The screenshots I saw are from when she was like 17, a solid decade before her debut came out. It does not seem like she stopped just because of fame or social pressure. Feel free to not listen to her music though.
I partially understand your take but to i believe its only fair to draw these conclusions once the person (ethel in this case) has felt the consequences of her actions. Yes, it was from a long time ago but does that in any way reduce the significance of her actions? Absolutely not! And the thing is, some of her followers may have been victims to insane racism or incest and thus to see her older remarks and hear some of her supporters say a couple days after “its her opportunity to grow” must be deeply upsetting. Therefore, maybe present this point in some time in the future. Rn the wound is still fresh
Sure, criticize her and stop listening to her music if you want. But she's been doxxed, harassed, gotten death threats, misgendered, had childhood photos leaked and posted around. Her family and friends have gotten harassed as well. She's suffered more than an appropriate amount of consequences for this based on that alone imo.
Sorry, i did not know about those things, i was referring to a decline in music listeners and general following. Sadly the internet always takes things to a horrible route. In no manner is what they are doing appropriate, i just wanted to make it clear that those were not the consequences i was referring to
This is a stupid comment. Neither Racism nor transphobia are acceptable but in my opinion both can forgivable if the person learns from it and makes actions to change that. Silas is one of the most vocally pro-Palestine musicians there is out there. She’s used her platform long since these comments to uplift many leftist causes. If you still find it unforgivable and don’t wanna support her go ahead. But don’t imply transphobia is some lesser form of discrimination.
What’s worse is Ethel admits to knowing better and STILL being racist! White people’s “racist phase” hurts actual people and we deserve to be held accountable for harm. Sure, people grow and change, but I’m wary of anyone who can flip the script quickly between “leftist” and white supremacy and back again……. I agree with the general thesis of not paying excessive attention to celebrity drama and distraction, but overt racism shouldn’t be brushed under the rug with a four page deflection - I mean, apology.
Is over a decade is “quickly” flipping the script? Okay. I agree it shouldn’t be brushed off, but is getting doxxed, death threats, regular transphobic harassment including the leaking and distributing of pictures from before her transition the acceptable punishment for one screenshot of a comments she made at 18 years old? I suppose that’s subjective but I’m gonna be honest; I think some of these people are just transphobic, and don’t really give a shit about holding her accountable.
Going between conservative to left leaning four times in ten years IS quickly flipping the script. I don’t disagree that some people are just simply transphobic, however the criticism of Cain is valid and warranted and shouldn’t be deflected. I am trans myself, and calling out blatant and intentional racism is not transphobia. While the WAY we hold her accountable is important, this is not our apology to accept. I think instead of getting defensive, maybe question why you feel so strongly about defending a celebrity, even one who is trans. If the thesis of this essay is we should focus less on celebrity gossip and cancel culture either way, you’re watering it down by defending a celebrity.
I'm not deflecting it. I state in this piece, another piece, and like 5 times on this comment thread to go ahead and stop being a fan of her music if you're offended by her comments. Criticize her all you want for it. She doesn't deserve you or anyone else's fandom or attention for being trans and I never say anything close to that. Not sure what more you want beyond that exactly.
Thank you for your eloquence on this subject! I had to deep dive on this after being very offline, and I was glued to my phone until my eyes were vibrating.
When I first heard the new single I had that horrible sinking feeling… is she veering into more… mainstream territory? An artist who named an album “Inbred” and has the online presence of an internet troll.. could it possibly be? Cue the controversy.
You bring up such a good point about the dangers of idolizing celebrities – they’re just people, sometimes not even good ones, and they actually don’t even have to be. While I think a lot of Hayden’s past online edgelordship is in poor taste, I also don’t think it reflects her current character in the least. At least, not her actions, and definitely not her statements regarding politics. It’s almost like *gasp* people do and say really stupid shit in high school! Her cancellation is mostly just bigotry disguised as accusation. And to cancel Ethel Cain for her edginess is, as you say, like canceling a frog for being green.
I bite my tongue about this a lot, but it pains me to see the way some engage with her work – she’s been outspoken about it herself, and it’s so ironic to be smeared this way when sometimes even “fans” are digging things out of the trenches to post all over the internet. I think her statement showcased a lot of bravery. Anyone can apologize (or not!), but I hope what she shared will shut up the peanut gallery somewhat, and maybe inspire some deeper engagement, even sensitivity, with her work on top of it.
