However, being that Lyle and Erik Menéndez are males, they once stood in line to receive the prospective rewards in a patriarchal society, like power, respect, and the benefit of the doubt. In general, when men speak, they are listened to and expected to. But in their first trial, none of the male jurors who voted against acquitting them extended this privilege. The Menendez brothers are kept from the fold with the necessary lack of maternal instinct within the jury (if I may borrow a phrase from one female juror) to sympathize.
Performance and perception
It all comes back to societal expectations and performance. Leslie, on the other hand, must be on point to embody her gender role, raising many questions related to how women have to perform in order to gain credibility. Judalon Skinny feels the same weight of scrutiny as she is all but desperate to be considered ‘seen/acknowledged’ in circles like Vanity Fair.
The Dominick Dunne Angle
Dominick Dunne uses his dinner parties to push forward his brand of justice that is always a mixture of some careful intellectual comment and a desire to place blame. And while he does extend that apology to Leslie about the brothers, he then lets loose the biases that exist within him, any person who does not deserve sympathy, a monstrous society often grows from pathological doubters and dismissers. His contempt for the women involved, and the negative references to Erik’s sexuality further emphasize the toxic environment consuming the case.
Their Final Chapter
The Menéndez brothers left the public eye and their funds are dwindling. Wealth, favor, and time have all really run out, leaving them exposed. In the final analysis, although there may be a sign affixed that says “MEN’S CLUB,” access remains somewhat gated, reinforcing the history that tells us – monstering looms not just from the shadows but within our societal structures themselves.
The die of their situation continues to be cast in the production of lives that are caught up in the storylines spun by the monsters that are the prejudice and misogyny we face every day.