This is important to me & it should be to u (Regarding T. Richardson)

[Girrr 1,086]

Thank you for sparking this discussion.

I completely agree. It's very insensitive to look past his grimy history and just take his work at face value..because what? Because he's a high-end photographer that works with Gaga? Why should that justify his past? And just because the models gave consent doesn't mean that the whole situation is okay.

Also, perhaps there's another reason why Gaga hasn't severed relations with him. Maybe she's scared? She doesn't have many friends in this industry. Or perhaps she's afraid of opening old wounds and visiting the past. I'm not quite sure, but it's just a theory. But I will say that it bothers me that she is keeping him around. It's the wrong message to be sending out to this kingdom of fans she's vowed to protect. I don't think being concerned should be considered "prude" or "hypersensitive", either. We, as fans, should shed more light on this.

[Raw 0]

The more I read about him the more disgusted I am. How can I look at his work without thinking that some of these girls have been victims during their shoot?

[Mythos 3,199]

Sometimes she gives me really a hard time taking her seriously. On the one hand we have this creep, using girls as he pleases, being always together with Gaga, having fun and on the other hand she tells a story how she was used and how hurt she was, she even made songs about it...

 

She can do what she likes, she can hang out with whoever she likes but than please don't play with our minds, and don't make songs about it if you don't really care.

[Celina 118]

Sometimes she gives me really a hard time taking her seriously. On the one hand we have this creep, using girls as he pleases, being always together with Gaga, having fun and on the other hand she tells a story how she was used and how hurt she was, she even made songs about it...

 

She can do what she likes, she can hang out with whoever she likes but than please don't play with our minds, and don't make songs about it if you don't really care.

 

This doesn't necessarily mean she doesn't really care about issues like this... I think it's obvious that she wouldn't condone this, and that she was affected by whatever has happened in her past. It's possible (and likely, tbh) that it's naivety more than just not caring.

[Mythos 3,199]

This doesn't necessarily mean she doesn't really care about issues like this... I think it's obvious that she wouldn't condone this, and that she was affected by whatever has happened in her past. It's possible (and likely, tbh) that it's naivety more than just not caring.

 

Naivety? She grow up in New York, she started in clubs, had to do everything on her own... she is fighting for a decade now, i don't think she is naive anymore. She is just playing her cards.

[Celina 118]

Naivety? She grow up in New York, she started in clubs, had to do everything on her own... she is fighting for a decade now, i don't think she is naive anymore. She is just playing her cards.

 

True, she's been through a lot, but you also have to remember that she seems like the kind of person who tries to see good in others... She was friends with Perez because she apparently thought he was genuinely trying to change. When speaking of R Kelly at one point, she said that a lot of rumors were spread about him, basically implying that she didn't believe what he had done (at the time, at least). If I'm not mistaken, she has said herself that she trusts people easily, and that it's hard to find true friends in the industry. It's very possible that she doesn't want to lose those she does trust. She's not the kind of person to support something like this, especially since she says she has been affected by it in the past. We know that she usually takes a stand for what she believes in, and I doubt that she could be indifferent to such actions, or that her pain isn't genuine.

[Haunts 7]

Well, people have pointed it out already but: alleged actions.

 

The thing to understand about Terry is that he plays with that creepy predatory/pedophile aesthetic, his work is disturbing and voyeur-y for a reason. He is a lot smarter and his work is a lot deeper than one might think. His early work was raw and brutal about the behind the scenes of "show business", he was the first to blatlantly show the s-xual perversion and d--g use that went on everywhere without hypocrisy. (I mean, should we talk about what went on in studio 54?)

 

I'm not trying to make him the victim here but, if you were a struggling model trying to break through, which fashion photographer would you try to sue to get your name out there? Terry! Because he is kinda creepy and has done those pervy **** pictures. I do think we have a misguided opinion on him because of his public persona. I'm not saying he's innocent or anything, we can't prove or deny sh*t but... he sure is the easiest target out there.

 

I mean, should we talk about how far the allegations against Michael Jackson went? He was weird, was living in an amusement park, of course he was accused of pedophilia. But where do we stand on him now? Celebrities find redemption in death. When you're alive, you're nothing.

Of course Vogue, being their frigide politically-correct selves, would cut him off completely based on alleged accusations. But Gaga doesn't get scared by allegations. She's close to him, if there was truth to it she would stop working with him, especially knowing her past.

 

Believe me, I don't take s-xual abuse lightly but we (the gp) don't have any right to have an opinion on the matter. We can't jump the guns on him because 1-we love to see the successful people fall and 2-because he looks like a pervert.

 

I'm very sorry for ya'll if arguable accusations on a collaborator of Gaga changes your view on her moral equity.

[SpaceAce 1,058]

Well, people have pointed it out already but: alleged actions.

