I’m very surprised that this story has not gotten more mileage. After the country went ape over the castration of John Wayne Bobbitt, I thought that a stock like this, stocked full with abuse, revenge, postmortem mutilation, movie references, and allusions to alternative lifestyles would have been the kind of national media fodder that keeps people glued to their television sets. Let’s just do a little tally of the elements that make for great, low-brow entertainment:

1. Allegations of sexual abuse
This always garners a response. It’s a terrible tragedy for the victims, especially when they are children, and usually leaves them scarred for life. Nevertheless, sex abuse almost always makes it to the first few pages of the newspaper.

2. Revenge
It’s a theme that is almost as central to the American movie as is having a hero and villain. It’s found in the western, the action film, even the comedies and dramas. We love to see bad guys get their just deserts.

3. Pop-culture references
Harris called herself Lady Vengeance, a probable reference to the Korean film in Chan-wook Park’s revenge trilogy. It’s about a young woman that has to serve six years in prison because she is forced to confess to killing a child. The person that forces her is a sexually-abusive man who she may or may not have had a relationship with. At the end of the film, he ends up tied to a chair and tortured. Sound familiar?

4. Minority within a minority
Harris is a black woman, minority number one. She is a black woman who is a self-described “goth”, definitely a minority in the black community.

I’m really stunned that no one has piggy-backed on this to make political statements, either about violence in music and movies, or about sexual promiscuity in the black community. Mind you, I’m not saying that anyone should, but the fact that it has not happened already leaves me wondering, “Why?” Maybe there will be more attention when the case goes to trial. Then again, maybe this will just fade into obscurity.

More links:
Harris Enters a Mental Institution
Save Brigitte Harris Website