In the words of George R.R. Martin, misogyny (including racism, transphobia, and other baseless hatred) is a sword without a hilt. True, this is a dangerous weapon, it will hurt the target and cause terrible damage. However, there is no safe way to wield such a weapon without causing damage to yourself.
No matter what everyone wants to call them, Lyle and Eric Menendez are men. Therefore, they should be the beneficiaries of what our entire patriarchal society can bestow upon them – power, respect and the benefit of the doubt. When men speak, we should listen.
However, the male jurors are unwilling to extend this patriarchal protection to brothers Lyle and Eric, as they refused to acquit the brothers at the first trial, causing a miscarriage of justice and prolonging the entire ordeal. No, Mr. and Mrs. Menendez are out of the Trust Fraternity for three reasons. First, they lack maternal instincts, one female juror said. I felt such kindness from them. Second, they do not believe that boys can be abused. Victimization is de facto feminine.
But lastly, and most importantly, the juror who confided in Leslie Abramson after all his colleagues had left says that the male jurors voted to convict Lyle and Eric. Not because I hate Lyle and Eric, but because I hate them. leslie. Anyone who lived through the 1990s or the disastrous recovery attempt of 2016 will understand why. Big blonde hair, power suits, high profile and well-paid jobs in positions of authority, and a personality that's not built in a way that men find fun to be around: it doesn't help.
So two men are still on death row for murdering the people who tormented them throughout their lives because several men hated a woman. For male jurors, punishing the woman is more important than protecting their fellow men. Actor Ari Greiner looks physically nauseated because, God forbid, Leslie slurps down this damn sandwich in seconds without ever smiling.
It's not that Leslie avoids using a more traditional, i.e. idiosyncratic, version of femininity to assert when and where it serves her. The episode opens with a showcase for Leslie Grossman, who plays Judalon Smith, Dr. Jerome Oziel's patient, mistress, and (we learn here) victim. She ignites a large part of the prosecution's case by proving that Oziel is not only a criminal, but some kind of pathetic idiot. But she's also only grabbing the spotlight because of her overall goofy attitude. She is interested in crystals and cats, and is the type of woman that men don't find threatening. Perplexed, perhaps, but not threatened.
In a way, this whole episode comes down to a question of performance. Is Leslie acting the way a woman should? To use a little jargon, is she playing her gender appropriately? What about Judalon? Does her star turn deserve a cover of vanity fairwhen pitching to Dominic Dunne?
Speaking of Dan, what else is there besides his regular dinner parties and little one-man shows where he delights his coterie with his unique blend of deadpan erudition and fire-and-brimstone hang-em-high justice? ? And in the final episode, he gave a hell of a performance when he apologized to Leslie for not believing his brother. or For underestimating her ability to make them lie – to me at the time he certainly seemed to mean the former, but it was always the latter. (Going back to misogyny for a moment, Dan (Nick to his friends) mocks the women who date his brother in prison and makes snide hints about Eric's non-macho homosexuality. )
Then there's the brothers' own performance. Lyle behaved badly on the witness stand, and was recorded saying that he had rehearsed his tears, along with countless other statements that made it impossible for him to testify at the second trial. There is. Eric blows up his testimony due to a malfunctioning microphone, but he sounds like a kid in a high school play. Before things got too bad, Lyle suggested various actors (Brian Bosworth, Rob Lowe, Kirk Cameron) who could play them in the next inevitable film, excited John Malkovich played him SNL. The camera records every inappropriate smile, every odd glance directed at or through the lens to the viewer at home.
In a sense, where this episode leaves us is a medium that turned the whole thing into an ongoing television series. As the 1994 earthquakes began to hit Los Angeles, Eric sensed in the media coverage that something was changing against them. He blames Leslie, and that's part of it – she could star alongside Marcia Clark and Monica Lewinsky in Ryan Murphy's Justice League – but Of course, it also means long-term exposure to the deeply damaged brothers themselves.
But “The Menendez Brother Show'' is about to lose out in the ratings to the biggest hit of the past decade. Ordered to wait for a “VIP” and help clean the cell, Eric witnesses O.J. Simpson's infamous Bronco chase and then enters the cell next to him. (Eric advises the Juices not to trust Robert Shapiro and to consider a plea deal.) Soon, Jay Leno goes from impersonating Lyle's horribly misguided fundraiser to Dancing Itos. We'll start cooperating. Although the brothers set the template, Los Angeles, already torn apart once by racist police and rioters, will continue to see unprecedented scenes.
Meanwhile, Eric and Lyle's money, savings of goodwill, fan mail, legal team, luck, and perhaps their time are all running out. Sorry, everyone. It says “MEN'S CLUB” on the door, but it's only for members.
Sean T. Collins (@theseantcollins) is writing about television. rolling stone, vulture, new york timesand wherever he isReally. He and his family live on Long Island.
