Posted by AG on March 21, 2004 at 08:26:38
In Reply to: The danger of abusers re-offending posted by Curious on March 19, 2004 at 16:40:35:
Last night I watched "Monster," a study of Aileen Wournos, the Florida serial killer and prostitute who was involved in a lesbian relationship. Charlize Therpon won Best Actress award for her portrayal--and I think she gave one heck of a performance of a very disturbed person and disturbing case involving childhood sexual abuse.
I'd been following this case for a number of years before it became the subject of a movie, largely because it's an extremely interesting study in forensic psychology, post traumatic stress disorder & sexual abuse, and perhaps even feminist retribution, although I think the source of Wournos' rage went much, much deeper than any social ideology such as the lesbian avengers movement.
Something the movie version of this case brought out very clearly is the process by which Aileen Wournos "acquired a taste" for murder. This was a woman with very, very poor boundaries She also "acquired a taste" for lesbian sex (at least, in the movie version she is shown as initially being revolted by the possibility).
Professional sex workers often swing both ways--if for no other reason than to fulfill the fantasies of voyeuristic johns--so I was a little skeptical about that element of the story as told by Hollywood, but it did re-inforce the idea that in crossing certain "taboo" boundaries, susceptible people will indeed become habituated to a behavior they might have initially abhored.
Something that was not brought out in the movie that makes the Wournos case relevant to the present discussion is the fact that she "repented" and was "born again" during the 12 years she spent on death row. I put those items in quotes, because it is a huge source of debate whether an individual of Wournos' character was capable of a true repentance. The fact that she appeared to have turned her life around while in prison became an argument for mercy from execution that was used by the Christians who ministered to her.
OK, maybe this is a little off topic, but I highly recommend this movie for anyone interested in the issues it raises.