About the rape scene in Eastenders.

[Bambambini]

They are discussing it on Mathew Wright and some viewers have phoned in to say they weren't happy to have viewed it with the questions it raised as they were watching it with their 4 and 7 yr olds.

I know it was before the watershed but I'm surprised folk let their young children watch this show. So they are offended with the rape and having to deal with their young kids questions but have no problem with their kids watching all the other unpleasant stuff that goes on in these shows?

She is shown with a positive pregnancy test.

u2 - I didn't realise that. It goes to show how predictable the storyline was always going to be then doesn't it

u2 - I didn't realise that. It goes to show how predictable the storyline was always going to be then doesn't it

highway sorry I wasn't shouting at you honestly

I haven't read all of the replies but just wanted to add my bit.

It was publicised lots before the episode, so plenty of warning, generally the soaps are not suitable for children so allow them to watch at your own risk. I have allowed ds to be in the room with the soaps on a handful of times when I know that nothing much is happening, but generally he will be in bed.

Everyone should know that the soaps aren't suitable for children.

On the rape, that is how rape is unfortunately, and I actually think Eastenders did quite well for once at making it realistic.

Most rapists are someone the woman knows, many women freeze or at least don't 'fight back', but let out more of a jumbled cry of 'no please stop', perhaps believing that this person who they know will actually come to their senses.

Most women aren't beaten and covered in bruises, most women don't tell anyone, and many aren't believed or were raped in a situation where society wants to blame them. And most importantly most men get away with it.

Linda, Dean came onto her before and she kept his secret, and people know this and even suspect she was involved with him, she was drinking, wearing a short dress, comforting Dean, alone upstairs with him. She's had a shower, destroyed the evidence, she isn't hurt or bruised. If she does manage to tell anyone now, who will believe her?

Those are the sad, hard facts. And even people watching are saying 'why didn't she fight?'

I thought it was well done, although definitely not suitable for children.

Not all rape is a creepy stranger down a dark alley or the woman screaming and trying to escape. Rape happens in all sorts if scenarios - within marriages, within families, at the hands of men women know and trust. Shock and fear can make people freeze.

I thought it was heartbreakingly realistic, especially her inability to say something straight afterwards, even to her loving husband - the intense fear, shock and shame of what has happened was very well portrayed.

I have to add (sorry for making this personal) that what stopped me reporting were the sorts of attitudes many people (and our court system) often have towards rape.

I was tipsy. I have mental health issues. I didn't scream or put up a physical fight. He was a 'nice' married man, father, a professional. I didn't say anything straight away...Who would believe me?

But the likes of EE don’t run storylines on subjects like rape in order to educate people or to bring home the reality of what happens in so many instances of rape, they do it for entertainment. And while some of the portrayal may be accurate, the outcomes rarely are. There is never a trial; or if there is the accused is aquitted at which point he comes after the victim and is then perhaps pushed to his death and then the victim runs off into the night (like in casualty some years ago). Or someone seeks revenge, or no-one believes the victim but nothing actually happens because invariably they just all leave quietly when the next big storyline starts to unfold.

EE talk up doing a hard-hitting storyline, but they rarely actually follow it through. Look at the story with Billy and the baby with Downs – Honey disappeared pretty quickly after she had her second child and the story never grew. They could have portrayed a story where parents struggle to gain the support they need having a child with disabilities but instead it was easier to remove that scenario.

And the baby death/abduction storyline – even though that concluded, presumably Kat has since just taken back the baby a year on and now has had a few husbands in between times and what happened is never mentioned again...

This story will be the same.

These programmes which pride themselves on being as sensational as possible have no business portraying scenarios like this one which will affect people deeply when watching but will not conclude in a realistic way because realistic isn’t entertaining enough.

I dont watch EE but have any posters here looked at the "Sex act without permission" thread on the Relationships board.

There are STILL people who believe that you cant rape someone if you are in a relationship with them

Rape myths are still thriving in 2014 despite that law being passed in 1991 23 years ago.

In BBC2 drama The Politicians Husband which was broadcast last year there was a scene where the husband anally raped his wife.

In this drama he got away with it too. Its about power and control.

Kat hasn't had a few husbands!

I agree with you that they miss really good opportunities to maybe make a difference, although I do think they did the Stacey and her bipolar storyline very well.

I am not sure how unrealistic this storyline will be though. She doesn't tell her husband, he finds out and hurts Dean, it doesn't get taken to court. She gets pregnant. I think adding the pregnancy thing kind of ruins it all because it is dramatic enough with that, but not going to trial and not telling anyone for ages seems realistic enough.

Eastenders (and every other soap but this ones the worst).

Rape.

getting upset and immediately hitting the bottle.

getting upset and then sleeping with someone elses partner.

drugs. (although they did that in Grange hill too, childrens programme!)

nearly every time a teen gets preggers theyre off down the abortion clinic as often as they go to the sweet shop, then getting pregs again and going there again.

punching and fighting (and that's just potato face Mitchell)

adultery.

excessive drinking.

wife/husband beating.

only thing missing is swearing but hey, everything else is there!

and all this before the watershed.

