CBC cuts Jian Ghomeshi loose

Lawyer & author Reva Seth has just posted this story:

Why I Can't Remain Silent About What Jian Did to Me

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/reva-seth/reva-seth-jian-ghomeshi_b_6077296...

terrytowel wrote:

The PR firm that Jian hired to help him during this scandal has announced he is no longer a client of theirs.

Yes.  I just saw the story on Global.  Here it is:

October 30, 2014, Global News

PR firm Navigator no longer representing Jian Ghomeshi

http://globalnews.ca/news/1645551/pr-firm-no-longer-representing-jian-gh...

Good for Bill Blair

Lets hope Jian offs himself and saves everyone heartache

Rock-it Promotions, Ghomeshi’s long-time publicity company, also dropped him as a client Thursday afternoon:

Going forward, rock-it promotions will no longer be representing Jian Ghomeshi. We won't be responding to or receiving media requests.

https://twitter.com/rockitpromo/status/527926831572602880

mark_alfred, can you please stop posting cartoons on this very sensitve topic. They're not funny.

By the way, in case it's not obvious to everyone, chances are there was a camera hidden in "Big Ears Teddy."

Bacchus, I should have said something before when I removed your earlier comment, but musing about who you wish would commit suicide is not on here. Please don't.

Maysie wrote:

Women warned each other? So, any woman who dated him was asking for it?Knew what he did and therefore was into it? Are You Fucking Kidding Me? Like everyone this happened to already was able to warn and defer all 20 something interns at the CBC, or wherever else he looked for dates/victims?

There has been a lot said about how Toronto women of a certain class have cultivated a common knowledge about Jian and his habits. There was that excellent piece cited above, by oda I think, called "Do you know about Jian?" I find these ground-level protections against sexual predators to be quite powerful, actually -- because the institutions that are supposed to protect vunerable people -- the courts, the police, the media -- have abjectly failed. And so it has been up to women to create their own systems of communication and reportage. It reminds me of the whispers that warned sex workers in the DTES that Robert Pickton was a bad date. It also reminds me that gossip, historically, has been a denigrated form of communication that servants, women and effeminate men primarliy use to discuss what kinds of people there are in the world. This time around, gossip was a very powerful, subversive and counter-hegemonic force that kept women safe. 

Strippers and prostitutes in Toronto have a bad date list they pass around

Instead, Ghomeshi has said that he will take on these allegations directly. I'm guessing that's one of the reasons Navigator dumped him. Because that strategy is a loser.

Bacchus, I don't recall ever joking about Rob Ford dying, but if I did I apologize. I did say, many times, that the only way I saw him leaving the Mayor's chair was either in a police cruiser or in a hearse-- with the second far more likely. 

You dont remember shoot shovel and shut up thread by Bagkitty?  Fair enough.

@Bacchus.... if you go back and check, I said words to the effect that I was almost mad enough at Ford to take Klein's advice to "shoot, shovel and shut up" - which I do believe is different than suggesting that someone "off themselves" - and the qualification employed "I am beginning to feel that might be a good way of dealing with the Mayor of Toronto" is important. [emphasis added]

I also believe that I have been posting long enough that those who bother to read my postings have probably come to realize that, from time to time, I indugle myself with a certain amount of hyperbole (often of the cartoon violence variety, with references to dropping 10 ton ACME weights on someone, or steamrolling them, that sort of thing).

As you can confirm by checking for yourself, Catchfire was not actually a particpant in that thread, the only moderator(ish) intervention was from a former moderator (oldgoat), who gently chides me for going over the top, but clearly recognizes the comic aspects of what was said.

Gently chiding you for going oer the top however, doesnt usually consist of:

Bagkitty, I have always admired your sense of considered and balanced fairness when all around you are just wasting their energies on unproductive anger.  Your proposal offers a quick, practical, sensible, and even ecologically friendly if done properly solution to a problem that everyone else has just been moaning about for years.

