Today's video demonstrates how Courtney Orchard has been lying to the greater Lily-Orchard-Critical Community, as well as how they've attacked videos containing victim testimonies as "boring" and even attacked the very concept of victim autonomy.
@Curelax
4 ай бұрын
coming back to this in light of IloveKimPossible's newest release...
@ConnorLonergan
3 ай бұрын
for me it was coming across this channel via this that video. While knowing what Cortney has done does give a yikes as far as I can tell ILKP knows nothing of this incedent nor does it seem to know of Essence of Thought. The video was a long form explination to explain why she herself has cut ties from LiliyOrchird
@eagletscosplaycloset3793
2 ай бұрын
I watched ILKP’s video after this one, and what really stuck out to me was Courtney telling ILKP she didn’t need to talk about what Lily’s done, despite her direct connection to Lily. But getting weirdly mad at Ethel for not covering her story specifically, or engaging with her in specific ways. Like the second you talk about the allegations against Lily publicly, Courtney thinks she owns you and you have to do everything she wants you to. Or maybe it’s just cause Ethel’s trans that she thinks she owns her. Wouldn’t be surprised.
@MommaDusk
Ай бұрын
How Courtney is handling things makes me think she's being dishonest about everything. For all I know this is what Lily hasn't outright lied about, but I can't say that for sure since both Courtney and Lily are known for lying.
@mysryuza
4 ай бұрын
This was not on my bingo card… Society never ceases to disappoint me
@laurencarnes2362
5 ай бұрын
I was a listener of Illuminaughti’s content until it was proven to me that she wasn’t who she said she was. This is what I like about your content. You provide references with reference numbers, you explicitly provide evidence and and state when something is your opinion or Levi’s and you’re genuine.
@EssenceOfThought
5 ай бұрын
Glad to live up to that standard.
@bjam89
5 ай бұрын
i am sorry but did she complain that your videos are long, and you would need coke and energy drinks to watch, why would you want a video covering grooming to be short, or snappy or fun
@ALeviCalledBird
5 ай бұрын
I was going to make a joke about "somewhere out there in the multiverse" and then I realised I don't need to because Courtney already complained about Ethel leaving too much out (funnily enough, things that were going to be covered had the series not fallen through). So, apparently the videos are too long, but also not detailed enough? As good as I am at dense writing, I can only do so much: I'm a bird, not a god.
@EssenceOfThought
5 ай бұрын
I like to refer to it as the memeification of abuse, and it's something we will be returning to in that video relating to Ephrom and YoPalGal as they love to do it.
@malloryworlton6359
5 ай бұрын
1:01:55 "I don’t care about algorithm bullshit", says Courtney. Neither does Ethel, which is why she doesn’t use obnoxious euphemisms like "unalive".
@EssenceOfThought
5 ай бұрын
@malloryworlton6359 What's really telling is that Courtney made a community post in which they effectively went "X amount of subscribers but only x amount of views in two days? Yikes." boiling things down to views. So whilst they say they don't care about that, they're the only one bringing it up. Interesting, isn't it. Thing is, these sorts of callouts rarely do well. Yes, the Lily Orchard series was the exception, but that's due to how prominent she is. By relative comparison, myself and Courtney are small fry. I know these videos wouldn't do well, that's actually what reference [19] in this video is (1:18:16), it's a post in which I explain how callout videos tend to flop on this channel because my subscribers aren't here for that. I'd much rather move on, cover other things, but again, when Courtney's lies are hurting Lily Orchard's other victims, I can't really do that. [19] Ethel Thurston (2022) "I Just Want To Respond To A Common Assertion I See Whenever I Criticise Someone", Twitter.com Accessed 13th April 2024: twitter.com/EthelThurston/status/1532591875281981445
@nicolesouza8
5 ай бұрын
Also, Courtney isn't entitled to any victim's testimony! No one is. They get to choose who they share their info with. Courtney acting like you had an obligation to get them in contact with other victims of Lily is just so strange.
