Sickened

Published on June 2, 2006 By dharmagrl In Current Events

I'm watching 'Dateline' on NBC.

They're interviewing Mary Kay LeTourneau and her husband, Vili Fulau. She was a teacher who inititated a physical relationship with her 13 year old student, who had sex with him and bore him 2 children. She went to jail for it, and when she was released they got married.

Had the roles been reversed; if it was a MALE teacher who seduced his 13 year old female student and married her after he was released from prison, would Dateline be interviewing them? Would they have them sitting all cosied up on a couch, talking about their 'love' for each other?

I don't think so. I'm sickened by this interview. It truly turns my stomach to see a convicted sex offender sit there with her victim - who she's now married - and talk about their lives together. As I said, were the gender roles reversed, I don't think they'd be on television talking about it.

It's disgusting.

Comments

Shovelheat

on Jun 02, 2006

Yes, hard to imagine if a twentysomething male teacher knocked up a 13 year old student twice that he wouldn't be labelled the worst kind of pervert and be shown all lovey-dovey with her now on Dateline.

What's ironic to me is isn't it Dateline that does that Catch a predator thing with Perverted Justice?

dharmagrl

on Jun 02, 2006

What's ironic to me is isn't it Dateline that does that Catch a predator thing with Perverted Justice

Yes, they do. I found that ironic too...

terpfan1980

on Jun 02, 2006

Let me change things up just a little bit here Dharma -

What if the ages were late 20s - 30 something and say 17?

What I'm asking and trying to determine is why this case sickens you so much, and where perhaps things become acceptable.

Not trying to be contrary, but if the two individuals love each other as they claim, at what age does one stop being a victim and start being capable of deciding for one self what to do in life?

We get many May-December romances in life around us. You see old-fart CEO types marrying many years below their own age, or perhaps women keeping "boy toys" that are much younger. As an example, how about the relationship (fictional that it was) on Desperate Housewives of the Desperate Housewive portrayed by Eva Longoria that was with the "hawt" teen-aged gardener?

I'm not trying to defend LeTourneau, but the idea that they are still together after she got out of jail would seem to tell us that these two seem to feel they belong together. At current ages, there should be no issue, though there will always be the facts of her involvement with someone that the legal system tells us was not able to determine for himself what is right and what is wrong.

There's been a rash of recent cases like this, and I can't say I'd be happy to find out a teacher was perhaps preying on one of my own children, but my son is nearing an age when he can decide for himself, and my daughter is growing rapidly as well. At some point both will clearly be able to stand on their own and when that occurs I'll have to hope that things are straight in their heads about what is a proper relationship and what isn't.

cactoblasta

on Jun 02, 2006

You have to admit it's newsworthy. Sure, it's immoral, but how often does a female teacher molest a male student, and then end up marrying him? If I was an amoral hack like most interview show chiefs I'd want them on my half-hour.

dharmagrl

on Jun 02, 2006

What if the ages were late 20s - 30 something and say 17?

Then it wouldn't be statutory rape, Terp. That's what gets me more than anything.

You have to admit it's newsworthy

In a perverted way, it is. However, I find it ironic (as Shovel pointed out) that this particular show sets up busts to catch internet predators trolling for sex with minors (that's people under the age of 16) and then turns around and interview the person who is arguably the most well-known statutory rapist in the country and her spouse - who just happens to be the child she raped.

Can you not see the irony in that?

MasonM

on Jun 02, 2006

Can you say "PC double standard"?

I knew you could.

cactoblasta

on Jun 02, 2006

Can you not see the irony in that?

Wait. You mean the show trawls for pedophiles? It contacts them with pictures of naked kids to try and out them? That's some seriously screwed up viewing!

If that's the case I can definitely see the irony there. Maybe it's cos I'm a foreigner, but I'm creeped out thinking that some TV exec has a hard-drive full of kiddie porn and can legitimately claim it's for 'business' use. I'm not surprised s/he's inviting her pedophile friends on-screen for some sympathetic interviews.

Chaos Manager

on Jun 03, 2006

They use the organization "Perverted Justice" - a group that poses as minors to entice/entrap people (usually of the male persuasion) into committed lewd acts and eventually arranging a meeting with them, in person. When it's just the PJ folks, they cops are waiting. With the Dateline folks, it's the actress posing as the 13 - 15 year old, the Dateline correspondent and THEN the cops are involved.

Personally, I find the whole Mary Kay mess a hypocritical farce. Like's been pointed out, if it was a male teacher with a female student (as we've had a rash of in the Richmond area over the last year or so), you'd get the blurb where he was arrested and that would be it. With her, they're interviewing them years later. That kind of hypocrasy disgusts me.

Dr Guy

on Jun 03, 2006

We get many May-December romances in life around us. You see old-fart CEO types marrying many years below their own age, or perhaps women keeping "boy toys" that are much younger. As an example, how about the relationship (fictional that it was) on Desperate Housewives of the Desperate Housewive portrayed by Eva Longoria that was with the "hawt" teen-aged gardener?

I'm not trying to defend LeTourneau, but the idea that they are still together after she got out of jail would seem to tell us that these two seem to feel they belong together. At current ages, there should be no issue, though there will always be the facts of her involvement with someone that the legal system tells us was not able to determine for himself what is right and what is wrong.

Sorry Terp. A 30 something and a 17 year old are way different than a 13 year old. A 13 year old lacks both the mental and physical maturity in the matter. It is rape. That he married her is not germaine (as it only demonstrates he still lacks the maturity to understand what has happened).

Rape is not only a physically forced sexual intercourse, it can be a mental deal as well.

Gideon MacLeish

on Jun 03, 2006

I'm not trying to defend LeTourneau, but the idea that they are still together after she got out of jail would seem to tell us that these two seem to feel they belong together. At current ages, there should be no issue, though there will always be the facts of her involvement with someone that the legal system tells us was not able to determine for himself what is right and what is wrong.

Hold on here, terp. I don't think the issue is their relationship at this point, but the media's glorifying of it as a great love story. As adults, they certainly have a right to make their own decisions, but we shouldn't be glorifying their relationship and treating Mary Kay LeTourneau as a celebrity or a sympathetic figure. Let them get on with their lives as they see fit, sure, but don't do a "Dateline" interview on them.

Shovelheat

on Jun 03, 2006

(usually of the male persuasion) into committed lewd acts and eventually arranging a meeting with them, in person.

It's usually of the male persuasuan because ( a lot of- certainly not all) male pervs prefer strangers and female pervs ( again- a lot of- certainly not all) prefer someone they know. Like for example, uh...for example like Ms. LeTourneau!

lifehappens

on Jun 07, 2006

I agree with you here Dharma. sigh. The world is a sick and twisted place.

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