Probably not surprising, but for me it’s still an Ethel Cain summer, and I’ll listen to Fuck Me Eyes knowing it’s got the Sharkey Spice song of the summer stamp of approval <3
Genuinely thank god there is limited record of shit we said in high school to each other!! Honestly you saw this coming with her mainstream growth for awhile lol, god forbid a girl have a horror aesthetic.
While I dont want her to change for more fans, I think it would be amazing to see her become a household name and after listening to Perverts I think horror movie soundtracks need to bring in her talent. I wont watch them but ill be proud. I love her music 🎶
why are white celebrities afforded this level of coddling when POC are killed for that way of thinking? Calling her "cancellation" Bigotry in disguise is completely ignoring the people that were on the receiving end of her ignorance. It isn't smearing if the accusations are true
Most of the accusations weren’t true. The majority of this “cancellation” centered around extremely harmful, ridiculous transphobic language - it was not only about the racist comment, which she herself fully admitted to and took responsibility for.
Also, if defending trans women in the face of hate is “coddling” then that’s actually fine with me!! Even after all of this I just generally am not usually in the habit of policing the personal lives of celebrities. But I do believe we can hold people accountable for their actions, consider the context, and grow from it. Should we not extend this grace to everyone?
Anyone who was/ is a fan or Ethel Cain read the apology and knows that most of it wasn't true. Most people aren't hating because she's trans. It's because she was a confederate sympathizer, who relapsed into racism at 19!
Her fans inability to accept that what she said hurt people deeply is absolutely ridiculous saying it's "policing people" Are you joking? it wasn't some silly joke, it was hate. People love to say to get over it, but what she said actually made my stomach drop. Do you know how it feels to see people get exposed almost every month for saying slurs towards your race? to know at one point they made fun of and hated people that look like you? You called the people expressing their hurt a peanut gallery, as if it was someone making an unpopular opinion.
Telling black people to get over shit like this shows exactly that most people do not care about racism when it involves their favs. Yes we should forgive people, but are you apart of the group that was hurt from her wannabe edgy phase?
People of color, especially black people are killed because of people thinking this way. Why is racism seen as some sort of coming of age phase when their peers are on the receiving end of this?
I understand that the angle of my piece and comments has been from my perspective, and from my biased algorithms- I saw a lot of weird, shitty transphobia angled at her. Some terfs did in fact take off with this one for a bit. And I can imagine you mostly saw white fans sweeping the racism under the rug, so I'm sorry if my piece feels like another example of that. Like, I just casually looked again on Twitter and saw people defending her too ardently: she certainly does deserve some heat for these shitty comments and I've never disagreed with that. And don't state otherwise in the piece or elsewhere. I don't think she needs to get completely deplatformed, but I'm open to hearing other perspectives on that too.
I'll also just offer that I'm sorry you were so hurt by the comments and unsympathetic fans. I can *kind* of relate. People say shitty transphobic stuff every day. It gets trans people killed too, and people brush off the transphobia all the time. And even with that said: I'm not unaware that disproportionately effects black trans women. So, I completely understand not wanting to support Cain anymore and being wary of the fans too aggressively defending her.
The peanut gallery comment was addressing those who continually make light of her work as an artist, specifically within the context of trauma/SA/incest. I was in no way implying that anybody on the receiving end of any kind of hate should “get over it” or be silenced though I can see how it might’ve been misconstrued. You’re entitled to feel any way you want towards her. We can engage in nuanced dialogue while acknowledging her past comments are unquestionably offensive and inflammatory - something this essay conveys clearly. That’s all from me though, xx
Anyone who doesn’t want to listen to Cain’s music because of the comments she posted as a teen are completely valid and I don’t think they’re too sensitive, at all! I completely understand why they would be hurt by those comments. I do also think people’s levels of what they can or can’t accept are different, and that overly policing everyone else’s lines is kind of how we end up with a lot of infighting. I just also think it’s important for people to get the bigger picture of why this is happening now and it’s not out of a sense of social justice it’s out of a sense of bigotry against trans women.
