It was painful to read that. No trigger warning needed. It should be painful. If we’ve “come a long way,” and we still have so far to go, that means the entire way is incredibly long. And sometimes it feels like a losing battle.
So long as women are actively encouraged to obsess about their decisions and selves, and men are never forced to be introspective for the sake of growth and development, there will always be men like Charlie Sheen.
Véronique: trigger warnings don’t work that way. A trigger warning tells me, as a person with an anxiety disorder that sends me into psychological meltdown if set off, “This thing will cost extra mental resources to read and may harm me.” Trigger warnings are not actually for people who think “Oh, that’s unpleasant”, they’re for people who might spend three hours curled in a ball because they didn’t know they were about to read something that nasty. Think of them as handicapped-access signs that make the world a little more accessible for people with disabilities, who might not otherwise be able to read newspapers or feminist blogs safely.
This was a great article. I’ve shared it on fb. By the way, it seems there are too many ‘Andreas’ around these parts, so I’m changing my handle.
Well said, my only quibble being the claim that abusive pig Chris Brown’s career suffered. Did it? Since he abused Rihanna and got caught, he’s been in one mid-grade Hollywood flick and his music still airs on commercial radio (I wouldn’t recognize his stuff, but I’ve had to change radio stations in the car at least once when she noticed one of his songs was playing).
I have to agree with auditorydamage here. I’ve heard way more about Chris Brown since the beating then before. And yes, some people were very angry, but plenty of very prominent people made plenty of excuses. The outrage might have more to do with who he was beating than with who he is.
Vigée: The outrage might have more to do with who he was beating than with who he is. I can’t stand Chris Brown. And it’s upsetting that I have to agree with this assessment.
Great article. I am very disturbed by the worship of rich celebrities that seems so common in US culture. No amount of money excuses you from your responsibility not to harm others.
What’s been driving me insane is how my supposedly intelligent friends are now worshipping Sheen for his supposed alternative, sticking-it-to-Hollywood panache. Hello guys, he’s just a boring, every-day misogynist with more access to drugs and attention. It’s not alternative to think Sheen is a badass. Can you imagine if, instead, he was found out to be an active member of the KKK ? Would people brush that aside so casually and consider him a loveable rogue ? *GAH* Dying of being annoyed.