Discussing “Slutwalk” Protests, Hannity And Guest Blame The Pre-Victims Of Rape
Reported by Ellen - May 10, 2011 -
Sean Hannity wanted his audience to know that he never thinks it’s the victim’s fault when a rape occurs. But he used a segment about “slutwalks” to suggest that maybe, just maybe, women need to behave more responsibly in order to avoid getting raped. He was ably assisted in that meme by conservative Rebecca St. James who announced, “They’re asking for sex if they’re dressing immodestly.”
St. James is a conservative Christian singer and actress with a strong pro-life and “purity” stand. But she was introduced merely as a “grammy-award winning artist.” The other guest was liberal Tamara Holder, a Fox News contributor.
Hannity said, “I think we all agree… I don’t think you can ever blame the victim, ever. I mean, period, end of sentence. I don’t care if it’s late at night, they’re in a bad neighborhood, what they’re wearing, if they’re naked, no means no. We all agree on that?”
Yes, they did.
So having established everyone’s pro-women bona fides, Hannity proceeded to blame women who were, if you will, pre-victimized. “The fact that rape happens is a horrifying thought. You don’t want any woman to ever be a victim of this. So the question is, is there advice… to the women in our lives that can reduce their risk and are you allowed to talk about it?"
St. James got right with his program. “There is never an excuse, no matter how a woman is dressed, for a man to abuse a woman.” But, she said, “There has to be responsibility, though, for what a woman is wearing, personal responsibility.” Then, after boasting about her participation in the purity movement, her book and song about purity, plus marrying a “holy hunk,” St. James said, “I think when a woman is dressing in an immodest way, in a provocative way, she’s got to think about what is she saying by her dress.” She plugged another book, which just happened to include an interview with Hannity, and added, “They’re asking for sex if they’re dressing immodestly.”
Holder put up a strong objection but Hannity interrupted her after a little while to ask, “Is there advice that we can give to women to reduce their risk?”
Holder had a good answer, which was to be aware of signs of violence in a person.
Hannity was obviously not interested in her answer. He interrupted her again to “ask,” “Would it be wrong to say, ‘Stay away from bad neighborhoods that are known for high crime rates, late at night?’” The implication was obvious, though Holder never called Hannity out on the agenda playing out under her nose. Instead, she merely agreed that was good advice.
So, having established the suggestion that there were some steps women should take to avoid becoming victims, Hannity opened the door for something more extreme by asking St. James “what other advice” she’d give.
St. James took the bait. She said, “Tamara, I mean, what are women saying by dressing provocatively? I think they’re saying, ‘I’m easy. I’m asking you to look at me as a sexual object rather than a woman worthy of respect.’ …I think we need to be responsible for what we’re wearing and how it is impacting the men in our lives.”
