Who gets to be a victim in the media? Examining Gypsy-Rose Blanchard and the Menendez Brothers
The media has shown us time and time again who gets to be a victim in the eyes of the public. In psychology, the concept of the "ideal victim" refers to someone perceived as truly defenseless and innocent, often embodied by young (or sometimes elderly) white women. The discourse around Gypsy-Rose Blanchard has evolved significantly; despite her criminal history, she is now widely regarded as a victim. So why do the Menendez brothers not get the same grace?
Both the Menendez brothers and Gypsy-Rose Blanchard gained notoriety in the true crime sphere after killing their alleged abusers. Their cases share striking similarities, both involving prolonged childhood abuse by a parent followed by a violent act of reprisal.
The Menendez brothers case
In 1989, brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez shot their parents, José and Mary Louise (Kitty), to death in their Beverly Hills home. The double murder came as a shock to the public and quickly garnered widespread media attention, partly because of the family’s status. José was the head of a successful recording company, RCA Records, and Kitty was a beauty pageant queen. The family lived on one of the most exclusive blocks of Beverly Hills, in a home formerly occupied by Elton John and Michael Jackson. Both brothers were rising tennis stars and seemed destined for greatness. José was said to be extremely competitive and hard on his sons, pushing them beyond limits.
But José’s treatment was much more than that of an overbearing father, according to the brothers. During their trials, they claimed that the murder was out of self-defense, reacting from years of sexual abuse – Lyle from the ages of 6 to 8, and Erik from ages 6 to 18, according to an article by Biography. Lyle gave a graphic testimony in court describing the abuse and a confrontation with his father, claiming that following the argument, he feared for his life. The first trials, lasting six months, resulted in a hung jury. Their second joint trial ended in a conviction of two counts of first degree murder for the pair, and the brothers received life without parole.
The Gypsy-Rose Blanchard case
Gypsy-Rose Blanchard suffered for her entire childhood at the hands of her mother, Dee Dee. Experts believe that DeeDee lived with Munchausen’s syndrome by proxy, a psychological disorder in which a parent causes real symptoms to make it appear that their child is sick. Dee Dee claimed that Gypsy-Rose had a litany of medical conditions, leading to her needing a feeding tube, wheelchair, and multiple operations. Because of her charming demeanor, the public believed DeeDee, donating thousands of dollars to help fund Gypsy-Rose’s medical bills. The truth only revealed itself the night of the murder.
Gypsy-Rose recruited a man she met on a Christian dating app to help her kill her mother. In June 2015, Nicholas Godejohn stabbed Dee Dee multiple times, ultimately killing her. Gypsy-Rose later posted to Facebook, saying “That b–– is dead!”, according to a Biography article. A year later, Gypsy-Rose pled guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 10 years in prison. She served 85% of her sentence before being released in December of 2023.
Why are they similar?
There are several similarities between the two cases that are important to note. The narrative of extensive childhood abuse leading to a violent outburst in self-defense is not unique to these cases. The nature of the murders were also extremely personal and passionate, using close up weapons. Following the crimes, both the Menendez brothers and Gypsy-Rose showed a lack of remorse, even acting relieved or joyful after the murders. Years later, all three of them have shown regret for their actions, and claimed that they wish they did things differently.
While there are also undeniable differences in the crimes and following legal proceedings, one of the more striking differences lies in how the public treated them. The Menendez brothers’ claims of sexual abuse was publicly dismissed, with many people believing that they made it all up as a cop out for their financial greed. While sexual abuse is by nature harder to prove than medical abuse, very few people denied Gypsy-Rose.
Both cases have gained such notoriety that they received several media adaptations, including television shows. The Act, a 2019 TV miniseries starring Joey King, portrayed Gypsy-Rose as a victim, and almost justified her criminal actions. Since being paroled, Gypsy-Rose has gained social media fame and even has her own reality docuseries, Life After Lockup.
A recently released TV series, Monsters, focusing on the Menendez brothers, depicts them as incectuous brothers who had such a special connection that they murdered their brothers. The series has received widespread criticism for its portrayal of the case, even from the brothers themselves. New evidence has surfaced supporting the claims of abuse, including a letter written by Erik to their cousin in 1988, 8 months before the crime. Additionally, another victim has come forward, claiming to be abused by José in the early 80s, according to CBS News.
The ideal victim
Public opinion has shifted drastically, with many taking to social media to note the unfair treatment of the brothers compared to Gypsy-Rose. This disparity raises important questions about the criteria used to define victimhood and reflects deeper biases. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 1 in 6 men have been a victim of sexual abuse. It’s an issue that often goes unnoticed, as some believe it is incompatible with the idea of masculinity, deterring male victims from coming forward.
The “ideal victim” complex is also very real and present in the media. The preference towards humanizing and empathizing with a young innocent white girl is prevalent and more common than most think. The public often struggles to sympathize with someone whose lifestyle or actions may have increased the likelihood of their victimization. Despite this, the idea of an “ideal victim” is often just that: an idea. Life is much more complex and much messier as we can see in the cases of both the Menendez brothers and Gypsy-Rose.
The question remains: who gets to be a victim? Who gets to decide who gets to be a victim?
By Mikayla Melo
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