 

The thing to understand about Terry is that he plays with that creepy predatory/pedophile aesthetic, his work is disturbing and voyeur-y for a reason. He is a lot smarter and his work is a lot deeper than one might think. His early work was raw and brutal about the behind the scenes of "show business", he was the first to blatlantly show the s-xual perversion and d--g use that went on everywhere without hypocrisy. (I mean, should we talk about what went on in studio 54?)

 

I'm not trying to make him the victim here but, if you were a struggling model trying to break through, which fashion photographer would you try to sue to get your name out there? Terry! Because he is kinda creepy and has done those pervy **** pictures. I do think we have a misguided opinion on him because of his public persona. I'm not saying he's innocent or anything, we can't prove or deny sh*t but... he sure is the easiest target out there.

 

I mean, should we talk about how far the allegations against Michael Jackson went? He was weird, was living in an amusement park, of course he was accused of pedophilia. But where do we stand on him now? Celebrities find redemption in death. When you're alive, you're nothing.

Of course Vogue, being their frigide politically-correct selves, would cut him off completely based on alleged accusations. But Gaga doesn't get scared by allegations. She's close to him, if there was truth to it she would stop working with him, especially knowing her past.

 

Believe me, I don't take s-xual abuse lightly but we (the gp) don't have any right to have an opinion on the matter. We can't jump the guns on him because 1-we love to see the successful people fall and 2-because he looks like a pervert.

 

I'm very sorry for ya'll if arguable accusations on a collaborator of Gaga changes your view on her moral equity.

 

Thanks for telling me more about Terry's work. It doesn't really apply to many of his digusting photos which I believe are simply gratuitous but it does up my regard a little in general for his work. I know that he's personally been through a lot, like addiction, and I suppose he did have a purpose with some of his photography. You just can't simply use this as an excuse for all of his photos though - so many are just preverted for preverted's sake.

 

This doesn't change much about how I look at this situation. I don't believe he has ever been an easy target. Like you said:

 

which fashion photographer would you try to sue to get your name out there? Terry!

 

 

The amount of influence and power he has in his work is incredible - any model wiling to come forward with allegations would be risking their entire career. Consider what happened to Rie Rasmussen after she publically confronted Terry at a party - her career has suffered tremendously. I don't hold much faith in a phone screencap - but Emma Appleton having to delete her twitter and go into hiding after posting her photo of his alleged text, tells me a great deal about how hard it is for even more established models to get their word out. Charlotte Waters and Jamie Peck have never sued him or tried to get money from him. Waters quit the industry entirely and only came forward after Peck was brave enough to share what happened to her. In fact, none of these women have gotten anything out of coming forward except for ruined careers and public condemnation.

 

As the gp, we do have a right to an opinion because we're surrounded by his work and give our money to the companies that hire him. I can't look at all of the allegations against him, which span many years and multiple different women, and think to myself: "oh, it must be a witchhunt" or "it must be a coincidence that direct quotes from him and his assistants strongly corroberate the allegations".

 

If you've read the Charlotte Waters article - you'd see that she is getting nothing out of telling her story other than some peace of mind. She can't go to the police and she can't sue him. Her reasoning, after being encouraged largley by her family, was to make sure that people are more aware and show support for other women who may have been in her situation. You have to consider how embarassing it could be for one to have to come forward to their entire family, friends, and total strangers in the public about this.

 

She's close to him, if there was truth to it she would stop working with him, especially knowing her past.

 

 

The character that these women are presenting Terry as is a manipulative creep. I don't believe that he would show himself in front of his friend, who also happens to be one of the biggest stars right now. He's getting a profile boost by being associated with her and he's being validated by her because she continues to work with him when so many are calling for his employers to stop.

 

This hasn't really changed my view on her moral equity - it has changed my view on her in different ways I guess. If she was the human rights crusader and role model that she's made herself out to be - she would do her best to make herself aware of these allegations and consider the effect it has on her young fans when she openly supports men like R. Kelly and Terry Richardson. Now, you can't claim R. Kelly's offenses were allegations because there's court documents and before them there was a very popular videotape. I believe she makes herself ignorant with these situations and I'm not exactly sure why yet.

[filsns 173]

I'm not quite sure what to think. Terry is a perverted creep, that's a fact. Whether he is a s-x offender or not, that's not up to us to judge. I'm not a big fan of his work because his aesthetic is too simple and basic for my taste. BUT I do love the behind-the-scenes photos he takes with Gaga, they do give a very intimate look into her world. And in general I don't approve of people stopping work with him until it's a proven thing. Gaga is obviously his good friend and felt his style was perfect for what DWUW stands for, so he was an obvious choice.

