in the early 70's. We especially loved the soaring propulsive guitar of Mick Ronson, when he and Bowie later teamed up for some of the best rock goin' back then. Just awesome stuff. I'm with ya there, pal.

But when we start calling other posters and commenters 'scum' and such, and start leveling personal attacks and name calling when others merely express their displeasure or disgust at someone or something we especially enjoy, I believe we cross an invisible line and bring SOTT down a big notch, at least IMHO. A response that strongly refutes their views, even if a wee bit harshly, is fully understandable, and I would submit, completely acceptable.

But leveling personal attacks? Name calling? Dude, that's uncool and way beneath you. Again, I liked Bowie and loved much of his music. He was a true talent on many levels (see the movie, "Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence", in which I thought he was pretty darn impressive.) And I'm bummed out, too, that he is suddenly gone. I feel your pain. But others don't, and that's cool, too. And maybe they even hated the guy, despised his music and him personally. But that's what freedom of speech is about. Differing opinions.

Hey, if someone calls you a name, insults you personally or insinuates something vile, obnoxious or despicable about you or those of a group you belong to, especially if utterly unfairly, I believe you are 100% entitled to respond in kind with absolute thermonuclear annihilation, no holds barred. They invited it. Don't start nothing, and you won't get nothing, is my view. But no matter how deeply sad we are at the loss of an artist who may have been very important to us, calling fellow SOTT posters here 'scum of the earth' and getting very personal, when you are not under attack personally, well, again, I just feel that's not too cool. Again, just my opinion, which ain't worth much, I know.

But please also know I'm with you on Bowie. He was a real talent. And no matter what anyone may think of the guy for whatever reason, he certainly made a lot of folks very happy with his musical genius and wild stage persona that I and countless others found fabulously entertaining when rock was rock, and we were all much younger, in likely happier times for all.

Peace, bro.

(And I think it's about time I went down, cranked up my stereo rig, and blasted "Suffragette City" until the neighbors complain.... or come join me for a "Let's celebrate Bowie" party.)

Highland Fleet Lute · 2016-01-13T09:19:55Z

"I dug Bowie, too, man. My brother, a professional drummer, turned me on to him and his music in the early 70's. We especially loved the soaring propulsive guitar of Mick Ronson."

One of Bowie's most peculiar facilities (at least in his Seventies heyday) was this knack of "drawing music" out of other people through his collaborations: Mick Ronson, Mike Garson, Brian Eno, Robert Fripp, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed etc, as if providing a "crack in the sky" where the muse action could bleed through. With regard to that and much else about Bowie, I think it's interesting that he had a lot of schizophrenia in his family....

“David’s mother, Peggy, a former cinema usher, was more colorful. According to several reliable witnesses and institutional records, there was more than a streak of mental instability in her family. Bowie’s Aunt Una suffered from clinical depression and schizophrenia, underwent electric shock treatment and died in her late 30s. A second aunt, Vivienne, suffered a schizophrenic attack, and a third, Nora, was lobotomized in an effort to cure what her mother described as ‘bad nerves’.

Unfortunately, the family “condition”, as it was known, was again at work. In his mid-20s, Terry, David's half brother, was diagnosed as a manic depressive and schizophrenic, and was eventually institutionalized. One snowy morning in January 1985, he climbed over the wall of a psychiatric hospital in Surrey and walked to the nearby station, where he lay down on the track directly in the path of the oncoming London express train.

Terry was 47. David didn’t attend the funeral but sent a wreath of roses and a card which read: “You’ve seen more things than we could imagine but all these moments will be lost, like tears washed away by the rain. God bless you - David.”....[Link]

lysna · 2016-01-13T10:53:05Z

Hey that's what makes great music..Schizophrenia, drugs, drugs & alcohol that induce it...But obviously nothing beats the real deal..
Ask Syd Barrett..listen to Pink Floyd..
Pure artistic GENIUS..
Man there's nothing like thinking you're on The Dark Side of the Moon.
Now think about Life on Mars..Bowie knew didn't he..
With a sprinkle of white Stardust..

