Punch Drunk Lo.....

May 29, 2003 12:08 PM

Tyson spouting off again In Thursday night's "The Pulse" on Fox, Mike Tyson goes on the record about his 1992 trial that put him in jail for three years. (sentenced to six, paroled after three). He denies raping Desiree Washington and says "I just hate her guts. She put me in that state, where I don't know...... I really wish I did now. But now I really do want to rape her.'' Reuters has an article on it too I thought after Tyson's statements about breaking his back after his last fight he would calm down a bit....but it's Tyson.
posted by meanie (35 comments total)

Oh my. This shocks even me.... and nothing that man does shocks me.

This goes to show even more that rape is about power and hate, not sex.

Oh my. But will he get removed from boxing for this on top of everything else? I think not!!!
posted by aacheson at 12:25 PM on May 29, 2003

This piece of excrement forces me to uncomfortably reconsider my opposition to capital punishment.
posted by scottymac at 12:30 PM on May 29, 2003

A) Tyson is a sad spectacle of how a hapless underprivileged kid lost what was left of his moorings, was exploited and propelled into stardom and privilege before he knew what hit him.
B) The sooner the noble art of beating an opponent into unconsciousness is consigned to history the better.

Somehow the above are related but I'm not sure they're entirely interdependent...
posted by marvin at 12:31 PM on May 29, 2003

*interdependent* = mutually dependent
posted by marvin at 12:32 PM on May 29, 2003

He belongs in a mental hospital.
posted by konolia at 12:35 PM on May 29, 2003

As discussed on Sportsfilter. Earlier. :-P
posted by squealy at 12:36 PM on May 29, 2003

This piece of excrement forces me to uncomfortably reconsider my opposition to capital punishment.

Me too. Don King, and everyone else who took advantage of this nearly-retarded, mentally ill man, should get the Chair^*. As horrible as the things Tyson says and does are (and I exclude Washington's rape in this, as I've never been convinced he did it), I can't help but have extraordinary pity for him.

^* I say this for effect. My opposition to the death penalty remains strong.
posted by jpoulos at 12:39 PM on May 29, 2003

Let me guess...Tyson has a fight coming up sometime soon?
posted by mathis23 at 12:47 PM on May 29, 2003

classy guy. when's his face to be rearranged next?
posted by krewson at 12:51 PM on May 29, 2003

I don't give two shits about Mike Tyson. Not dissing the post, just stating my feelings...with a big wink to aacheson.
posted by WolfDaddy at 12:53 PM on May 29, 2003

My dad was a big fight fan when I were kids, and sometimes I'd watch with him. To watch say, Sugar Ray Leonard, Smokin' Joe Frazier or Ali fight was a thing of beauty. To watch Iron Mike was to watch a barrom beating. Mentally handicapped or not, the guy's a thug, and a misogynist(two terms I do not use lightly), screw him. One of my favorite sports memories was watching Buster Douglas kick his ass.

But yeah, Don King's even worse.
posted by jonmc at 1:07 PM on May 29, 2003

ah, what jpoluos said. Every word of it.
posted by dabitch at 1:10 PM on May 29, 2003

Mike Tyson is the Madonna of sports. His transparent bids for negative attention don't warrant even this much discussion.
posted by soyjoy at 1:16 PM on May 29, 2003

That's true, but it's like a car accident, isn't it? Can't help but slow down and stare as you pass by.
posted by RylandDotNet at 1:22 PM on May 29, 2003

Wolfdaddy, wink taken. :)

See, here's someone I do care about, just because he is so appalling and frightening and so bloody unrepentantly awful. He's really the lowest of the low-in a sport not generally known for highs.

I wonder if he really does have a fight coming up (like mathis23 said.) Then this sad and pathetic news conference would at least have some small reason for occuring!

I wonder what would happen to the guy if everyone just started ignoring him.
posted by aacheson at 1:34 PM on May 29, 2003

I <3 Mike Tyson.
posted by angry modem at 1:40 PM on May 29, 2003

"I wonder if he really does have a fight coming up (like mathis23 said.)"

