(Credit: ITV's Loose Women Facebook page)
ITV apologized after asking the tone-deaf question, “Is it ever a woman’s fault if she’s raped.”
The question was asked by ITV morning talk show “Loose Women.” The show had been discussing Chrissie Hynde’s comments about rape. Hynde, lead singer for the Pretenders, indicated that in certain cases, she thinks a rape victim may be responsible, telling the Sunday Times this week that “If I’m walking around in my underwear and I’m drunk? Who else’s false can it be.”
12% voted that yes, they think it can be a woman’s fault, the UK Independent reported. The poll question was posted on ITV”s website but now the links goes to an error page. The question was tweeted as well, but the tweet appears to have been deleted. It read, according o the UK Mirror:
POLL: After Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde’s comments- we’re asking is it ever a woman’s fault if she is raped? http://t.co/raAGqzKpYH
— Loose Women (@loosewomen) September 1, 2015
Viewers and organization Rape Crisis slammed the question. Rape Crisis called for an apology for the poll, which it called “harmful to women.”
We are extremely angry & hurt by @loosewomen & hope they will say sorry & educate viewers because such polls are HARMFUL TO WOMEN.
— Rape Crisis (@PRCCG_) September 1, 2015
Rape Crisis also called it an inappropriate poll, writing on Twitter: “This is not an appropriate opinion poll; legally & morally the answer is a resounding ‘no.'”
.@loosewomen This is not an appropriate opinion poll; legally&morally the answer is resounding 'no'. For support: http://t.co/Ct2rI2qEkR
— Rape Crisis E&W (@RapeCrisisEandW) September 1, 2015
Loose Women apologized for the “misjudged” “wording” of the poll question, telling the Guardian:
“Loose Women is a daily talk show centred around topical debate and this discussion, linked to a recent news story, involved a full and frank range of views from the panellists.
“We always want to know what our viewers think about topical issues, however, we accept that the wording of the online poll was misjudged and we apologise for any offence caused.”
iMediaEthics has written to ITV’s Loose Women for comment.