[beepeepz 0]

Let me change it around a bit so you can get it from another point of view. Gaga is friends with Terry and obviously knows much more that's going on behind the scenes. Gaga must feel safe with him and know more then we do to still be friends with him. Also, you just can't trust what people say online. According to these sites Gaga has a dick, she's obese, and scammed interscope out of $20,000,000. I know that terry has a past of some kinda gross photo shoots and stuff, but that doesn't make him a bad person.

We just have to trust that Gaga is smart enough to pick her own friends, because obviously knows more about him and the situation then we do.

I disagree with you. Obviously Terry wouldn't "prey" on Gaga, she's one of the biggest stars on the planet. He wouldn't want to offend her or cross her boundaries. What the OP is saying that Terry acts like a predator towards young models who have no power or say and are at very vulnerable states of their career where they are at the mercy of someone more powerful.

 

This is parallel to what Gaga went through in her pre-fame days, and she has talked about it on numerous occasions. I mean, she wrote "Swine", didn't she? And we all know what that song is about.

 

It is strange why she is not aware of these allegations against Terry. But then again, she is also not aware of the chart position of her own single

[drinkmytears 2,332]

He's a creep and I don't like him. He just looks like a pedophile rapist murderer combo

this is so wrong, and so judgemental. enforcing these stereotypes is why people are wrongly convicted or people who don't look the part get away with crime.

[What 4]

this is so wrong, and so judgemental. enforcing these stereotypes is why people are wrongly convicted or people who don't look the part get away with crime.

Still doesn't change my opinion on him.

[RAMROD 109,261]

I think you this world a little bit too white and black, man.

And I won;t say it's wrong to do so.

But you will likely get a lot of disappointment this way.

Because this life is mostly grey.

Brace yourself.

 

Also,

 

 

How can Gaga, who has come out with her own struggles of being taken advantage of by men in the industry, not have the mind and conscience to stop working with Terry and to stop validating him and so many other men in power who prey on young women?

 

 

 

As fans, we can only guess.

But after G.U.Y. video, and many of her confessions on how people just

wanna make some money out of her, I don't think the "Taken Advantage" part are s-xually.

She could always meant it, the labels, her manager, her past collaborators, were there for her

just to make her a money making machine, who will soon get replaced once she cannot produce

any hits no more.

 

 

 

his work is basic as **** he's got nothing on any of the other photographers gagas worked with anyone can take a pic in front of a white wall

 

 

His simplistic style are highly priced.

Before Gaga, he already did many shoots for fashion campaigns.

Sure, you can say his works basic, but some people think different.

Sometimes, less is more.

[Mama Ru 994]

It frustrates me too but I doubt that Gaga doesn't care. She might just not be in the right frame of mind to recognize predatory men around her.

I was s-xually preyed upon in a multitude of ways by multiple people in my teens and the adults around me were oblivious and indifferent to it. This lead to me having a hard time recognizing the difference between healthy s-xual interactions and ones in which I was being preyed upon and I was often completely blind to obvious predators around me. After many years, I was able to recover from those experiences and learn how to recognize and avoid predators.

I sometimes wonder if Gaga is in a similar situation where past trauma has given her a warped sense of s-x and boundaries. Perhaps in time she will further process what has happened to her and learn to recognize predators. In the meantime, I don't think she is indifferent to the issue. I just think she may (may because these are so far allegations not proven in court) unwittingly be supporting guys who are creeps.

Then again, we don't personally know any of these people including Gaga, as much as we'd like to think we do. It's hard to know exactly what things are actually like between them all professionally and personally and why they have chosen to work together.

[beepeepz 0]

I just actually read the Charlotte Waters story, and the details are so graphic that I feel like I need to shower after reading that.

I can sort of understand why this young girl, being 21 years old at that time, didn’t leave the studio when Terry and his assistant began preying on her - she was likely just paralyzed with shock. When you’re that young, sometimes you just don’t react, especially to someone with “authority.†You’re just not used to having to define your boundaries, and might be scared or embarrassed to “make a scene.†There were many times when I was young that I didn’t draw a line out of fear or insecurity or embarrassment, and I was very, very lucky that nothing major happened to me. I agree that he exploits their youth and vulnerability and that makes him even more disgusting.

 

Terry Richardson is obviously a very skilled and practiced predator. He assaulted this young woman in a gradual manner, first gaining her trust by acting as if it would be a professional encounter, and then working his way up to a full-on assault, all the while taking photos as if to distract her. To top it all off, he had his assistant join the girl in the cab ride back to tell her that she did a "good job".

 

To all the people who said why this hasn't been brought up in a court case, first of all she wouldn't be able to sue Terry under employment law because she wasn’t his employee. I think she said she wasn’t paid because she thought it would be so good for her portfolio to be photographed by him. I still wonder if she could file a civil suit against him and the assistant, but I don’t know. If I were on a jury, I would totally understand and believe her, but a lot of people might think no line was crossed because she technically didn’t say no.