Terry Richardson Assistant Identified

Leslie Lessin has been identified as the assistant to Terry Richardson.  My prior blogs on him here and here.

She is apparently the one who was allegedly cheerleading/cajoling the young women into whatever Terry Richardson wanted.  She tried to smooth things over (and what sounds like brainwashing) in a cab ride home with one of the young women.

It’s nice to hear from the guys about the stories of the women. 

“I felt that to dignify [accusations] with a response was a betrayal of my work and my character”

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Richardson is concerned about his character? Really?  How dignified is it to having your member photographed while a woman performs a sexual favor? Because I don’t see a lot of dignity in that.  Nor in putting a woman in a garbage can, or calling her a slut.

“I collaborated with consenting adult women who were fully aware of the nature of the work,”

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“Nature of the work”…what does that mean, exactly?  Do you tell them you are going to whip your member out and make demands that they perform sex acts?  Is that in writing? Because if it isn’t in plain language in the so-called “release” then you have no freaking case.

These accusations have been occurring over years and nothing has been done. 

Women are apparently sick of it and are boycotting anything connected with Richardson to make their voices heard. 

 Indeed, gaslighting is classic tactic of an abusive personality. Richardson insists that it is an ill-informed, pitchfork wielding internet leading the charge against him while subtly failing to address the fact that these allegations have come from multiple sources, repeatedly and over a number of years.

But if the allegations are true, then Richardson isn’t just undermining his victims by questioning the credibility of their accusations – he’s further abusing them by attempting to erase them from the situation altogether.

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And as each of them have stated, they were intimidated at the time…so for them to come forward is a brave thing to do.  It gives their testimony more weight because they have a lot to lose (not working again is a big incentive NOT to say anything).

Richardson’s involvement with Miley Cyrus’ vulgar performances (Wrecking Ball, for one; and Blurred Lines, for another) speaks volumes.  He’s a creep who loves to degrade women.

There is a positive sexuality and a dark, negative sexuality.  Terry Richardson is dark and devoid of any conscience, in my opinion. 

 

Freed U.S. Hikers write book

Democracy Now! featured the three hikers captured in Iran.

They emphasized during the program that they did not hate the Iranian people.  I think this is an important point because it sends the message of peace instead of revenge.

It’s fascinating that this incident apparently was the beginning of tentative peaceful relations that was behind the historic Iranian nuclear deal.

I’m glad that they are using what could be a negative–anger for what happened to them–and turned it into a positive–working for the end of solitary confinement and other ills of the prison system.

A concrete dog run?  Are you kidding me?  Talk about being treated like an animal.  I always thought that they were allowed out into fresh air on a grassy yard.  They’re not even getting that much.  It’s pretty sad when someone in a U.S. prison is experiencing the same thing as prisoners in Iran.

In one of the prisons here, the prisoners once had an organic garden.  Governor Daniels got that stopped.  Um-hmmm….

 

Greenpeace protests logging in Canada

Report here. 

What bothers me is when I see trees torn down for yet more construction when there are thousands of empty buildings waiting to be occupied.  There should be a law that prohibits this–we don’t have the luxury of time anymore.  We need those trees to take the carbon dioxide out of the air and provide us with fresh oxygen.  Indiana is especially bad about destroying forests–when you look at aerial photos, you can pick Indiana out just by the lack of trees.   You can tell such a difference when leaving Indiana and going to Ohio–the air is better.  Combine this with the 15 million pounds of toxins released into our waterways…toxic soup.  (sigh)

The Winter We Danced

Leanne Betasamosake Simpson has a post up on a book about the Idle No More movement with stories and poems and such.  I haven’t read it, but would love to have a copy of what sounds like a wonderful historical book.  She notes that the royalties will benefit the indigenous youth. 

Brainless model stands up to Terry Richardson

Well, this was heartening when I read it…a young woman is not taken in by Terry Richardson’s manipulation, bullying, and exploitation.

I admire her, as many young women are unsure of themselves, which Richardson exploits.  I can feel it in my bones that the young women are most likely the victims of prior molestation or products of a home life that devalued them.  It’s hard to think you have the right to set boundaries when your boundaries were violated by someone you trusted…whether that be in a sexual way or in violation of your sense of self–your own autonomy.

…and the question is:  how many women have to be allegedly assaulted by this guy before authorities nab him?

My former post here.

 

A personal experience: the blast in East Harlem NY

Raginghorse blog has a personal story up on the blast yesterday in New York.  Understandably, the first concern is what happened and how to take care of the kids if something bad is going down.  (Think an online educator is going to do that…?/snark)

I think it illustrates the need to not taking anything for granted.  You never know what the new day will hold.  Living in the moment…