Spitzer's Women

March 14, 2008

Crime and Punishment Department

Mark Draughn

As is often the case, a lot of women are getting hurt by the Spitzer scandal.

My wife feels particularly bad for Spitzer's wife Silda. Aside from cheating on her, Eliot Spitzer also seems to be dragging her to all his humiliating press conferences. As Maggie Gallagher puts it:

No animal would plan for its mate as exquisite a humiliation as Eliot Spitzer inflicted on his wife, Silda Wall Spitzer, Monday afternoon in broad daylight, in front of us all.

I don't have a lot of hope for the public morality. I don't suspect this is the last time a man entrusted with high office will descend into a sex scandal, or even break the law (as Eliot Spitzer did) to get what he wants...

But can we at least end this barbaric practice of dragging your wife before the cameras while you confess your shameful guilt? If she wasn't there in the hotel room when you did your crime, don't ask her to do your time.

The practice began relatively innocently as something an accused man might do when he denied the allegations . A man's wife at his side showed that she, at least, believed the guy when he said he did not do it.

It was former New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey, I believe, who began the modern practice...of parading the little wife before the cameras to hold your hand as you confess your guilt. The goal is to get the shell-shocked wife to demonstrate to the public that the offense is forgiveable. If his wife forgives him, how mad can you be?

But the practice requires a man to turn the best instinct of his wife---to unite behind the family in crisis---into an instrument of her own public humiliation.

My own sympathy for Silda Spitzer is somewhat diluted by my dislike of her husband. The man is a self-aggrandizing jerk who enjoys hurting other people to further his career. If that's the kind of guy she wanted to marry, it makes her a bit difficult to feel sorry for. On the other hand, she probably didn't see this coming.

I feel sorry for the ladies at the Emperor's Club. They thought they were going to make some money doing a disreputable job but eventually get out clean. Now, however, they'll probably all be dragged through the papers.

Spitzer's girl in Washington, "Kristen," has now been identified as Ashley Alexandra Dupré, and journalists are scouring the earth for more information about her. If you want to see what she looks like, the Smoking Gun has pictures. Apparently, she's an aspiring musician. Or at least she was. From now on, however, she'll be known as governor Spitzer's hooker.

Then again, I could be completely wrong. Maybe this isn't a devastating personal setback. Our standards of propriety for celebrities have changed. She could make a lot of money posing in Penthouse or Hustler right now, and there's probably a book deal in her future. Heck, there's probably a reality television show with Paris Hilton on Spike TV in her future if she wants it.

Her MySpace page is still up, and her song has been played by 3 million people, which is more than most musicians get. The comments she gets from her friends are almost all heartwarmingly supportive, and maybe even a little bit envious.

The mess Ashley Dupré finds herself in is the result of the choices she made, but like Mrs. Spitzer, she probably didn't see this coming.

There are three other women who didn't see this coming, Spitzer's three daughters, but unlike Silda and Ashley, they had no choice in the matter. No choice at all.

Poor girls.