May 28, 2024

"This sense of court as theater, and the attention Ms. Brourman’s approach has garnered her, has not always sat well with her colleagues."

"They were dubious of her at first.... Was it possible to be women in their line of work, one that has seen so many men on trial for doing many bad things to women, and not bring themselves into it even slightly? 'I think we are so focused on trying to get these drawings down and done,' Ms. Williams began, 'that our personal female view is like …' She trailed off.... The world is often male by default; politics and the law even more so. There is something unique, even fun, in knowing that this little corner of the universe.... has been so thoroughly taken over by the female gaze that the women themselves don’t even notice."

Writes Jessica Bennett, in "'Accordion Hands' and 'Caterpillar Eyebrows': Trump Meets the Female Gaze" (NYT) — an article about courtroom artists who are female.

I'm not sure what enlightenment this article has garnered me. It seems that the writer went looking for feminist material but couldn't pry it out of these artists who — obviously — have a professional interest in maintaining a reputation for neutrality. They draw what they see. That's what they must say. They're not going to help the NYT have "fun" with the idea that they are women getting back at "many men on trial for doing many bad things to women."

24 comments:

imTay said...

Any coincidence that Netflix is now pushing another Hitler series: "Evil on trial."

MadTownGuy said...

From the post:

"They're not going to help the NYT have "fun" with the idea that they are women getting back at "many men on trial for doing many bad things to women."

Doesn't that reveal the underlying theme to MeToo - that it wasn't about the depredations suffered by women, but about Orange Man Bad?

Marcus Bressler said...

Ann wrote: "I'm not sure what enlightenment this article has garnered me."
ISWYDT

Dave Begley said...

I learned early in my career that a jury trial is very much a show.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

There seems to be an air of desperation lately to every NYT article that Althouse quotes.

Zavier Onasses said...

"... has been so thoroughly taken over by the female gaze that the women themselves don’t even notice."

Seriously!? Courtroom artists have so little awareness of others in the profession? Or you just spewing our words here to fill the page?

The rule of Lemnity said...

Let me count the ways a journalist can say Trump and Harvey Weinstein are conjoined twins.

Shouting Thomas said...

American women are the richest, free-est, fattest and most privileged people to ever walk the planet.

In true spoiled brat fashion, feminist women bitch relentlessly about nothing and constantly demand more.

Feminism is a disgraceful spoiled brat ideology. Women should be shamed for embracing it.

Trump is both the object of desire and rape fantasy idol of feminist spoiled brats.

Restore the patriarchy.

rhhardin said...

The gaze originates in the object seen and proceeds to the eye and mind of the woman, where it turns to mush.

The male mind processes it as something to fuck.

Kate said...

I was reading a review of the latest Dr. Who episode, which is apparently some kind of classic masterpiece for the series. Apparently the season involves an evil prime minister who is basically an avatar for Trump.

The Left has made Trump their dark god. All art must reference his ominous presence, even a court sketch. In hundreds of years people will look back at this Bizarro Renaissance period and shake their heads.

Oligonicella said...

Althouse:
It seems that the writer went looking for feminist material ...

SJW writing in a nutshell - seeking validation.

mikee said...

So, for the now-dominant women in courtrooom sketching jobs, is the pay only 77% of what males used to make doing the same work? Because that would explain in economic terms, rather than sociological blather about a female gaze, why their bosses have created a female-preponderant job category. Asking for Rachel Maddow.

Other possible reasons for a female gender dominance in this job, not explored by the article, are hiring by biased recommendation of those already working, criteria and credentials for the job becoming female preponderant, and the need for velvet portraits of Elvis on street corners in New Orleans for tourist purchase drawing away all the male artists. And how many of those females are L or T in the alphabet categories of females? Inquiring minds want to know!

tim maguire said...

I wonder how that meshes with the fact that most crime victims are men. The Times wants us to think women can't be objective in the face of violence against women, but it would probably never occur to them to wonder if men can remain objective in the face of violence against men.

Howard said...

Insulting to the female artists. Also projecting their own biased warpage of sit-reps. An artist must be coldly observant and make the marks of shadow and light as the are not as you wish them to be. The casual nature of a gaze is not equal to the task at hand.

RCOCEAN II said...

Its insane that the ex-POTUS and current Republican candidate for the Presidency cant have a trial that's televised. The people in NY seem to consist of a corrupt elite and a bunch of dumb serfs who just go along with anything as long as they get a piece of the graft.

RCOCEAN II said...

WHy is that women are supposed always be viewing everything through a female feminist POV, and men aren't supposed to think of everything through a male chauvanist POV?

Earnest Prole said...

If Jessica can’t fit her material to the Times’ feminist template, she really belongs in another line of work.

Narayanan said...

Its insane that the ex-POTUS and current Republican candidate for the Presidency cant have a trial that's televised.
==============
could Trump have appealed judge's decision to close trial to TV?
or is it better for him to have it closed?

Iman said...

rhhardin… I’d say you have mommy issues, but holy fuck!

stlcdr said...

AA: Hey, ChatGPT, bring up any articles with the word 'garner' in them.

ChatGPT: I found 15 articles by Althouse, would you like me to read them?

imTay said...

In fact, this scaffold constituted a portion of a penal machine, which now, for two or three generations past, has been merely historical and traditionary among us, but was held, in the old time, to be as effectual an agent, in the promotion of good citizenship, as ever was the guillotine among the terrorists of France. It was, in short, the platform of the pillory; and above it rose the framework of that instrument of discipline, so fashioned as to confine the human head in its tight grasp, and thus hold it up to the public gaze. The very ideal of ignominy was embodied and made manifest in this contrivance of wood and iron. - The Scarlet Letter

imTay said...

BTW, the ones putting Hester Prynne in the pillory are not generally viewed as the "good guys" in the little drama.

Mikey NTH said...

Is the problem that the artist hasn't depicted Trump's horns and cloven feet? Otherwise I have no idea what the author is trying to get at in this article.

Data Schlepper said...

Naughty Ms Althouse. Ending your commentary with the incomplete sentence, "When our noses pick ..."