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So... Lena Dunham is in trouble.
After making the bold statement last year that women never lie about rape ("Things women do lie about: what they ate for lunch. Things women don't lie about: rape."), last week she defended a friend/co-worker, Murray Miller, against allegations that he sexually assaulted acress Aurora Perrineau when she was 17.
Dunham's statement, together with Jenni Konner:
"During the windfall of deeply necessary accusations over the last few months in Hollywood, we have been thrilled to see so many women's voices heard and dark experiences in this industry justified. It's a hugely important time of change and, like every feminist in Hollywood and beyond, we celebrate. But during every time of change there are also incidences of the culture, in its enthusiasm and zeal, taking down the wrong targets. We believe, having worked closely with him for more than half a decade, that this is the case with Murray Miller. While our first instinct is to listen to every woman's story, our insider knowledge of Murray's situation makes us confident that sadly this accusation is one of the 3 percent of assault cases that are misreported every year. It is a true shame to add to that number, as outside of Hollywood women still struggle to be believed. We stand by Murray and this is all we'll be saying about this issue."
Of course, both women were predictably shitstormed. Accused of slut-shaming and victim-blaming, neither of which really make sense in this case, but that doesn't seem to be relevant.
Equally predictably, Dunham started backpedaling.
Which leads me to the title of this thread: to claim that "women don't lie about rape" is an impossible standard. How would that be possible? A biologically hardwired moral compass inbuilt in all women? The Spike mind-control chip? An act of God?
People will lie, about any issue, for any reason. Maybe it's for supposedly noble reasons, like sparing someone pain; maybe it's for emotional reasons, like embarrasment or shame; maybe it's for purely selfish reasons, like greed or vanity; maybe it's for malicious reasons, just to hurt someone. And sometimes, those people are women; and sometimes, what they lie about is rape.
No idea what happened here. Maybe he forced himself on her - it's possible, because that happens. Maybe she made up the claim to extort money from him - it's possible, because that happens.
How can someone, by all appearances a mentally competent, adult human, arrive at the conclusion that there can truly be a single issue about which one particular, very heterogenous, group would never lie? How would one arrive at such a conclusion, and what arguments could be used to actually defend it?
After making the bold statement last year that women never lie about rape ("Things women do lie about: what they ate for lunch. Things women don't lie about: rape."), last week she defended a friend/co-worker, Murray Miller, against allegations that he sexually assaulted acress Aurora Perrineau when she was 17.
Dunham's statement, together with Jenni Konner:
"During the windfall of deeply necessary accusations over the last few months in Hollywood, we have been thrilled to see so many women's voices heard and dark experiences in this industry justified. It's a hugely important time of change and, like every feminist in Hollywood and beyond, we celebrate. But during every time of change there are also incidences of the culture, in its enthusiasm and zeal, taking down the wrong targets. We believe, having worked closely with him for more than half a decade, that this is the case with Murray Miller. While our first instinct is to listen to every woman's story, our insider knowledge of Murray's situation makes us confident that sadly this accusation is one of the 3 percent of assault cases that are misreported every year. It is a true shame to add to that number, as outside of Hollywood women still struggle to be believed. We stand by Murray and this is all we'll be saying about this issue."
Of course, both women were predictably shitstormed. Accused of slut-shaming and victim-blaming, neither of which really make sense in this case, but that doesn't seem to be relevant.
Equally predictably, Dunham started backpedaling.
Which leads me to the title of this thread: to claim that "women don't lie about rape" is an impossible standard. How would that be possible? A biologically hardwired moral compass inbuilt in all women? The Spike mind-control chip? An act of God?
People will lie, about any issue, for any reason. Maybe it's for supposedly noble reasons, like sparing someone pain; maybe it's for emotional reasons, like embarrasment or shame; maybe it's for purely selfish reasons, like greed or vanity; maybe it's for malicious reasons, just to hurt someone. And sometimes, those people are women; and sometimes, what they lie about is rape.
No idea what happened here. Maybe he forced himself on her - it's possible, because that happens. Maybe she made up the claim to extort money from him - it's possible, because that happens.
How can someone, by all appearances a mentally competent, adult human, arrive at the conclusion that there can truly be a single issue about which one particular, very heterogenous, group would never lie? How would one arrive at such a conclusion, and what arguments could be used to actually defend it?
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