Thursday, February 17, 2011

So, About that Chick Reporter in Egypt

I don't want to come off as a completely insensitive a-hole here or anything, but I kind of want to address this whole situation with the reporter, Lara Logan, who was the victim of a "sustained sexual assault" in Egypt. First, the facts as I understand them.

1) She had previously left Egypt fearing the danger of remaining behind, as did many other journalists.

2) She returned because she felt that it was her duty as a journalist to be there for this important historical event. At the time obviously aware of the danger.

3) She became the victim of an undisclosed assault.

I don't want to go with the whole "she was asking for it" angle here. In fact, I sort of respect the fact that she placed herself in peril to do her job. Sort of. You can't ignore the fact that the danger was very real and she was apparently very aware of it, though. Common sense tells us that a woman is far more vulnerable in a case like this, but societal pressures demand that we ignore it. In my opinion, she should probably not have been there.

What exactly happened to her is an important question here as well. I don't need lurid details or anything, but again, due to societal pressures almost anything represents a sexual assault these days. If she was the subject of catcalls she was sexually assaulted in this country. Was she groped? Or worse? Because if she went into a perilous situation like that with eyes wide open and a couple of dudes merely copped a feel, then I don't think it's news.

Honestly, I hope this woman was subjected to no more than some minor harassment here, but no matter what she will catapulted to a-list journalist status. She's already vowed to return to work within weeks. And let's not forget the ratings bonanza her employers will reap with the exclusives! Those sorts of rewards for being a victim always makes me suspicious.

There, now I feel like a proper asshole.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

I see what you're saying. I too wonder what exactly happened. The reports have been unusually vague. Some times they say rape and other times they say sexually assaulted and those two things are not the same.

My sympathy only goes so far as to her actually being attacked, whatever degree it may be, but I don't feel anymore sorry for her than I do for the other three reporters who were assaulted.

What I'd like to know is why? Was it because these reporters were in the line of fire or were they specifically targeted? There are reports that say Logan's attackers were heard yelling "Jew, Jew!" This makes me think that whoever got this "revolution" together (and I don't think it was that dude who wrote all those twitter posts like the media tried to make us believe) told the masses that Mubarak was the right hand man of the U.S./Israeli zionist regime and that the reporters were their spies. It was hate that attacked Logan not an example of a woman being abused in a male dominated country like some stories I've read have told me.

Unknown said...

To expand further, it is hard enough for a man to fight off this mob, but even harder for a woman. I didn't write the rules, that is just the way life is and I won't be surprised if more women reporters opt out of going to Egypt like they did in Iraq as the "revolution" continues on. It won't be due to sexism, but wisdom that will ultimately make that choice. Hell, I wouldn't even go. Not for a million dollars. With Tunisia, Yemen, Jordon, Bahrain, and Libya all on fire, this is only the beginning. Iran and their warship up the Suez is a finger in the of Israel.

Maximum Colossus said...

Pussy.

Miss Boom said...

As a chick myself, I must say that when rioting is happening anywhere in that part of the world, I am very happy to be living 7000 miles away from it.

I don't think she was "asking for it". No one "asks" to be sexually assaulted, but she didn't make a very good decision by going straight in to the belly of the beast. It's not flippin America where you can sue your boss for accidentally looking at your tits. it's flippin Egypt. I have a feeling that most people aren't going to come running to the rescue of an American damsel in distress while there is social unrest going on. I'm pretty sure most American women would have ran for the hills, and for good reason.

BVM said...

About point #2. Did she in fact go back because it was her duty as a journalist or did she go back because some pride got involved and she knew millions of people would be watching her on TV? This was her chance to become more well known.

Well, now she's become well known for the wrong reasons.

Maximum Colossus said...

Probably a little of both, Baron.