Vicki Blue’s Statement on “The Lost Girls”

Victory Tischler-Blue — who replaced Jackie Fox when the bassist left the Runaways, and who made the documentary Edgeplay — has released a statement via Facebook. It’s eloquent, compassionate, and moving. Interestingly, Vicki also wrote a lovely and loving obituary when Kim died, even though the statement below makes clear that she has known for years that something had happened that night to Jackie. I am not saying this to condemn Vicki in any way. I bring it up to point out the complexities of this situation, and the danger of rushing to judgment. I highly recommend watching Edgeplay if you haven’t already. Vicki is also a gifted photographer.

 

After reading much of the fallout the past few days over Jason Cherkis’s Huffington Post piece “The Lost Girls” (http://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articl…/…/the-lost-girls/) – I’m first and foremost struck by Jackie’s courage in telling this gut-wrenching story with such graphic detail. I’ve watched her grapple with this so much over the past 15 years and it has just broken my heart to see such a beautiful, intelligent, creative, compassionate soul held hostage by this event.

But Jackie wasn’t the only victim here…Not by a long shot.

The takeaway for me is this –

Stripped down and raw – a 16 year old girl was raped in front of her peers by a 36 year old man who held the perceived key to all their future hopes and dreams. It’s not about the Runaways or Joan Jett or “Dog Stink”, “Failure Cock” or “Dirty Pussy” (all Kim Fowley idioms.) It’s about a 16 year old girl being drugged and sexually assaulted against her will, and the other kids who happened to have been there and witnessed it. This is just so incredibly sad and wrong.

Jason’s well-researched story was written with such dignity, sensitivity and care – focusing on the long-term effects that those witnessing such a scene must have experienced. No blame placed here. Everybody was affected. Deeply affected. How could they not be?

For the record, I was not a member of the band when this happened, but I do speak from the experience of having been privy to many conversations between band members well after Jackie had left the band and I joined. Yes, there was teenage banter and laughter about it – but was it was more than that and listening to it made me deeply uncomfortable.

To be clear, all of us in the Runaways have always been aware of this ugly event. I don’t see this as a “witch hunt”, or a “criminal accusation” or a “blame game” – this is one rape victim’s personal story of how she is beginning to come to terms with what happened to her so many years ago, while also trying to let the others, who were innocent bystanders, know that she has never held them responsible in any way.

I encourage my former band mates to exercise compassion and understanding here and to not shift the paradigm and spin this any other way.

This is my take on what’s going on and I call it how I see it.

Jackie, I’m proud to call you my friend in the truest sense of the word. I support you wholeheartedly.

Kari, Joan, Cherie and everyone else who was there and affected – my heart goes out to the teenage girl that lives inside all of you.

with love, me xo