Well, he was supposedly going to fight next month until Don King bribedtalked him out of it.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 1:45 PM on May 29, 2003

This piece of excrement forces me to uncomfortably reconsider my opposition to capital punishment.

The more I think about this, the more I have to wonder: exactly what do you mean by it, scottymac? Are you suggesting we start executing people for rape? Or just for being an asshole?
posted by jpoulos at 2:36 PM on May 29, 2003

On the other hand, he does have lots of sense when in comes to tattoos.
NOT!
posted by 111 at 2:54 PM on May 29, 2003

when it comes, bien sur
posted by 111 at 3:03 PM on May 29, 2003

As horrible as the things Tyson says and does are (and I exclude Washington's rape in this, as I've never been convinced he did it), I can't help but have extraordinary pity for him.

I'll reserve my pity for the women in your life--of whom I imagine not one would have pity for any man who asserts that he wants to rape a woman, not to mention a man who seeks to rationalize or diminish it.
posted by troybob at 4:46 PM on May 29, 2003

Actually, it was just rhetoric. I'm opposed to capital punishment completely, even for reprehensible characters like Tyson. Or maybe I was just being an asshole.
posted by scottymac at 4:50 PM on May 29, 2003

I mean, if a child molester came out of jail protesting his innocence while saying that now he really wants to rape children, I don't know how one could doubt his guilt in the first place.
posted by troybob at 4:50 PM on May 29, 2003

I still have to feel bad for him. He was never given a chance in life. He was abused by supposed friends during his rise to stardom. He is about as articulate as my dog. But he's not a monster. Unstable? Yes. Mentally ill? Probably. But of all the crazy things he's done and said, many people will still tell you how good a person is outside of the spotlight and out from under the microscope.
posted by LouMac at 4:53 PM on May 29, 2003

I'm not sure why it's so hard to understand. If Tyson, indeed, is innocent, he must be terribly angry at the woman who falsely accused him. I don't think that justifies wanting to rape Ms. Washington, but after doing three years, he does.

If someone were to accuse me of a crime I hadn't committed, and it cost me three years of my life and what little good reputation I had, I can't say I'd be above doing everything I could to settle the score. I'd draw the line well short of rape, but I'd think awfully hard about kidnapping her dog or breaking her windows.

If he's truly guilty, though, he's just despicable.
posted by trharlan at 6:00 PM on May 29, 2003

I'm assuming none of you actually watched said interview. He said it as a joke - a tasteless and unwise joke certainly - but a joke nonetheless. There's definitely something wrong with him and he's most likely crazy, but I very sincerely doubt that he raped that woman.

He had a total monkey trial (the judge barred evidence that she had previously made false rape accusations against others and testimony from multiple witnesses that saw her hanging all over him). On the program, multiple jurors said that they now had reasonable doubt and that Tyson did not receive adequate representation. Of course around here we judge him on a single (and admittedly terrible) quote taken completely out of context.

Anyway, consider Occam's Razor. Do you really think that the heavyweight champion of the world has to resort to raping women? Or perhaps he got duped by a golddigger with a history of lying?
posted by toothless joe at 8:13 PM on May 29, 2003

This guy is nothing but Mouth. His intent is to shock the masses. Why do you even pay attention?
posted by WLW at 8:22 PM on May 29, 2003

Did Winona Ryder "have" to steal clothes? People commit crimes all the time that make no sense in terms of rational self-interest.

Here's an interesting story about Tyson's own previous history.
posted by transona5 at 8:28 PM on May 29, 2003

Do you really think that the heavyweight champion of the world has to resort to raping women?

Yes, because of course any SANE woman just spreads her legs for any man of high station, regardless if he is physically repulsive, mentally retarded, borderline illiterate, and a reputed wife beater. Oooh, gimme a man like that anyday!

Kidding or not it isn't funny.

