At first, I thought perhaps the context of Mirren's statement would make it less nonsensical. I mean, why is Mirren even bringing up rape in an interview in the first place, much less for the second time in less than a year? I can't really imagine Julia Roberts weighing in on rape when talking to Redbook. But the context makes Mirren's statements even more damning, since she brings up rape apropos of nothing. First, Mirren claims to love women more than men, but then the reporter, a woman named Chrissy Iley, brings up the fact that in the past, Mirren has requested male interviewers instead of female ones. To that, Mirren says:

I prefer male journalists because there's a streak of female journalism - the bitches - who are mean-spirited and nasty because you are another woman and want to make you feel crap. It's very upsetting. I'm more careful when I'm being interviewed by a woman because, from experience as well as reading articles about other women, I know there is a little stiletto knife hidden behind the back.

Right after that, she launches into the part about rape cases quoted earlier. Perhaps the saddest part of all is the fact that Illey agrees with Mirren. "She's laughing as she sizes me up," Illey writes, "But she's right. On the whole, women don't like other women, because women are competitive with each other." Even more odd is that Illey spends the entire article basically drooling over Mirren's looks, describing her"simmering sexual presence" and skin-tight suit. "She’s wearing a cotton suit in milky beige and a white T-shirt. As she bends down, the skirt stretches over her bottom and thigh. Extremely tight." Then, after all that rape talk, Illey describes how Mirren aggressively flirts with her: "As I get up to go, she stops me and says, 'And thank you for the view.' I blush. I was jet-lagged, I had no clean underwear, so I’d gone without. I didn’t think she’d notice. But she did. And she laughs, the minx."

In this interview as well as the GQ piece, Mirren talks about how she has been raped before. "She has said in the past that when she was forced to have sex against her will it was the lethal result of a combination of feminism — not wanting to be a victim — and innocence — not knowing how not to be a victim," Illey writes. "She has said that it wasn’t about just saying no, because the man wouldn’t take no for an answer."

Great Britain has a pathetic record when it comes to rape prosecution  only 10% of rapes are reported and of those, only 6% get convictions  and as such, activists are furious with Mirren. Solicitor General Vera Baird tells the Daily Mail, "This is just such an ignorant thing to say, to suggest that the defence or prosecution have any involvement in the selection of a jury…It's such a shame that a person who has a high profile feels qualified and able to put forward this nonsense. It's capable of being quite dangerous because someone in that position saying that sort of thing, suggesting that she knows more than she actually does."

What remains a mystery is why Mirren continues to insert her feet firmly into her mouth. Is it because her ego is so huge she thinks she can do whatever she pleases without repercussion? Is she just projecting her own feelings of hate onto other women? Is it something deeper and more personal? Or is she just an asshole? In her interview with Illey, Mirren says, "I learn from the positive, not from the negative, but I do believe in getting on with it. Taking responsibility for yourself and not blaming other people is an incredibly important thing."

Helen Mirren: Perennial Pin-Up [Times of London]
Helen Mirren: Sexually Jealous Women Jurors Think Rape Victims Are Asking For It [Daily Mail]

Earlier: Helen Mirren on Being Raped And Why Women Should Just Learn To Work It Out
The Rape Conviction Rate In Britain Is Pathetically Low

Related: Me And My School Photo: Helen Mirren [Daily Mail]

The describes a case last year in which a 24-year-old man who was convicted of raping a 10-year-old was given only 2 years in jail because the child was "dressed provocatively." There are some British officials who are trying to stem the tide of injustice. Tory leader David Cameron called for tougher sentences for rapists and according to the BBC, Cameron said, "Studies have shown that as many as one in two young men believe there are some circumstances when it's okay to force a woman to have sex. To my mind, this is an example of moral collapse." Solicitor General Vera Baird tells the WaPo that "There will never be proper female equality and appropriate dignity afforded to one-half of the population if it's possible to rape somebody and get away with it."

But then there are jerks like MP John Redwood, who think date rape should be tried differently than stranger rape because date rape isn't really a big deal. A quarter to a third of Britons apparently agree with Redwood: according to the WaPo, they think the victim is responsible for her rape if she is drunk or wearing "sexy" clothes.

It's not as if the United States is ideal, as 13% of rapes are convicted here, but Britain's conviction record is currently a national embarrassment. There have been a few positive developments in recent months: prosecutors are now allowed to interview victims prior to the case (previously, they didn't meet until the day of the trial). But these improvements are piddling when they're taking place within a larger culture that, however quietly, condones this kind of violence against women.

In Britain, Rape Cases Seldom Result In A Conviction [Washington Post]
Cameron Urges Tougher Rape Laws [BBC]

Earlier: British Politician Says Date Rape Is No Big Whoop
In British Date Rape "Adverts", Rapist & Victim Look The Same