Earlier this month a man, Patenema Ouedraogo, was arrested outside of Serena Williams’ home on suspicion of stalking and harassment. He has since been charged with stalking and cyber-stalking and bail was set at $25,000. He will be sentenced to house arrest if he makes bail because Serena and her security team have identified him as a threat for some time now. Serena Williams claims that she is “scared to death” of Patenema and is relieved that authorities have detained him.
The irony is that Serena’s actions, as of late, have actually led to the release of Patenema. A week ago Serena put up a rather revealing picture as her Twitter avatar. The court system, America, and even Patenema Ouedraogo felt that the arrest of Patenema Ouedraogo was justified. But then Serena uploaded her ‘sexy’ lingerie pic and negated everything that law enforcement had worked so hard for.
How could they carry on with the detainment of a stalker when Serena is posting provocative pictures online?
Patenema has since been released and has been encouraged to carry on with his stalking; both cyber and traditional. Based on the little known Erin Andrews Edict, anytime a victim of harassment or stalking puts up sexy photographs, appears on Dancing with the Stars, wears a bikini, or dates John Mayer; the harasser’s transgressions are immediately absolved.
Many tennis journalists, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Sarah Palin, and my sexist neighbor agree that when a woman does something provocative a stalker should have carte blanche. The law that freed Patenenema, also known as the “she asked for it amendment” is currently under review. It may be extended to rape victims and victims of domestic violence.
If women like Serena Williams can patronize the judicial system and the real victim, Patenema, with sexy pics, where does it stop? Were Rihanna, her sexy outfits, or her feisty lyrics blameless when Chris Brown beat her? Was Erin Andrews blameless in her peeping-tom trial when she paraded up and down college football sidelines in those tight DKNY pants?
I don’t believe that Serena’s lingerie photo absolves her stalker; but apparently a healthy segment of the media does.
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I’ll play devil’s advocate here.
Someone who is truly afraid of being stalked and attacked generally doesn’t then go post sexy pictures of themselves on a public forum. It’s not “she asked for it” but rather “maybe she really isn’t that scared; we’ll take her word for it, and actions speak louder than words.”
I agree with you. People think that certain activities in public warrant for hateful, abusive acts to be permissible against those acts. This is completely unwarranted. We try to celebrate women’s near-equality, and then we criticize them when they exercise their freedoms. The same goes for men. If men post lingerie photos they shouldn’t be abused either.
This issue plays into the extreme when we see people raping sex workers or killing them. This is never okay. I don’t think the general public understand morals and ethics properly enough to have an educated opinion of right or wrong.
Thanks for the article.
I have to say I completely disagree with Ruth: If men post lingerie photos they should ABSOLUTELY be abused.
She doesn’t deserve to be abused because of the photos …and she wasn’t. The abuse came before the photos.
But, I think she does deserve to be ridiculed for her stupidity.
“I’m being stalked by some weirdo …I should totally post some revealing photos online.”
You have to wonder if those two thoughts were divided by “…Well, maybe I should just get a -little- high.”
And if the picture up top is the one in question, double stupid points for picking the through-the-curtains voyeuresque motif.