Impeachment: American Crime Story shows how testimonies are used to humiliate

Salon.com

This week's episode of the FX series depicted Paula Jones being asked deeply personal and embarrassing sexual questions about under deposition. "Unfortunately, the treatment of (Monica) Lewinsky, Jones, (Juanita) Broaddrick and the other women pushed to be involved in the conservative, anti-Clinton conspiracy, isn't an aberration," says Kylie Cheung. "Trials involving rape, domestic violence or sexual misconduct often unfold in a similar fashion." Cheung adds: "Impeachment, at its core, has always been a story of sex, power and politics. The invasiveness and cruelty of the legal proceedings against Jones, Lewinsky, and Broaddrick present a grim reality that speaks to why so few survivors come forward to law enforcement. This is the only path available for those who feel victimized in the legal system: one in which the alleged victims have everything to lose and almost nothing to gain from coming forward — especially if the person they're accusing of abuse or harassment is someone like the president of the United States, with the power and resources to dig deep into their pasts and ruin their names forever." ALSO: How Impeachment showrunner Sarah Burgess and Sarah Paulson managed to unlock the "unanswerable question" about Linda Tripp.