We all know actress Anna Kendrick.
She has grabbed the public’s attention with her on- and off-screen presence.
Her Twitter account is something to be admired. So much wit, so little space.
Recently, a reporter at Marie Claire was given the assignment of spending an evening with Kendrick, an evening that included getting a little drunk together. It seems the ultimate goal was the evening of shenanigans would lead to some sort of conversational gem.
Although I can’t say I would turn down a night of fun with Kendrick, because we all know that would be the best night ever, it is wrong to exploit the actress and the situation with the hopes of weaseling out some entertaining quotes.
It’s one thing to approach the situation with the ?magazine saying the reporter decided to get drunk with Kendrick and then write about it, but the article written in Marie Claire did not address it as such.
It was just the standard interview.
But I think the real issue lies within the fact that Jezebel chose to address the situation and make the claim that Marie Claire’s article did not do justice to a drunk Kendrick.
It seems to be implied that, had Jezebel been the source of Kendrick’s interview, it would have so much more from her and there should have been something more interesting happening because of the presence of ?alcohol in this interview.
By making these claims, Jezebel, whether intentionally or not, enforces the idea that it is OK to exploit a person in a drunken situation.
And it’s not OK.
In places such as IU, where much of the culture is centered around drinking and partying, it’s absolutely essential to have an understanding of what it means to exploit someone who is ?under the influence.
When under the influence, an individual isn’t fully capable of expressing their consent, whether it be sexual consent or otherwise.
It is much easier to get a drunk person to agree to say and do ridiculous, ?dangerous, stupid things.
When these factors aren’t taken into consideration, harm can befall all individuals involved in the situation.
The exploited individual runs the risk of physical harm, being represented inappropriately or any number of things while the individual who is doing the exploiting runs the risk of legal repercussions.
It’s all good and fun to use alcohol for an evening of shenanigans, but there are many risks that need to be accounted for, and alcohol should never be used in order to exploit another individual, whether you are trying to write an interesting story or you are trying to gain some kind of sexual favor.
It’s wrong, no matter the context.
johnstra@indiana.edu
