In the confronting documentary, Audrie & Daisy, film makers Bonni Cohn and Jon Shenk depict a completely biased and illusory stance on the aftermath of two teenage sexual assault victims. A range of conventions are expertly used, positioning the viewers to believe that the government and social media have, to an extent, influenced the victimization of Daisy Coleman, and the tragic suicide of Audrie Pott. Through the perpetuation of socio-cultural values and stereotypes inherent in American high schools, the employment of certain film techniques, specifically special effects, and a discerning use of language choices through editing, Cohn and Shenk have carefully manipulated the audience to sympathize and agree with their views regarding the
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One of the most disturbing realities mentioned in the film is how often teenage girls are asked to send nude photographs of themselves to boys. Pott’s best friend, Amanda Le, said that the middle school boys were “persistent” about receiving them, and couple of girls “did full nude” photos. According to the National Sex Offender Public Website, 15% of girls aged 12 to 17 claim to have received sexually suggestive nude or semi-nude photos. The film effectively questions societal morality in conjunction with social expectations. In the stories of Audrie and Daisy, there is a power to speak against such abuses and social trends; rather, the lens zooms in on how rape culture affects policy. The sheriff of Maryville, Missouri even admits that there is “pressure on young girls in our society to be pretty, to be liked, to be the popular one…it’s not fair, but it’s how our society works”. Coming from a sheriff, these words highlighted how unequipped and even unwilling some communities are in handling such cases and their offenders. Matt Barnett, the 17-year-old accused of raping Daisy, came from a politically connected family, and he played on the high school football team. In ‘typical’ American high schools, football players are the popular, star athletes, so in a small-town environment, nothing is seen as being more offensive than holding the whole team accountable. Whether stereotyping was explicitly included by directors or not, the references provide an unfair and bias depiction that contributes to the victimization of Audrie and
One of the most disturbing realities mentioned in the film is how often teenage girls are asked to send nude photographs of themselves to boys. Pott’s best friend, Amanda Le, said that the middle school boys were “persistent” about receiving them, and couple of girls “did full nude” photos. According to the National Sex Offender Public Website, 15% of girls aged 12 to 17 claim to have received sexually suggestive nude or semi-nude photos. The film effectively questions societal morality in conjunction with social expectations. In the stories of Audrie and Daisy, there is a power to speak against such abuses and social trends; rather, the lens zooms in on how rape culture affects policy. The sheriff of Maryville, Missouri even admits that there is “pressure on young girls in our society to be pretty, to be liked, to be the popular one…it’s not fair, but it’s how our society works”. Coming from a sheriff, these words highlighted how unequipped and even unwilling some communities are in handling such cases and their offenders. Matt Barnett, the 17-year-old accused of raping Daisy, came from a politically connected family, and he played on the high school football team. In ‘typical’ American high schools, football players are the popular, star athletes, so in a small-town environment, nothing is seen as being more offensive than holding the whole team accountable. Whether stereotyping was explicitly included by directors or not, the references provide an unfair and bias depiction that contributes to the victimization of Audrie and