Examining the Public's Reaction to Judy Viger's Crime

In late February, Judy Viger, 33, ordered two strippers to perform for her son’s 16^th birthday party at the Spare Time Bowling Center in South Glen Falls, NY.  Some of the party goers were as young as 13.  The dancers gave lap dances, and although they were not completely naked, they were clad in thongs and bras.  Viger was arrested and is being charged with child endangerment.

People did not file complaints until racy photos were uploaded on the internet.  The photos depicted a stripper doing a 69 position-type lap dance on a minor.  The dancers allegedly did not know the boys were underage, however their managers should have known the age of their customers.  Another disturbing picture found in the Smosh.com article shows a semi-nude woman pole dancing in the presence of toddlers.  I learned that this picture was not taken from Viger’s party, yet where ever it occurred, that woman was wrong and should be arrested.  If a woman wants to be an exotic dancer, she should at least dance for adults, not babies!

Viger’s corruption of her underage son was very low, and so were the predominantly positive reactions from the internet which favored the mother and her actions.  Looking through the comment sections of six websites, I accounted the reactions into the following table.  Positive indicates that the commenter sympathizes with Viger’s crime, encourages it, disagrees that it was a crime, or finds amusement in the incident.  Negative means that the commenter protests Viger’s actions as criminal, inappropriate, immoral, or bad parenting.  Middle signifies indifference or sees the incident as both good and bad; a shade of gray.  Unclear statements are indeterminate of which stance the commenter is taking, or the comment was unrelated to the article.  In the Weekly Vice comment section, two users knew Judy Viger personally.  They denounced her actions and relayed past information unrelated to her present crime.  Since they hated her, I marked them as unclear, due to bias.  They may condemn her because they already hate her.  However, if the perpetrator were a stranger, their judgment may differ, even slightly.  All other users could make an objective reaction to her crime, and no repeat comments were included in the data.

Table 1

This table shows the percentages of users who were for and against Viger’s crime, also including those who were in the middle.  Positive favors the perpetrator, and negative is against the illegal actions.  Values were derived from the respective values from Table 1 divided by the Total Minus Unclear column.

Table 2

Positive Comments

There were reoccurring themes in the comments favoring Ms. Viger:  Amusement, Agreement/Encouragement, Undermining the crime, Distortion through comparison, Asserting sexual culture, Tax money, and Sexual orientation politics.  Please note that all quotes’ user names are omitted and typos are included.  They are cited by resource only.  I had to abbreviate some of the comments, because this entry is so long.  If you want a full comment, let me know.

Amusement

Numerous people found humor in this birthday party idea.  Moreover they expressed sarcasm, downplaying any harm done.

“oh noez.. (mostly covered) bewbs.. Call tha kops.” – Huff Post

"Endangering the welfare of a child" The stripper was hanging upside down off of one of the teens, and caused a slipped disk in his vertebrae?” – Huff Post

“Where do I sign the adoption papers? I want to be this woman's son! Can I call you “Mommy?” – Daily Mail

Agreement and Encouragement

Users repeatedly cheered with comments saying, “Coolest mom ever!” and “Best mom ever!”  These one liners were too many to count.  People cyber-cheered, “Give her a medal!” – Huff Post; “Oh man, just look at that lucky boy between the legs XD” – The Weekly Vice.

Three people on Smosh.com wanted strippers at their parties.  The youths were not alone.  On other websites, grown adults (most likely) wished they were there, or wished they had a mother like that promising good academic behavior past or present.

“My 16th birthday is actually next week, hope my mother does the same thing. :)” –Smosh.com

“I wish I was invited. These complainers need a life. The kunt that called the cops will call a lawyer next so she can cash in.” – The Weekly Vice

“She looks like a stripper/dancer herself I'll give her $10 for a lapdance! BTW If my mom would have hired a stripper for MY 16th BD in 1974 she'd STILL be my uber hero today!” – Huff Post

“Damn if I had a mom like that growing up I would had made sure I kept getting only A's in every class.” – NY Daily News

“Future strip club patrons in training! Mom better save up, 18th birthday is now less than two years away. How do you top this!” – Daily Mail

A few commentators were down right creepy.  A few not only agreed with the crime, but thought the mother should have incestuously performed for her son.  “Why didn't mom do it, she looks like she got her look together?” – NY Daily News

Another person suggested a way to get away with it.  “If she wanted to gift her son a lap dance, she should have hired them for a private party, meaning, her son, her and no one else.” – NY Daily News (abbreviated. for length)

Undermining the Crime

Some commentators did not believe that any crime occurred, or do not know laws against corrupting minors.

“If there was no nudity whats wrong” – CBS

“I'm curious exactly what the 'crime' involved here is. Is there actually a law on the books against youngsters seeing a woman nude, or a 'legal age' for getting a 'lap dance'?” - NY Daily News (abbreviated for length)

“How about if this were a beach or poolside party with scantily clad girls, all minors? Sorry, but if I were on the jury I wouldn't see a case for child endangerment; just poor judgement and an immature mother. What's the danger - that this mother might make a man of her own son? ROFLMAO!! If there was alcohol served, then fine. Punish her for that. At least they were chaperoned.” – Daily Mail

Really?  You want your kid to be around scantily clad female strangers at a pool?  Plus chaperones are not allowed at strip clubs, why should chaperoning matter in this case?  That just means the parent is witnessing her son’s sexual experience.

