After going to court with Sony, Kesha was not able to escape the harsh contract with Sony to make 6 more records with Dr Luke, the man she says drugged and sexually assaulted her. Now while there is a lot wrong with this situation (like the fact that violence against women doesn't count as much as a contract), I am specifically talking about the framing of Kesha within the situation. "Free Kesha" has been the movement where supporters and media outlets have been asking Sony to let Kesha out of the evil clutches of Dr Luke. However this framing leaves out the agency of Kesha. There is never any talk about how resilient and strong Kesha has been in the face violence, how she was brave enough to speak out (in fact many have blamed her for not coming out until recently, and for not filming the abuses). Actually, the term "Free Kesha" puts all the power with the men that have violently dominated her life, physically and with contractual obligations. This is not to say that there is no work to be done, because there is plenty. Kesha definitely has the right to not have to work with/for her abuser, and it's clear that she wont be able to get out of the contract on her own, BUT the media should also showcase her in a way that reveals the incredible amount of courage she has shown to fight the fight, with the whole patriarchy against her. Continuing the narrative that women are defenseless and are in constant need of saving allow abuses like this to keep happening, because it comes down to an assumption that women are controllable. Kesha is surviving, and fighting, and yes there needs to be some outside help, but to take her out of the equation of that process forgets the most important part: Women are powerful and can be (and often are) a huge part in saving themselves. (Special shout out to the ladies that are speaking out, like Adele)
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