Mirren

[ewx]

Does anyone agree with Helen Mirren? Or Anne Widdecombe (do the Conservatives reject the label “the party of law and order” now then?)

What's she asking for? A cup of tea?

...well, why not? Hasn't she heard the REM song?

Comments

[damerell.livejournal.com]

Is Mirren perhaps just being misrepresented to sell newspapers? The actual quotes - it's rape, but she doesn't think the woman could see the man in court - could equally be a comment on evidential standards; that the legal system cannot distinguish a false accusation after consensual sex from last-minute non-consent where there was no violence.

[lnr]

I wondered if it were misrepresentation too, but surely it's the sort of thing you could clear up quite easily? Perhaps I'm naive in thinking the papers would give her the chance to clarify.

[ewx.livejournal.com]

Always possible, of course.

A fuller version of the quote seems to be: "I don't think she can have that man into court under those circumstances. I guess it is one of the subtle parts of the men/women relationship that has to be negotiated and worked out between them." (e.g. (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/mirren-talks-of-her-daterapes-then-provokes-furore-with-views-on-sex-attackers-914596.html) and elsewhere online word-for-word; presumably copied verbatim from the GQ interview or PR.)

'can' in the first sentence could indeed suggest she think that it's a practical problem as you suggest; but people do say "you can't do that" meaning "you shouldn't do that" so I don't think that's definitive.

The second sentence seems to me to imply that it's something people ought to sort out between themselves rather than get the law involved though - I don't think one would say things like "subtle part of a relationship" if talking about a crime you happened to be unable to prove.

Perhaps if she disagrees with the popular interpretation she will clarify. (I know "I was misunderstood" is often unconvincing...)