WILL DEMARIO JACKSON GO TO JAIL?
- Jun 13, 2017
- 6 min read
What would you do if you were sitting by a pool in Mexico, and you saw an intoxicated female become sexually aggressive to a man before passing out?
a) film it for American TV
b) sue a TV show for subjecting you to sexual violence
c) stop the sexual interaction and call for help
d) call a cop to come shoot the black man As an advocate for hundreds of rape and sexual abuse victims in Michigan, I learned how easy it is to judge a book by it's cover. Flint, MI has one of the highest sexual assault rates in the state. Recently, Michigan Congressman Justin Amash voted "no" on the re-authorization of the Violence Against Women Act. Liberty doesn’t have a gender. It's important that we understand what rape is, and support legislation to strengthen protection of women, minorities, ethnic groups and the LGBTQ community who suffer from sexual violence disproportionately. Some people immediately say an alleged victim is guilty for being promiscuous. Others say women are falsely "crying rape". Unfortunately, this case shows, we are living in a rape culture, where the lines of what rape is, and what is not, are blurred to the general public. That's why it's time we get clarity on an issue which impacts one in six women in our country.
According to Business Insider, producers of the TV show Bachelor in Paradise told Corrine Olympios and DeMario Jackson that the storyline this season would involve them hooking-up, ie. having sex. To get more acquainted, Olympios and Jackson decided to jacuzzi together over drinks. Olympios took her bikini top off. The pair became more inebriated throughout the day. Eventually, they had physical contact. Producers filmed every moment for America's viewing pleasure. However, one producer was so disgusted afterwards, they didn't report to work the following day, and headed to a lawyer's office. The producer filed a lawsuit regarding sexual violence. Can an employee sue for being subjected to sexual violence at work? Yes! Sexual violence or harassment of others at work is a cause for legal action. A victim can win a money judgement for emotional distress. Although the producer(s), claim to have witnessed a sexual assault, the producers didn't stop the assault or help the alleged victim, Corrine Olympios, who claims she blacked out during the filming and doesn't remember anything. According to the United State's Department of Justice, "Sexual assault is any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient. Falling under the definition of sexual assault are sexual activities as forced sexual intercourse, forcible sodomy, child molestation, incest, fondling, and attempted rape." Many reality TV shows depend on alcohol to loosen up the talent. However, a person cannot give legal consent for sex while drunk. Based on the definition of rape, we see that explicit consent cannot be granted under certain conditions. A child cannot give consent, a son or daughter cannot give consent, and a person who is not conscious cannot give consent. Sex may be frowned upon, or can result in charges or other discipline when the alleged victim is under the authority of a perpetrator, in the case of a teacher, minister, or employer who has a fiduciary responsibility to keep a victim safe. Does a TV show have a responsibility to keep adult participants safe from each other? Most likely, no. Most contestants must sign waivers that they are participating at their own risk. However, courts have ruled that situations cannot be reckless. Giving a person large amounts of alcohol, and filming a then unconscious person being sexually assaulted would be reckless. According to Bachelor Season 16 contestant, Jamie Otis, "There's always alcohol flowing" to create dramatic TV. "There are definitely a select few producers who will do anything to [make] great TV, and then there are a select few who are genuinely, you know, I could imagine when they go home at night, they’re a little sad about what happens." Many date rapes which occur on college campuses in Flint, and around the country also involve large amounts of alcohol. Incidents like this one, are an opportunity to bring about sexual assault awareness. It is important that students are made aware that having sex with a person who doesn't know what is going on, can result in sexual assault charges. ABC and producer Warner Horizon have confirmed an investigation into "allegations of misconduct" is in progress because Olympios was too drunk to give consent to a sex act. According to some news reports, DeMario Jackson obliged, to perform the sex act, she requested. If he consented to obliged, but she was not coherent to be aware to make that decision, could it be sexual assault? Yes. Witnesses say that Olympios became limp, as if she had fainted during the assault, but camera crews kept filming. Meanwhile, DeMario Jackson claims these reports are false, and that film will show that Olympios consented and was lucid during the sex acts. Other witnesses agree that Olympios was coherent and greeted them as they passed by the scene. News reports have stated that Olympios' only worry after the event was whether her boyfriend at home would find out. Many point out that Olympios took off her bikini top. Does that mean she consented to further sexual contact? No. If a woman removes her bikini top and passes out, that does not give another person explicit consent to have sex with the unconscious person. Once the network was aware of the lawsuit, the show separated contestants into different rooms. Later, all contestants were flown out of Mexico. A contestant speaking anonymously to Business Insider said a producer was crying, worried the show may not return to television.
The idea of Bachelor in Paradise is to ply twenty-somethings with gossip and alcohol, then film fights or sexual encounters which take place. Last year, a Bachelor camera-man filmed Olympios, as she took off her bikini top, and followed her to Nick's room, where seemed to try to have sex with Nick. Nick stopped her, but she made it to the Final Four. The more outrageous contestants are, the more air time they receive, and the more likely they are to be invited to return on other shows. While we tune in to garbage, American values are dying. Our nation is now run by reality show ratings guru Donald Trump, and his side kick billionaires, like Betsy DeVos. Trump takes away programs like Meals on Wheels, defunds wholesome programming like PBS, and threatens funding for the Great Lakes. We will soon be a third world country where bribery, corruption and "grabbing women by the p****" are the norm. It's time we wake up. Filming a naked incoherent woman being assaulted is wrong. So why would they do it? Money.
Democracy is on the ropes. While we tune-in to mindless TV shows, corporations are bleeding our pockets and values dry. As we saw with Republican Governor Rick Snyder's Emergency Managers, our system of checks and balances is being dismantled by big money interests. In Detroit, car insurance is more than rent, yet legislators are afraid to stand up to the insurance lobby because they want their campaign donations. And here in Flint, we pay the highest water rates in America, for water we can't drink. Snyder decides our water quality is okay to drink, if just 300 out of 30,000 homes test at below 12ppb of lead! Just as Olympios' black out may have been ignored for money, Flint citizens crying that the water was brown, smelly and making their hair fall out were ignored for money as well. What Snyder's Emergency Management, and other infringements on our civil rights have in common with reality TV, is the broader notion that money can be the primary deciding factor in our actions. Another similarity between Emergency Management and this TV show is that in both cases, people are quick to blame the victim. Because a city is in financial straights, or because Olympios took off her top, does not give those in power the right to rape and pillage. Anyone witnessing any sexual assault should try to get help for the victim. In my opinion, if the producers plied a contestant with alcohol to the point of being unconscious, then watched and filmed her being sexually assaulted, they should be sued. Yet, the facts of this scenario are not all clear. What we know for sure is that even IF Corrine takes off her top, she retains the right at any moment to say, "No."
Ethical Questions: Should DeMario Jackson be classed as a sex offender? Should a TV show ask contestants to have sex with other contestants for ratings? Should there be rules against producers giving contestants too much alcohol? Read More:
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