Highland Fleet Lute · 2016-01-13T11:23:03Z

Syd Barrett was the first rock musician to use the William Burroughs/Brion Gysin "cut up" method of writing lyrics. Bowie used cut-ups for most of his songs from about "Diamond Dogs" onwards. People have argued that using cut-ups is actually a cut-price way of "channeling".

I must say I don't think much of Bowie's lyrics. Then again, I don't like rock music lyrics much anyway. I prefer tunes.

Highland Fleet Lute · 2016-01-13T11:28:33Z

"Brixton was always an area of trouble, wasn't it ?"

Brixton was made famous by the riots in 1981, which to this day have informed The Metropolitan Police of how far they can push people (this writer was in attendance)....[Link]

...but Brixton has been a thousand different places at different times. It was originally built as a kind of theatreland for the well-to-do. By the 1960's and 70's it was a bit of a poor area. In the the 1980's and 1990's it became pretty much party central. Today it's looking a little bit more gentrified than what I was used to.

Did you know?....

Vincent Van Gogh lived in Brixton.

Electric Avenue in Brixton was the first street in London to have electric lighting.

Brixton has its own currency. The Brixton £10 note has a picture of David Bowie on it and the £20 has a picture of local girl Violette Szabo (Violette Reine Elizabeth Szabo, GC (née Bushell; 26 June 1921 – c. 5 February 1945) was a French-born English Special Operations Executive agent during the Second World War, and a posthumous recipient of the George Cross. On her second mission into occupied France, Szabo was captured by the German Army, interrogated and tortured, and deported to Germany where she was eventually executed at Ravensbrück concentration camp.)...[Link]

After WWII Brixton gained a large West Indian population. When the first Jamaican immigrants arrived on The Empire Windrush they were housed in a huge underground bomb shelter (built during WWI to protect the populace against zeppelin raids) spanning Effra Road, Brixton Hill and Brixton Water Lane. Brixton Water Lane is allegedly the spot where Sir Walter Raleigh (bless) threw down his cape for Elizabeth I.

Famous song with the word "Brixton" in it....[Link]

Highland Fleet Lute · 2016-01-13T12:32:07Z

Elvis Presley - Black Star 1960....[Link]

lysna · 2016-01-13T12:56:50Z

Wow how the heck did you get so much info on little old forgotten Brixton..Amazing.
Oh c'mon you have to listen to the lyrics on The Dark Side of the Moon album by Pink Floyd.
They're brilliant & the whole album is a masterpiece.
Listening to Elvis again singing Black Star I cant help noticing how much he tries to sound like Billy Idol..
Yes I know who copy's who just having some fun.
The smirk & all...
The cut-up method of extracting lyrics is an interesting concept & works quiet well.
I've used it my self at times when it didn't matter what I was actually singing about & it seemed to mean a lot of different things to different people.
Me included

nedlud · 2016-01-13T13:25:01Z

major tom to ground control

I think statutory lyrics should be outlawed.

And professors put in the dust bin.

And swept out with all the white yuppie puppy and other miscellaneous trash.

No, I don't particularly like David Bowie, a few songs were good. Little doubt he had musical talent.

But I like Rebecca Hains even less. She has no talent, except to repeat her statutory (government) lyrics.....'til death claims her too.

'Major Tom', out

adjacent · 2016-01-13T14:10:34Z

Thanx for the info HFL. I was in the U.K. in 1981, saw the riots in Brixton on T.V. , that's why I asked.

ancientbird66 · 2016-01-13T14:31:00Z

Distressing??? WTF???

How can we, as fans, process such distressing information, particularly when it arises in social media conversations simultaneous to our mourning a widely loved figure?

"Oh MY GOD !!! David Bowie banged a few groupies in the 70,s??? I cant deal........where are my meds ? Where is my shrink?............Im going to have to call in sick today at work.....maybe all week. Christ !!! and now its all over Face Book????? I dont think I can go on now............this is too much.

Honestly............I guess this professor assumes none of us have any type of "real life" of our own............sorry but Im more concerned when a family member gets the flu.

