Twitter reveals unsettling truths about 'DikiLeaks'
Sheenal Singh
December 28, 2010
It's hard to tell whether the "DikiLeaks" scandal has outstayed its welcome in the media headlines or if the legal troubles are only just beginning. But the topic sure is trending hot on Twitter. And it's here that one stumbles across dry, witty takes on the scandal with users casually stretching their literary muscle with outrageous puns and, of course, more "dick jokes".
But some can be unexpectedly insightful. The "DikiLeaks" Twitter trend has turned into a veritable forum pithily posing important moral questions that others have failed to ask.
Advertisement: Story continues below
@Steph-Philbrick tweets "Bingle nude pic: LOL BOYS WILL BE BOYS! Riewoldt nude pic: SRS BUSINESS SUE SHIT OUT OF UNDERAGE GIRL."
On first glance, the comment appears to be a casual observation. But if you scratch the surface, comparing how the media and alleged victims were treated and represented in public discussions reveals some unsettling truths.
Lara Bingle made headlines in March this year when a nude photo of the model was published in Woman's Day. Bingle proceeded to sue AFL footballer Brendan Fevola, who allegedly took the photo during a brief relationship in 2006. Bingle's reputation and relationship with Australian cricketer Michael Clarke toppled quickly and very publicly. When she subsequently sold her story for a pretty penny to the same magazine responsible for publishing the photos, Bingle was morally condemned and labelled (among other more colourful adjectives) a fame-seeking missile. Fevola on the other hand remained reasonably unharmed. All legal charges against him were cleared.
But when famous Saints Nick Riewoldt and Nick Del Santo were unerringly exposed on Facebook by a 17-year-old girl, their legal eagles were quick to demonise the teenager. Who knows whether it's because the football club had a better public relations strategy than Bingle or because the Saints players were rightly victimised, but combining the cult of youth with that of depraved womanhood seems to be paying off. And they've lined up to sue her for every civil liberty infringement under the sun – breach of copyright and confidence, mental distress and trespass.
The "girl-who-cannot-be-named" has been turned into a folk devil. She represents (apparently) the kind of conniving and unstable woman that football players cannot trust. Her actions have been put down to stupidity, immaturity, maliciousness, and the well-worn desire to earn 15 minutes of fame. Or the more shrewd implication that the girl has a penchant for causing trouble and a sadistic tendency to take delight in the pain she causes others. And let's not forget the moral fodder provided by the fact that she's estranged from her parents and dresses in all-black.
If her primary goal was to stir trouble, then she's certainly achieved that. But she's adamant that through her actions she's taking a stand against football players and a culture that has wronged women in general. Who knows what's right or wrong at this stage. What is more concerning is the way the teenager has been denied some measure of protection in the legal mess that has ensued.
@countrhegemony notes "Interesting how the big lawyers & celebs were all there to defend Assange, but where are they for 17 yr old of #dickileaks [sic] imbroglio". @lesliecannold asks "have any lawyers agreed to help the teenage girl estranged from parents now up against big legal guns of saints?" For the record she now does have representation.
Twitterers have also keenly noted that in the troubled relationship between sex and sport, it's almost always the woman who is silenced or demonised for getting caught up in (gasp) a sex-related scandal. And sure it's true that it is a gross invasion of a person's privacy to publicise these kinds of images. But what is incredibly frustrating in this debate is the way the teen's actions have been judged by references to her apparently disturbed mental state. And so continues society's deeply ingrained response in attributing harm committed by a woman to recklessness and insanity rather than reason.
No comments:
Post a Comment