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Responible Programming - Rape storyline needs to be resolved


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Old 17-08-2015, 09:09
Citizen Kane
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The Linda/Dean rape storyline needs to be resolved. I have the impression that the writers would prefer it to be forgotten, but that would not be a responsible outcome.

Perhaps Dean will rape Ronnie then get shopped by both the Mitchell sisters?

Come on EE we all saw what happened - get justice for all the rape victims!

Rosebud
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Old 17-08-2015, 09:42
Chester666666
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Good luck
I hope the resolution is better then Ho's
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Old 17-08-2015, 10:19
lulu g
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I doubt we've heard the last of it, but if drama is suppose to reflect real life, it would be very misleading - perhaps even irresponsible? - to have every rapist arrested, tried, found guilty, and suitably punished.
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Old 17-08-2015, 10:36
Aurora13
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What about arsonist and murderer. Not bothered about them? EE made mistake with this storyline actually showing viewers the rape. So many just can't seem to be able to disassociate themselves from seeing and knowing what happened with the storyline of no evidence of rape.
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Old 17-08-2015, 11:18
Charnham
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from the POV of a soap viewer, it is very strange we are not getting a resolution to the storyline, HOWEVER its always fair to point out that many rapes go unreported and those that do, wont always end in a trail or even a conviction.

It is realistic for Linda to face life without Dean being convicted, even if as a plot arc in a fictional universe it does not agree with us.
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Old 17-08-2015, 12:42
Pink_Smurf
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The majority of rapes do not result in a conviction. Lots of rapists aren't even charged. I think Eastenders have been responsible in showing reality. Rape is difficult to prove as it's one person's word against another even with physical evidence like body fluids and even when there are bruises unfortunately.
Astonishingly some younger rapists who have raped in a gang have filmed themselves leading to convictions after trial or from guilty pleas. However rapes involving one attacker are often not proven.
Eastenders bosses and storyliners / writers have worked with rape charities for this storyline.
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Old 17-08-2015, 12:48
Charnham
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also Dean not going down for Lindas rape does leave the door open for a serial rapist storyline, which can take place over 2 or 3 years, leading to a much bigger exit storyline for Dean, but also for Shirley, and a bonding chance for the women he did rape.
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Old 17-08-2015, 12:54
grangehilllover
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I know the ideal ending would be Dean getting locked up or something like that, but not many rapists get convicted and I think the message EE got across is that the sooner you report it, the better chance of a conviction.
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Old 17-08-2015, 13:00
Matt35
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The actor has said dean has to get his comeuppance. I think matt will leave next year and dean will either go to prison or be killed off.
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Old 17-08-2015, 13:03
Charnham
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I know the ideal ending would be Dean getting locked up or something like that, but not many rapists get convicted and I think the message EE got across is that the sooner you report it, the better chance of a conviction.
whilst true, that is such an easy thing to say. The idea that a rape victim first thoughts will be, to do everything they can to ensure their attacker goes down, is always going to be challenged by many simply wanting to deny it happened, and doing all they can to avoid facing the reality, even if that means a conviction is never possible.

Linda very much belonged to the second group, its no surprise at all Dean likely wont be going down for Lindas rape, sure if he rapes again he might go down, but there is very little evidence for Linda to bring to court in this case, the fact Dean is very deep in denial, doesnt help her either.
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Old 17-08-2015, 13:27
elliecat
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The problem for me isn't the fact that he has got away with rape but the fact that they have tried to make us feel sorry for him by giving him a sick daughter he knew nothing about and that other than Sharon, Stacey and Ronnie everybody else acts like Linda made it up. There was a point not long ago when I thought Buster had realised what kind of man Dean is but that seemingly went no where. The unrealistic bits of the story is the way everyone is being so normal towards a rapist and why no one questions why Linda would lie about something like that.
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Old 17-08-2015, 13:36
Lizzie Brookes
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Good luck
I hope the resolution is better then Ho's
What was wrong with the Hollyoaks one? Finn eventually went to prison after trying to attack Nancy - I hated the swapped statements nonsense but the rest was fine.
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Old 17-08-2015, 13:36
Tony_Daniels
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People want soaps to deal with real-life situations but then moan when it's too realistic. More women will recognise in Linda's story elements of their own experience with being raped than if it was some cliché, masked man in a dark alley who was caught and convicted inside 6 weeks.

