Born in Los Angeles, California in 1987, Kesha Sebert’s big break in her career came from rapper Flo Rida’s 2009 number one hit “Right Round.” Her first song to become a hit was “Tik Tok”, and soon after she released her first album, Animal, in 2010. She is a singer and songwriter that was exposed to music at an early age. She worked a lot with her mother, who encouraged her interest in singing because she had landed a songwriting contract in Nashville, TN.
At age 17 Kesha quit high school and moved back to Los Angeles with a producer named Dr. Luke, who had worked on hit singles for other celebrities, to work on her music. She landed a few gigs, but nothing really big happened with her career until the “Right Round” song with Flo Rida. Her lyrics are famous for being about alcohol, drugs, and partying. She says shes “not a babysitter” and “not sorry about it.” Her album attracted many young fans and reached Billboard top hits.
As carefree as now “Ke$ha” may seem, she has struggled profusely with eating disorders-- as many women (and some males) do. She was bullied for weight, although Ke$ha was not even large. She did not fit her manager’s perspective of skinny, and was told: “You need to lose weight! I don't care what you do ... take drugs, not eat, stick your finger down your throat!” by him. She began with a healthy approach, which was eating healthy and exercising, but when she did not reach her goals quickly enough she turned to bulimia.
She was compared to a “refrigerator” and informed that her producers had been talking negatively about her weight behind her back, causing trust issues. She also found much criticism in the way she appeared in her bikini while vacationing in Australia in 2011. "I remember every person who told me I couldn't do something or that I was ugly or too fat,” Ke$ha admits. She was repeatedly told she did not fit in with the modern “pop star” look. When Ke$ha suffered with the eating disorder, the doctors told her they had never seen and sodium so low except in someone who had had a heart attack or stroke. They said it was “a miracle she hadn't dropped dead onstage.”
Women in modern times are expected to be rail thin with the perfect assets. We, as normal every day women, feel this pressure extraordinarily, so I can only imagine the way celebrities with millions of eyes on them feel every single day. Ke$ha has fought and won her battle by seeking treatment for her eating disorder. She went through a 30 day treatment but then extended her stay, determined to get her health back on track. One of her last photos uploaded says “IMA SURVIVOR” and she wants everyone to know her plan: “To learn to love myself again. Exactly as I am.”
Works Cited:
- "Kesha Biography." Retrieved from: http://www.biography.com/people/kesha-562676#awesm=~oBBoXS3RPe31Fy
- "Kesha's Mother Opens Up About Her Daughter's Eating Disorder, Says The Singer Nearly Died." Retrieved from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/20/kesha-mother-eating-disorder-rehab_n_4631612.html
- "Kesha's Mom Blames Singer's Eating Disorder On Her Advisors." Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/10/keshas-mom-eating-disorder_n_4575746.html
- "Kesha: Signs That She Was Struggling Before Rehab." Retrieved from: http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20772387,00.html
- "She almost died: Kesha's mother claims her daughter was so ill it was 'a miracle' she survived after starving herself." Retrieved from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2540039/Keshas-mother-claims-daughter-ill-miracle-survived-starving-herself.html
- "Kesha checks out of rehab and leaves dollar sign behind." Retrieved from: http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/mar/10/kesha-rehab-eating-disorder-new-name
Erica,
ReplyDeleteI liked how you chose Kesha, because I think she is different from other celebrities in that she sought help for her eating disorder. I feel like many celebrities who are obviously too thin, never acknowledge it, or even endorse it. The pressure to be thin in today's society is a growing issue, especially in the entertainment industry. I really liked how you included her being referred to as a 'refrigerator' because it just shows how ridiculous and cruel those expectations can be. I also thought the picture you chose was really effective because there is such an extreme difference in her weight fluctuations.
Erica,
ReplyDeleteThis impacted me as I read the story but absolutely stopped me in my tracks when I saw the photos attached. I myself am not always "up to date" on pop culture but had heard of Ke$ha. The issue of eating disorders and women who are not satisfied or pressured to attain unrealistic bodies is real. The fact that women struggle with self esteem and body image on a regular basis and turn to things such as this is way too common. I am thrilled to hear of a woman who experienced pressure yet still sought help. She is learning from her experiences and showing the world a "reality" that has been distorted in our culture. I would be curious to know more of her story. Will she write music again? Will she perform again? Would/Will she change anything about her personal presentation?
Well done!
Erica,
ReplyDeleteYou did a great job showing what a lot of people including celebrities and the average everyday people struggle with. Media does a good job off publicizing it, which is terrible because then young girls and even some males feel pressured to lose weight. This is also a good example of how in the real world you are faced with problems like that. Women struggle with their body image and this shows the effects of negative comments towards a woman's body.