Jackie Fuchs of the Runaways and Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders have both been involved in rape-related stories this year; the former came out to say late manager Kim Fowley sexually assaulted her in the '70s (only to have some of the details of her account questioned by her bandmates), while the latter was more recently accused of victim-blaming when she said that she took "responsibility" for being attacked at the age of 21. Now, Fuchs has responded to Hynde's comments.
Fuchs told Yahoo Music that, after reading Hynde's remarks, "I found myself being surprisingly angry." She continued, "Don't put your heroes on pedestals. But I don't want to cast a stone at Chrissie Hynde — just at that one particular statement. Because it's a really dangerous message."
She elaborated on why she considers Hynde's comments so destructive:
It bothers me, because I don't know that she's gone out there and talked to [other] rape victims. If you had seen the messages that people sent me, so many of them were about 'I've always thought it was my fault.' We already think that anyway. So this is just telling people who've recently gone through this experience of being raped or abused, "Yeah, you're right, it is your fault." But there's no such thing as asking for it. And poor judgment is not an invitation to rape, nor an excuse for it. I know so many women who were raped while they were drunk or high, and they all blame themselves. To say that a woman can't misjudge how much she's drinking, or dress in a way that makes her feel good about herself for fear that men aren't going to be able to control themselves, or that she has to be able to know who is dangerous and who isn't, is asking an awful lot of men and women — especially young people.
This whole controversy began when the Sunday Times asked Hynde about a passage in her memoir Reckless: My Life as a Pretender in which she writes about being sexually assaulted by a member of a motorcycle gang at the age of 21. Hynde said, "If I'm walking around and I'm very modestly dressed and I'm keeping to myself and someone attacks me, then I'd say that's his fault. But if I'm being very lairy and putting it about and being provocative, then you are enticing someone who's already unhinged — don't do that. Come on! That's just common sense. You know, if you don't want to entice a rapist, don't wear high heels so you can't run from him. If you're wearing something that says 'Come and fuck me,' you'd better be good on your feet."
Reckless: My Life as a Pretender comes out on September 8 through Penguin Random House.
Fuchs told Yahoo Music that, after reading Hynde's remarks, "I found myself being surprisingly angry." She continued, "Don't put your heroes on pedestals. But I don't want to cast a stone at Chrissie Hynde — just at that one particular statement. Because it's a really dangerous message."
She elaborated on why she considers Hynde's comments so destructive:
It bothers me, because I don't know that she's gone out there and talked to [other] rape victims. If you had seen the messages that people sent me, so many of them were about 'I've always thought it was my fault.' We already think that anyway. So this is just telling people who've recently gone through this experience of being raped or abused, "Yeah, you're right, it is your fault." But there's no such thing as asking for it. And poor judgment is not an invitation to rape, nor an excuse for it. I know so many women who were raped while they were drunk or high, and they all blame themselves. To say that a woman can't misjudge how much she's drinking, or dress in a way that makes her feel good about herself for fear that men aren't going to be able to control themselves, or that she has to be able to know who is dangerous and who isn't, is asking an awful lot of men and women — especially young people.
This whole controversy began when the Sunday Times asked Hynde about a passage in her memoir Reckless: My Life as a Pretender in which she writes about being sexually assaulted by a member of a motorcycle gang at the age of 21. Hynde said, "If I'm walking around and I'm very modestly dressed and I'm keeping to myself and someone attacks me, then I'd say that's his fault. But if I'm being very lairy and putting it about and being provocative, then you are enticing someone who's already unhinged — don't do that. Come on! That's just common sense. You know, if you don't want to entice a rapist, don't wear high heels so you can't run from him. If you're wearing something that says 'Come and fuck me,' you'd better be good on your feet."
Reckless: My Life as a Pretender comes out on September 8 through Penguin Random House.
