"'It's a girl power kind of thing,' Shafman says. 'You're kind of making a statement: I know I'm a woman. I know I'm the most sought after victim in regards to sexual assault, sexual abuse. So please stay away from me. If in the event you do come after me, I'm going to use my pink Taser to put you on the ground.'"(emphasis added)
That statement made my jaw drop.
MOST SOUGHT AFTER?
The cable news channels revel in stories about women (almost always young and attractive) who come to a gruesome end at the hands of violent men. The stories seldom, if ever, raise the issue of misogyny, which permeates not just the crimes themselves, but the coverage as well.
Apparently not only the crimes themselves, the coverage of the crimes in the media, but the minds of some women as well. Shafman takes the possibility of victimhood, and turns it into a signifier of status, a signifier of being wanted, being sexy, or being an object of desire. That's not girl power as in "I don't deserve to be abused or assaulted" but girl power as in "I'm something you want and I know it."
"Most sought after" almost makes it sound like potential criminals are adoring fans clamoring for her autograph.
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