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AIBU?

To wonder if people have forgotten that Mike Tyson is a rapist? (Trigger warning)

73 replies

Macrometa · 16/05/2020 00:42

He is everywhere at the moment. Memes, Facebook, videos, the press.

Even my DH tries to tell me about something he's doing or something he has read. Look at how fast he hits! Isn't he a good boxer! I've made it clear I'm not interested in anything sex offenders are doing.

I've read about his crime and he's a misogynistic predator, no two ways about it.

Have people forgotten or do they just not care? Why aren't the media getting a bollocking for glorifying such a person?

OP posts:

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CharlotteFlax · 16/05/2020 00:43

I've not forgotten at all but also haven't seen him 'around' at all!

Macrometa · 16/05/2020 00:45

I'm surprised you haven't, I can't get shot of the twit from my Facebook news feed.

OP posts:

steff13 · 16/05/2020 00:45

He also but off Evander Holyfield's ear. I haven't seen him around either. What is his doing?

Vodkacranberryplease · 16/05/2020 00:45

Yup. Totally agree. He's a fucking animal. I watched the fight where he bit Evander Holyfield ear off. Who even does that? Nasty piece of work. Tell your DH to stop idolising a fucking crim. or find a cooler boxer (not hard) for him to look up to instead.

howells · 16/05/2020 00:45

No, I had not forgotten and I don’t get it either! He disgusts me. I don’t want to read about him or see him in the media at all. I find it baffling that he is glorified/revered.

Macrometa · 16/05/2020 00:48

He's making a "crazy comeback" according to the guardian, and the sun is talking about a medical procedure he had. Something to do with translucent blood

People on Facebook are sharing videos of him training and sparring, there are news articles about potential opponents going to fight him.

The memes are endless.

I can't believe people are prepared to overlook what kind of person he is, and oh yes.. biting off another man's ear

OP posts:

Macrometa · 16/05/2020 00:51

Donald Trump is also blowing smoke up his arse, as the old saying goes "birds of a feather flock together"

OP posts:

CaptainCarp · 16/05/2020 00:56

I didn't know he was a rapist. I was very young though at the time & I don't know much about Mike Tyson.

Apparently him biting the ear off his opponent was one of the main turning points for allowing women to box!

I hadn't heard about him making a comeback but it amazes me how much sex offences are brushed under the carpet for those who are famous

Macrometa · 16/05/2020 01:01

Sadly so Captain. It's as if being good at sport or having another talent means they are above reproach.

I told DH very sternly the other week that I wanted to hear nothing else about him, he's a sex offender and doesn't deserve the platform.

He then relays another article today.

I couldn't give a toss what he's good at, the man is a monster

OP posts:

ClareBlue · 16/05/2020 01:07

If you want to call intentionally trying to inflict brain damage on another human a sport and pay someone to do it, then biting off an ear is pretty much par for the course. If you support the career of a serious sex offender who has never shown any understanding or remorse for what he did, by offering him publicity and opportunity, then you have no moral compass what so ever. I haven't heard of him much lately and hoped he was a recluse with early dementia brought on by having his head thumped, but I am obviously wrong.

LouHotel · 16/05/2020 01:11

Hangover made him mainstream again, I agree OP.

KKSlider · 16/05/2020 01:36

At the time of the rape he was being divorced by his first wife on the grounds of domestic abuse and, in his subsequent autobiography, described one episode of violence against her as "the best punch I've ever thrown in my entire life".

What a prince.

SirSamuelVimesBlackboardMonito · 16/05/2020 01:38

Women don't matter. Or, at least, they matter less than men's sports.

It's a horrible realisation but it's true.

AntiHop · 16/05/2020 01:40

Yanbu. I hate that episode of how I met your mother when they're happy to meet him. It ruined the whole programme for me.

KKSlider · 16/05/2020 01:43

Shitty behaviour by men is always minimised if they are shittily behaved men who are also very good at whatever their job is. How many times do we hear about women guilt-tripped into not saying anything because "it'll ruin his career/life" when in reality it's far more likely to ruin her own?

BetsyBigNose · 16/05/2020 04:10

YANBU - automatic word-association in my head for him goes: Mike Tyson = Rapist.

He can self-publicise all he wants, we're still not letting him into the UK... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_banned_from_entering_the_United_Kingdom

famousforwrongreason · 16/05/2020 05:07

Ooh I was hugely into boxing and remember seeing the earbite incident as it happened.
Tyson is vile. I remember a period in the 99s where people were calling their dogs and children Tyson
People don't like to be reminded of the crimes and misdemeanours of popular or infamous perpetrators if they're entertaining us, or becoming prime ministers and presidents.
We're so skilled in the art of cognitive dissonance.

FourTeaFallOut · 16/05/2020 05:34

Tyson = Rapist - it's an instant word association for me.

ukgift2016 · 16/05/2020 05:39

I think it did effect his career in the past HOWEVER let's be honest, if a man is good at his job then many people are willing to overlook rape. "Oh I don't believe he did it!" Etc.

AtaMarie · 16/05/2020 05:40

I had not forgotten. Disgusting man.

"it amazes me how much sex offences are brushed under the carpet for those who are famous"

Totally. I was going to reel off a bunch sports stars' names but then when you think about it, there are famous rapists and abusers in just about every industry.

SirSamuelVimesBlackboardMonito · 16/05/2020 05:52

It's because "man rapes woman" isn't news. It's so commonplace it's background noise.

It reminds me of school shootings in America. Horrific crimes that happen so often no-one really notices anymore. I saw something at the start of lockdown that said this March was the first month in 18 years that there hadn't been a school shooting in America.

sashh · 16/05/2020 06:58

He was going to do a tour in the UK a few years ago, I and a number of others contacted the venues and asked why they were lotting a rapist hire their venue (Onew was a local council) not many places replied, but one said, "Are you referring to an incident X years ago?".

I replied saying yes I was and that no he hadn't 'paid for his crime' because although he spent some time in jail to this day he still owes the victim compensation.

mbosnz · 16/05/2020 09:40

My father was a (really rather good boxer). I used to watch it with him. The last match we ever watched was the one where he bit off Holyfield's ear. The TV was switched off, and in our family, that was the day that boxing died.

The 'man' is a brute and a thug.

Isawamagpie · 16/05/2020 09:46

I must agree with a PP, I know who he is, I knew about the ear biting, seen him in hangover, have seen he's all over the news (I'm not on SM so must be prevalent in other ways) I had no idea he was a sex offender.. i just thought some kind of boxing comeback.
I'm 32.

FourTeaFallOut · 16/05/2020 09:52

He also said in his own book that the best punch he ever threw he landed on his wife. Dick.

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