Sheila Copps

My tweets were in no way intended to condone ANY violence against women. Perpetrators, should be brought to justice, without fear or favor.

https://twitter.com/Sheila_Copps/status/527880388635820032

MegB wrote:

 With some notable exceptions, this dialogue is at best a miserable disappointment.

i respectfully disagree.  

yes there is some same old same old going on here.  ie, wishing death on someone so you feel better, besides being hate speach, is a violent/male/reactionary non-solution to a complex and widespread problem.  i have friends who's abusers died before they had to own what they did; they effectively got away with it, was how they felt.

however, it seems to me there is also a lot of good people on this thread bringing what they can to a community discussion of what is a watershed moment in canadian society.

the whole institutionalized and internalized cone of silence on this is being ripped away, and it's just starting.  i fuckin' love it.  how can we support this?  what is our role in all of this?  and i mean all of us, and all our shit, all our 'isms.

which brings us back to this thread.   it is said that we should almost automatically believe any woman when she accuses a man - "oh, so i see 4X is now the number of women's stories that is equal to 1X man's story " -  but when someone, on this very thread - says "i've been raped 4 times not counting the little stuff, these other women didn't have it so bad", that person is set upon by the same, elder poster, the same one who casually tosses around fucked up racism charges (by the way, i would be interested if anyone has any examples of "non-fucked up" racism...

hello?  hey, i've suffered some long term abuse (non-sexual), no one believed me, and i know how it impacted me.  if i had been raped 4 times not counting the little stuff i don't know if i could even speak in complete sentances, and i bet i would have some pretty messed-up coping mechanism, like, i don't know, telling myself it's not so bad, not focussing on the "little stuff", feeling that other people who had gone thru "litle stuff" were making a bit of a fuss, being disruptive on many rabble threads, that sort of thing.  

if you feel pondering is some sort of liberal/establishment shrill sent here to disrupt babble (honestly, the jury is still out on that one for me, sorry pondering), then do not engage.  slapping down a multiple rape victim (remember, our default needs to be gaurded belief) because of their thoughts on this very subject, however inappropriate, is a bully throwing their power around.  on this thread! by a feminist!

while i'm wading into it, i will add this observation about the larger social dynamics of gomeshigate.  a lot of men i know can't stand gomeshi.  the vast majority of women i know love(d) him, curled up with that smarmy voice.  oh, yeah, he's full of himself, but he's learning/growing/isntsobad/sexy/interesting, purr purr.  when intelligent educated progressive women go for the bad boys, it does not help this situation.

-

meanwhile, our bombers will start doling out death and destruction in a far off land on saturday, the underpinnings of our democracy are under attach with excavators, and cbc as an institution will be reduced further by this affair, which will, i predict, pick off more than one or two low and middle managers.

lets keep our eyes on the big picture, do what we can, and be kind to one another.  radical, i know.

-

Unionist wrote:

So why is Bill Blair now joining the chorus saying "come forward, don't worry"? Why not do his job based on those who have already done so? What am I missing here??

A measure of sensitivity, perhaps (strange as it may seem on the part of police)?  Plus the fact that things have been moving pretty fast.

(I think we might be forgetting just HOW fast; it is only this morning that someone was willing to come forward and give her name)

After all, unless he wants to show up at womens' doorsteps with a badge demanding interviews, and be prepared toissue subpoenas and force testimony, calling a press conference to invite those who are so inclined to come forward is probably the respectful way to do it.

Without real evidence - not just heresay or stuff reported, but an actual statement - there is no investigation.

Actually what I said was taken out of context and misconstrued. My point is not that hair pulling or beatings that don't leave bruises are fine. My point is reporting to police that a man pulled your hair or slapped you is ridiculous under current conditions. I'd be surprised if they even wrote it down.

My point is this:

Quote:

http://thekickboxingwriter.blogspot.ca/2014/10/why-women-dont-go-to-poli...

My ex wasn't famous. He wasn't a beloved media celebrity with the court of public opinion on his side.

He broke my spine in two places. I reported it to the police--several people did, and the police witnessed part of this mess themselves when they had to chase him down.

And what happened to this guy? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. He counsels troubled youth now--how's that for chilling?

I have nothing against police officers. I count some of them among my closest friends, and I realize they have a very difficult job to do.

But if the attack on me--which was extremely public and violent--didn't have any repercussions for the perpetrator, how could we expect any of these women to put so much on the line and maybe still not get any justice in return?

I closed my post (280) with this statement:

I don't trust that people even here, are really all that outraged. I think they are secretly thinking it's no big deal. It just wouldn't be politically correct to say it.

I stand by that statement. CBC only took action when they were forced to. The question "why didn't they report it to police" is stupid. Of course they didn't report attacks that happened in privacy and left no marks and didn't even necessarily include rape. Honestly, would any woman posting here go to police under the same circumstances?

I really hope that more women come out of the woodwork.

