My Side of Rape by Becky Thyre
 
On page 33, Sarah says that she first heard about rape on Barnaby Jones, where a woman cried that the rapist made her take off her clothes in a shopping center.
 
Yes, I remember a lot of family nights gathered around Barnaby Jones, watching those satisfying opening credits with the puzzle pieces that fit together while announcing Lee Merriweather and that young nephew of Barnaby who also played Mackenzie Phillips’ husband on “One Day at a Time”.  (Or else he just looked like the same guy.)

HOWEVER, I remember hearing the shopping center tale in Kansas City.  I distinctly recall crawling around on the green shag carpeting in the living room, playing with Sarah while the big console TV was on.  There was a midday news show that had some kind of Dick Cavett-style orange swivel chair set-up.  And some woman who really HAD been raped was being interviewed by a local newscaster and asked completely inappropriate questions for a noon-time ladies’ show, if you ask me.  I remember hearing her cry and say the man made her take her clothes off in the middle of the shopping center as I ran my little toy car through the dense forest of shag, clambering around on our upside down kiddie table and chairs. 
 
Years later, when I thought of that interview, I could only think that in the old days of the 70’s, people didn’t know what the hell they were doing on those talk shows.


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