@EssenceOfThought
5 ай бұрын
Want to know the kicker? Glade was in Courtney and Britt's (now deleted) Discord server. So not only could they have reached out to Mackenzii, but also Glade.
@HanleyBrook-pz9iw
4 ай бұрын
"If I had the screenshots I could go report lily" if sexual drawings and fiction written is illegal in Nova Scotia, why can't you at least gather the proof that lily DID write those pics and report them?? The proofs out there so why not start of there with stuff that has the screenshots instead of antagonising someone with just a testimony 😭
@HanleyBrook-pz9iw
4 ай бұрын
Also your videos were literally the reason I got to know how bad lily Orchid was
@Umbramus
5 ай бұрын
I'm not done with the video, but "boring"?! This person gets onto you for allegedly not caring about their sister's victims, yet the video that shows you doing that is *boring??* Freudian slip or intentional, that blatantly shows that Courtney is projecting when they say you don't care, like sorry a victim testimony didn't provide the dopamine hit you were expecting I guess! Holy crap that's vile Another indication that Courtney doesn't care, them acting like a video loses credibility the older it is. They're viewing it like a social media trend where it'll lose relevance after a while, ignoring the fact that it's a video calling out their, as they knows, predatory sister, with information up to that point. So they're the one who sees it as passing drama.
@gadgettop23
5 ай бұрын
yeah great point! The assertion that it has to be not "boring", just shows the true culture surrounding the discussion of pedophilia and child abuse. Viewers don't want to stay informed or to learn to look out for warning signs of predation but to be fed a story of a sadistic monster. It is so frustrating.
@gadgettop23
5 ай бұрын
I wish it wasn't something to be praised and to be basic decency in this world, but Udita is honestly so admirable for actually respecting that woman's autonomy. She is awesome!
@EssenceOfThought
5 ай бұрын
I keep telling her, yet she refuses to accept it!
@Acidfrog475
4 ай бұрын
@@EssenceOfThought She’s a keeper, much like you yourself 🥰
@riverkoi8707
5 ай бұрын
This reminds me SO much of what happened with Collen Ballinger. I forget the name of the person and channel now, but there's a pretty famous channel that did SO many deep dives on the situation and really just tried to help the victims, and when they became overwhelmed by the topic due to how heavy it is and stopped covering it, SO many people turned on them, as if they're owed more videos on it. ETA the name of the channel is Swoop.
@AvengeTheTRexOfSteel
5 ай бұрын
Swoop.
@AvengeTheTRexOfSteel
5 ай бұрын
Swoop
@riverkoi8707
5 ай бұрын
@@AvengeTheTRexOfSteel Ty!
@bjam89
5 ай бұрын
wait people turned on swoop?
@theMoporter
5 ай бұрын
No, this isn't the same. The whole thing is completely different, from start to end, for way more reasons than I can get into. Swoop had conducted a 6 hour-long interview with one of the accused perpetrators in response to drama, when one of the survivors, Oliver, who she'd interviewed months before was only mentioned a couple of times offhandedly. She didn't just reach her limit out of nowhere - she made herself sick to publicise the accounts of *several* adults who were complicit in child exploitation, and then took a break, without letting the survivor of child exploitation know that she wasn't going to be working on his story. Oliver made a couple of tweets that he was disappointed because he thought his story would be getting out on a large platform and he had basically had the rug pulled out from under him. Swoop posted many times that she saw this as an attack on her for being disabled, in public. The internet took it as an excuse to harass Swoop over various problems, and also out of general malice. Oliver clarified he did not support or want harassment and iirc he and Swoop talked it out in private. The main point is that Oliver put out a couple of frustrated tweets when the hiatus was announced, and clarified that he didn't want anyone attacking her on his behalf. He didn't make an elaborate, accusatory takedown video a year later which frames Swoop as a villain. They're completely different. Ollie doesn't deserve that comparison at all.
