We had to upload a duplicate of this episode that's audio only because Spotify only lets big-wig Hollywood podcasts stream video to y'all. You can watch the video version of this episode on our YouTube. Can we Eat Predators if we are what we eat? Kay Brown (Four 4 Consent, Nightlife Safety Summit) and Caeli Higgins (Music Industry Watchdog) join Shift Orion to describe the origins of the Eat Predators collective and how the brand was co-opted as they were driven out… just before Shift discovered it on social media, joined the unregulated Eat Predators Book Club, and hauled his ass from SF to LA to help the mysteriously misrepresented "leadership" lock down a business strategy. Caeli and Kay detail their experience forming Eat Predators alongside other survivors and organizers like Nomi Abadi, Sochil Martin, and Alexa Nikolas. They cover the first planning meetings, escalating miscommunication and misrepresentation accelerated by media attention from a nearly-off-brand protest at Nickelodeon, and challenges navigating interpersonal and professional conflicts as the group (and Alexa's wounded ego) grew faster than anyone (except people who’ve been crushed by it) could imagine. As the media and public began to exclusively center and sensationalize Alexa, her participation and story have warped. Shift describes his experience getting into the "Eat Predators book club" (then finding out it was never supposed to exist), having a short-lived but intense friendship with Alexa (and an even shorter-lived role working as her media and public relations manager), and being shocked and heartbroken discovering that Alexa had misled him about everything. Opening up about getting to know her remotely then planning an in-person visit, even staying at Alexa's house for 5 days, Shift recalls how quickly Alexa's endearing personality turned hostile after he became concerned about her capacity and ethics as she orchestrated the book club community and other people to shun him by making alarming and untrue claims. Ultimately, the conversation remains loving and generous with hope for accountability, amends, and honesty to prevail. Perhaps this is only the beginning of the story... Follow Caeli and Kay: Kay Brown Caeli Higgins Follow Good Morning Mayberry! GMM's YouTube GMM's IG Follow Shift! Shift's YouTube Shift's IG Logistics Credits: Producer/host: Shift Orion Graphics Credits: Shift Orion Soundtrack Credits: GMM Intro by Shift Orion W1&WGC by Wonderful Glass Cage Everything Is Different Now by Wonderful Glass Cage (in no) Time (back soon 4 round 2) - remix - by Wonderful Glass Cage Caeli Higgins, leader of Music Industry Watchdog, is a writer, activist, dancer, and publicist for artists, brands, events, and music festivals. In 2020, she started an Instagram account that exposed multiple serial predators in the music industry. In 2021, she helped organize hunger strikes at the Louisiana State Penitentiary and David Wade Correctional Center that successfully demanded the release of 23 prisoners from illegal long-term solitary confinement. Kay Brown is Steward, Leader, and Founder of Four 4 Consent. As a living legacy of commitment to serving survivors of violence, Kay stays at the forefront of the highest levels of professional education related to advancing the fields that support that work. Kay has been in advocacy for nearly a decade. Their certifications include being a Nationally Credentialed Victim Advocate and holding a Master's in Criminology and Criminal Justice with a concentration in Victimology. Kay is a nationally recognized advocate, specializing in Sexual Assault, Human Trafficking, Child Abuse & Domestic Violence Intervention, Campus Advocacy, Comprehensive Victim Intervention, and Program Management. Kay was awarded Registered Advocate with Advanced Standing status from the Ohio Advocate Network and also achieved the requirements to be recognized by California's OES as a Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Counselor. Kay is a member of the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence, Campus Advocacy and Prevention Professionals Association, and GLAAD. Kay works to create a safer and more positive culture in nightlife, where all people are free to be themselves without experiencing discrimination or violence. For more info on the org, like what sets Kay’s organization apart from the rest, check the FAQ towards the bottom of their site: four4consent.org Resources For Survivors