Much like Cain, I was raised in a religious close minded place. I said some dumb ass shit and judged others HARD when I was a teenager (in the 90s) but thankfully after years of growth and realization of empathy and love for others I have CHANGED. (Without religion helping me either) She is still so young. Young people can be given grace, chances to grow and show accountability. That is a part of growing up. That is a part of being human. I think many forget this. 🙏
This is exactly how I feel. God I hope nobody holds against me what happened when I was in the evangelical church. For a lot of us, we are unlearning things from 20+ years of indoctrination.
I don't get why there's a cultural expectation for celebrities to be morally pure. I think it stifles creativity by placing an unrealistic moral burden on artists. Unless they're committing actual crimes, at what point does it become totally pedantic? Cain is one of the few publicly (and aggressively) left-populist mainstream-ish music personalities and I hate that people are reducing her to some throwaway posts from nearly a decade ago.
Plenty of people experience misogyny and SA (including myself) and they don't say weird harmful shit. I think we often times forget that poc are on the receiving end of these peoples racist phases, and it seems like people down play these situations, making it seem like having a racist phase is somehow a rite of passage for the average white teenager.
Saying that calling out this behavior is because of the rise of conservatism and TERFISM is ridiculous, especially when its her POC fans feeling the hurt of the things said . "the internet is attacking Cain for having those same ugly parts and hardships in her past." and its fetishizing the confederacy, and spouting hateful rhetoric. It wasn't an "edgy aesthetic" it was hate. While She may have changed and grown, her fans love to act like she was a little kid at 19 and are currently being incredibly racist to the black fans, including me, who were expressing their discomfort
I intentionally structed the piece to separate the criticism I find valid into the first portion- clearly include the racism and state that anyone who does not want to support Cain because of it is more than entitled to do so. I’m sorry that people are being shitty to you for validly criticizing her, that’s unacceptable.
When talking about the invalid TERF criticisms I note the attack on her aesthetic, her womanhood, the accusations of fetishization etc. That’s what I’m referring to as a clear rise of conservativism and ‘her messy past’.
The difficult part of this situation is the way it levied valid criticisms alongside invalid ones and how conflicting that can make things. My piece focused on the invalid, no doubt- I wrote it with an audience of like 10 people at the time. I’m not perfect, but I certainly don’t think having a problematic phase is a rite of passage of something we should gloss over. I’m sorry if it came off otherwise.
lol the existential strain of wanting to party and needing to stay vigilant!! It’s a hard time to be someone with a conscious in the world. Thanks for reading~
I’ll always find it fascinating how in one breath white people can excuse racism and in the next breath say that being transphobic or queer phobic are indefensible lines for them. I think the past racism is probably just a relatable part of whiteness to grow from? Baffling always
completely see and acknowledge everything youre saying and its extremely well written, but on a side note i still believe everyone has a right to respect. you refer to her as silas despite that shes expressed multiple times she doesnt want to be affiliated with that name as it was primarily pre transition.
you talk repeatedly about the crucial timing of derogatory behaviour towards the lgbtq community, and the disrespect hayden is facing in regards to a smear campaign.
i would have hoped youd have dived further into your research before publishing as i believe anyone transitioned or battling with gender identity has a right to not be associated with their former name/s or alias.
anyway, additional note as you dont seem to be aware (which very few are), but yes you’re completely correct about the smear campaign part. this group has been actively targeting hayden repeatedly over numerous years. i remember when the fan base was a lot smaller and we had issues with them infiltrating tumblr and ethel cain discords.
it is a perfectly timed, perfectly curated moment for a bunch of malicious terfs to bring destruction to a successful queer womans career. it is even more pivotal given how vital strength and community is at such a high time of need in america with trumps attempted erasure of queer people.
ultimately, i believe you’re very well spoken and the silas part aside — this post was carefully curated and you addressed a lot of key points many others are missing. good work
Well, it certainly wasn’t done with disrespect in mind. And it’s right on her wiki page. I guess since she used it for certain music before I also thought it was simply her name. But admittedly, I didn’t do a deep dive of research on this. I write for fun honestly and to process things for myself and never expected it to reach a lot of people! I may just edit it but I guess I’ve been wondering if it’s gauche to edit something after so many people have seen it…
Anyways, thanks for reading glad to get the approval of certified Cain-heads. Definitely meant no disrespect and I think I’ll probably edit the piece based on your comment~
i do forget every now and again that it is her middle name, so i definitely understand the easy mix up and i see now you meant it with no disrespect. it can be hard for those who arent fans to even know about given most try to avoid mentioning it.
i hope what i said didnt come off with ill intent and i apologise if it did in any way. its a great piece and a more then understandable mixup, especially given that its on her wiki (which i wasnt even aware of)
Social media and consumers in general have shifted to the right.