@old_memoriaa
4 ай бұрын
For the record, I actually really like the way you talk. For some reason it’s easier to concentrate and also really good for background noise when I’m drawing
@EssenceOfThought
4 ай бұрын
See, I get this a lot, and outside of extremely controversial videos, my average approval rating is 95-98%, so a part of me doesn't get Courtney's shit. Then again, I guess that's just it, throw as much shit at the wall and hope some sticks. It's also interesting how Courtney's initial problem with me (the thing that seems to have set off their hatred of me) is that I didn't cover their story, yet they claim my content is of such poor quality that it's not worth anyone's time. If it's of such poor quality, why then do they care that I didn't cover them?
@BlueAnimeCat21
5 ай бұрын
courtney: dont downplay what my sister did as "lily drama" also courtney: i dont care what your beef is with rachel oates smh
@EssenceOfThought
5 ай бұрын
Every accusation is a confession at this point.
@theMoporter
5 ай бұрын
Courtney read the Wikipedia page for "Gish gallop" and took it as a tutorial. Also... every time you play a clip to respond to it, I have to pause, because Courtney's behaviour is so embarrassing it makes me physically cringe. Feeling the need to create a dedicated "airquotes" pose for your avatar, but only posing one hand? Cringe. Making corrections with melodramatic all-caps? Cringe. Adding smug asides boasting of a dearth of evidence? Cringe. Purple prose like saying they're "the captain now"? Cringe. I don't mean that in a bullying or condescending way, I mean it in the sense that - as a fellow fully-grown survivor of a traumatic childhood - if I regressed to this kind of middle school nonsense for a single day, I would feel embarassed, let alone however long it took to do... all this. Courtney. If you read this, for your own good... quit it. Fighting Ethel accomplishes nothing of value. I don't know how you get the justice you deserve, but it is not from treating someone barely related to your trauma as your punching bag. I believe that you can be better than this.
@theshinypeliper8813
24 күн бұрын
I have so many questions about this shitshow and at this point I’m too scared to ask
@charllandsberg
5 ай бұрын
Also, I LOVE your videos. I love your way of speaking and the way you lay out the facts one by one. I WISH that some of my university professors spoke as clearly and coherently as you do in your videos. Any university would be lucky to have you speak for them. Your videos are interesting and because they're well researched and referenced and you even give a good transcript for when I struggle to hear (because honestly all movies, television, and youtube should have subtitles automatically on), your transcript is always a fantastic thing to fall back on, especially if I misunderstand something and sometimes just reading it makes it more 'understandable' (if that makes sense). Either way, thank you, all three of you. I'm a survivor too and hearing other survivors speak out is always just so incredibly humanising 💜
@EssenceOfThought
5 ай бұрын
Thank you, I'm glad to hear you enjoy our work. Just hope I can talk about more interesting stuff soon. Got plans for Pride month.
@KitKat_293
5 ай бұрын
can i offer some sincere criticism? we really need to see and hear dates for everything. it is almost impossible to follow your claims and verify the relevance of screenshots when you don't provide dates for the posts. since time and order of events literally determines what is a lie and what is if courtney says something inaccurate in may, repeats it in multiple other posts in july as it's still true to her, and then last in november she is informed of something different and stops perpetuating the inaccuracies, correcting the record in december, that is not lying. that is being wrong in may, being wrong in july, and finally changing her mind in december. BUT if courtney is wrong in may, learns something different in july, and repeats the old false info in december, THAT is a lie. and we need to know for sure which is which (tumblr has a nice feature where you can turn on post dates in settings, and the day month and year appear just below the OP username. this even works for deleted posts if you can get a link to it on another users blog. the date shows when op posted it, not when the reblog happened. tho some tumblr themes list both the original source date and the reblog date. an xkit extension can help you get post data like this as well. if you only have a secondhand screenshot and best you can offer is you don't know the date but share when it was made into a jpg, we still appreciate the transparency and can take that particular claim for what it's worth but with skepticism) maybe you can edit the video after the fact and add dates to the screen, don't worry about adding dates to the script for this one just next time. i don't know how youtube works and if you're able to edit a video and change the file like that after it's been uploaded. but i do have to stress that it really makes or breaks the video without it without knowing the timeline context it's impossible to determine if something is a lie. since if the "lie" in question was told before or after the contradictory post, that of course that changes everything. if i'm not given timeline context and evidence i can't tell what was dishonesty and what was honest mistake. in which i'm forced to assume courtney's innocence and honest mistake.
