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Since Anna is off having fun in Montreal and left me all by my lonesome with no one to bounce rants off off, I'm afraid it's time for the rest of you to step up to the plate and listen to my rants on Sexism On TV.
So, here's a little thought exercise. Imagine you're a police type person, and you're investigating a case that involves a guy being stabbed to death while handcuffed to a hotel bed and a woman found sleeping next to him with no idea what happened. She tests positive for GHB.
(Note: for the purposes of thisshow exercise, we're apparently assuming GHB knocks you out seconds after taking it. I know, I know: GHB Doesn't Work That Way, as far as I know, but we'll go with it, because this is seriously the least problematic point in this entire scenario.)
In the course of the investigation, you somehow (I had a hard time paying attention to the actual plot through the red haze of anger) find a) another woman this bloke picked up, and b) evidence that at least some of the women weren't drugged before they went up to his room, at least. So you interview this other woman, and she tells you what happens: she met the bloke in a bar, she went up to his room with him, voluntarily, he gave her a vial of what he claimed was absinthe, and then it's heavily implied the next thing she remembers is waking up and finding her money and jewelry stolen. She ends her statement with, "I cheated on my husband, but that's not a crime, is it?"
Pop Quiz! What do you do/say?
( Click me, I'm rage-filled! )
So, here's a little thought exercise. Imagine you're a police type person, and you're investigating a case that involves a guy being stabbed to death while handcuffed to a hotel bed and a woman found sleeping next to him with no idea what happened. She tests positive for GHB.
(Note: for the purposes of this
In the course of the investigation, you somehow (I had a hard time paying attention to the actual plot through the red haze of anger) find a) another woman this bloke picked up, and b) evidence that at least some of the women weren't drugged before they went up to his room, at least. So you interview this other woman, and she tells you what happens: she met the bloke in a bar, she went up to his room with him, voluntarily, he gave her a vial of what he claimed was absinthe, and then it's heavily implied the next thing she remembers is waking up and finding her money and jewelry stolen. She ends her statement with, "I cheated on my husband, but that's not a crime, is it?"
Pop Quiz! What do you do/say?
a) You make some noncommittal noises, or acknowledge that no, it's not a crime. You then thank her for her time, finish the interview, and continue trying to find who killed this guy.
b) You try to gently point out that whether or not she voluntarily went to his room doesn't really matter, because the moment he took away her ability to consent (or withdraw consent) by drugging her, any sexual contact he had with her would be rape, although it would've been difficult to prosecute. You then give her contact details for a rape counsellor or similar, finish the interview, and continue trying to find who killed this guy.
c) You gravely intone, "Not yet," and then just ... stand there.
( Click me, I'm rage-filled! )
