This is an important article written by Pema Levy on a number of levels…First, it shows that violence against women is not limited to Hip Hop..It’s interesting to note as this article points out, how the mainstream seems to to have no problem accepting and promoting this sort of violence in True Blood as art and thus should be applauded and even rewarded. The fact that violence against women has been stereotyped to just a handful of communities, what gets overlooked is how easy it is for us to overlook it when it shows up in our own backyards. We come up with b=nice excuses and even flowery names like ‘Hate Sex’ to describe atrocious actions like rape.
So many folks are busy smashing on the local rap artist and not checking the local actor and film maker who may actually have more of an influence in sparking a culture of violence..Hopefully upon reading article this folks will expand their horizons and conclude that violence whether in the form of entertainment or in real life is foul..
-Davey D-
Why I Won’t Watch True Blood Tonight: Violence Against Women
by Pema Levy
There’s a difference between “pushing the envelope” and an excuse for exhibiting gratuitous violence against women. In the last few weeks, HBO’s True Blood crossed that line.
True Blood has always had its fair share of violence, but lately that violence has become increasingly sexual. Then two weeks ago, an episode crossed the line by portraying a violent rape scene — although they refuse to call it by that name. The most recent episode continued this trend with almost every scene containing some sort of violence against women, whether it was punching a female vampire into a wall, Tara being kidnapped (with implied rape), and a woman being undressed and branded by a crowd of men in a bar.
A lot of people write this stuff off as True Blood challenging sexual mores or being edgy. Slate‘s Jason Zinomanapplauds the writers and suggests their rape scene deserves an Emmy: “The sick genius of Episode 3 … is that it finds other creatively perverse ways to mingle sex and violence.” Zinoman finds intriguing what should be disturbing: that the women being raped and assaulted do not condemn this behavior. Zinoman calls it “hate sex” (rape by another name) that the female character enjoys; as he twists her head around her shoulders with blood coming out of her mouth, she repeats “I love you.”
It’s not violence per se that is unacceptable, but rather the context in which it is portrayed: showing violence against women without simultaneously condemning that violence. The writers believe that they can justify this by using a theme: vampires are inherently violent, like blood, like violent sex. In doing so, True Blood buys into the same myths about violence and rape that do real harm to women today:…..
continue reading at http://womensrights.change.org/blog/view/why_i_wont_watch_true_blood_tonight_violence_against_women
As a fan of True Blood while I agree that it has gotten disturbingly more violent and sexual, I have enjoyed it in a sick and twisted way. Those of us whom can seperate fact from fiction or reality versus utopia can easily distinguish that it is nothing more than a tv show and that when It’s over it goes no further. The creators of this show are no more responsible for the images they portray anymore than those who are watching it. Any man who thinks this shows portrayal of women is okay outside of this show probably had issues to begin with. Whereas any woman who tolerates this behavior after the rolling credits probably ‘accepts’ this behavior to begin with.
Sadly, as with the vast number of current “reality” shows which pit women against each other all in the name of “love,” the women have to find enough self-respect to decline the role in the first place. I have a teenage daughter of color and I have been as real as I can be with her as to the minimal expectations and worth society has for her. At the same time I have also stressed how SHE has to hold herself, her virginity, her character and her associations in a higher regard. Because ignorance is bliss in our society and negativity is the norm this is quite often NOT an easy task. Nevertheless, I feel it is my responsibility to continue to arm her with the necessary tools needed to survive in this world, dignity intact. It takes more than our disgust to change any situation; it takes the disdain of the perpetrator as well. Until it is no longer fashionable to accept degrading roles and more women get the help they need for their “father issues,” I think there will always be someone willing to humiliate themselves for the love of fame, money, etc. Just look at the average ego-driven rap video out there today and how they stand as a testament to the need for more boys to have greater role-models in order to become men.
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I would have to agree Zek it is 100% fiction based babble, Honestly this editorial after reading it myself and all the comments placed here leaves me to believe someone has way to much time on there hands, Movies in general are just that movies of fiction, based on fictional characters who’s lives do not revolve around real life issues. If you don’t like the show then don’t take the time to watch it. It’s just that simple. As you can plainly see I am female, I have 6 kids and we do know the difference between fact and fiction. Arguing over a matter of a movie being violent against woman in general that in plain as can be on fiction based is like trying to point out that video games are the reason children kill each other. Lets be realistic it’s a show on a million dollar company HBO to be exact that you have to pay to see, If you don’t pay for it you don’t see it plain and simple. Honestly I have better issues in real life to raise about violence against woman, I don’t see how fictional vampires who fly, shape shift, and such has a barring on what we do in our real lives. If this is what we have been thrown to as far as violence against woman act then i would have to say were missing the whole point. The point being it is fiction, not fact. Were running a muck on the fact of a fictional based book wrote by a “woman” filmed and checked by her has violence against woman. Personally this conversation for me is closed. Try looking to real life issues instead of being another 1 person voice against something that is plainly fiction. Personally this statement you have made has made me sick. the words “grow up” come to mind and learn what is real and what is not, come out of your fantasy world and back into reality. You have made a joke of woman everywhere and as a woman I don’t like it!