Bill Blair telling women they should come forward is an empty invitation.

Quote:

http://www.ottawasun.com/2014/10/30/carleton-university-looking-into-all...

Last April, under the Twitter handle @bigearsteddy, the user posted this message: "Hi there @jianghomeshi. Remember louring me to ur house under false pretences? Bruises dont lie. Signed, every female Carleton U media grad."

The post has since been retweeted 382 times.

Beth Gorham, manager of public affairs at Carleton, said the university is aware the allegations may include Carleton students and is gathering information about field placements its students have done at CBC Toronto and, in particular, the Q program Ghomeshi hosted.

"We have no information at this time that any of our students have been victims," Gorham said in a written statement to the Sun Thursday evening, adding that "counselling support services will be made available to anyone requiring support."

Blair said only 6% of sexual assaults are reported but this is not shocking news. So where are the public information campaigns? Where are the programs for schools?

Quote:

http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6304037/jian-ghomeshi-sex-scandal

Ghomeshi is believed to have left the country, spotted in Los Angeles.

He's running scared. Probably destroyed his tapes or hid them somewhere.

eastnoireast wrote:

if you feel pondering is some sort of liberal/establishment shrill sent here to disrupt babble (honestly, the jury is still out on that one for me, sorry pondering), then do not engage.  slapping down a multiple rape victim (remember, our default needs to be gaurded belief) because of their thoughts on this very subject, however inappropriate, is a bully throwing their power around.  on this thread! by a feminist!

I totally agree. This thread is absolutely not the time or place to get into nasty political arguments with each other, rather it should be a safe place for you, Pondering, and other survivors to know that their stories will be listened to in a supportive envrionment.

With notable exceptions Sean, it's been made light of.

Historically, for women, rape and other forms of sexual abuse were seen as crimes of property. In light of that any attempt to make light of sexual abuse carries with it a lack of understanding of the issues, as well as an extraordinary lack of empathy. It needs to be called out.

I wouldn't necessarily assume all exec producers at CBC are men. 

Ideas on CBC right now is having a topic on applogies for public figures. Ghomeshi please take note and applogies already for being a woman beater.

CBC to hire third-party company to investigate Ghomeshi allegations

October 30, 2014

The CBC will hire a third-party company to conduct a “rigorous, independent” investigation into allegations of abuse at the hands of former radio star Jian Ghomeshi.

In a memo issued to staff Thursday, CBC’s executive vice-president of English services, Heather Conway, called the reports about Ghomeshi “extremely disturbing” and said the CBC is in the process of hiring the independent investigator.

The memo also said counselling will be made available to CBC staff.

Nine women have come forward to say that they have been abused by Ghomeshi. The allegations range from beating and choking to sexual harassment.

Two of the women have decided to reveal their identities: actress Lucy DeCoutere, who played Lucy on the television series “Trailer Park Boys,” and author Reva Seth, who published a first-hand account of her experience with Ghomeshi in a Huffington Post blog Thursday.

---

More here:

http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/cbc-to-hire-third-party-company-to-investig...

Interview with new woman, but this time the woman says she and Jian got on great during the sex.

http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2014/10/29/interviews-with-two...

Also at the CBC, not all the execs are heterosexual. Media and the arts have long been a place where gay people could be relatively open; that is certainly the case at CBC - Radio-Canada. But that could mean that in the case of gay men, they could be harassing young males. But indeed, patriarchy isn't only men, and women can be among the worst patriarchal enforcers, even in such extreme practices as FGM or dowry murders.

While in no case excusing or playing down sexual violence or coercion, I have the same gut feeling of unease about this happening to the CBC when it is so under threat. Just this past weekend, "les amis de Radio-Canada" were filming clips of people supporting public broadcasting at nearby Jean-Talon Market, and of course I took part, speaking of the importance of public broadcasting in terms of background stories and cultural events. I also mentioned the fact that CBC - Radio-Canada did not only broadcast in French and English, but also in Indigenous languages. (Sadly RCI has been sorely cut back)...

Lynn B wrote:

Ideas on CBC right now is having a topic on applogies for public figures. Ghomeshi please take note and applogies already for being a woman beater.

The host of Shift this afternoon found some reason to insert a brief commentary on the topic of asking and boundaries, and "why that's important" while introducing a symphonic piece. In which of course, the average listener would be hard pressed to find any musical allusion relating to the issue of personal boundaries.