Ani difranco - Letter to a john (slideshow)

[OurWingsBeatAsOne]

I shouldn't be writing a sad story while listening to this song...

[profit37439]

true that! click to rippify (dot) com to download youtube music to mp3s.

[KKatastrophii]

Amazing song. It hits close to home.

The slideshow hit harder. I couldn't watch most of it.

[MssFlyable]

Yeah man, nice song but the slideshow scared the shit out of me!!! The fucked up world...

[royceicon]

one of my favorite ani songs. tis depressing but at the same time very powerful. i like the fact that is a positive look towards sex work, though addressing its kinda fucked up dynamic.

[prettyriot]

This song and video in context is very powerful. For a few minutes helped me come to terms with what quite a lot of you are talking about.Thanks.

[blrbear23]

killers slideshow for an amazing song!

[chelseaarocks]

this song makes me rly sad

[phawni28]

Actually,my husband who is an even bigger Ani fan than me saw her at a show in Buffalo,where she said this wasn't a song about her-in NewYork she befriended a lot of strippers and this was all of "their stories".This song has really shed light on an excruciatingly painful and taboo topic reguardless.

[lorelome]

A friend of mine did an honors thesis on strippers. Her final conclusion was that many strippers had been molested, were told that they were worthless except as sexual objects, and so got their self-confidence by becoming public sex objects. She admitted publicly that she had been raped as a child twice and later became very promiscuous.

[iamaspleen]

This could also be the artist's way of expressing the song in their way. Ani was raped when she was young and this song is about the damage sex can sometimes do. The artist could just be trying to show images that invoke a similar feeling in them that the song does, maybe because of personal experiences.

[TrAYLORtrashhh]

i really like the pictures you put on this! may i ask where you got them from?

[mariahxisxgay]

I think this video and the pictures were amazing.

Major kudos.

[onephilo]

Your response leaves me wondering how you feel about the burning of crosses in public, indecent public exposure, and the wearing/display of the swastika. Mindless sheep bleat the manifesto of art for art's sake without concern for the feelings and sensibilities of their fellow men. It is not an argument of the mind, but an argument of the heart, and it is those without one who dont see the diference. Can I send you a picture of my butthole if I call it art?

[Stormthorn67]

And fools fail to grasp the meaning of art when they see it. This art is about the harm of child abuse. It is not championing it. As for "fueling pedophiles" i fail to see how showing them the trauma they cause would arouse them. Perhaps your confusing pedophilia with Sadism.

I wouldnt be suprised. You seem to consider piercings and showing porn to the underaged as equal to each other.

[onephilo]

I consider taking advantage of naivete wrong no matter the topic. I didn't begin to suggest this art is championing a cause. I like the art. I am questioning the context and I am trying to encourage dialogue on the potential harmful effects on the young or mentally disturbed. A pedophile, fetishist or sex addict can find sexuality in many things which arent intended to be erotic. I think you really know this is true but hope to look avant-garde by arguing about it. No censorship, just discretion

[Stormthorn67]

...Which strikes me as amazingly insensitive to any cultures that practices widespread piercing like Mexican Catholics as well as being just plain ignorant.

Onephilo, if you want to see what artwork to arouse pedophilis looks like i suggest becoming familiar with Balthus.

Once you do that the differance in the themes should become more easily seen.

[onephilo]

I am not suggesting no art. I am suggesting that putting it in an open forum and "springing it" on immature people who were only looking for Ani lyrics is what we should consider. In no means am I saying there is not a place for this, I'm just not sure this is the place. I wouldn't want my kid looking up Bob Marley songs and coming across Mapplethorpe either. Please dont suggest insensitivity to cultures on my part because I am trying to be sensitive to children and the mentally ill.

[Stormthorn67]

Im asusming you include Bob Marley as unnaceptable for the young because he was known to smoke weed? I odnt think i child would get the religous or social parts of his songs.