I assume the new gens brains are so fried partially due to their lack of control. They’re puritans nowadays and are militant in the weirdest of ways because it gives control and one must make “art” for them that is safe and casts a wide net.
the magazine? what slurs are you talking about? while the people that may have brought light to what Hayden has done may have had malicious intent, that doesn’t take away the hurtful things she said. Calling out people being klan sympathizers is right wing?
fantastic article. my one note (and correct me if I'm wrong) is that doesn't she go by Hayden and not Silas? I haven't seen her referred to anything other than Hayden Anhedonia since she made music under the name White Silas.
I’m not sure- genuinely it may be her middle name? I just made the decision based on it seeming easier to spell at the time and that I had seen her referred to with both names.
I love when white women are like “ she USE to be racist now that she’s in the public eye she stopped . God let it go”
The screenshots I saw are from when she was like 17, a solid decade before her debut came out. It does not seem like she stopped just because of fame or social pressure. Feel free to not listen to her music though.
I partially understand your take but to i believe its only fair to draw these conclusions once the person (ethel in this case) has felt the consequences of her actions. Yes, it was from a long time ago but does that in any way reduce the significance of her actions? Absolutely not! And the thing is, some of her followers may have been victims to insane racism or incest and thus to see her older remarks and hear some of her supporters say a couple days after “its her opportunity to grow” must be deeply upsetting. Therefore, maybe present this point in some time in the future. Rn the wound is still fresh
Sure, criticize her and stop listening to her music if you want. But she's been doxxed, harassed, gotten death threats, misgendered, had childhood photos leaked and posted around. Her family and friends have gotten harassed as well. She's suffered more than an appropriate amount of consequences for this based on that alone imo.
Sorry, i did not know about those things, i was referring to a decline in music listeners and general following. Sadly the internet always takes things to a horrible route. In no manner is what they are doing appropriate, i just wanted to make it clear that those were not the consequences i was referring to
It's stated in my piece, so maybe read the thing your criticizing next time?
“I can excuse racism, but I draw the line at transphobia”
This is a stupid comment. Neither Racism nor transphobia are acceptable but in my opinion both can forgivable if the person learns from it and makes actions to change that. Silas is one of the most vocally pro-Palestine musicians there is out there. She’s used her platform long since these comments to uplift many leftist causes. If you still find it unforgivable and don’t wanna support her go ahead. But don’t imply transphobia is some lesser form of discrimination.
😭😭😭
What’s worse is Ethel admits to knowing better and STILL being racist! White people’s “racist phase” hurts actual people and we deserve to be held accountable for harm. Sure, people grow and change, but I’m wary of anyone who can flip the script quickly between “leftist” and white supremacy and back again……. I agree with the general thesis of not paying excessive attention to celebrity drama and distraction, but overt racism shouldn’t be brushed under the rug with a four page deflection - I mean, apology.
Is over a decade is “quickly” flipping the script? Okay. I agree it shouldn’t be brushed off, but is getting doxxed, death threats, regular transphobic harassment including the leaking and distributing of pictures from before her transition the acceptable punishment for one screenshot of a comments she made at 18 years old? I suppose that’s subjective but I’m gonna be honest; I think some of these people are just transphobic, and don’t really give a shit about holding her accountable.
Going between conservative to left leaning four times in ten years IS quickly flipping the script. I don’t disagree that some people are just simply transphobic, however the criticism of Cain is valid and warranted and shouldn’t be deflected. I am trans myself, and calling out blatant and intentional racism is not transphobia. While the WAY we hold her accountable is important, this is not our apology to accept. I think instead of getting defensive, maybe question why you feel so strongly about defending a celebrity, even one who is trans. If the thesis of this essay is we should focus less on celebrity gossip and cancel culture either way, you’re watering it down by defending a celebrity.
