CNN’s Don Lemon Asks Bill Cosby Rape Accuser Why She Didn’t Bite His Penis To Escape. Yes, This Really Happened.
There’s nothing like a TV news anchor shaming an alleged rape survivor on national TV to really get you going in the morning, is there? Yes, I like a little rage in my coffee when I wake up, and here it is: CNN’s Don Lemon chastising Bill Cosby rape accuser Joan Tarshis – who just stepped forward this week – for not trying harder to get away from her rapist. Seriously. It’s like all the “I can’ts” in the world trotted down to CNN’s studio and exploded out of my TV. This f**king guy. Why not just ask all rape survivors why they didn’t try harder not to be raped, Don?
The video is below, but here’s the word-for-word transcript, which is so horrible I still can’t quite believe a human with a mouth and brain said these words.
Lemon: Can I ask you this? And please, I don’t mean to be crude, OK?
Tarshis: Yeah.
Lemon: You said this last night, that he ”” you lied to him and said, “I have an infection, and if you rape me, or if you do ”” if you have intercourse with me, then you will probably get it and give it to your wife.”
Tarshis: Right.
Lemon: You said he made you perform oral sex.
Tarshis: Right.
Lemon: You ”” you know, there are ways not to perform oral sex if you didn’t want to do it.
[Me: WHAT DON, WTF DID YOU JUST SAY? Did you really just equate a rape with someone willingly giving a blow job? Do you even know the difference?]
Tarshis: I was kind of stoned at the time, and quite honestly, that didn’t even enter my mind. Now I wish it would have.
Lemon: Right. Meaning the using of the teeth, right?
[Me: Don, no. STAHHHHP. Are you really suggesting she-]
Tarshis: Yes…I didn’t even think of it.
Lemon: Biting.
[Me: Oh god, you are suggesting it. You giant dum-dum.]
Tarshis: Ouch.
Lemon: Yes. I had to ask.
[Me: NO YOU DIDN’TTTTTTTTT! *throws computer into a river*]
Can I just say this? Don Lemon is a f**king idiot. If he’s going to be interviewing rape accusers/victims/survivors then he should understand what he’s actually talking about. Rape is about force and power. It’s not a consensual arrangement where one person can stop things if they want. Tarshis says she was drugged, but aside from that – what if she was afraid for her life? Doing what she thought best to ensure she left there in one piece? Don’t you think if stopping rape was as easy as biting dicks we’d all be sharpening our teeth right now?
His comments offend me so deeply because not only are they victim-blaming – ‘Why didn’t you try harder to avoid being raped?’ – but they show a deep ignorance for what rape actually is. A person who is talking about rape on national television should take the time to learn and educate themselves before suggesting someone take a bite out of someone’s scrotum in the middle of being attacked.
Luckily, it is 2014, and #DonLemonReporting and #DonLemonQuestions are exploding on twitter. I guess if we have to suffer through stupidity, it’s nice to have a laugh once it’s over.
Watch Don Lemon act a fool on live TV here:
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78oxHgFOVQc]
(via)
