Levine accuser says male victims get ignored
mainChris Brown, professor of music at the University of Minnesota and one of the whistle-blowers on James Levine, has been talking to the New York Post.
He says: ‘Because the movement happened to get its start with women only, in a way it furthers my loneliness as a past victim… Men are historically considered the bad guys. If some men abuse women, then we all are abusers ourselves … so therefore when it comes to our being abused, we deserve it.’
Brown is a former principal doublebass with the St Paul Chamber Orchestra.
Read on here.
And to think there are some around still rooting for the indefensible, still rooting for Levine. Here is someone on the receiving end of the abuse coming open and clean and exposing himself to the world. The personification of courage and one deserving of empathy and admiration.
Oh, so because he is saying it, it must be true ? Less than 150 years ago people accused Jews of killing Christian children and using their blood to bake matzah. 50-60 years ago a black man accusing of so much as whistling at a white woman was practically guaranteed a lynching. It is precisely because of this human propensity to be easily swept in a mass psychosis that the legal safeguards exist.
I sincerely hope Levine prevails in his law suit.
Er…wouldn’t you rather that the courts decide whether he was guilty rather than asserting his innocence and demanding he be found not-guilty. Either you want the court to decide or you are happy with people making their judgement outside the court. You can’t have it both ways (without being accused of logical incoherence).
I am happy to claim he is guilty of poor behaviour: but I also believe that some things are “wrong” even if they are not technically illegal.
Unfortunately, the world hates men.
Not entirely but consider the many problems, not least wars and the annihilation of untold millions let alone rape and such, men (and a comparatively tiny percentage of women) have been and are still responsible for. Something to think about.
I expect they were exercising their ‘white privilege’ – the same as those who died defending people like you.
This is becoming shockingly apparent. In 2016 a female neighbour assaulted my husband and the court did zero. We were forced to move. If the boot had been on the other foot there would have been hell to pay!!
Yes. We live in a pathetically “blue pill” world, The plight of men is a joke to the world- supplicating betas eager throw their fellow man under the bus in a pathetic attempt to curry favor with women.
And, Phillip, the rich irony is that women don’t admire men who do that and mostly don’t want them!!!
Precisely, Sue!!
Why are ALL wars all over the world, and the politicians running them, men? Why are the suppressing, expoiting thugs always men? Why are serial killers male, as most terrorists? Why are ayatollas men? Maybe for the same reason that most science and art has been developed by men?
Mr. Brown is to be applauded for his courage to speak out on the sexual abuse he endured by James Levine. Now that he and many others have come forward, Levine’s true self has been exposed as a serial sexual predator and abuser.
It is obvious now looking back that Levine always gravitated towards positions that put him in very close proximity to young music students such as Ravinia, Juilliard, and the Met’s Lindemann young artists program. Now we know why.
Thank goodness the Met has finally been able to get rid of him once and for all.
I certainly won’t miss his conducting.
Traditionally male children have been grouped with women as a group needing more protection from abuse.
There are so many doing “pants roles” in opera nowadays it seems as if a tenor is almost interchangeable with a mezzo soprano, especially if the male role involves youth and/or vulnerability and/or powerlessness at least in regard to the other males in the opera. They may be on to something with regard to equating male children and young men with the vulnerability and powerlessness of women.
In the case of Levine’s victims these young males, even if they were technically of age, lived such sheltered lives practicing and playing music and doing little else that they were in life experience still really ‘minors” into their twenties. They were certainly in a vastly unequal power relationship with Levine.
Incidentally, in addition to sexual abuse males, especially if they are not physically as strong as the abuser, are also very vulnerable to other forms of physical child abuse, that is, beatings and assaults, by older relatives and others of both sexes. They are also very subject to physical bullying by those of their own age.
Furthermore, like sexual abuse, domestic violence against men, that is, assault by one’s romantic partner of either sex, tends to be dismissed when actually it is a serious problem.
Yes. Thank you. My son has been bullied for years in school by various others. Now he is having suicidal ideation at age 18, his studies are going down the tubes due to the ambivalence of the depression, and he refuses to get therapy as he always refused except once, when it didn’t help him. I keep encouraging him to try another therapist. Right now, the thoughts are worse than ever. I spent yesterday praying he would be alive when I got home from music school accompanying job. I don’t know what the future hold for him. Bullying is serious, and also, our boys and young men are not encouraged in school as girls are and if you read up on it, they are falling behind and left in the dust. We do need to encourage and help boys to develop into fine young men who treat people with kindess and compassiob and don’t ruin other people’s lives with bullying.
Dear Antonia,
I am tremendously saddened to hear of your son’s struggles. It sounds like your son is in a crisis, and while you are clearly doing what you can and obviously deeply care, there may be more that can be done rather than simply playing out the current trajectory.
Here’s my first question: Do you know what your son is being bullied about? As a gay man myself, I’m wondering, is he gay (either that you know of, or possibly don’t know about but in fact he is gay)? If not, does he have some sort of disability? I think dealing with the bullying matters, but there may be some underlying issues that also need to be dealt with sooner rather than later. If he is gay, you should immediately reach out for help. There are many places to turn. Is his school aware of what he’s going through, and are they doing what they should be? If you would like to discuss, drop me an email: middlehardscrabble at yahoo.com
It deeply saddens me to know that he, you, and your family are all going through such a difficult time. My heart goes out to you.
This is horrific and distressing. And depression is very serious. Dr. Jordan Peterson has excellent advice for young men who feel desperate and alienated. Please watch at least the first quarter of this splendid interview to see how it has touched him personally: please go to 16 minutes in:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4NijLf3M-A
Apologies if I’ve been simplistic about your dilemma.
Jordan Peterson is a fraud. Please take your son to his doctor and have him referred to a psychiatrist who can give him therapy tailored to his personal needs, not to some ideation of what manhood should be.
Until that referral, make sure he knows that you love him and cherish him and things will improve soon.
“Jordan Peterson is a fraud”
In entirety? This is surely simplistic.
I don’t agree with everything he says but there are some nuggets of wisdom here and there. Pick and choose the useful bits.
Amen Amen to that. May your son find his purpose and peace in his life
Chris Brown might consider that the abuse by Levine recieved more publicity than any other instance in classical music, even that of Dutoit.