@EssenceOfThought
5 ай бұрын
All messages were sent on the 3rd and 4th of March 2024. Courtney repeated each and every single one of their lies at some point throughout their video published on 5th of April 2024, so a month after that conversation.
@entwixed3406
5 ай бұрын
Honestly the fact that Courtney isn't even bothering to provide or show the evidence and is just trying to attack, it... kinda seems like she's trying to project something, maybe she thinks you didn't give her enough attention when you made the videos or something?
@EssenceOfThought
5 ай бұрын
Thing is, their story wasn't known at the time I created the series, only towards the end, which is where the conversation with Britt came in. Part of me can't help but think back to Courtney's declaration that *"I am the captain now"* to wonder if they see me as competition. In spite of never claiming to lead anyone at all during the production of our series, that seems to be how Courtney perceives us, and maybe they feel the need to discredit me as a result.
@entwixed3406
5 ай бұрын
@@EssenceOfThought It's certainly something to consider, but I'm wondering if there's another side to this conversation that isn't being publically talked about, considering how many people are coming up with the same ideas and concepts- and well, I think you might've stated this in a prior video, but this might mix in with your other videos off another person that you covered.
@nicolesouza8
5 ай бұрын
It's giving "I am confused when we're not about me" energy
@FunkyRattie420
Ай бұрын
I love your analytical sens so much and the fact that you bring every receipt to you claim is even better you're efficiency pointing every bullshit you got from Courtney✨I love it so much you're so great for doing this thanks for being a light of truth within an ocean of lies and bullshit🙏🌟
@JohnnyTheWolf-d3p
5 ай бұрын
I hate that we live in a world where being compared to a snake is an insult somehow. Sure, snakes can be dangerous to humans when provoked or threatened, but they are not the malicious, deceptive creatures they are made to be in popular culture.
@wintersupremacy
5 ай бұрын
I think in a lot of ancient myths, snakes do tend to be deceptive, as portrayed in pop culture, but theres a lot of better phrases (I think) to describe toxic behavior
@JohnnyTheWolf-d3p
4 ай бұрын
@@wintersupremacy Oh, I know. I am not even a fan of snakes myself, but lately I have grown very reluctant to insult fellow human beings by comparing them to animals - including actually friendly ones, like cats and dogs.
@TheSkinnyLegend1997
3 ай бұрын
@@JohnnyTheWolf-d3pI know. It's also very childish to use those insults tbh. Makes me think the person arguing in bad faith is still in elementary school mindset. I'm mentally younger than I am but I was adultified ever since I was a young child and puted up a front for bullies but really I was younger than I was mentally but because I'm neurodivergent the neurotypicals around me blamed me and gaslighted and victim blamed me for it when it wasn't my fault. I always keep to myself but others have a problem with it for no reasons, even other neurodivergent people have an issue with me and idk why.
@LiarJudas666
5 ай бұрын
this is truly a bizarre and disappointing turn of events. i just don’t understand the motivation for lying about you
@EssenceOfThought
5 ай бұрын
Courtney's declaration that *"I am the captain now"* makes me wonder if they view me as 'competition'. I've never framed myself as the leader of anything throughout our coverage of Lily Orchard, yet that's how Courtney views me, as having taken charge, thus needing to be taken down a peg in order for them to 'become the captain'. Of course, this is taking them at their word, which... yeah, not exactly a good idea.
@LiarJudas666
5 ай бұрын
@@EssenceOfThoughtcoupled with multiple parties accusing you of grifting off this, i think you’re on the right track, or as close as we can manage haha. only _they_ get to make money off of these peoples’ suffering! never mind that you didn’t to begin with..
