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Saturday 12 May 2012

Live from the frontline - Vivien Scotson

In recent months there has been a welcomed backlash against 'pay to play' promoters in the Glasgow area.
The efforts to highlight this on going issue has attracted the national media and garnered a great deal of support from musicians and music fans across the UK.
Much of it has been orchestrated by the brave efforts of the musician Vivien Scotson.
Unfortunately by standing up to vocally express an opinion, whether you agree with it or not, she has drawn a great deal of negative attention to herself.
Some pretty nasty statements have been made, and some cowards have went to the lengths of issuing physical threats.
The onslaught of hate speech has now had a detrimental impact on the health of this young woman.
Readers of the blog will no doubt be aware of my stance regarding pay to play, so I'm not going to use this update to reiterate my disgust at the exploitative behaviour of the dodgy promoters, but instead ask a couple of questions.
I would love to hear a semi-literate and logical response to them.

1) When is it acceptable to threaten anyone for stating an opinion, an opinion that isn't advocating harm on another?
2) Maybe a bit sexist this one, but in what circumstances is it acceptable for grown men to threaten young women?

That's it. Two very simple questions.

As someone who expresses their opinion often, and loudly, I to receive threats.
Personally I can live with them, but the difference here is that I get the occasional threat and I discount them as unworthy of being concerned about.
I've yet to receive one with a real name attached.
I will however say that if I was to get them on a daily basis then I have no idea on how I would feel about that.
If I was to be attacked in the press with uncorroborated nonsense I would guess I would feel incensed, but I couldn't say how my anger would manifest itself.
It is very possible that I would be suffering from panic attacks and such to.

I am rather angry about this just now. So what I would like to see is an outpouring of support for Vivien.
I don't mean support for her cause. Everyone has the right to their own opinion about pay to play, but instead support for a young woman who is being publicly and privately attacked with hurtful words and threats.

If anyone reading this knows anyone who has issued a threat in her direction, or maybe they are one of these people, then I would love them to take a second and consider their own, or their friends behaviour.
Would it be acceptable for one of their family to be on the receiving end?

ItasXXXXthing blog fully supports Vivien in her fight against pay to play, but more importantly I am personally disgusted with the negative attention she has received.

A Main

Vivien Scotson website

4 comments:

  1. 0ne. Its never acceptable.
    Two. There are few circumstances that it would be acceptable. This isn't one of the few.

    Cowards everywhere.

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  2. intrepid anorak12 May 2012 at 19:20

    It's shocking that such a situation should develop. No surprise that people would think it's ok to rip others off should use bully tactics.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is just a FKN JOKE, Mainy!!!!!! Why has the young lass been "targeted" by others who don`t share her opinion??????? She is free to express her opinions/views on whatever subject she chooses .............. on her own blog/wall etc)!!!! So long as it doesn`t pass the "thresh-hold" into indecency, racism, paedophillia, ..............etc etc etc etc!!!!!

    PAY TO PLAY is wrong ... in my opinion!!!!!! Also the "You gotta sell 20 tix .... or you `ll be off the bill" scenario!!!!!!!

    It happens too often to young bands who don`t know any better ............................ and think that`s the "way ahead" for them!!!!!!

    A (VERY) well-known venue in Glasgow operated that policy!!!!! It`s been closed for a few years now!!!!!! NUFF SAID, eh????

    All I say is .................................... get rid of the FAKE promoters who are in it to make money for themselves/make a "name" for themselves!!!!!! I, honestly, cant think of which of those is the WORST!!!!!!!!!???

    Sandie

    ReplyDelete
  4. Vivien has been targeted by the exploiters, and their supporters, because she has been brave enough to stand up and speak out.
    It's easy for people to sit in bars or online and bitch about it.
    Everyone deep down knows it is wrong.
    It's different when anyone is publicly vocal about it though, and very different if they then attempt to get the ball rolling in opposition to it all.
    The Gandhi quote is apt here.
    “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”
    You know this to be true as your recent vocal opposition to bullies has covered the first two and you are into the third.
    Part of the problem is that in general people will only stand up to be counted when it has an impact on them personally.
    They need to look at the bigger picture and ask themselves do they want to support a system that exploits people, do they want to support the efforts of a bully.
    If the answer is no then they have to do something about it.

    ReplyDelete