Serena Williams: "I'm not blaming the girl BUT..."

[FreedomOfTheTess]

In an interview in Rolling Stone magazine, Serena shares her opinion on the Steubenville rape, and says she isn't blaming the girl BUT... and then of course goes on to blame the girl by questioning why she was drinking at 16, that kind of thing.

Link here

(NB: It is a DM link, sorry about that, I am trying to find the story on an alternative site, but no luck so far).

Clearly the message isn't getting through to all women, let alone all men.

[TWinklyLittleStar]

"Williams is also quoted as saying: "She's 16, why was she that drunk where she doesn't remember? It could have been much worse. She's lucky. Obviously I don't know, maybe she wasn't a virgin, but she shouldn't have put herself in that position, unless they slipped her something, then that's different."

She's lucky? Lucky?! What planet is Williams living on, ffs? The girl was repeatedly raped & abused for hours on end by people who saw fit to post it over Facebook and she's lucky?? Unreal.

[HappyJustToBe]

Wow. That is horrendous.

[FreedomOfTheTess]

I'm just waiting for a statement, in which she'll say her comments have been taken out of context, that seems to the popular turn of phrase when famous types say utterly ridiculous (and offensive) things in interviews.

[FreedomOfTheTess]

Oh and I did also think, why the hell does it matter whether she was a virgin or not?

I've just read the article for the third time and I get angrier with each read.

[SugarandSpice126]

WHAT!!! I only read your quote, I'll be too angry if I read the whole article.. How are people this ignorant? This view is pretty widespread..

[WoTmania]

Christ on a bike - it must be hard being so fucking perfect that you would never be in a position where people can take advantage of you.
I'm not going to read the article, I don't think my nerves or blood pressure could take it, but that quote is WTAF stuff.

[MatersMate]

Absolutely unbelievable. And how those animals only got a year I'll never know, and what about the other bastards that stood around, filmed,laughed and watched? Disgusting. I would die if that was my boy :(

[ThirdTimesABrokenFanjo]

they're a bit on the overly zealous religious side the Williams arent they? I think victim blaming has a quite strong history in religion.

still fascinating to see that angle from The Daily Mail!

[MileOfString]

She should probably stick to playing tennis and keep the social commentary to a minimum...

[FreedomOfTheTess]

MatersMate - there is still ongoing investigations into those who stood around, filmed it and/or watched. Charges also haven't been ruled about against the high school coach who knew about it and did nothing.

I think they're investigating it all, and will make announcements of any action in one go, rather than making announcements bit by bit.

[scallopsrgreat]

She has issued a statement. Not convinced by the "what I supposedly said" bit.

[TWinklyLittleStar]

Sounds like shit to me. If I had been quoted as saying something like that I would be kicking up all kinds of stink and demanding apologies from everyone who printed it.

[FreyaSnow]

Why in the apology statement is she referring to the rapists as the accused? They're not the accused they've been convicted.

[scallopsrgreat]

Good point! Missed that!

[NiceTabard]

If she didn't say that she'd be suing the magazine surely.
And they would have to publish a massive retraction and apology.
Wonder if that's going to happen.

[Wishfulmakeupping]

Agree twinkly she's trying to push it all away from her, stupid irresponsible woman I don't know what more worrying that she said these comments or that she believes them :(

[TwoTearsInABucket]

Why was she commenting on it anyway? How did they only get a year??

[Justfornowitwilldo]

She's a Jehovah's Witness. Their views on drunkenness and women are interesting.

[scallopsrgreat]

I didn't know that. Explains a lot though

[greattobeamum79]

Yep - stick to the tennis please Serena...

[Justfornowitwilldo]

Read up on JW attitudes to women. I'm not condoning it I'm saying it doesn't surprise me at all.

[Justfornowitwilldo]

Watchtower 2012 Apr 1 p.29
"Selma recalls a lesson she learned from the Witness who studied with her. ?On one particular day,? says Selma, ?I didn?t want to have a Bible study. The night before, Steve had hit me as I had tried to prove a point, and I was feeling sad and sorry for myself. After I told the sister what had happened and how I felt, she asked me to read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. As I did, I began to reason, ?Steve never does any of these loving things for me.? But the sister made me think differently by asking, ?How many of those acts of love do you show toward your husband?? My answer was, ?None, for he is so difficult to live with.? The sister softly said, ?Selma, who is trying to be a Christian here? You or Steve?? Realizing that I needed to adjust my thinking, I prayed to Jehovah to help me be more loving toward Steve. Slowly, things started to change.?After 17 years Steve accepted the truth.'

[ThirdTimesABrokenFanjo]

I don't see how commenting that someone follows a rigid anti female religion and has been indoctrinated to follow it very strictly etc is like victim blaming at all.

you might as well say society itself is not relevant in the way we treat women

[NiceTabard]

I agree with third that it is very hard to break out of the thinking / ideas you are conditioned with. especially if they are strong religious / fairly closed community type stuff. I imagine she had a very closed childhood/teenhood and her father is very controlling isn't he.

Hopefully the reaction to her comments will open her eyes to the things she has been taught to believe. She maybe wasn't even thinking what she was saying but just regurgitating what she has been told all her life. Most people do that at one time or another.