I'm not deflecting it. I state in this piece, another piece, and like 5 times on this comment thread to go ahead and stop being a fan of her music if you're offended by her comments. Criticize her all you want for it. She doesn't deserve you or anyone else's fandom or attention for being trans and I never say anything close to that. Not sure what more you want beyond that exactly.
I work in the music industry, nobody is even talking about her.
Impressionable white women is my new favorite phrase.
Lmao so original Ronigan
Why don’t you want ppl to know what you look like Racist Ronigan ?
Thank you for your eloquence on this subject! I had to deep dive on this after being very offline, and I was glued to my phone until my eyes were vibrating.
When I first heard the new single I had that horrible sinking feeling… is she veering into more… mainstream territory? An artist who named an album “Inbred” and has the online presence of an internet troll.. could it possibly be? Cue the controversy.
You bring up such a good point about the dangers of idolizing celebrities – they’re just people, sometimes not even good ones, and they actually don’t even have to be. While I think a lot of Hayden’s past online edgelordship is in poor taste, I also don’t think it reflects her current character in the least. At least, not her actions, and definitely not her statements regarding politics. It’s almost like *gasp* people do and say really stupid shit in high school! Her cancellation is mostly just bigotry disguised as accusation. And to cancel Ethel Cain for her edginess is, as you say, like canceling a frog for being green.
I bite my tongue about this a lot, but it pains me to see the way some engage with her work – she’s been outspoken about it herself, and it’s so ironic to be smeared this way when sometimes even “fans” are digging things out of the trenches to post all over the internet. I think her statement showcased a lot of bravery. Anyone can apologize (or not!), but I hope what she shared will shut up the peanut gallery somewhat, and maybe inspire some deeper engagement, even sensitivity, with her work on top of it.
Probably not surprising, but for me it’s still an Ethel Cain summer, and I’ll listen to Fuck Me Eyes knowing it’s got the Sharkey Spice song of the summer stamp of approval <3
Genuinely thank god there is limited record of shit we said in high school to each other!! Honestly you saw this coming with her mainstream growth for awhile lol, god forbid a girl have a horror aesthetic.
While I dont want her to change for more fans, I think it would be amazing to see her become a household name and after listening to Perverts I think horror movie soundtracks need to bring in her talent. I wont watch them but ill be proud. I love her music 🎶
why are white celebrities afforded this level of coddling when POC are killed for that way of thinking? Calling her "cancellation" Bigotry in disguise is completely ignoring the people that were on the receiving end of her ignorance. It isn't smearing if the accusations are true
Most of the accusations weren’t true. The majority of this “cancellation” centered around extremely harmful, ridiculous transphobic language - it was not only about the racist comment, which she herself fully admitted to and took responsibility for.
Also, if defending trans women in the face of hate is “coddling” then that’s actually fine with me!! Even after all of this I just generally am not usually in the habit of policing the personal lives of celebrities. But I do believe we can hold people accountable for their actions, consider the context, and grow from it. Should we not extend this grace to everyone?
Anyone who was/ is a fan or Ethel Cain read the apology and knows that most of it wasn't true. Most people aren't hating because she's trans. It's because she was a confederate sympathizer, who relapsed into racism at 19!
Her fans inability to accept that what she said hurt people deeply is absolutely ridiculous saying it's "policing people" Are you joking? it wasn't some silly joke, it was hate. People love to say to get over it, but what she said actually made my stomach drop. Do you know how it feels to see people get exposed almost every month for saying slurs towards your race? to know at one point they made fun of and hated people that look like you? You called the people expressing their hurt a peanut gallery, as if it was someone making an unpopular opinion.
Telling black people to get over shit like this shows exactly that most people do not care about racism when it involves their favs. Yes we should forgive people, but are you apart of the group that was hurt from her wannabe edgy phase?
People of color, especially black people are killed because of people thinking this way. Why is racism seen as some sort of coming of age phase when their peers are on the receiving end of this?
