continued Thatfucker discussion

[anonniemouse]

Since we've been kicked off FFA for the week, please feel free to continue the anon discussion here. Apologies if this is a big flop - I've never made a DW community before!

The rules are vaguely the same as they are over on FFA. Please refrain from being too much of an asshole, making personal attacks, posting identifying information or engaging in transfail.

ETA: If there's information you'd like to see archived (journal/blog posts related to Andy, etc.), please dump it here and link to it from the main post for discussing.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Brittany was the victim of someone who had run a cult, and who was repeating his behavior with DAYD. Victims of cults often have this affect. There is a reason for it, and it is that they are victims. Repeating the testimony of someone who was a cult victim (Jason Beghe) in order to explain a common affect seen among cult victims is something I find invaluable.

In the wider world, victims of cults are consistently blamed for their victimization. They're made fun of for what's happening to them, and that expression in particular is mocked all the time. And so they end up feeling they have nowhere to turn, since the world outside is hostile to them. Shining a light on cult patterns, and how their victims end up in similar places mentally, is something I find invaluable, because it increases sympathy for victims. Jason Beghe was the victim of a cult, and he knows what he's talking about. Seeing a parallel between what he says and what happens to other cult victims -- well, I think it's not only natural, but necessary. While we keep pretending these are isolated incidents that only happen to stupid people, nothing will change.

I am seeing a LOT of assumptions as to people's motivations. There may be good reasons not to analyze Brittany in this way, but so far the people objecting are assigning emotions and motivations to others, and then saying those assumed emotions and motivations are bad. Assumption of bad faith is a really huge problem.