Domestic Violence Is Not A Publicity Stunt, Not A Joke

by Jen Nedeau · 2009-09-14 15:06:00 UTC
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When it comes to star athletes who are accused of abuse, battery or rape, the same conclusion often seems to be reached: not guilty.

I'm not in the position to judge the evidence presented in court, but this pattern is very unsettling and it only makes it more difficult for women who are in abusive relationships to come forward and feel like they can be taken seriously.

Mike Fleiss, who works for Next Entertainment, and produces several reality TV shows remarked about the recent news that Shawne Merriman, a star linebacker for the NFL's San Diego Chargers, will not be prosecuted over allegations he assaulted his reality TV star girlfriend, Tila Tequila.

Fleiss defends Merriman while saying that the abuse allegations from Tila Tequila are nothing more than a publicity stunt:

Trust me. A girl like Tila Tequila will do just about anything for publicity.

With her show long ago canceled, Ms. Tequila's celebrity status was about to expire. She was spinning. And not just from multiple shots of Patron.

When these so-called "celebrities" feel their star fading, they become increasingly desperate to keep their names in the news. Fame is a drug and when you take it away from an addict, things get ugly.

Does that mean she was lying about everything that happened at 4 am at Merriman's Poway home? Not necessarily. But believe me, Tila and her "representatives" were thrilled to be back in the headlines-even for just a week.

Nice career move.

Is this the attitude that men have toward women who speak out against domestic violence? As if Fleiss' dismissive statement isn't bad enough, we have TV talk host, Bill Maher, who seems to be encouraging more violence against Tila Tequila:

“Stop acting surprised that someone choked Tila Tequila.  the surprise is that someone hasn’t choked this bitch sooner.”

I really can't believe HBO would let Maher publicize this sort of misogynistic ideology. Just take a look at the 163 comments on the post A Global Look At Women's Attitudes Toward Domestic Abuse if you want to get an idea about how seriously domestic violence affects society. Violence against women is no laughing matter, it's not a publicity stunt - it is a real, pervasive problem that needs to be addressed.

Jen Nedeau Jen Nedeau is a media relations professional and a writer based in New York City.
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