Lisa Johnson

The New 97.7 Radio Station Mutes R. Kelly

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For decades I’ve heard the stories about R. Kelly. Allegations of his abuse of underage girls have only increased over time.

I don’t have cable, so I haven’t seen Surviving R. Kelly but many that I follow on Twitter have been watching it. From what I have read, R. Kelly is a monster with no conscious. I don’t understand how he has gotten away with so much for so long. Maybe now a turning point has been reached. The docuseries has been widely watched.

A ThinkProgress story about the success of the programs describes how part of the problem with R. Kelly is that people literally keep listening to him and not the victims.

What do we do with the theoretically singular and indispensable gifts of men who also happen to be predators? Among diehard fans of some artistic icons, a belief persists that the talent of one man is such a rare and precious resource that must be preserved at any cost. “Separate the artist from the art,” they advise. As if it were so simple, like the latter can be surgically extricated from the body that produced it so as to be cherished all by itself, stripped of its context and consequence.

But with Kelly, the idea of such clean division feels particularly absurd. His music — and the success it brought — lured in victims, charmed a distractible press, and enabled his reportedly prolific and ongoing violence. His art acted as a smokescreen and a bluff.

The #MuteRKelly Movement was started in July 2017 by Oronike Odeleye, when he started a petition to get R. Kelly’s music off the air in Atlanta. The movement has spread and more stations are taking his music off the air.

My favorite local music station here in Boston is The New 97.7. In the past they have played R. Kelly. I admit to enjoying his music over the years. It’s been a standard at parties and weddings for so long. Many of us have good memories tied up in his music. But this man and his music can no longer be celebrated. The more I learn about him, the more it feels wrong listening to him.

A couple of days ago I tweeted at the station and it’s parent company iHeartRADIO asking why they are still playing him and expressing my feelings about his music. Today I received a tweet in response stating, “We have officially pulled R. Kelly from our playlist.”

It’s not a huge consequence. But it’s something. And I’m very appreciative that The New 97.7 has taken a stand. We’re moving in the right direction.

Embrace Women In Art

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2018 was quite a year. The most difficult thing was losing my father in March.

After my father became ill, my mom, brother and I started having family dinners every Sunday. Sometimes extended family would have dinner with us too. It became a real source of comfort.

Nothing fancy. Quite the opposite. It needed to be easy, so we would get take-out from a few local places. The main thing was that we were all together sharing a meal. That had been so important to our family while my brother and I were growing up.

After my dad passed, we decided to continue the tradition, but we decided to eat at out at some area restaurants. Over a couple of weeks, we tried a few, but nothing felt right. I think that we were feeling too sad. My father was a huge presence and energy in our lives. And he was gone.

Even though I felt broken, I strongly believed (and still believe) that when a major person leaves your life, someone else will appear.  Not to replace them. But just in keeping with the nature of physics. It has to happen. Energy doesn’t disappear. It’s a constant and just transforms.

My brother mentioned that we should try Bertucci’s. There was one near where he lived, so it would be easy. We had always loved their food and especially the rolls. None of us had been to one in many years, but we thought it was a great idea. Especially after just hearing that many of the restaurants would be closing.

So one Sunday in April, we went to Bertucci’s and our server was a lovely young woman named Kassy. She had just started working there and was so friendly and sweet. We all bonded immediately. We started going back there every Sunday and Kassy was always our server. For the first time in a while, our dinners started feeling happy again.

So why am I telling you this? Well, Kassy doesn’t work there anymore, but she has become like another member of our family and I have been mentoring her. She has an artsy side like me and also making her way in the professional world.

Recently she started a blog called Embrace Women In Art, where she interviews women who are involved in the arts. Her latest post is an interview with me!

Since it’s also Christmas Eve, to those of you who celebrate, Merry Christmas! 🎄

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Updated 5/16/20: The interview is no longer available online, so the link was removed.

A Collection Of Moments: December

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A Collection Of Moments, is my attempt to actively notice the changes and beauty within each month. Because what is life, but a series of moments strung together like twinkling lights on a string?

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DECEMBER is …

Hot coffee in a festive mug.

Mistletoe, holly and candy canes.

Winter solstice

and rebirth of the sun.

Menorahs, kinaras and Christmas lights.

Ritual and religion

all seeking the light.

The end

and the beginning.

Nostalgia and melody.

Brown paper packages tied up with string.

Rudolph’s shiny nose and Charlie Brown’s tree.

Zuzu’s petals and the promise of a wonderful life.

Recently Read: A History Of Chowder

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While I haven’t done any chowder tastings lately, I did read a book about its history.

A History Of Chowder is a tiny, tiny book that dives deeply into all things chowder.

Boston Magazine says that “clam chowder (even cheffed-up clam chowder) will always have less sex appeal than fried chicken.”

Maybe that’s true. But does it matter? Is the comparison even fair? Chowder is a comfort food that reminds us New Englanders of home.

The book says that it’s not clear who created the first bowl of chowder, but does provide the earliest published chowder recipe.

Dated September 23, 1751, it’s actually a rhyming poem! Below is part of the recipe.

First lay some Onions to keep the Pork from burning,
Because in chouder there can be no turning;
Then lay some Pork in slices very thin,
This you in Chouder always must begin.
Next lay some Fish oer crossways very nice
Then season well with Pepper, Salt and Spice;

Because chowder began as a soup made at sea, it was first considered to be a masculine food. It was made by men, for men and consumed with rough manners. While this makes sense, I had never thought of chowder that way.

As different ingredients are added to chowder over time, it changes and who eats it expands. Regional variance also start happening — particularly the addition of milk and cream by some and the addition of tomatoes by others. It seems like New York and Boston never agree on anything!

A good portion of the book also analyzes how chowder ingredients are intertwined with the colonial past of this country. History brings its remnants forward. And the next time I do partake in a bowl of chowder, I will see it in a bit of a different light.

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Photo: Amazon