For many, David Bowie is the epitome of “larger than life.” Charismatic, eccentric, and endlessly talented, Bowie spun a 40-year career for himself in music, film and the arts with rampant success and legions of fans who are now mourning his death on Jan. 10.

I recently saw his cult film hit “Labyrinth” for the first time, and was swept off my feet, like so many others. I was mesmerized by the electric presence that he possessed in his role as the Goblin King Jareth – but that was lost when his character begs 15-year-old girl Sarah (played by Jennifer Connelly) to stay with him as his queen near the film’s end, using the plea that he will “love” her as negotiation.

Although this piece is strictly within the realm of fantasy, there was a certain dread I felt watching that scene. The dynamic is not alien, nor new – an older, powerful man using the idea of love to play with a naive girl’s heart and get what he wants.

Sarah ultimately rejects the Goblin King, but that interaction left me disgusted. Propositioning a minor in any context is wrong – and I couldn’t believe that it was included in this film.

It turns out that that scene was possibly not too far from the reality of David Bowie.

In the early 1970s, many rock stars were known for frequenting the Sunset Strip, partying and sleeping with underage girls called “baby groupies,” who ranged between the ages of 13 to 16 years old. This was common, and sex with men who were twice their age – or more – was seen as a rite of passage.

This was in spite of the fact that California’s age of consent was 18. However, there were no smartphones, TMZ or social media that could have created a substantial trail of evidence nor any accountability for the men that frequented the area or the girls who subsided there.

These young girls were brought into a world in which their only navigation was through these older men – and with that came a price.

Lori Mattix was one of those girls. She states that David Bowie took her virginity when she was 14 in an interview with Michael Kaplan. She later went on to have a relationship with Jimmy Page, who is now dating a 25-year-old woman at the age of 71. The reality of Mattix’s treatment as a minor – who does not see her experience at the hands of Bowie nor Page as being statutory rape – is distressing.

Additionally, Bowie was accused of rape in 1986 by a woman who stated that he attacked her following a concert in Dallas, according to the Spokane Chronicle. Although Bowie did admit to spending nearly a full day with the woman, he denied raping her. Furthermore, after the case was brought to court, a grand jury did not return any of the charges.

Bowie’s music and art may have left an impact on our global culture, opened spaces for expression and sexuality and performance that had not been there before, but we also deserve better icons. We deserve icons that do not abuse people in their personal lives as a result of their power.

“Talented people do terrible things, too. Sometimes, their fame encourages such behavior, and often enables it … Calling out artists’ abuse of others doesn’t necessarily negate the cultural value of their bodies of work. It is a sad commentary on our culture that modern masculinity can be so entitled, so toxic, that we are repeatedly put in the position of both loving the art and hating the man behind said art for what he did,” culture and media expertRebecca Hains said.

As brightly as Bowie’s star shone, there are also burns that he left behind. We need to acknowledge those as a reality alongside the legitimate contributions he made as an artist.

Goodbye, David Bowie – your legend will live on, and brightly, but there is a darkness to you that must also be seen.

Sophia Stephens is a senior English literature and comparative ethnic studies major from Wenatchee. She can be contacted at 335-2290 or by [email protected]. The opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of the staff of The Daily Evergreen or those of the Office of Student Media.