Update: Serena Williams has issued a statement in an attempt to limit the damage from her severely uneducated and ignorant statements quoted in a Rolling Stone article in which she blames the victim of the Steubenville rape.
Here’s her moment of, “What I meant to say was….”
“What happened in Steubenville was a real shock for me. I was deeply saddened. For someone to be raped, and at only sixteen, is such a horrible tragedy! For both families involved — that of the rape victim and of the accused. I am currently reaching out to the girl’s family to let her know that I am deeply sorry for what was written in the Rolling Stone article. What was written — what I supposedly said — is insensitive and hurtful, and I by no means would say or insinuate that she was at all to blame.
“I have fought all of my career for women’s equality, women’s equal rights, respect in their fields — anything I could do to support women I have done. My prayers and support always goes out to the rape victim. In this case, most especially, to an innocent sixteen year old child.”
Bullshit.
***
An excerpt of a fresh profile of Serena Williams in Rolling Stone landed on Deadspin this afternoon, and it is a timely reminder that… well, the culture of victim-blaming is expansive and includes dumb celebrities as well as dumb every-day folks.
We watch the news for a while, and the infamous Steubenville rape case flashes on the TV—two high school football players raped a 16-year-old, while other students watched and texted details of the crime. Serena just shakes her head. “Do you think it was fair, what they got? They did something stupid, but I don’t know. I’m not blaming the girl, but if you’re a 16-year-old and you’re drunk like that, your parents should teach you—don’t take drinks from other people. She’s 16, why was she that drunk where she doesn’t remember? It could have been much worse. She’s lucky. Obviously I don’t know, maybe she wasn’t a virgin, but she shouldn’t have put herself in that position, unless they slipped her something, then that’s different.”
Seriously, shut the fuck up.
This article appears in Jun 12-18, 2013.
Do you think it’s fair, what SHE got? Come on Serena…. Seriously. Is it because they are athletes that you stick up for them?
You’re so high and mighty, It’s bullshit
Every hear the old saying play with fire, you’re gonna get burnt…
It became an old saying for a reason……..
That case was not black and white. Maybe it’s you who is dumb?
“For someone to be raped, and at only sixteen.” What is an appropriate age for rape Serena??? Lost all respect for this ignorant fool!
Open mouth, insert foot.
Gone are the days where athletes like Bill Russell, Bill Walton, Jackie Robinson, Tommie Smith/John Carlos – and others – used their fame in sports to cogently talk about social issues. Serena puts on display the shallow, ignorant pop culture universe too many sports stars willingly bury themselves into — only to briefly emerge to display utter ignorance on major stories outside the lines.
The Scene writer didn’t point out what Serena said that was not true. He just told her to shut up. Because what Serena said in her first statement was correct though not politically correct.