Because he's a man? Men can still be raped. Just like women can get wet when they're being raped, men can get it up. And we're supposed to be okay with that scene? He kept saying no and he didn't want to and she just shushed him and mocked him for wanting to use a dildo. God, just go out with another man. And we're still supposed to like Alice. The show obviously doesn't think it's a big deal. Gross.
shareYou're right. If that scene was to air today in this climate, it would have gotten more backlash for sure. People weren't as aware of issues like that during that time I feel.
shareI don't know much about this show, but I read on Wikipedia that Jennifer Beals' character rapes her female partner. I also read that one female-orientated site listed Beals' character as one of the top ten best female fictional characters of all time.
Imagine the, legitimate, uproar if a male rapist was voted by a mainly male demographic as one of the best characters of all time.
I realise that female rapists are comparatively rare, and I'm certainly not going to pretend that it's a problem anywhere near on par with male-on-female violence, particularly sexual violence, but surely if and when it does happen we should all be outraged and not act as if it is a somehow lesser crime.
I must admit, I don't know enough about incidents of rape committed by women. In the UK the law still defines rape as an act committed either by a man or by a person, male or female, with a penetrative object. A woman forcing herself on a man or woman would not be defined as rape, although it still constitutes a form of sexual assault.
I don't know enough about the degree of trauma suffered by the victims of sexual assault or rape (depending on the jurisdiction) committed by women. But I would imagine that it's equally as traumatic as the abuse committed by male rapists against their victims. That being the case, it should surely not be downplayed or brushed off by society, nor should female rapists/sex offenders be turned into anti-heroines, much in the same way that male rapists/sex offenders should never be treated as anti-heroes.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but most people watching The L Word hated Lisa because he was a lesbian-identified man. Plus Lisa consented to have sex with Alice, just not in the traditional way. So I don't think very many people watching the show sympathized with Lisa in that situation, especially since Alice was a beautiful woman whom Lisa obviously found attractive.
shareBut none of the things you just mentioned change the fact that Alice did something wrong. and why would it be "especially" hard to sympathise with lisa because Alice happened to be someone Lisa found attractive? How exacly does that change the fact that Alice did something with/to Lisa that Lisa did not want, something Alice continued to do even after lisa repeatedly said no? I'm actually curious, what was your outlook on that scene?(you've mostly just said what you think others may have felt about it)
Peace
What I mean to say is that it's less common for people to sympathize with male rape victims. People almost don't care when men get raped, especially when the perpetrator is a beautiful woman whom the victim has agreed to sexual activity with. But even man-on-man rape is not taken as seriously as when a woman is the victim. Men get raped more often than women, but you would never guess that by the way that society talks about rape. I'm not saying it's right.
I remember that scene when Alice wanted to have sex with Lisa, and he wasn't comfortable with having traditional intercourse. He insisted on using a dildo. I didn't remember that she forced him to have intercourse with her though. Maybe that's my own prejudices at work, but I just don't remember that. I just remember that they got in an argument, and he cried or something like that. And that everyone who watched that show hated Lisa.
What Alice did was wrong
Peace
She coaxed him she didn't rape him, he could have lush her off and certainly wouldn't have continued dating her.
share