Highland Fleet Lute · 2016-01-13T14:53:18Z

"Oh c'mon you have to listen to the lyrics on The Dark Side of the Moon album by Pink Floyd. "

Well that's you, man. Not me.

Some people like brussel sprouts. Some people like Marmite. Some people like both. Some people like neither.

I personally am not all that interested in rock lyrics. I prefer to sift, Just take the music as food and process my own impressions.

Having said that, every language has its own music. I don't speak German. But the German version of Bowie's "Heroes" is far superior to the English version, according to me....[Link]

Talking about William Burroughs cut-ups and the like I always thought The Aphex Twin Bowie/Philip Glass Soundclash of "Heroes" was quite something....[Link]

lysna · 2016-01-13T15:38:54Z

Well I hope you tried brussel sprouts, marmite ..might even taste good together. lol
I just find very often music often paints its own picture by design too.
You can't look at things as rock lyrics or rap lyrics..They're words of communication as is poetry or what were doing now.
I can easily write lyrics on the topic were on now & put them in any genre
Why would that matter.
Or write a classical piece ( wish I could ) to try & portray the story or mood in a way I would like you to interpret it.
Obviously we're not all the same so in the end you may not understand the message behind the music.
But that's life..My view & your view..hopefully we see each others points.
If not who cares.
All the best

lysna · 2016-01-13T15:51:12Z

Thanks for the links HFL..interesting I haven't heard them before.
In the German version I can feel the tension/angst a lot better in the music even though I know the English lyrics to the song.

Jean Michel · 2016-01-13T15:54:50Z

Egad, statutory "rape" is absolutely a sham, in my opinion. Culturally there are many places where it is perfectly legitimate to marry a girl of 14 years. For many different reasons varying societies have deemed that a girl is ready for an "adult" relationship once her body has begun to enter puberty.

We have been culturally trained to believe that an arbitrary age like 18 is a magical gateway when a girl becomes a woman. I personally know 18 year old girls and I know 14 year old women, the physical development aside, psychological development is completely independent of age. There is a certain level of political fascism involved in claims of statutory "rape".

In my opinion, consent is all that matters. Everyone must own the choices that they make in life. Coming out and making claims of rape against any person post-humously is a practice in social masturbation.

There is absolutely nothing positive in these claims, especially considering that they were supposedly perpetrated decades ago.

How many girls of that time period were developing sexually at an early age? Just after the decade of "free love"?

Highland Fleet Lute · 2016-01-13T15:59:34Z

My point of view is this: I like music. I like tunes, chords, tones, atmospheres, choruses, middle-eights. harmonies, rhythms, counter-rhythms..

I've got my own mind and I don't want any bloody sermons from Bowie, Waters, Lennon, Dylan, Zappa, Wagner or whomever.else..

lysna · 2016-01-13T16:14:17Z

OK than you missed my point ..but no matter ..of everything being a message or a sermon.
Words can be beautiful, exciting, mesmerizing, amusing, lonely, loving, motivating & so on so I don't dismiss them easily & can create a mood as good as any music.
And not much wrong having a listen to what others preach at times whether we agree or not.
Opens the mind.
I'm in no way talking about cheap mandatory pop lyrics from Bowie or anyone.

Highland Fleet Lute · 2016-01-13T16:31:05Z

"All art constantly aspires to the condition of music" - Walter Pater.

lysna · 2016-01-13T16:34:07Z

Good sermon & interesting point

RedMan · 2016-01-13T18:45:43Z

In

the 70's I saw 13 year old girls that looked at least 18, they sure wouldn't tell you the truth either.

Highland Fleet Lute · 2016-01-13T18:56:34Z

For some reason, a lot of people in environs of SOTT seem to look to post-Syd Floyd for some kind of artistic moral compass, but it's well known that at least two of the Floyd had worse coke-huffing habits than Bowie, and I wouldn't know for sure, but I'd be surprised if they weren't into indiscriminate tits n' arse like any other Seventies rockers.

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Society's Child

Professor weighs in on David Bowie's statutory rape allegations

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