I stopped watching it years ago yet its always therte thrust in front of you so still know what goes on, theyre all the same.

I didn't want the screenwriters to add the complicating factor of the pregnancy.

I didn't expect Linda to tell anyone. I found it wholly realistic that she wouldn't say a word. I do think Mick will realise there is a problem very quickly though.

I think it does serve to educate somewhat and the BBC do normally handle these storylines well but I agree the conclusion is often dramatic and lacking in realism.

The juxtaposition with the previous scene with her children hugging her and saying 'Love you little mum' and being all protective and happy was very stark.

I was thinking that a lot of women on the square have been raped (on the show or in the history that has been assigned them). Kat was raped by her Uncle, Whitney was abused and raped, Kathy was raped and so was Little Mo. Were Ronnie and Stacey raped by Archie too? Then I thought about it and actually, that's probably not so unlikely, if 1 in 4 women have been raped in their lifetime, that in itself is pretty representative of real life

Some people are so clueless....

Just bending over and letting him do it.

NOONE, knows how they would react in that situation....

With your kids downstairs, you would want to protect them and I believe you wouldn't shout out.

I am a victim of child abuse and rape and I can see the OP has apologised but I am still disgusted with these words.

'bending over and letting him do it' is what the OP said, but has since requested to have it removed and it has been removed!

Soaps do educate people via opening up discussions and sometimes by having the characters give different opinions and having those opinions challenged.

I enjoy EE, it's a Soaps that I watch with my Teens and discuss the themes afterwards. I do the same with Hollyoaks.

Linda made it clear at the start of the attack that she didn't consent and then froze, which is a natural response.

This may not be general knowledge but there are Rape Fantasy Forums that link and look out for Rape/Forced Sex in Soaps and Films. Linda's rape was publicised in advance, it ticked a few boxes, Older woman, practically incestious etc.

It has now been added to the link if "Rapes on TV".

The Soaps know how carefully they have to portray attacks. I think that had there been more struggling etc, it would of given many watchers lots more entertainment value.

'bending over and letting him do it' is what the OP said, but has since requested to have it removed and it has been removed!

1. she retracted that and apologised
2. MNHQ say they deleted it following reports, not because she asked.

And it wasn't the OP who said it.

Eastenders is the most appalling, depressing drivel, the storylines are ludicrous, the characters dull and one dimensional. It's nothing like the real east end, it's a mystery to me why anyone would watch it.

Escapism from my mundane life

Think the way ee did it was great.you didn't see much but you knew what had happened. The actress that plays linda made me cry when she was in the shower.
I don't think anything that was in it was particularly bad to not be shown before the watershed.
Ee isn't exactly a kids show anyway!
Think if teenagers see it then its good. At 12 13 etc they should know about it anyway. Not in graphic detail, but attacks do happen to people at any age unfortunately ?? maybe give them courage to speak out.

Also think the way ee chose to show the rape seen was good.
Im glad lynda didn't fight back as not all woman can.
Hopefully people can get over the myth that all woman fight back when they're being raped!
Should see the pages on facebook about this, there's some nasty comments saying she should have just fought back, why did she just lie there etc ?? nice bit of victim blaming. No wonder the report rate is so low.

I don't understand all the objections re the watershed etc.

Over here (Australia) it is on at 6pm, I record it as I don't want my girls watching it. Even though I was allowed to watch it at a young age. I don't think Foxtel (Sky equiv) is governed by watershed, but before every episode it says that it is not suitable for under 15.

EE has always had adult themes in it... rape, murder, prostitution, sex, family violence, drugs, house/pub fires, incest, explosions etc.

Anyone who has heard of EE knows what it is like & I don't buy the 'caught unaware' excuse at all, where kids are concerned. It is VERY obviously NOT a child friendly programme & never has been imo.

Yes, I totally get that someone who hasn't watched it for a while may not have realised that there was a rape scene about to occur, but seriously, if you watch TV/have access to the net, it has been widely publicized that this is what was going to happen.

I think it was only 1991 that it was legally seen as rape between a husband & wife.

Stacy's rape by Archie was implied, I don't think we actually saw it, but for a time, wasn't it rumoured that her baby could be his? Same with his abuse of Ronnie & possibly Roxy (I don't know if they have actually said it hasn't happened, or whether Roxie refuses to acknowledge it, but Ronnie did hint at it at one point, I believe.)

Along with that, Grant & Phil were physically abused by their father ... again, implied, not seen.

And Kat was raped (forced into sex via blackmail) by Andy.

The watershed used to act as an assurance that TV before 9 pm wouldn't be too adult themed.

It has been eroded massively and if you are not a wary parent the complacency created by the way it used to operate in the UK can catch you out.

Some of the comments on E E fb page is disgusting.

I wonder how they get away with showing sex and violence and everything else in between on the soaps there must be some guidelines and as I said before the soaps teeter on the edge of them,