If the storyline is making people uncomfortable, maybe that's the point and maybe this is what should be reflected on. I think it's a tremendous storyline that's sought to open up people's eyes to the reality of what it's like to be rape victim. Usually the bad guy doesn't get caught, usually there isn't a conviction, usually many people do doubt they're telling the truth.

It's a shame the nuance and purpose of this storyline has been utterly lost on some people who'd have preferred a Hollywood rape seen with a Disney happy-ever-after ending bow tied onto it
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Old 17-08-2015, 15:16
funcat650
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DTC has run out of ideas to keep the interest of his viewers and became repetitive and meaningless early this year with the shit 'where's dean gone storyline''. It's a shame because the introduction to the storyline was done really well, brilliant video-directing with a sense of how sick the rape was, linda's profound heartbreaking tauma of feeling shattered, alone, scared, not knowing which way to turn and the pschyology of twisted unstable Dean. The police station was fine and we could see the contast between Dean and Linda's story, very detailed and well acted about how Linda felt sorry for Dean and how he had taken advantage of her, with Dean twisting the truth and desperate for his mummy to believe him.

Now the storyline is no longer about Linda, but more about Shirley being Mick's mum and their fracured relationship and Dean and Mick hating each other. It's disgusting!!!! As a result the Carter's are no longer the entertaining, fun, bantering family they once was, especially with the loss of Stan who had good one liners.

It's more than clear that Dtc is clueless about how to run this soryline and it's about time ends. Hopefully the ending will be better than his middle.
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Old 17-08-2015, 15:22
little-monster
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While it is realistic not every rape is ever convicted, I dislike the way DTC has tried to make the audience feel sorry for Dean, especially over the Roya/Jade revelation. You can always tell when a show wants to make viewers feel sorry for a character and Dean's scenes in those episodes were written just like that. Because Dean is carter related, DTC yet again can't get out of his carter bubble and is intent on having Dean be a bit of a victim himself. With the confirmation that Matt has signed on for another year, I can't honestly imagine what else lies for Dean. It has sadly gone on to be a mess of a storyline and is just another example of DTC being biased yet again because he just wants to use his favoritr characters as much as he can, even if the story is going on longer then it should.
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Old 17-08-2015, 15:29
puppetangel
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They have shown how important it is to report the rape straight away otherwise its unlikely to be able to get a conviction.
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Old 17-08-2015, 15:44
Pink_Smurf
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I know the ideal ending would be Dean getting locked up or something like that, but not many rapists get convicted and I think the message EE got across is that the sooner you report it, the better chance of a conviction.
BIB Even then it's your word against someone else's. DNA proves you had sex but not that a rape occurred. Many women, like Linda, freeze and the physical signs of an attack are minimal. Freezing is a survival instinct. You can feel fright and flight / fight or freeze. The majority of rapes are committed by someone the victim knows including date rapes and are hard to prove. Not only that but women (or men) are scared they won't be believed and some women have even been jailed for "lying". (Yes I know a minority might have done so.) A significant number of victims are scared of what their partners will do ranging from attacking the rapist to disbelieving the rape victim. It's a horrible crime and is one down from murder. It can stay with you for the rest of your life.
I think it was a good idea on paper to start with that some people would believe Dean but I think there has been far too much emphasis on Dean, Shirley and Buster. I don't like the trio and have gone right off Shirley. I do think it's realistic that someone like Roxy would be stupid enough to date Dean even after what happened to Ronnie though. I have a feeling Dean might attack Ronnie and Roxy will catch him in the attempted act.
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Old 17-08-2015, 15:44
craig_25
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I'm sorry but I have never felt compelled or urged to feel sorry for Dean. Yeah he's got shit going on like most people have but it made the Shabs and Roya story more interstiting making him the father, plus her having CF makes perfect sense given what we know about Jimbo.

