Differing standards from the public/media towards famous people involved in abuse

dowie · 13 Jan 2016 at 20:41

The David Bowie death did make me wonder about the differing standards we hold celebs to. He was a great musician sure but he also apparently gave drugs and alcohol to a couple of 15 year old girls in his hotel room and had a threesome with them.

Michael Jackson had his share of dubious allegations re: kids however he was still widely mourned, still considered 'cool' at the time of his death.

Roman Polanski raped a 13 year old girl and still has to stick to living in certain countries for fear of extradition to the US... on the other hand he's still able to make movies the general public will buy, work with famous actors etc...

On the other hand Jimmy Savile is quite rightly vilified, the mere whiff of sex scandal regarding former politicians provokes outcry - stories regarding Lord McAlpine for example caused a huge media storm over what are apparently unfounded allegations.

People do seem to treat these things differently depending on who the abuser was... for example this is the Jimmy Savile thread on here:

https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18335233

yet I made a mention of these allegations in the David Bowie thread and the post + subsequent replies were immediately deleted + a 'last warning' or rather what should have been called a first warning issued by a mod.... the same, it seems, didn't apply to the Savile Thread. This isn't meant to criticise the moderation by rather just meant as further comment on this - it does seem that it isn't just the act(s) of abuse but also who it is behind that abuse that counts as far as public vilification is concerned.

dowie · 13 Jan 2016 at 20:51

the two underage girls Bowie slept with were known groupies it seems - other musicians such as Iggy Pop and Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page were also allegedly involved with them:

If they'd been UK based rather than US based I wonder if Operation Yew Tree would have been interested and whether we'd have a differing opinion of Bowie in the media at the moment....

jsmoke · 13 Jan 2016 at 20:55

Your flirting on the tip of the iceberg Dowie.

Arazi · 13 Jan 2016 at 20:56

I have also wondered this recently, there are more similar stories out there about other musicians but nothing is said.

SexyGreyFox · 13 Jan 2016 at 21:31

You have a point but the thread you have linked to is called Jimmy Savile Sexual Abuser where the Bowie thread you started to trash was about his death.

Hopefully the Mods will leave this open and I'll throw Pete Townshend into the mix.
A musician who admitted to looking at child porn (for research), put on the sex offenders register but his music remains timeless.

Twirlywoos · 13 Jan 2016 at 21:36

SexyGreyFox said:
You have a point but the thread you have linked to is called Jimmy Savile Sexual Abuser where the Bowie thread you started to trash was about his death.

Hopefully the Mods will leave this open and I'll throw Pete Townshend into the mix.
A musician who admitted to looking at child porn (for research), put on the sex offenders register but his music remains timeless.

err no

The Saville thread had it's title changed after the allegations came out and the media circus started. Before it was appropriately called RIP Jimmy Saville

SexyGreyFox · 13 Jan 2016 at 21:40

Twirlywoos said:
err no

The Saville thread had it's title changed after the allegations came out and the media circus started. Before it was appropriately called RIP Jimmy Saville

And rightfully so because he was guilty.

Twirlywoos · 13 Jan 2016 at 21:43

SexyGreyFox said:
And rightfully so because he was guilty.

the title changed when the allegations were made not when there was a verdict.

dowie · 13 Jan 2016 at 21:43

SexyGreyFox said:
You have a point but the thread you have linked to is called Jimmy Savile Sexual Abuser where the Bowie thread you started to trash was about his death.

I didn't start to trash anything I made a comment in it which then lead to some brief discussion... the Saville thread also started out as an RIP thread then turned into one about the sexual abuse.

The mod in the Bowie thread said to start a new thread which I have done

dowie · 13 Jan 2016 at 21:44

SexyGreyFox said:
And rightfully so because he was guilty.

no he died then the abuse allegations came out - he's never been found guilty

SexyGreyFox · 13 Jan 2016 at 22:01

dowie said:
no he died then the abuse allegations came out - he's never been found guilty

True but after all the historical evidence you've got to be a tin foil hatter to believe he did nothing. He's guilty as sin.

dowie · 13 Jan 2016 at 22:09

SexyGreyFox said:
True but after all the historical evidence you've got to be a tin foil hatter to believe he did nothing. He's guilty as sin.

I don't think anyone is claiming he didn't do it... you're just not really correct in stating he was 'guilty' re: the abuse it is something he's never been put on trial for

likewise the Bowie allegations haven't been disputed, were made openly before his death and don't seem to have been made up - these were known underage groupies who had relationships with a few famous musicians in the 70s

VincentHanna · 13 Jan 2016 at 22:16

Not condoning any of it, but sexually abusing/raping literally 100's of children (Saville) is a bit different to having sex with two (apparently) well known groupies a year under the age of consent

https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/i-lost-my-virginity-to-david-bowie

jsmoke · 13 Jan 2016 at 22:16

How the worm can turn.