The Kavanaugh hearing revisited
Dr. Ford: the “Perfect Victim”
Even before Dr. Christine Blasey Ford began her testimony, it was clear she was the “type” of sexual assault survivor who had a good chance of being heard. White, highly educated, successful, blond, large-terrified eyes – she appeared on the screen as an embodiment of white middle class femininity (endnote 1). Then, as she started her opening statement, a soft-spoken and girlish voice emerged from this grown woman. As her hearing continued, her demeanor was consistently deferential. Nothing about her was “threatening.” She performed and capitalized on her social position, embodying white middle-class respectability and feminine passivity. She was at once credible and infantile – the “perfect victim” for Congress to “rescue.” For a split-second, I thought Kavanaugh was doomed.