As far as feeling bad for him because he was exploited, poor, etc I say an asshole is an asshole is an asshole.
posted by evilcupcakes at 8:46 PM on May 29, 2003

Hey cupcake, who says guys only sleep with sane women. What planet are you from?
posted by Dark Messiah at 8:56 PM on May 29, 2003

Tyson's gift with words and dexterity at the revered art of foot-eating reminds me of my own, not to mention the history of assault (though I've narrowly avoided a criminal record).

Talks severely bipolar, acts severely bipolar, certainly has the history any severe bipolar would find awfully familiar . . . gosh, do you think he's severely bipolar?

Having just half a clue what it's like for him - I feel incredibly bad for him. What's going on in his head at the times he says things like this is far worse than anything you can imagine - like a slow burning and squeezing in the back of your mind that makes you lash out incredibly angrily because you always want it to stop and it never does. Never will, either - there's no cure and almost every case gets progressively worse throughout the life of the afflicted individual.

How do you hold someone responsible for actions the cannot control? Before you say he does have ultimate responsibility for his actions I suggest you try it, first. I can guarantee that if he's anything like me he most certainly does not once the spark hits the kindling.

What Tyson needs is a good medication regimen to treat (but, as I said, not cure) his illness - whether it's a bipolar disorder or just something awfully similar. Unfortunately that can take up to a decade to perfect for each individual - and some cases there just isn't much you can do (nevermind that the first and last impulse of every severely bipolar person on earth is to stop taking their medication).

For the crowd shouting 'Asylum!' - many asylums now force patients to take incredibly cheap, poor drugs (halidolesque crap) that effectively render them into zombies and organic waldoes because the state in question refuses to pay for effective drugs. Nobody deserves that, either.

There isn't an answer as to what should happen to Tyson, or even to what he should with himself except try to get some help. I wish him the best of luck but I don't consider my own case successful nor are the overwhelming majority of similar ones.
posted by Ryvar at 11:38 PM on May 29, 2003

Mike Tyson is a strange, brutish, fascinating character. Besides the new cyborg-like tattoo on his face, he also has tattoos of the faces of Che Guevara and Mao. What's more, the guy is in love with pigeons. I saw a bit on the Jimmy Kimmel Show (which I can't say I recommend), where Tyson gave the camera a tour of his Harlem rooftop hatching place-thing. Hundreds of magpies and pigeons that he's been caring for since he was young. Apparently he spends hours up there. I assumed it had to be fake (it was just too weird!) till I googled it and discovered it was the truth. I guess it shouldn't be surprising... this monstrous, stupid man needs to find peace somewhere.
posted by Marquis at 6:27 AM on May 30, 2003

Here's an article on Tyson's comment, via Salon.
posted by orange swan at 7:10 AM on May 30, 2003

Do you really think that the heavyweight champion of the world has to resort to raping women?

Did you think he would resort to trying to bite someone's ear off in the ring? ("But now I really do want to rape her."...yes, I can see how that was taken out of context.)

It's not that he "has to resort" to raping women. It is that, given his position, he felt he could do as he liked without repurcussion. Blame him, blame those around him, or blame an audience that gets off on the violence he's selling. But this is someone with more means than any of us to get whatever help he needs.

You wouldn't be too happy about a violent, insane person trotting around your neighborhood ready to go off at any moment (no matter how sympathetic to his condition). The only reason you would give this guy a pass is money, celebrity, and this ridiculous athlete hero-worship that time and again has found sports writers sympathetic to rapists and attacking their accusers. (And interestingly, you want it both ways--you're sure he did not rape this woman, but on the other hand you concede that he's insane, and is thus capable of it. Again, let's see you defend child molestation on the same grounds.)
posted by troybob at 8:40 AM on May 30, 2003

As far as feeling bad for him because he was exploited, poor, etc I say an asshole is an asshole is an asshole.

I'm constantly amazed at how people will oversimplify an issue, then justify it by saying "Hey, I deal with complex issues by oversimplifying them. Deal with it".
posted by jpoulos at 12:18 PM on June 1, 2003