@deadlynn7774
5 ай бұрын
I feel like Courtney’s recent community post is just proof they don’t actually care about the situation and just wanna bully someone who’s already been dogpiled. Truly a shame
@m.srezkid6206
5 ай бұрын
Espesially with the way they closed that little post "X amount of subscribers but only x amount of views in two days? Yikes." It really makes it feel like views and publicity is the only thing they care about
@theMoporter
5 ай бұрын
That being said... I'm glad there aren't any comments on it (as of right now). It's a weight off my mind that the situation isn't escalating, for everyone's sake.
@deadlynn7774
5 ай бұрын
@@m.srezkid6206 that’s exactly what I was thinking when I saw it.
@deadlynn7774
5 ай бұрын
@@theMoporter yea I haven’t checked since I made this comment but I completely agree with you
@EssenceOfThought
5 ай бұрын
@deadlynn7774 It does look like they've been waiting for an excuse to lie about me and mock the violence I've been made to suffer, no matter how doing so will harm the community. The thing that really sticks out is the 'I'm the captain now!' remark. I never claimed to be the leader of anything, I actually started my series to fix an earlier mistake I made in promoting Lily Orchard before I uncovered the truth about her. Yet Courtney can't help but see me in that light, possibly because power over others is the only frame they care about.
@Acidfrog475
4 ай бұрын
13:44 “- and no Ethel, I don’t have to show you where you sent that. I don’t owe you jack shit -” Except yes they do. My jaw dropped at this point. Even _if_ you had said this. Even _if_ it wasn’t a disgusting claim and lie, Courtney still needs to provide evidence. I was absolutely appalled at the mention of that. I feel like that should be discrediting for everyone. If someone refuses to give evidence, especially for a claim as vile as that, they should not be seen as a trusted source. Or even person.
@Vonn_Loren
5 ай бұрын
Kinda feels like a combination of "all the other big video essayists have been bad, we need to find out what makes this one bad!" mob mentality plus Courtney the ringleader wanting to get their anger out on an easier target than their actual abuser.
@EssenceOfThought
5 ай бұрын
Yeah, I think Courtney has been waiting for an excuse to come after me for sharing Glade and Mackenzii's testimonies but not theirs, as if doing so was some personal slight against them.
@VincentMariethe4th
5 ай бұрын
The transmisogyny I've been seeing in the wake of all of this truly disgusts me, when really your responses have been as graceful & straightforward as I could expect given the circumstances. Not to mention you actually show up with evidence to support your arguments. As for Courtney's complaints that your videos on Lily Orchard are "boring," (as if that invalidates their merit & importance,) not only do I hate Courtney's ableist approach as an autistic person myself, I'd make the counterargument that the videos are not only very well-researched & well-written, but compelling to listen to if you are also working on household chores or, as is often the case with me, working on an art project. The same way one might listen to a podcast while working. (Not to trivialize the hard work that you all do or the serious subject matter; it's just easier for me to focus on audio when I'm also doing something visually-oriented with my hands.)
@EssenceOfThought
5 ай бұрын
All they have is personal attacks, so that's the spear they reach for.
@WhiteCresentKnight
5 ай бұрын
It seems like Courtney is going after you for clout and that sucks a lot, this is a serious topic and going around claiming to be the “captain” of a serious investigation with various victims is gross.
@WhiteCresentKnight
5 ай бұрын
All of this is just gonna make it harder to get justice if people are gonna use the victims trauma to clout chase
@EssenceOfThought
5 ай бұрын
It does. I just hope people catch on quick, because, if not, this could completely destroy the community. Boundaries need to be set, Courtney needs to learn that just because they were Lily Orchard's first victim, doesn't mean they have dominion over every other victim. Until they do, it's dangerous for other victims to come forward.
@rookideetrainer1635
5 ай бұрын
I'm trying to think of something to comment on, but I really can't say anything that I don't feel has been covered in this already. Or actually I guess that means you did a good job? So good job as usual then! 😊
@charllandsberg
5 ай бұрын
A big thank you to Levi for your contribution in these two videos. I can't imagine what it must be like for you to have to go through this. Thank you to Ethel and Udita as well. You three deserve better
@EssenceOfThought
5 ай бұрын
Thanks for your support!