I understand that the angle of my piece and comments has been from my perspective, and from my biased algorithms- I saw a lot of weird, shitty transphobia angled at her. Some terfs did in fact take off with this one for a bit. And I can imagine you mostly saw white fans sweeping the racism under the rug, so I'm sorry if my piece feels like another example of that. Like, I just casually looked again on Twitter and saw people defending her too ardently: she certainly does deserve some heat for these shitty comments and I've never disagreed with that. And don't state otherwise in the piece or elsewhere. I don't think she needs to get completely deplatformed, but I'm open to hearing other perspectives on that too.
I'll also just offer that I'm sorry you were so hurt by the comments and unsympathetic fans. I can *kind* of relate. People say shitty transphobic stuff every day. It gets trans people killed too, and people brush off the transphobia all the time. And even with that said: I'm not unaware that disproportionately effects black trans women. So, I completely understand not wanting to support Cain anymore and being wary of the fans too aggressively defending her.
The peanut gallery comment was addressing those who continually make light of her work as an artist, specifically within the context of trauma/SA/incest. I was in no way implying that anybody on the receiving end of any kind of hate should “get over it” or be silenced though I can see how it might’ve been misconstrued. You’re entitled to feel any way you want towards her. We can engage in nuanced dialogue while acknowledging her past comments are unquestionably offensive and inflammatory - something this essay conveys clearly. That’s all from me though, xx
+1 to all of the above!!
sorry just had to giggle a little — her ep is called inbred not incest! haha
So true. Got my words mixed up amid all the southern gothic drama
haha its okay i found it hilarious!!
Anyone who doesn’t want to listen to Cain’s music because of the comments she posted as a teen are completely valid and I don’t think they’re too sensitive, at all! I completely understand why they would be hurt by those comments. I do also think people’s levels of what they can or can’t accept are different, and that overly policing everyone else’s lines is kind of how we end up with a lot of infighting. I just also think it’s important for people to get the bigger picture of why this is happening now and it’s not out of a sense of social justice it’s out of a sense of bigotry against trans women.
Much like Cain, I was raised in a religious close minded place. I said some dumb ass shit and judged others HARD when I was a teenager (in the 90s) but thankfully after years of growth and realization of empathy and love for others I have CHANGED. (Without religion helping me either) She is still so young. Young people can be given grace, chances to grow and show accountability. That is a part of growing up. That is a part of being human. I think many forget this. 🙏
This is exactly how I feel. God I hope nobody holds against me what happened when I was in the evangelical church. For a lot of us, we are unlearning things from 20+ years of indoctrination.
well put
I don't get why there's a cultural expectation for celebrities to be morally pure. I think it stifles creativity by placing an unrealistic moral burden on artists. Unless they're committing actual crimes, at what point does it become totally pedantic? Cain is one of the few publicly (and aggressively) left-populist mainstream-ish music personalities and I hate that people are reducing her to some throwaway posts from nearly a decade ago.
that part!!!
Plenty of people experience misogyny and SA (including myself) and they don't say weird harmful shit. I think we often times forget that poc are on the receiving end of these peoples racist phases, and it seems like people down play these situations, making it seem like having a racist phase is somehow a rite of passage for the average white teenager.
Saying that calling out this behavior is because of the rise of conservatism and TERFISM is ridiculous, especially when its her POC fans feeling the hurt of the things said . "the internet is attacking Cain for having those same ugly parts and hardships in her past." and its fetishizing the confederacy, and spouting hateful rhetoric. It wasn't an "edgy aesthetic" it was hate. While She may have changed and grown, her fans love to act like she was a little kid at 19 and are currently being incredibly racist to the black fans, including me, who were expressing their discomfort
I intentionally structed the piece to separate the criticism I find valid into the first portion- clearly include the racism and state that anyone who does not want to support Cain because of it is more than entitled to do so. I’m sorry that people are being shitty to you for validly criticizing her, that’s unacceptable.
When talking about the invalid TERF criticisms I note the attack on her aesthetic, her womanhood, the accusations of fetishization etc. That’s what I’m referring to as a clear rise of conservativism and ‘her messy past’.
The difficult part of this situation is the way it levied valid criticisms alongside invalid ones and how conflicting that can make things. My piece focused on the invalid, no doubt- I wrote it with an audience of like 10 people at the time. I’m not perfect, but I certainly don’t think having a problematic phase is a rite of passage of something we should gloss over. I’m sorry if it came off otherwise.
