In an attempt to salvage their reputations, it is a funny coincidence that UMass Amherst and Kesha are working together to do so.
Rumors have been circulating over the past week that the university was planning a free concert the day of the infamous Blarney Blowout to curtail students from gathering and partying throughout the town. Although the University of Massachusetts Amherst has yet to confirm the event, a member of the Student Government Association announced to the Amherst Wire that a free concert will be hosted at the Mullins Center for students March 7. The article states that the stars performing will be Kesha and Juicy J, with a third entertainer yet to be announced. With the annual pre-St. Patrick’s Day celebration just over a week away, this is the first information released that has been confirmed by a source.
After last year’s event making international headlines and resulting in dozens of arrests and property damage, the university hired former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis to review affairs and publish a report of recommendations for the school and police departments. UMass Amherst administration has taken his advice and shifted into high gear to prevent another public-relations disaster weekend from occurring again. A free on-campus concert with popular artists during the time of the day-drinking fest seems to be a smart alternative to prevent riotous behaviors that notoriously headline news.
Interestingly enough, one of the artists set to play, Kesha, has had her own legal troubles and negative reputation to deal with, and is in the midst of transforming her image as well.
Despite her songs about drinking, clubbing, and boys, Kesha is actually “incredibly responsible”, she says about herself, and was once a diligent student. Last year she went to rehab for an eating disorder, not excess partying as some mistakenly believed. Since leaving rehab, Kesha has dropped the “$” sign from her name, removed the glitter and grills she would occasionally fashion, and changed her wardrobe to more elegant, simple dress. The party-girl image she once had is not the real Kesha Sebert and she wants the world to know it.
Ke$ha: Before
Kesha: After
UMass Amherst, one of the highest-ranked public research institutions in the country, holds the nickname “ZooMass”, a moniker the administration is all too eager to shed. Despite the school’s advancements and achievements, events like Blarney Blowout attract negative attention and create an unfavorable image for the school, similar to how Kesha’s previous facade inaccurately portrayed her.
The question is, are UMass’ and Kesha’s last ditch efforts to make good impressions effective enough?
The university is banning non-UMass students from parking on campus or staying as guests in the dorms, and prohibiting local bars from advertising about the event. A similar guest policy was enacted during Super Bowl weekend in February, which prevented anyone from entering Southwest-area residence halls in which they did not live.
Policy changes like this have angered many students, and pose problems for friends who have already made plans and bought travel tickets to visit the weekend of March 7. Hosting a concert is a fun plan that students could surely enjoy, but as of right now there is a severe lack of communication between administration and students, and the money used for this concert could go to myriad other things throughout the university.
As for Kesha, news broke last year that she was suing her producer Dr. Luke for sexual assault and battery, claiming that abuse lasted for over a decade and he contributed to her eating disorder. Dr. Luke retaliated, countersuing her and her mother and starting a smear campaign against the artist. Little news has been released on the status of this legal battle, leaving us to wonder who’s really telling the truth.
Although Kesha is working on new music, she hasn’t released an album since 2012, making her practically irrelevant in Hollywood years. Until new information breaks for the artist, either a win in court against Dr. Luke or a hit new single, non-dollar-sign-Kesha will continue to pale in comparison to “Crazy Kid” Ke$ha.
With another story breaking that a UMass student is suing Amherst Police for his arrest at last year’s Blarney Blowout,the University is putting all their eggs into this concert basket in hopes of a public relations success. While the student body awaits news of the surprise third guest, and any updates from the university at all really, UMass Amherst and Kesha await the comebacks and clean images they truly need.
Pop Music Divas 