It's opened so many doors and potential for storylines.
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Old 17-08-2015, 15:48
Pink_Smurf
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I don't feel sorry for Dean at all. I feel sorry for his daughter. Imagine having a rapist for a dad.
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Old 17-08-2015, 15:55
Charnham
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it is an interesting point, he is being give more storyline wise than you would ideally like, it could be said that his daughter is storyline for other characters as well, Shirley and the baby mothers being the two best examples, meanwhile it did show him close to loosing it, so it had some impact on him.
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Old 17-08-2015, 16:17
WhatYouGonnaDo?
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I doubt we've heard the last of it, but if drama is suppose to reflect real life, it would be very misleading - perhaps even irresponsible? - to have every rapist arrested, tried, found guilty, and suitably punished.
No it's not irresponsible or misleading, As far as I am concerned if soaps are going to cover rape, the only justification for it is for them to use it as an opportunity to empower survivors of rape. To encourage them to come forward, to help them find the strength to face up to what must be an unimaginably difficult experience of telling their loved ones and going to the police.

Soaps have no right or responsibility to do this by terrifying them into it by saying if you don't they will get away with it and you will have to see them every day, what EE have done with Dean is messed up and for them to justify it by saying "it's true to life" is disgraceful.

Aside from the terrifying message they are sending out to women and men who are victims or rape, what messages are EE sending out to young men about the consequences of not taking no for an answer? do it and you will get away with it.

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Old 17-08-2015, 16:27
craig_25
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No it's not irresponsible or misleading, As far as I am concerned if soaps are going to cover rape, the only justification for it is for them to use it as an opportunity to empower survivors of rape. To encourage them to come forward, to help them find the strength to face up to what must be an unimaginably difficult experience of telling their loved ones and going to the police.

Soaps have no right or responsibility to do this by terrifying them into it by saying if you don't they will get away with it and you will have to see them every day, what EE have done with Dean is messed up and for them to justify it by saying "it's true to life" is disgraceful.

Aside from the terrifying message they are sending out to women and men who are victims or rape, what messages are EE sending out to young men about the consequences of not taking no for an answer? do it and you will get away with it.

But wheres the rule book which dictates what soaps are responsible for? They are not misleading anyone or falsely representing any situation so whilst it might make for uncomfortable viewing, I don't see that is essentially wrong
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Old 17-08-2015, 16:30
EE.Live
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I hope they don't go down the route of Dean raping someone else - I'd rather that Roxy becomes scared of him and makes Dean realise that he's dangerous.
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Old 17-08-2015, 17:07
Aurora13
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I'm sorry but I have never felt compelled or urged to feel sorry for Dean. Yeah he's got shit going on like most people have but it made the Shabs and Roya story more interstiting making him the father, plus her having CF makes perfect sense given what we know about Jimbo.

It's opened so many doors and potential for storylines.
Nobody has felt compelled or urged to feel sorry for Dean. It's just those who want this storyline to be a bog standard soap rape are using this as a reason to rile against the way it is being handled. They don't feel sorry for Dean. Good. What you would expect when you know the character has raped. As for the characters in show who don't know for sure that he raped Linda they are a little more reticent to condemn him. Although those close to Linda have done so.
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Old 17-08-2015, 17:11
WhatYouGonnaDo?
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But wheres the rule book which dictates what soaps are responsible for? They are not misleading anyone or falsely representing any situation so whilst it might make for uncomfortable viewing, I don't see that is essentially wrong
no rule book, just common human decency.

Rape is a degrading act that can destroy lives and if soaps are going to mine if for drama/ratings the very least they can do is to do it responsibly and with the experience and feelings of survivors foremost in their thoughts.
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