Jian Ghomeshi & Rape Culture 13 Thoughts (Some of which might disturb) by Jamie Gilcig Oct 31, 2014

Jian Ghomeshi blew up his career and life when he made his long statement on facebook.   It was an interesting read but it ultimately indicted him.

It gave fuel to the tinder of what has now started to flow, and it’s raised many red flags; but most of those flags are from the women involved which according to media count stands at 9.

Rape culture is the big buzz on twitter and social media, but I think this goes far further than rape.

And that’s not to belittle rape and the impacts on society of rape culture, but is there really such a thing as rape culture?

1) Isn’t rape culture simply an isolated extension of how we deal with so many issues in society where people come up with reasons and excuses to not make the right choices because frankly making the right choices can lead to grief?

2)  How many women went on a second or subsequent date with Jian?  Someone allegedly is aggressive or violent and you go back for more?

3) Like many other potential crimes that occur, by not reporting them not only is the bad person not held responsible, they are now emboldened to up their ante and feel that they can get away with it.

4) By not reporting the crime the victims essentially are covering up for the criminal.  How does that help?  Of the nine victims who have now surfaced surely some of those women, if the allegations are true as stated, share in some of the guilt?

5) If each woman reported each incident at a certain point, probably before where we are now, something would have had happened.  Especially to staffers at the CBC?

6) People we like get a much easier time than people we don’t.  Clearly Jian’s popularity has given him a lot of free passes including from reading of reports, the chance to “leave quietly” from the CBC.   If that had happened how many more victims would have occurred?

7) Shooting the messenger.  The Toronto Star took a lot of flack and heat when the story came out finally.   We may never find out truly why they waited.  It may simply be as published that none of the women were willing to step forward or lay charges or there may be more to the story, but the Star was clearly vilified in social media in particular.

8) Is there a problem with law enforcement agencies when so many victims of crime feel that they can’t get any justice by reporting a crime?  Or even worse, that somehow they will be punished by seeking help?

9) Should anything be done to those that clearly or indirectly enabled Jian.  While none of the allegations have been proven in court or  he been charged with any crime it certainly isn’t looking clear from Mr. Ghomeshi?

10) Are we becoming a society that loves the show and needs never ending fuel to the fire so we have something to make memes and chat about on Facebook?

11) Carla Ciccone wrote an interesting piece about a date she had with Jian.  If she had simply outed Jian clearly would that not have helped?  Looking at the flak she took without mentioning names is that not an indictment of our society as a whole as this happens not only to rape victims; but it seems most victims of crime who seem to have to be quiet and just move on.  How did we come to that?

12)  Why did Jian sue the CBC and make such a bold play?  Now that his pr firm has dumped him surely there is no coming back from this mess?  Was it a total pair of deuces bluff?   If so surely Ghomeshi deserves more scorn than if he has simply said he’s ill and needs treatment?

Surely a mea culpa at the right time when a person has no choice would be more effective than the dark hole he’s in now?

13) And finally will they call him Big Ears Teddy in prison eventually?   That bear thing is whacked.

Frankly all of this is whacked.  It goes to show what lies so close the surface in so many.

All this being said Jian has not been proven guilty of a single accusation at this point nor charged.   As horrible as these charges are our jails and courts are literally filled with people who are fighting off false accusations.  These victims are like Jian, usually seen as guilty first and in most cases the headlines of their innocence are rarely as big as their ones of guilt when charged if there even is a headline if proven innocent.

We live in a harsh ugly world that is cosmetically slapped and kept turning.  The biggest lesson from this case eventually will be that if we don’t do the right things then more innocent people suffer.   Whether it’s dating Jian Ghomeshi or little ills in our every day lives hiding from the truth rarely is the solution.

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