And even if, which i doubt, a pedophile came upn this and was aroused: Whats the problem? He is already a pedophile; all this would do is give him an outlet that doesnt involve real little girls.

[onephilo]

You missed my analogy. I thiink Bob Marley is acceptable for everyone. Christ, I put him there with Guevera, Chavez and MLK. My point was that someone could link any photos to his work and it would be comparable to this. Look, I understand what the poster intended and I thought it made the song more meaningful for me. My point is that I wanted to share Ani with someone to turn them on to her, but the photos got in the way. It was a great idea, just not necessarily the right forum.

[onephilo]

To continue, If I had been looking for the photos and found the song linked to them, I would have thought how brilliant, but doing an innocuous search for an Ani song (which I would hope many young adults will do) and having to be exposed to these photos which are at least mildly disturbing (and I understand that is a purpose of art) I felt my sensibilities were not respected. Thats really what it comes down to is respect for others.

[Stormthorn67]

I will agree that the very young shouldnt see this, but why would the very young be allowed to listen to a song like "Letters to a John"?

And please dont throw fetishists in the same lot as pedophiles. Its a philia to be sure, but a more extreme one than your average BDSM participant would agree with.

[niagor]

I'm a great fan of the Helnwein's art.

Well done.

[onephilo]

Why are people so dull that you can't see that what you call art is fuel for pedophiles. Images such as these in a forum which does not protect immature minds or allow for parental guidance obviously lead to fantasies and emotions some people are unable to process with clarity. I believe that artists such as these are aware of this potential and I personally believe that it is another form of rape or child abuse, much like the piercing, exposure to erotica or tattooing of underage individuals.

[niagor]

Don't worry, not everyone is a pedophile who, when viewing art meant as a social commentary, will then go out and commit heinous crimes.

You might inspect your own fears before censoring the world's artists.

[onephilo]

First, your predictable suggestion that I inspect my own fears. I just told you my fears, that this is fuel for pedophiles. Second, I did not say that everyone is a pedophile, but that images such as these are fuel for pedophiles. Third, I am not censoring anyone, I am expressing that I am concerned for children as well as the pedophiles and perverts who struggle to avoid images such as these. There is a place for art in the same way that there is a place for pornography, cigarette smoke, etc.

[kirstenk14]

Where is the black and white image of the little girl pointing the gun at the man in the hat from? It looks like a still from an old movie.

[niagor]

Gottfried Helnwein's work. I'm not sure that it's 'from' anything in particular. From one of his collections a few years ago.

[marmas58ink]

I think the imagery suits the song really well, (which I'd never heard before)... probably wouldn't have gotten into the song half as well without them. Twisted, 'confessional', surreal. So... bravo.

[piedrasverdes]

beautiful! never give up yo girls and boys!!

[shannon17]

first picture breaks my heart

[UnitarianMarc]

I get to see Ani DiFranco later this month, and I sure as hell she doesn't play this song, because it also makes me teary - and it'd be pretty embarassing to cry at a concert. :(

But this song rocks my world!

[kirstenk14]

She has quite a few songs that make teary and chances are she will always play at least one of them. I think it's actually a beautiful experience to get teary with a crowd of strangers and have that profound emotional experience together. It only heightens the intensity. No need to be embarrassed! Revel in it!

[1973destiney]

Im not sure what to think I like it but Im on the edge of being disturbed. Great job though...

[wandersoul73]

I love art.

[AisatsanaShiba]

I love Ani DiFranco. Really good. I had never seen Helnwein's work. I like it. Thanks for sharing.

[castlexonxaxcloud]

I love Ani Difranco and Gottfried Helnwein, it's interesting to see the two combined. Good Job!

[joshejosh]

WOW!

[jburkholder8]

wow, good job on this one

[wryonlife]

what the hell kind of fucked up slideshow is this. Where did you get these pictures?

[PheadrasLove]

:)

from mercedes helnwein's website

and

gottfried helnwein's website

[AisatsanaShiba]

Hater.  Boo.