Rethinking rape as a plot point

Mary Mc Namara is missing large parts of the rape picture [“Frankly Overdue,” June14]. She maintains that because it’s part of life that it should be included in forms of entertainment. What she fails to mention is that rape is all too often used as plot point. Many writers think that for a female character to earn her place in the piece she must be raped or be a rape victim. In addition, the treatment of the actual scenes is protracted and sexual in nature. They are specifically designed to titillate and excite. As if to prove this point, think about howmany times you have seen a man raped in a movie or TV show.

Iwatch “Downton Abbey,” and Iwas angry about the rape of Anna. McNamara is right about one thing: (twas written only to further the plot of her husband, Mr. Bates. That’s called sexual exploitation.

Further, in regards to “Game of Thrones,” why is it that in an imaginary world, white people are still subjected to the deplorable culture similar to that of medieval England? The writers have had all the freedom they’ve needed to make a newworld, and this is what they’ve chosen? Lastly, rape should not be part of entertainment because of the toll it takes on real victims. McNamara writes as though rape were a normal part of life and that we should accept that and include it as part of our entertainment. I say, we should not. Rape is a hate crime, pure and simple. We wouldn’t use lynching in so many movies and books and act as though it were an everyday occurrence.

Karen Miller

Orange

I read “Frankly Overdue” with great interest, but therewas a glaring omission. How could you not mention the rape of Khandi Alexander’s character and its aftermath in the grossly underrated HBO series “Treme”? Even in “entertainment,” black lives don’t matter, let alone those of blackwomen. Vince Quitoriano

Los Angeles