Downton Abbey Rape Scene - Well Handled Or Not?

[sp1814]

Like most people who watch it, 'Downton Abbey' is appointment tv in our house, so I heard the warning before the programme started.

I was very surprised by the rape scene, but I also thought that it was extremely well handled. You saw nothing graphic, but even so - you knew what was happening.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/downton-abbey-rape-scene-receives-over-90-complaints-8866085.html

Do you feel that it was well handled?

Do you think that the storyline doesn't belong in the show?

[Zeuhl]

/so you think that someone who has been raped wishes to be reminded of it. /

emmie

all sorts of things can trigger a memory; a smell, a sound, a phrase, a shadow shape ...

the important issue is how the person deals with it.

/male rape/ Perhaps you don't watch many prison dramas :-)

[Zeuhl]

/Emmie is not asking for anything other then empathy. /

and possibly the outlawing of any scenes in dramas that might remind some people of something unpleasant that happened to them

[Zeuhl]

/some issues cannot be resolved/

that is a limiting belief deployed by some people in certain situations

clearly, identical 'issues' can be 'resolved/not resolved' by different people

[emmie]

zeuhl, yes lots will trigger it, and yes it takes years and maybe never to get over it.

[Zeuhl]

emmie

(it's difficult to do this with AB posts without seeming cold or flippant; sorry)

If you are speaking from personal experience, have you experienced counselling or some form of therapy?

[emmie]

very few male rapes are shown on tv, and if they are in prison dramas, the only one comes to mind is the film shawshank redemption, and you don't in anyway see him being raped, whilst in films and tv do this as a matter of course.

[emmie]

yes to both

[Zeuhl]

I'm sorry to hear that

And sorry that therapy has left you with unresolved issues

It should do better than that :-)

[emmie]

unless you are a victim you won't know, and there is another on here who i believe is in the same situation, it doesn't go away

[emmie]

perhaps if programmes make it clear there is sexual violence then one can not watch... that was the point i was making, i hate it when it's there in your face, unwitting.

[Zeuhl]

/perhaps if programmes make it clear/

a warning would be reasonable emmie fair point

but it doesn't address the underlying problem within you that as you acknowledge can be triggered by any number of things

You know you owe it to yourself to be better

[emmie]

zeuhl, a much too simplistic outlook i am afraid, if you have ever been burgled you know that can cause horrible fears, problems, even though it was years before, same for seeing a loved one die, it has repercussions that often you wouldn't think about until it happens, and sometimes all the councelling in the world won't put that to rest.

[emmie]

sorry counselling...

[grumpy01]

No doubt rape cases happened in the 1920's as they do now.However it seems to me that Julian fellows is stuggling to find storylines to keep it going.Leave people wanting more not carry on to long and have people ask when is this going to finish

[mikey4444]

I can't see why a rape story shouldn't be part of Downton. My problem is why this daft program is on at all. Ludicrous script. Can't see why this Fellows chap gets so many plaudits.