One of Lauren Chief Elk's and my favorite, ahem, topics of conversation is what a rancid heap of rape apologist garbage Law & Order: Special Victims Unit actually is. We could literally talk about that shit ALL DAY. Because it is endlessly infuriating that a show which purports to engage in anti-rape advocacy is, in reality, rife with the entrenchment of rape culture narratives.
Anyway. The other day, while flipping channels from my super-bored convalescence, I happened to catch an amazing scene on an old episode of L&O:SVU. I backed up the broadcast and recorded it on my phone (because I'm high-tech like that). So forgive the shitty quality and my reflection on the screen.
Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cabot, a thin blonde white woman, and Detective Olivia Benson, a thin brunette white woman, walk down the hallway of a municipal court building together."All rape victims lie about something." Sure. Perfect. Great job as always, SVU.
Cabot: Olivia, all rape victims lie about something. You know that. How much they had to drink, who they were with the night before, what their boyfriend—
Benson: She picked the wrong thing to lie about. One lie is fine, even two, but, Alex, there's a pattern here. I mean, how much damage control can you do?
By the way, the victim who had lied too many times? A black immigrant woman.
Law & Order: SVU is not a show that challenges the rape culture; it is a show that upholds the rape culture. I'm not saying it's not terrific that there are survivors who have been inspired to tell their stories or report their assaults by the show. I'm not saying no one is allowed to like the show or find anything useful about it. I'm not saying don't watch it, if you want to watch it. Most of us consume and enjoy some problematic things. Even I have been known to hate-watch SVU when I have overwhelming frustrations about the rape culture and nowhere else at which to direct my anger. It's a perfect outlet for vague rape culture rage!
What I am saying is that this persistent narrative about how SVU is doing effective anti-rape advocacy is bullshit. Exhibit 1,235.
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