In Search of Meg White

The day after my deadline, I receive a text from Meg’s friend. She apologizes for not getting back to me sooner, and confirms that Meg has declined to answer the questions I’d texted because it’s still technically an interview, and she’s said “no” to so many that she can’t start saying “yes” now. I thank her, tell her I understand, and ask her to do something that suddenly seems very important, which is to send Meg my best. 

This has been a stub for nearky 2.5 years. I read the article because it was posted to Hacker News, left a comment and continued thinking about it and at some later date made notes.

My ultimate conclusion was that most likely Meg White actually wanted to do this interview with this reporter who had been unusually kind to her previously but felt like she couldn't because then other reporters would feel entitled to anything interview as well and would hound her and harass her and not take "no" for an answer.

And with writing that paragraph, I can't help but feel like that somehow ties into the concept of rape culture and the meme that "good girls" can't say yes to some boys and not others. Either you're a virgin on the wedding night or your trash and how dare you say no to ME when you've said yes to several other men without marrying them.

It's deeply disrespectful to women and really to all people that anyone feels like they can't agree to do an interview with one person less they be nonstop hounded by all the other reporters. And I desperately wish we lived in a world where it was possible for her to feel she could give this one interview and somehow tell everyone else "No other interviews,  no. And I'll have you arrested if you harass me about this."

Or something. 

No one should feel like their only hope of defending themselves from insane, nonstop harassment is a blanket policy of "Absolutely NO interviews ever with anyone under ANY circumstance." and backing that up with a zero exceptions policy.