@rookideetrainer1635
5 ай бұрын
Actually, I realized something about the video I'm unsure about since yesterday... Does someone know what Courtney is referring to around 5:25 in reference 1? "Only when I embarrass her, _under_ her own video of clownery" What are they referring to? I haven't seen Courtney doing anything below one of EssenceOfThought's videos, so unsure what they could have meant or if it was just another lie? Could also just be misinterpreting them, but just wanted to ask.
@EssenceOfThought
5 ай бұрын
They commented attacking me personally after the Skov video. That's when I checked their Tumblr, saw the post, and decided to try and reach out. Sorry, should have been clearer about that.
@rookideetrainer1635
5 ай бұрын
@@EssenceOfThought Thanks for the reply! Edit: realized it doesn't say much, so I want to say it does explain things, so thanks for clearing it up c:
@ActuallyHoudini
5 ай бұрын
yeesh, this whole thing is a shakespearean tragedy.
@nicolesouza8
5 ай бұрын
it almost feels like they want to be the... star in this whole thing, which is so weird to me. "I'm the captain now"? Okay, I guess! Take the helm.
@EssenceOfThought
5 ай бұрын
It's telling since nowhere have I declared myself the leader. In fact, I introduced myself as a fuckup on account of how the entire reason I began the series was because I promoted Lily Orchard before uncovering the truth about her. Even though I took the video down within two days, I still felt it was my responsibility to fix things. Yet Courtney looked at me doing the right thing and... well I guess projected their own desires onto me? That's all I can think. Explains why they see me as a threat, even though I haven't produced a video on the topic in over a year.
@wintersupremacy
5 ай бұрын
I’m all for supporting victims but the way Courtney went about this literally makes me cringe with some of her snide remarks. It’s giving middle schooler trying to sound badass…
@EssenceOfThought
5 ай бұрын
It's all about power. From the 'I'm the captain now!' remark (I never claimed to be the leader of anything) to their constant posing, that's all they seem to care about. It's going to scare away a lot of Lily Orchard's victims if they keep it up.
@zakmarsh3150
5 ай бұрын
Wow, no wonder you are tired Ethel. The moaning & misrepresentation that Courtney does as shown shown in your video is so weird. I can understand why you made this video, but I guess you would much prefer to spend your time & energy on other things then having to defend yourself and the work you do.
@EssenceOfThought
5 ай бұрын
I'd rather do so too. Sadly I've not been left much of a choice.
@tatertotbobaandpieck
5 ай бұрын
I know this is super off topic and doesn't say anything about their character, but Courtney's rantsona is so so ugly
@nicolesouza8
4 ай бұрын
It makes my artist self suffer
@trhll5635
5 ай бұрын
30:06, "their (Skov's) video contains no misinformation"?
@trhll5635
5 ай бұрын
I think that meant to say known misinformation
@EssenceOfThought
5 ай бұрын
@@trhll5635 I did say "known".
@trhll5635
5 ай бұрын
@@EssenceOfThoughtAh good to know, got confused by the subtitles
@EssenceOfThought
5 ай бұрын
That's strange. I manually did the subtitles and they say known. Are you using auto-generated captions?
@trhll5635
5 ай бұрын
@@EssenceOfThoughtAh, I was using auto-generated captions after all, looks like that's on me, my bad, next time I'll be sure to enable the manually added subtitles!
@Telos7_13
5 ай бұрын
Ugh re:Courtney-Janice Joplin is rolling in their grave. (I think at time of this comment Kris Kristofferson is still around. I’d like to think he would disapprove for the right reasons too)
@lenini056
3 ай бұрын
“Courtney is merely proof that being the victim of terrible things doesn’t magically guarantee that you’ll turn into a good person.” Exactly, Ethel! I’m looking at you Courtney Orchard, Asia Argento, Drake Bell, Julia Holcomb, etc. 🫵🏼
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