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Helen Mirren has recently been a role model for aging beautifully onscreen with integrity (I'll give her the lapse of judgment for making National Secret 2). But she is in danger of losing all credibility because of a second narrow minded and dangerous comment she made regarding women and rape. Doesn't she realize that smart women (who are concerned about these issues) are her number 1 fans? I for one am pretty pissed at Ms. Mirren for being such a dunderhead.

Dame Helen Mirren was accused by the Solicitor General of making ignorant, absurd and dangerous comments yesterday after speaking out again about rape prosecutions.

In an interview, the 63-year-old Oscar-winning actress said that in such cases female jurors are deliberately selected by defence barristers because 'women go against women'.

She suggested that women jurors are less likely to convict a rapist since they tend to think the victim was 'asking for it'.

Comment by Solicitor General Vera Baird in response to Mirren

It's such a shame that a person who has a high profile feels qualified and able to put forward this nonsense. It's capable of being quite dangerous because someone in that position saying that sort of thing, suggesting that she knows more than she actually does.

She also perpetuates the theme that women are out to get other women in response to the fact that she has consistently requested male interviewers in the past in the initial offending interview with the Sunday Times.

“No, it’s more that I prefer male journalists because there’s a streak of female journalism — the bitches — who are mean-spirited and nasty because you are another woman and want to make you feel crap. It’s very upsetting. I’m more careful when I’m being interviewed by a woman because, from experience as well as reading articles about other women, I know there is a little stiletto knife hidden behind the back.”

This whole thing makes me so sad.
Helen Mirren: Sexually jealous women jurors think rape victims are asking for it (Daily Mail)
Helen Mirren: perennial pin-up (Sunday Times)

photo: Anthony G. Moore/PR Photos

Julie Taymor is taking a gender-bending twist on The Tempest by casting the awesome Helen Mirren at Prospera in her upcoming film. Film also stars Jeremy Irons, Djimon Hounsou, Russell Brand, Alfred Molina, Ben Wishaw and Felicity Jones.

They start shooting in November and it will be released by Miramax.

'Tempest' cast includes Helen Mirren (Hollywood Reporter)
photo: Chris Hatcher/PR Photos

I'm a big fan of "The Queen", Helen Mirren because she actually embraces her age (did you see the recent tabloid photo of her in a bikini on vacation?), but in a recent interview with the UK's GQ she spouts off some pretty retro views of date rape. I admire her candor in admitting she was date-raped several times in her late teens and twenties, but shortsighted comments like this one are getting her into hot water.

"I don't think [a woman] can have that man into court under those circumstances," she continued, "It's such a tricky area, isn't it? Especially if there is no violence. I mean, look at Mike Tyson. I don't think he was a rapist."

Mike Tyson not a rapist? We went through that a long time ago and wasn't he convicted of rape? I mean, doesn't she know that every two minutes a person is sexually assaulted in this country?

The rape crisis community in England is pissed and rightly so.

"Dame Helen's comments are not only disappointing, but unhelpful and dangerous," says Katie Russell, from the Rape Crisis Federation of England and Wales. "In practice, only a tiny minority of women report to the police and this is in part because they fear not being believed or find themselves blamed for their experiences. Attitudes such as those attributed to Helen Mirren only serve to exacerbate this situation."

Since the shit storm broke Mirren clarified her statement saying that the interview was taken out of context and that people should judge the full remarks not just the salacious excerpts. The interview is not yet available on the internet.