This is the worst idea ever. The BBC is planning on airing a “reality� show about a rape trial. Basically, the show will recreate a rape trial and then have 12 celebrity jurors reach a verdict. Cause what’s more fun and entertaining than rape?
Understandably, some folks are a little concerned:
…the inclusion on the jury of the likes of former MP turned perjurer, Jeffrey Archer, and Stan Collymore, the former footballer involved in well-publicised domestic violence and "dogging" incidents, has already sparked concern about the motives of the programme-makers from rape charities and support groups.
Even better is the fictionalized story the jurors are supposed to be judging:
The case involves a young woman called Anna Crane from Epsom, who goes to see the musical Chicago with her best friend in London.After the show they wind up in a hotel cocktail bar where the friend spots celebrity footballer Damien Scott and his friend, a less successful player called James Greer. They retire to Scott's suite where one of two things happens to Anna Crane: either she has consensual sex with Scott or she is gang-raped. Both defendants plead not guilty.
Crane decides not to go to the police. Instead, her best friend sells the story of her alleged rape to a Sunday newspaper for £30,000 and covertly tapes Anna describing the assaults. This tape was played in court to the celebrity jury who have to make up their minds as to whether it is a harrowing confession or a fake tape concocted by two money-grabbing girls. (Emphasis added)
Because trivializing rape through a celebrity reality show just wasn't enough--depicting violence against women wouldn't be complete without giving credence to the idea that women make up rape charges for cold hard cash. Classy.
Complaints can be made to the BBC here, or by writing to Anthony Salz, Acting BBC Chair, BBC Complaints, PO Box 1922, Glasgow, G1 3WT.
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Am I overly suspicious in thinking that they deliberately made the alleged "rapists" celebrity athletes in order to stack the deck in their favor with the celebrity "jury"--who will naturally empathize with the threat of bitches out to steal your riches?
Vervain, I guess the idea is to make the case as difficult as possible to judge so that it'll spark as much water cooler debate as possible, but God. A controversial verdict would only help that.
But ugh, I feel like I've just been slapped in the face by poor taste.
This was really shocking to read. I can't imagine that something like this would end up on air. However somewhat off-topic, reading this got me thinking about an issue that has been bothering me lately with western television- telesivions shows like Law & Order SVU, that often explicitly talk about rape and other atrocities. A question pops up in my mind: Do scenarios on tv about rape/molestation/sexual exploitation/etc incite awareness or trivialize the devestation of such crimes?
Hear that banging sound? That's my head repeatedly meeting my desk just after reading this. This is beyond outrageous.
If they wanted controversy they could have picked any number of topics that come up in a civil lawsuit. They picked rape because they erroneously associate it with sex and sex sells. By doing a show like this they just perpetuate that notion along with all of the other egregious wrongs they are committing.
This is right down there with the OJ 'How I would have done it' show which never saw the light of day because, as it turns out, the world does have at least a little moral backbone. Hopefully this show will suffer a similar demise.
I particularly like this quote - "We thought first of all about a sexual harassment case...but then went with rape because it's so clearly two interpretations of reality". Interesting choice of words -is this the 21st C definition of date rape? a fight over interpretations of reality? And why take such behaviour (lying about sexual assualt) seriously by having TV celebrities debate it (if indeed this process legitimates something...which I'm not sure it does)? It will only conflate these scenarios with legitimate complaints in the public (i.e. potential jurors)'s mind. Pathetic.
I hope everyone complains to the BBC. Exploiting such a painful and serious issue as rape...it's so disgusting.
I particularly like this quote - "We thought first of all about a sexual harassment case...but then went with rape because it's so clearly two interpretations of reality". Interesting choice of words -is this the 21st C definition of date rape? a fight over interpretations of reality? And why take such behaviour (lying about sexual assualt) seriously by having TV celebrities debate it (if indeed this process legitimates something...which I'm not sure it does)? It will only conflate these scenarios with legitimate complaints in the public (i.e. potential jurors)'s mind. Pathetic.
This is along the same line-
I know that Marie Clarie has been held up as the more "feminist" of the women's magazines, but on this months cover is the headline "A Rapist Saved my Life". Of course I was curious, so I read the article and found it was about a woman that had been raped that sought to interview rapists in prison. Nowhere in the article was anything about a rapist "saving" this woman's life, either literally or metaphorically. I found this headline extremely offensive. I realize the point was to make women buy the magazine to read the article, but I feel like it was a cheap shot, just like this program is.
jollydolly--
I agree with you---this sensationalization of rape will only make it increasingly difficult to define rape and to prosecute it. Our society is fixated on rape; we are titillated by sexual violence, and I believe its prevelance only foments the idea that rape is okay, or at least, not unusual.
You might want to check out this article from the Boston Phoenix:
http://www.thephoenix.com/Article.aspx?id=30161&page=1
It makes the argument that most media coverage, not just fictional stories from CSI but also media coverage of real crimes, make violence against women harder to treat.
Submitted an official complaint to the BBC, as I've always admired their work in the past, and was a dedicated watcher while living in Scotland. Appalling.
And I thought that the BBC is a bastian of liberalism.. This does sound like a bad idea. The notion that women conjure rape cases for profit is abbhorant. I can't believe that there are shows like these. I don't think that it would run too well. Jusr like that show that tried to "refine" real women into servile maidens. I bet that it will be canceled within it's first season.