Clarkie Needs to Step Up to the Crease on This One.
March 4th 2010 22:05
My last post took a slightly lighthearted approach; utilizing Lara's situation as a cautionary tale. I still stand by my advice. But yesterday I saw the picture.
I didn't go looking for it. It flashed up on my TV in a newsbrief yesterday. You could tell from the look on Lara's face that she felt violated. You could tell she was accosted in the shower, by the setting and her body language. What Fevola has done is assaulted this girl, and continued the assault, in MMSing it to others in the sporting community. Then the media has assaulted Lara by reproducing the image.
I cannot imagine what she is going through. I've not put myself in a position where something like this could happen, and I never intend to. But I feel very, very sorry for her, and much more on her side now than I did when I wrote the last post.
Lara was nineteen when she was with Fevola; a married father. He, like many a footballer before him, chose instead to carry on like a slimey, lecherous older man; notching up Bingle on his bedpost, and grabbing a pic of her in the shower for his own gratification. He thought nothing of his wife or kids when he did this. He didn't think of his marriage, his career, or his health. He certainly did not think about this teenager he had violated through taking this photo.
And to make matters worse, he has kept the image! How must his wife feel? What example is he sending to his kids? That this is how you treat women? That this is what they should expect and tolerate from the men in their lives?
He is a louse, and deserves to be sued.
[LINK=http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/people/bingle-lawsuit-against-fevola-over-nude-photo-strikes-a-blow-for-womens-rights-says-agent-20100302-pdv5.html/LINK]
However brave Lara must be in, as her lawyer puts it, "standing up for herself", and "striking a blow for women's rights", I believe there's someone else in this scenario who could strike an even bigger blow.
Her fiance, Michael Clarke.
Lara's dad has passed away. Michael has the intention of making her his wife, and given the fact that there has been no breakup, we can only assume this is still his intention. John Ibrahim, an underworld figure who is apparently Lara's mate, has made his displeasure known. But Michael, the man who says he will marry her, has yet to go into bat for her.
Michael needs to come out of the Dressing Room, call a Press Conference, and publically condemn Fevola, and anyone else who has passed this image on.
This may mean a condemnation of people on his team.
So? His greatest partnership, and the one he expends most of his energy on, should be the one he will have with his wife. His silence sends a message to all men that its okay to stand by while your wives, mothers, sisters and daughters are exploited or assaulted.
And Clarkie, let me tell you, it's not.
If Clarkie is really in this, for better or worse (and knowing Lara's past, and riding out the consequences of that, is probably as bad as it will get), then he needs to man up and make a public statement in defence of Lara. To not do so, in my book, renders Clarke on the same moral level as the Warnes and Fevolas of the world.
If Clarke doesn't step up the the crease, then Lara has two options: Either declare herself out, and walk, or take a leaf out of Elin Woods' book and grab the nearest bat. And we know, from Adam Gilchrist and recent history, that the former is the more dignified option. And Lara may need to salvage her dignity herself.
I didn't go looking for it. It flashed up on my TV in a newsbrief yesterday. You could tell from the look on Lara's face that she felt violated. You could tell she was accosted in the shower, by the setting and her body language. What Fevola has done is assaulted this girl, and continued the assault, in MMSing it to others in the sporting community. Then the media has assaulted Lara by reproducing the image.
I cannot imagine what she is going through. I've not put myself in a position where something like this could happen, and I never intend to. But I feel very, very sorry for her, and much more on her side now than I did when I wrote the last post.
And to make matters worse, he has kept the image! How must his wife feel? What example is he sending to his kids? That this is how you treat women? That this is what they should expect and tolerate from the men in their lives?
He is a louse, and deserves to be sued.
[LINK=http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/people/bingle-lawsuit-against-fevola-over-nude-photo-strikes-a-blow-for-womens-rights-says-agent-20100302-pdv5.html/LINK]
However brave Lara must be in, as her lawyer puts it, "standing up for herself", and "striking a blow for women's rights", I believe there's someone else in this scenario who could strike an even bigger blow.
Lara's dad has passed away. Michael has the intention of making her his wife, and given the fact that there has been no breakup, we can only assume this is still his intention. John Ibrahim, an underworld figure who is apparently Lara's mate, has made his displeasure known. But Michael, the man who says he will marry her, has yet to go into bat for her.
Michael needs to come out of the Dressing Room, call a Press Conference, and publically condemn Fevola, and anyone else who has passed this image on.
This may mean a condemnation of people on his team.
So? His greatest partnership, and the one he expends most of his energy on, should be the one he will have with his wife. His silence sends a message to all men that its okay to stand by while your wives, mothers, sisters and daughters are exploited or assaulted.
And Clarkie, let me tell you, it's not.
If Clarkie is really in this, for better or worse (and knowing Lara's past, and riding out the consequences of that, is probably as bad as it will get), then he needs to man up and make a public statement in defence of Lara. To not do so, in my book, renders Clarke on the same moral level as the Warnes and Fevolas of the world.
If Clarke doesn't step up the the crease, then Lara has two options: Either declare herself out, and walk, or take a leaf out of Elin Woods' book and grab the nearest bat. And we know, from Adam Gilchrist and recent history, that the former is the more dignified option. And Lara may need to salvage her dignity herself.
Clarkie, where the bloody hell are ya?
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