"She's a fat f*ckin b*tch who can't sing."
"Goddamn, who did you eat b*tch?"
"Since she got fat, her songs just suck."
No, you're reading those right and no I wish I didn't just make these up and they weren't actually real. But they are real.
These are only a few of the YouTube comments I forced myself to go through and write down as a way to get a point across. These are comments being put under Kesha's music videos. Music videos such as "Praying" and "Learn To Let Go." Music videos that are about moving on from the pain someone has suffered for a very long time and learning to let all of it go and move on.
These are supposed to be positive and liberating songs, but instead, people would rather choose to look past all of that and focus on something else. Something that shouldn't even matter or be relevant, but as we all know and learn, we wouldn't be anything without apparently bringing others down and hurting one another. Because this is the world we live in. We live in a world where we choose to not welcome people with open arms but to ball our hands into a fist and tear them down.
But I don't want to talk about Kesha's weight, even though I think she's a beautiful and healthy person both inside and out.
I want to talk about the fact that after being put through hell for the past three years, she still found the strength somewhere deep down inside her to make a comeback and make new music under her terms.
I want to talk about the fact that she is not the same person she used to be years ago or even when she first started out because during that time she was being controlled, doing what she was told to do and having them decide who she should be,
I want to talk about the fact that she is not a victim but a survivor. A survivor of sexual assault, sexual harassment, emotional abuse, physical abuse and rape.
I want to talk about the fact that even though her producer put her through absolute hell, she still found a way to have empathy for him because that's the kind of person Kesha is.
I want to talk about the fact that people wouldn't have a reason to talk about her weight if they didn't harass her for it in the first place. If society didn't teach us how we were supposed to look in order to fit in and be good enough.
I want to talk about the fact that she entered a rehab center, not for partying and drinking like everyone assumed and labeled her as, but because she was battling an eating disorder. Her reasoning for going? Because she felt and convinced herself that being sick and being skinny was all part of her job. That she had a certain persona she had to achieve.
I want to talk about the fact that part of the reason why she suffered from not only an eating disorder but anxiety and depression was partly due to social media. That's right, you may not think that the words you type and send and put out there for the world to see have no effect or harm on others. Well, you're wrong. Words hurt, and they have effects that can take a long time to heal and can even last forever.
I want to talk about the fact that when she was at her lowest point, she would write and create music. She told herself to help get her through that she would make an album and call it "Rainbow." Music saved her life. And she created that album.
I want to talk about the fact that her music has helped so many people, including myself.
I want to talk about the fact that we all finally get to see what she was capable of creating all these years.
I want to talk about the fact that I can't listen to "Praying" without screaming the words and tearing up, because after all this time, I finally know how badly she was hurting.
I want to talk about the fact that "Woman" makes me feel like the bad ass and confident person I've been trying to be.
I want to talk about the fact that "Learn To Let Go" was my inspiration for finally accepting my anxiety after almost a year of being afraid of it. That song was the reason for me writing my poem "I Didn't Let You Win." Because we all suffer from something, some worse than others. But it's better to come to terms with it than let it stay inside and control you forever.
I want to talk about the fact that "Rainbow" is the anthem for anyone who has been put in the dark and never thought they would ever get out. But even the most damaged and f*cked up will get to see the rainbow and color will come back into your life.
I want to talk about the fact that every time I've seen her perform on talk shows recently, I see a completely different person. I see a much happier person. I see someone who doesn't let things from her past weigh her down. I don't see a person who wings have been clipped from her back.
I see someone who wings stretch and go on for miles. Wings so vibrant, full of color and life.
Kesha has found her rainbow. She has found a new meaning to life. She has come back and brought us music that has saved so many people with the messages she sings and has the courage to talk about.
So the next time you want to talk about her weight. When you have those hateful words already drafted and ready to hit "send." I want you to think about all of this and really ask yourself, is it worth it?
Because it's not, so please stop.