Alongside Dawson's Creek

Rev. 22-Feb-1998
Chaz Boston Baden, hazelweb@boston-baden.com

Warning! Contains spoilers! If you haven't seen every episode aired, this page will give away big chunks of character development. You Have Been Warned.

Statutory Whatsits

We all expected that a certain category of critic would be up in arms at the seduction of Tamara Jacobs. She's not made out to be a villain or a psychopath, after all. There's already one particulary strident comment which I'll quote here, having seen it on a cuckoo's-nest web page. (You all remember that the cuckoo tries to take over another bird's nest, don't you? Check out www.dawsonscreek.[net,org] for the latest on that frontier.) Anyhow, here's godshouter Charlie Solak's opinion:

Who's the blonde hag child molester? Just think, while you are watching all the lies on that show, dirty, filty old men and women are doing the same. All the producers, directors, writers and everyone else involved in the show are pulling money out of your pocket, telling you this is the way to live. If you follow this show's suggestions, you will live a desparate [sic], demeaning, unhappy short life.

Seems a bit harsh, because it's obvious Pacey and Tamara are headed for a fall (even if you haven't seen the teaser for Look Who's Talking). And, Mr. Solak somehow seems to think that the adult is driving; perhaps he can't wrap his mind around the concept of Pacey being an adult molester. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that they have a dysfunctional relationship, and it's not the only such one on the show. Taken as a whole, I don't think the show is suggesting that anyone follow the path of any of these kids - I think it's showing the case studies of these fictional characters, and a lot of us might learn by seeing what happens to them.

Anyhow, in The Calm Before The Storm, Jen tells Dawson that she was "sexualized way too early" by a much older man. Pacey's following the same track. Granted, he's in control, not the older partner, but that doesn't fix things. It makes it worse. (See my next page, The Dark Side.) The reason we have statutory rape statutes is not because kids should never have sex. It's because the adult/child relationship is not an equal one. The adult and the child are not peers. Jen can say "No" to Dawson, because they're peers. In the eyes of the law, everyone over 18 (or 16, or whatever your local statute says) is considered "mature" and can make these decisions for themselves. Adults will still manipulate other adults, but at least it'll be another adult fighting back...

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