Public Comment

Dear Editor,

I did not identify Mugg Muggles as the "mutilation song singer" in my essay "A Song and a Me Too Moment." But I'm glad he outed himself. He apparently thinks it's enough to retire one of his many racist, sexist songs while privately showering me, the one who tried to write about the damage such songs do, with insults and personal attacks, thus missing the point. 

Since the essay's publication he's filled my inbox with hate directed personally at me - the usual effort to intimidate and personalize an issue. Many writers know this moment, perhaps especially women attempting to talk about double standards, and we endure it just like his song, in the same way that women walk a very different path home after a night at the Freight and Salvage. Retiring one egregious song was not my aim although I do not mind. But I will celebrate the day when Mugg stops sending me email calling me "stupid", "dim bulb", "idiot", and "f-ing bitch" for not presenting him as the hero he seems to think he is. 

If he's a hero to anyone out there, that's fine. But those people need to know that it's hard for me to open my email, which is a work tool, without hateful messages from him, and that he has similar songs he may substitute. They should consider that the subject of my piece was not one song - it was, rather, about a culture of intimidation to which he continues his allegiance. But most importantly, it was about her. The woman who, even in a culture of intimidation and threats we both continue to experience, spoke up. 

Sincerely, 

Carol Denney