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Here's How Not to Talk About Lara Logan

Her looks have nothing to do with sexual assault story: Mary Elizabeth Williams

By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff

Posted Feb 16, 2011 1:50 PM CST
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(Newser) – News of Lara Logan's sexual assault in Egypt just came to light yesterday, and already the "blame the victim" mentality is on full display. One "stunningly offensive blog post" took just minutes to "hinge the story on the blond reporter's looks," writes Mary Elizabeth Williams on Salon. The LA Weekly post in question noted, among other things, Logan's "shocking good looks" and referred to her as a "warzone 'it girl'" and a "gutsy stunner." Williams sarcastically responds, "It's not like she deserved it, but well, she is hot, right?"

In addition to that "hideously twisted bit of commentary on an assault victim, one that repulsively mingles the woman's attractiveness and sexual history with a violent crime," we also have journalist Nir Rosen's "wildly tone-deaf" and apparently "joking" tweets on the topic ... among other tasteless responses. Williams concludes, "Here’s what you do say when something like this happens. Like countless women around the world, Lara Logan was attacked in the line of duty. She was assaulted doing her job. It was a crime of unspeakable violence." Click to read Williams' entire column.

CBS News correspondent Lara Logan attends the 2004 American Women in Radio and Television Gracie Allen Awards gala on June 22, 2004 at the New York Hilton Hotel, in New York City.
CBS News correspondent Lara Logan attends the 2004 American Women in Radio and Television Gracie Allen Awards gala on June 22, 2004 at the New York Hilton Hotel, in New York City.   (Getty Images)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 42 comments
joecarrsr
Feb 17, 2011 2:06 PM CST
Why would sick journalists be writing on the side of the attackers and blaming the sexual assault on the victim Lara Logan. Would the writers say the same if the sexual assault was on one the attackers own that got caught up in the may lay in this major protest in their quest for the rulers to leave. Or would the writers be just clapping their hands? What would they be writing if it were them in the assault? These writers are sick.Think about this.
baranoww
Feb 17, 2011 12:54 PM CST
Was she asking the crowd what the crowd thought about what Obama thought about the crowd?
xwild
Feb 17, 2011 9:25 AM CST
I'm not going to feel sorry for a woman that walks into an angry mob of thousands of men, and get's sexually assaulted. If she didn't have enough common sense to realize that something like this could occur than she shouldn't be working for a network. To bad so sad, but she'll now receive the popularity that she has dreamed about for so long. Good for her she finally made it to the Big Time

 
sexual assault • Lara Logan • Egypt protests • Lara Logan assault

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