So I’m a fan of the Morning Show, and watched the first season before FDS, so maybe my view has shifted radically since then. I already thought the first season was problematic because it was humanizing the Matt Lauer character, Mitch (played by Steve Carell), but I guess I thought the nuance was in our favor? There is a scene where Mitch speaks to a Polanski-type figure who wants to help him make a rapist redemption documentary and then Mitch is like: “No I’m not a bad rapist like you, I’m the subtle rapist.” I had issues with that scene but also thought it puts us as a viewer in that uncomfortable position of defending the unforgivable- like, you’re already a terrible person it you’re trying to distinguish yourself from the literal devil and not doing a good job. Like I don’t remember well but thought- ok well I guess that if men watch this they’ll actually be pushed to self-reflect?

But season two went off the rails-literally. Mitch is in Italy after “losing everything,” nursing his wounds in a castle, essentially, and gets way too much screen time about his internal conflict. It is such a misrepresentation of rapists, and there’s so much projection. He doesn’t feel bad!! If he did he wouldn’t have done it. But the writers keep insisting on making us look for his humanity, and they have this truly ridiculous Italian pick-me who wants to come in and save him/ defend him. Spoiler alert Mitch dies in a car crash and we’re supposed to feel complicated about it.

It’s really uncomplicated actually. A Black woman died, and he was directly responsible for her death as the last person to talk to her. He targeted Black women. Having Jennifer Aniston’s character be all friendly and complicated towards him is like throwing America’s Sweetheart to help the propaganda. (also- did she lie about him raping her?? I thought that actually happened!!) This whole fallacy of us being given the option of seeing him as a monster (dehumanizing him) or allowing him to redeem himself (humanize him) is…. Sigh. There is another option- he’s an abusive human. He still doesn’t deserve redemption. What bothers me most is that he acts like he doesn’t know what he did. The writers seem to buy into it too.

I guess watching Reese Witherspoon say that we don’t allow cancelled rapists contrition (in the “behind the scenes” after the show) really did a number on me. I trust Reese. I trust Jennifer Aniston- and I feel like they failed me.

More and more we will see this on TV. The “rapist who feels bad.” This is so damaging to women. The defining characteristic of an abusive man is that he “feels bad” but he keeps doing it. This is why women don’t leave abusive men.

So, anyways, I wanted any other fans of the show here to be reminded that Witherspoon’s ex threw a woman down the stairs. Brad Pitt, who Jen is still chummy with, is an abusive alcoholic. Having women run TV shows is not enough. Representation is not enough. Pickmes will reproduce damaging cultural beliefs, and create trash like “the rapist redemption story.”

If you need eye bleach, I recommend “I May Destroy You.” Michaela Coel is the only one that has been able to pull-off subtlety in this matter.

TLDR: to hell with pickmes and their rapist redemption stories.