Test yourself. Listen to Michael Beakhouse’s radio drama “Tulips” to find out how many stereotypes about DV have taken up residence in your head. You probably won’t figure out the plot right away–how can you? Even those enlightened to the fact that half of all victims of DV are male, and slightly more than half of all abusers are female will nevertheless struggle to perceive the full story being presented in this radio drama. However, when writer/director Beakhouse is ready, he helps you shed your blinders so that you can see it all.
The narrative voice, Christine, struggles to help not one but two battered men. Frustrated that women-only programs turn men away, Christine is determined to assist them and worried about getting it right.
One of the men, Jason, is a rough character. He asks Alex a series of unvarnished questions which, taken together, elicit descriptions of the guilt, manipulation, and temporary kindness used by Scarlet to control her victim. Jason has a knack for saying Alex’s excuses even as Alex himself is speaking them, e.g., She should be given another chance… underneath it all she has a good heart… she understands me… if I don’t help her she will kill herself…
Jason helps Alex get to the place where he sends a goodbye letter to Scarlet. A few days later Alex agrees to meet Scarlet in a public place, to have closure. When they meet Scarlett goes through a repertoire of manipulations meant to change Alex’s mind. Whether he does and what happens next is something you must find out for yourself.
“Tulips” (89 minutes) is available without cost through 21 distributors:
- Soundcloud
- AllTop
- Amazon Music Podcasts
- Anchor
- Apple Podcasts
- Blubrry
- Breaker
- Castbox
- Deezer
- Digital Podcast
- Google Podcasts
- JioSaavn
- Pocket Casts
- Podcast Addict
- Podchaser
- Radio Public
- Spotify
- Spreaker
- Stitcher
- TuneIn
- Youtube
Eric Nelson, Ph.D., is the author of “The Judicial War On Men”, “Toxic Feminism”, and “Recovering From Toxic Masculinity Training” (https://www.aeqpub.com).
