Dancing with the Victim-Blamers

by Shaker QLH

[Trigger warning for stalking, victim-blaming.]

In July of 2009, someone posted footage on-line of a naked woman videotaped through a hotel's peephole. The footage was of Erin Andrews, a sports reporter for ESPN, who swiftly acted to remove the video and press charges.

In her sole interview on the matter, Andrews "described the situation as a 'nightmare,' and stated that at the time she discovered the video she believed her career would end."

A suspect was arrested in October of 2009 and convicted in March of 2010. The very next month, "it was revealed that Andrews had been receiving email death threats since September 2009. The FBI was notified and security around her was tightened."

Stalked in 2009, with a conviction this March. Sent death threats since (not simply in, but since) September, to the point that the FBI became involved this April.

Erin Andrews' birthday is May 4th. I imagine that after the stalking conviction in March and having to deal with the FBI in April, she'd have liked May to go considerably better.

On Tuesday, May 4th, Elisabeth Hasselback used some time on "The View" to discuss Erin Andrews' ongoing appearances on "Dancing with the Stars."

"For the past three weeks, she's been wearing next to nothing," Hasselbeck said, mounting her soapbox. "I think in light of what happened and as illegal and as inexcusable as it was for that guy to peep on her in her hotel room, in some ways, if I'm that guy, I'm like, 'Man, I just could've waited 12 weeks and seen this—a little bit less—without the prison time.'"

The victim-blaming burns, and it displays a fundamental misunderstanding of what stalking and peeping are really about. The point isn't simply to see naked flesh; the Internet and local video store can supply plenty of that. The perpetrator wouldn't get the same rush from bumping into her in a bikini on a beach. The point is for it to be against her will, without her knowledge, something she doesn't know about and wouldn't consent to. Erin Andrews walks onto the dance floor in front of cameras, fully aware that she's being broadcast. In her hotel room, fixing her hair, alone behind a locked door, she thinks that she's alone. She thinks that she's safe. He knows that she's not.

The next day, Hasselback returned with an apology. Apparently she'd called Andrews for a private apology, at the suggestion of her five-year-old daughter, and here's what she told viewers:

"I went home and wasn't feeling that great about it, and I went home and I'm sitting with Grace, my 5-year-old, and she said, 'Mommy, why do you look so sad?' And I said, 'Well, Grace, today Mommy hurt someone's feelings," she said, tearing up.

"Yesterday when we were talking about Erin, even though I'm focused on the detestable human being who's behind bars thankfully, who's really made her life a living hell, I ended up hurting her…I told her and I promised her I would use my words more mindfully like I try to do to build people up and not break them down."

Hasselback's framing of having been "focused on the detestable human being" and having accidentally "ended up hurting" Andrews is a bizarre twist on reality, since she was clearly focused on Andrews' behavior and was plainly slut-shaming her for her appearance. This apology doesn't demonstrate that Hasselback genuinely understands where she went wrong. If she had a radical breakthrough about her deeply-entrenched victim-blaming attitude within twenty-four hours, the wording of her apology clearly doesn't reflect that.

What I also found interesting was the mix of reactions to what Hasselback said. People, reporters included, seem to have trouble supporting Andrews without taking specifically misogynist digs at Hasselback.

Many people from "Dancing with the Stars" tweeted their support for Andrews. But while Niecy Nash called Hasselback's comments, "Insensitive, in poor taste and remedial and foolish," Andrews' dance partner on the show (also her costume designer) called Hasselback jealous and stupid, playing on a popular misogynist theme that women only speak negatively about each other because they're jealous.

At the Miami Herald, in an article titled "Elisabeth Hasselbeck: stiletto in mouth" (because "foot in mouth" isn't nearly as evocative, right?), the reporter made sure to tell us that while Hasselback "yapped" about Andrews' outfit, she herself was "in a chest- and arm-baring sundress). Then, "Elisabeth tearfully apologized."

While E! directly called Hasselback's words "some creative victim-blaming," they also called Hasselback "teary" and said that she "not only turned on the waterworks, but somehow found a way to make it all about herself."

They also created a "Daily 10 Battle of the Blondes Poll," because the fact that both women are blonde is somehow hugely relevant to the story. The poll question: "Should Erin forgive Elisabeth for slamming her outfit?" Because, obviously, that's all it boils down to: one blonde chick said something nasty about another blonde chick's clothes, because women are catty like that, amirite? I'll bet her shoes were out of season, too!

By far, the best commentary I saw was from the L.A. Times, which, in comparison to everything else I read, sounded downright feminist.

The man, Michael Barrett, was sentenced to prison shortly before Andrews began her Dancing With The Stars competition and Andrews was emotional in speaking about the sentencing which she believed wasn't severe enough.

Hasselbeck's opinion here was that Barrett should have not bothered with hotel room peepholes and just waited to see DWTS. Hasselbeck also seemed to be suggesting that Andrews, because she was a victim of a man who committed a crime, should have altered her own behavior, maybe not dressed the same as all the other women competitors on the show.

Whether you believe Andrews is hurting her job credibility by appearing on the show (an argument that doesn't seem to be made for athletes like Chad Ochocinco and Evan Lysacek who are also still in the competition), it is patently unfair to think that Andrews needed to change her plans because she was the victim of a crime. It's a ballroom dance competition for goodness sakes. Gauze, sequins, short skirts, plunging necklines (boys and girls)? That's the deal. And the deal doesn't include an Erin Andrews exception because, well, you know, boys will be boys.

Note: If you click through to the linked articles, please do not read comments. I ran into the usual cesspool of misogyny and victim-blaming. The fact that it's a blonde-on-blonde catfight, starring a broad who's dared to enter the men's world of sports reporting, has excited a lot of fucknecks.