Kiely Williams’ Spectacular Display of Rape Culture.

I finally got around to watching the much discussed Kiely Williams video, “Spectacular,” that is essentially a story of a woman that gets wasted and has a one night stand that she only partially remembers, but remembers that the “sex was spectacular.” Shortly after the video came out Williams tried to back track on her message and claim that it was a PSA, but I think it is pretty clear that it was not.
Williams claims (via Washington City Paper),

The fact is, that sometimes women get intoxicated and have unprotected sex. My video puts this issue front and center. It is absurd to infer or suggest that I am condoning this behavior. Are Lady Gaga and Beyonce advocating murder with the Telephone video? Of, course not. Was Rihanna encouraging suicide with Russian Roulette? No. Was Madonna suggesting that young unmarried girls get pregnant with Papa Dont Preach? I dont think so. Is Academy Award winner Monique a proponent of incest because of her portrayal of Mary in the movie Precious. Clearly, the answer is no.
I wrote Spectacular and made the video to bring attention to a serious womens health and safety issue. Dont shoot the messenger.

I understand that not everything an artist does or represents is something that they believe in or are endorsing and I understand that celebrities will go far to get attention, break into the mainstream or cause a stir and because I understand that I am more sad for Williams than anything else. As Latoya just said to me, she is obviously feeling the pressure of being a young woman and emerging pop-star and being put in the position of having to be overly sexual to get attention. And sadly, there wasn’t really anything about the video that appeared to be suggesting that this was a situation that you should stay away from. I think it is safe to suggest the video was in fact glamorizing sexual assault and date rape (or rather club rape), as the catchy chorus explains, over and over.
I agree with what Janna Zinzi said over at RH Reality Check. I am not interested in demonizing Williams, but I do think it is important to hold her accountable to her words and intentions. A catchy anthem that essentially says, ‘I got drunk and I don’t remember everything, but the sex was spectacular,” is normalizing a violent and dangerous epidemic that we are still fighting to get recognized as, what it is, rape.

Shakesville
, Clutch, Bitch and Washington City Paper has more.

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