Last night, Law & Order: SVU ripppppped another story straight from the headlines for the episode “Pornstar’s Requiem,” which told the terrifying story of a college coed living a double life as an adult film actress. Obviously, the plot was partially inspired by the story of Miriam Weeks, the 19-year old Duke University student who dominated headlines earlier this year as porn “star” Belle Knox. Long recap short, Knox’s extracurricular activities were outed by a male Duke student who recognized her when he was enjoying some quality alone time, and she was thrust into the spotlight as the eager spokeswoman for the validity of porn as a profession.
The episode borrowed from her well-publicized story, in that the main character, Evie Barnes, like Knox, was outed as a performer on a rough sex website by a “frat boy” at her school, but things took a much darker turn for the fictitious girl. Evie was brutally gang-raped in a bathroom by some college bros who thought that because she liked the rough stuff on screen, she must like it in real life. As Knox explains in her latest piece for XO Jane, this might not have happened to her, but it’s the reality that she and the many other women like her face on a regular basis.
Since my outing, when I’ve gone on dates, there have been times when a man has told me quickly, easily and creepily, “You like this [sexual act], right?” without asking for consent or having any discussion to imply that we might make the decision to be intimate together later on. I shut things down, but as occurred in my rape earlier in my life, this has not always been the case.
And this sexual entitlement and double standards (how could a girl who plays out a rape fantasy ever be given the privilege of consent; doesn’t she relinquish that forever if she ever engages in rough play?) is the crux of the episode. Similar to the rough scene I filmed that was my entrée into porn, Evie is smacked — hard — in the course of her filming and the appearance could be interpreted as rape fantasy. While I do not consider what I did to be that, I have heard from others that they do consider it within this purview, and I respect their right to feel that way.
Because Evie does not appear to be giving consent in her rough sex porn film, these frat boys decide that is what she likes. They don’t need her to say yes! Even when she is crying and saying no, it doesn’t count! Why, they have the other film of her as proof.
It makes me want to barf. (Via XO Jane)
Knox didn’t necessarily review the episode, because she had consulted on it and been reassured by a producer that her story was part of an amalgam of “headlines” that have been popping up throughout the year, with some of those stories turning out much worse than Knox’s experiences after her involuntary revelation. But she also didn’t want to spoil it before it aired. Still, as she got to see it prior to last night, she verified its authenticity.
I also found myself cheering whenever Sgt. Olivia Benson (played by the inimitable Mariska Hargitay) said something profound (which was like, all the time), and covering my face when things felt too real. At several points, my cheeks burned hot with rage listening to the evil defense attorney (played by Delaney Williams) who mocks and shames and aims to discredit Evie. It is brutal. It is condescending. And it brought back painful memories of the betting pools started online as to when I would kill myself, the detailed and dedicated websites all devoted to telling the world what a slut and whore I am, and why I deserved to be punched and kicked and hit and destroyed.
Then there was Judge Briggs (played by Richard T. Jones), who says something I have heard so many times from my friends, family and peers it practically feels like my first name: “I hope going forward you find a way to respect your body and yourself.”
Yeah, thanks. I wish the same for you. I also hope you going forward you find a way to be less of a passive-aggressive sanctimonious concern troll — but you know, we can’t all have everything we want, can we? (Via XO Jane)
Ultimately, she wrote that she was “happy” with the episode, but there’s much more to it than that, especially as she opened up again on some of the details about her past. People may be tired of the exposure that Knox has received since the clock started ticking on her 15 minutes, but she’s still making some pretty good points.