The Brag Media
▼
News November 25, 2019

Amanda Palmer divides and polarises with ‘twisted behaviour’ toward journalist

Amanda Palmer divides and polarises with ‘twisted behaviour’ toward journalist

Let’s be clear, Amanda Palmer has always taken the road less traveled. The singer-songwriter, performance artist and author of The Art of Asking has no qualms in enlisting her fanbase to lend a hand when she needs them most – and most of them are honoured to even be asked.

However, as revealed via a string of texts over the last few days, the independent Massachusetts-born artist has become more polarising than ever.

Palmer’s unique approach to her career seemed to really ignite the polarising fire pit when journalist Laura Snapes took to Twitter to detail Palmer’s “twisted behaviour”.

Snapes said following “a spat about that tour where [Palmer] offered to pay musicians in hugs and beer” – and the fact she didn’t pitch her editor at The Guardian to write about her latest album and tour – Palmer has named her to her 1.1 million Twitter fans.

Palmer had dedicated an entire Twitter thread to the fact The Guardian didn’t cover her album or tour in the way she wanted to and placed the fault of the fact entirely on the shoulders of Laura Snapes.

amanda palmer

Source: Twitter

Snapes said she heard Palmer “was planning on her UK tour to dedicate a section to how [she] had orchestrated a Guardian-wide ban on coverage of her album.”

“She believes I am the music editor – flattering, but that’s @ben_bt. I wouldn’t have the power to ban her if I wanted to (which I don’t),” Snapes tweeted.

laura snapes tweet about amanda palmer

Source: Twitter

Laura Snapes revealed that Palmer spoke of her on the Tim Ferriss podcast show, where she said Snapes had “cockblocked” her record, and said, “I can’t stop thinking about how I want to win her over, and change her mind, and force her to love me, and connect with me, and see the light. It’s almost bordering on a mental obsession.”

:: Read Laura Snapes’ full Twitter thread here

Amanda Palmer hired her own journalist to cover the album and tour. The article by Jack Nicholls was turned into a Medium post.

She has again spoken out publicly, detailing how she deserved coverage for her progressive, feminist work. She named Snapes multiple times to her followers, admitting she is aware the journalist feels harassed and targeted.

“So, my guardian/medium thread from yesterday escalated into a kerfuffle & i’d like to say a few things,” Palmer tweeted. “First, the journalist i was not referring to by name is laura snapes. she has me blocked here so i can’t tag her, but i understand that she felt harassed and targeted.”

Some have come out in support of Amanda Palmer:

Some have come out in support of the journalist:

Between the lines of attack and upset is a common thread which begs the question about the role of an artist and the role of music media.

Does a poignant, timely record and tour denote coverage by mass media? Possibly. But what warrants a poignant record in an industry brimming with talent releasing 40,000 tracks a week?

Does it denote the attack and ongoing harassment of a single journalist who is not only unbeholden to musicians, but also unable to arbitrate and commit to coverage? Absolutely not.

This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.

Related articles