I’m so grateful for this take in general, but also I love how you describe the challenge of naming a song of this particular hellish summer.
lol the existential strain of wanting to party and needing to stay vigilant!! It’s a hard time to be someone with a conscious in the world. Thanks for reading~
I’ll always find it fascinating how in one breath white people can excuse racism and in the next breath say that being transphobic or queer phobic are indefensible lines for them. I think the past racism is probably just a relatable part of whiteness to grow from? Baffling always
Hot girl summer is Megan Thee Stallion, not Charli XCX 🫡
lol fair enough thank you for the correction, I'm not a Megan Thee scholar tbh!
This was contemplative but to the point. Great work:)
completely see and acknowledge everything youre saying and its extremely well written, but on a side note i still believe everyone has a right to respect. you refer to her as silas despite that shes expressed multiple times she doesnt want to be affiliated with that name as it was primarily pre transition.
you talk repeatedly about the crucial timing of derogatory behaviour towards the lgbtq community, and the disrespect hayden is facing in regards to a smear campaign.
i would have hoped youd have dived further into your research before publishing as i believe anyone transitioned or battling with gender identity has a right to not be associated with their former name/s or alias.
anyway, additional note as you dont seem to be aware (which very few are), but yes you’re completely correct about the smear campaign part. this group has been actively targeting hayden repeatedly over numerous years. i remember when the fan base was a lot smaller and we had issues with them infiltrating tumblr and ethel cain discords.
it is a perfectly timed, perfectly curated moment for a bunch of malicious terfs to bring destruction to a successful queer womans career. it is even more pivotal given how vital strength and community is at such a high time of need in america with trumps attempted erasure of queer people.
ultimately, i believe you’re very well spoken and the silas part aside — this post was carefully curated and you addressed a lot of key points many others are missing. good work
Well, it certainly wasn’t done with disrespect in mind. And it’s right on her wiki page. I guess since she used it for certain music before I also thought it was simply her name. But admittedly, I didn’t do a deep dive of research on this. I write for fun honestly and to process things for myself and never expected it to reach a lot of people! I may just edit it but I guess I’ve been wondering if it’s gauche to edit something after so many people have seen it…
Anyways, thanks for reading glad to get the approval of certified Cain-heads. Definitely meant no disrespect and I think I’ll probably edit the piece based on your comment~
i do forget every now and again that it is her middle name, so i definitely understand the easy mix up and i see now you meant it with no disrespect. it can be hard for those who arent fans to even know about given most try to avoid mentioning it.
i hope what i said didnt come off with ill intent and i apologise if it did in any way. its a great piece and a more then understandable mixup, especially given that its on her wiki (which i wasnt even aware of)
I think maybe this generation is a tad unforgiving….shes a singer not Mother Teresa…sometimes we all say stupid stuff….
The important thing is to learn from it though unlike say….Donald Trump….
Ethel Cain’s inability to move through fame without getting “cancelled” is whackness
If an inoffensive artist like this gets harangued for being racist then we’re all dumb
Perverts was the first 2025 album I listened to because it was one of the first albums to be released this year. I have nothing else to report.
Social media and consumers in general have shifted to the right.
I assume the new gens brains are so fried partially due to their lack of control. They’re puritans nowadays and are militant in the weirdest of ways because it gives control and one must make “art” for them that is safe and casts a wide net.
"shifted to the right" and its just someone bringing up a very harmful racist past
Slurs are back in vogue. This is just a smear campaign against a trans artist. No coincidence this all came out now.
I’m talking about society in general. The world is more right wing/conservative now. It’s glaringly obvious.
the magazine? what slurs are you talking about? while the people that may have brought light to what Hayden has done may have had malicious intent, that doesn’t take away the hurtful things she said. Calling out people being klan sympathizers is right wing?
Cancel cancel culture
fantastic article. my one note (and correct me if I'm wrong) is that doesn't she go by Hayden and not Silas? I haven't seen her referred to anything other than Hayden Anhedonia since she made music under the name White Silas.
I’m not sure- genuinely it may be her middle name? I just made the decision based on it seeming easier to spell at the time and that I had seen her referred to with both names.
ah yes, you're right!! that's what it is :)
its a name she used to publish music under pre transition and is one she has strictly asked people to not call or associate her with