Emily Ratajkowski accuses photographer of sexual assault

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I always knew Ratajkowski was meant to be clever, but I thought it was part of her pseudo-feminist marketing strategy... 'brains and beauty' although we only ever got to see the beauty.

She's just written this essay for New York's The Cut.
www.thecut.com/article/emily

It's changed my opinion of her. Even if I don't agree with a some of the commercial things she's done.

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Even! www.thecut.com/article/emily-ratajkowski-owning-my-image-essay.html

Well that's horrifying.

No woman is to blame for being sexually assaulted, ever. No woman deserves to be assaulted, ever. I am very sorry this happened to her.

However, given her obvious intelligence, she must have been aware of the messages in 'Blurred Lines' - the lyrics and the video. She was very much part of the marketing of it. So, after her own assault, she chose to be part of promoting a message that minimised sexual assault happening to other women. It is sad that she made that choice.

Yes it's changed my opinion too. She's no feminist role model but it's well written. There is evidence of her slowly waking up but I don't think she appreciates how much some of her actions support the culture which enables and encourages men like her abuser. Which is not to say she deserved it. Nobody deserves to be sexually assaulted.

Well I think the fact that the photographer stated in response words to the effect of ‘Do you honestly believe the girl who bounced around naked in the Robin Thickke video is a victim?’ is very telling.

What’s he saying here? That because she chooses to be naked in that circumstance that she’s ‘up for it’? That a woman comfortable with showing off her body is clearly a slut? Victim blaming at its best.

Oh absolutely ickabog. The photographer, like so many abusers, exploited a vulnerability there.

But for a while now younger women have been told that taking power back from men is to sell your sexuality to them, but on your own terms. They can't see it will never be on their own terms because of the nature of our society. Everything is based around it being on men's terms. It's faux empowerment.

@TheIckabog

Well I think the fact that the photographer stated in response words to the effect of ‘Do you honestly believe the girl who bounced around naked in the Robin Thickke video is a victim?’ is very telling.

What’s he saying here? That because she chooses to be naked in that circumstance that she’s ‘up for it’? That a woman comfortable with showing off her body is clearly a slut? Victim blaming at its best.

I agree and, as I say, I am not blaming her for her assault. But I am criticising her career choices. Any man or woman who contributes to the minimising of sexual assault deserves criticism, in my view. ER doesn't deserve more criticism than anyone else involved in Blurred Lines, but it is sad that she didn't make different choices, after what had happened to her.

I feel so sorry for her. Liberal feminism sold her a pack of lies. She thought that getting naked and prancing about in blurred lines, or slathering spaghetti over her boobs for feminism, was “empowering”. All it did was put her in a position of weakness. Men didn’t view her as “empowered”- they saw her as a sex object. The man who she claims assaulted her practically sneered “she’s made her whole career out of getting naked, she’s a liar.”

That photographer is a terrible person, vile little man. I really feel for her. It’s never acceptable to blame a woman for what happened, either the sexual assault or how he abused her images afterwards.

I feel so sorry for her. I was never really keen on her but I think what's happened to her is awful. I bet more come forward with stories about him now.
If she's in the public eye and speaking up then hopefully that will encourage others to come forward about this creep.

What a horrible story. I feel sick for her. Yes, that 'Blurred Lines' horror show was revolting, and no one who was involved in it should feel proud, but she writes very well about being in a situation where you are naive and out of your depth, and desperately trying to impress some idiot bloke who holds all the power. I can relate, I'm sure most of us can. Good for her for having her say

dreadful.

Interestingly the daily mail comments on this are unanimously in her favour.

She captures so well in that essay the train of thought and internal conflict of trying to deal with a man who is abusing his position. What happened to her was dreadful and the photographer's response was depressingly predictable.

I wonder about the cognitive dissonance around how she feels about her image. She seems very protective and proud of her work, and part of me feels like, why not? She's beautiful and confident about her body, and of course she should be able to get on with her work without being at risk of assault. But the naivity over what her market is, and why people pay her to take her clothes of in the first place is quite jarring with the rest of the piece.

It's a really important essay though, and hopefully will reach a wide audience.

That photographer is a terrible person, vile little man. I really feel for her. It’s never acceptable to blame a woman for what happened, either the sexual assault or how he abused her images afterwards.

Completely agree.