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"Besides, wasn't this the humbling experience that Marcel was unconsciously crying out for these long weeks?"
I expect to hear the "(s)he was asking for it" defense from misogynists and homophobes, not on frikkin Salon.
I'm appalled. Not primarily that Heather Havrilesky would consider it acceptable to accuse a victim of violence of provoking the attack by being "precious" and "haughty"-- I don't know Ms. Havrilesky personally, but the existence of people with this attitude hardly comes as a shock. Mostly I'm appalled-- and angry-- that Salon would consider it acceptable to publish a piece of writing that justifies violence on the grounds that the victim was "unconsciously crying out for" a "humbling experience."
Just because the subject is the relatively trivial one of reality television doesn't mean that all ethical and journalistic standards are hereby suspended, or that I should expect to see such blatant victim-blaming in a responsible publication, liberal or conservative. I'd really like to think Salon would fall into that category. Please prove me right by posting an apology and vetting Ms. Havrilesky's work more thoroughly in the future.