Distortion through comparison

Users were comparing the crime to other issues, such as guns, violent video games, and horror movies.  Basically what they mean is, sexuality in youth is not as bad as some other problem in society.  Really, it is attempting to excuse sexual corruption of minors.

“So.........i could buy a machine gun for my son but i cant buy him dancers to dance on a pole then go home.........society......... society......what is wrong with you.” – Huff Post

“……What would be worse, watching a couple of strippers dancing partially nude or a marathon os "Saw" films where people are beheaded, tortured and eviscerated?” -

Huff Post  (abbreviated getting to the point.)

“Hell, the video games these teens play show more nudity than bowling alley "strippers". Lighten up!” – CBS

Asserting Sexual Culture

Sex is ubiquitous in American and European culture.  Children are learning earlier about sex, and storks are a ludicrous myth.  Turn on the TV, flip through the channels, and you will likely find something sexual.  Women’s magazines are covered with sexualized headlines.  Porn is common enough to have a Broadway song about it.  In the age of the internet, information is a click away, and sexual content is no exception.

Just because sexual information and experiences are easily accessible does not mean it is alright for a parent to provide their child with the sexual experiences.  The following comments show what some people think is acceptable.  Some male commentators see restricting laws as emasculating to our culture, hence the term, “sisification.”  Others speak out against prudes who do not sympathize with their looser lifestyles.

“Oh for crying out loud. He's 16. You don't think he's already seen 100 times worse on the internet or at the movies. loosen up people” – CBS

“16--old enough to handle a mild lap dance---loosen up--take off the puritan hats and enjoy the good stuff” – NY Daily News

“Prudes. Get a life.” – The Weekly Vice

“This is just more sisification of the American male in order to achieve gender equalization. An older woman with a younger man was not considered a dangerous crime when I was a kid.” – Huff Post

“watever man this society is turning everyone into a bunch of pussies.” – The Weekly Vice

Sexual Orientation Politics

Due to the ongoing issue of gay rights, some users brought up sexual orientation.  Some feel disciminated as if homosexuals are more privileged and would not be targeted for a similar crime.  Another person intentionally supported Viger possibly because s/he hates gay rights.

“Had he come out, we should encourage the kid. But hetero fun, is wrong now?” – Daily Mail

“Anything that promotes heterosexuality these days I support.” – Daily Mail

Tax Money Issues

A handful of users undermined the crime while mentioning that tax money should be contributed to catching people for “real crimes.”

“Drop the charges and stop wasting tax payers time and money !” – NY Daily News

This quote is a combination of Undermining the crime, tax issues, sexual culture, and gay rights issues:

“My two cents. Son 16, according to the story. There were other adults there. The boys mother was there. The boys mother hired the strippers.
Under an adult parents supervision this was allowed to happen. No laws were broken. Taking your 16 year old son to R rated movie these days is an adventure into graphic sex and violence. Some parents take their teenagers to NC17 movie theaters. Bad parenting? Yes. Arrest? No. Waste of taxpayers money. I am sure if the boy said he was gay and the mother hired 2 male strippers there would be protesters and signs picketing the police station and the bowling alley from the gay communities outrage.” - CBS

This is not an issue of sexual orientation.  This is an issue of age.  If the boy were gay with Chippendales, the mother would still be arrested.  If LGBT members protested, they would look like pedophile advocates, and gay men have been trying to break that misconception for decades.

Negative Comments

The patterns in the negative comments were simpler.  People protested the crime itself or denounced its grotesqueness as trashy and inappropriate.  Multiple users brought up parenting issues.  Two comments mentioned, this is the problem with “Kids having kids,” since Viger was a teenage mom.  People said women are more than just “sex objects,” supporting gender equality.  A few noticed the cross around the boy’s neck in the beach picture and pointed out his religious hypocrisy.

“She's an unfit and ignorant mother who needs to be charged and fined.” – CBS

“This woman is just another form of white trash. You think the young boys at this party will ever respect women for more than just sex objects?” – CBS

“What get me the most was there was 80 PEOPLE not just kids, and not one of those people tryed to stop this. I think anyone over the age of 18 should be in court with her for not stopping it.” – NY Daily News

“1 year isn't enough for that ignorant woman. And that stripping company should be put out of business! They had to know that they were minors!” – NY Daily News

“And good parenting would be when you tell your child "I'm not your friend, I'm your parent!"- Kid's probably going to end up a dirtbag. Nice role model, mom.” – Daily Mail

“I don't think my kids are little angels (their far from it) but I'll be damned if some "cool" parent is going to satisfy their "yearnings". – The Weekly Vice

Middle

A few had both negative and positive feelings about this incident, while others were indifferent.  Indifference was most expressed by attitudes saying, “It’s not my kid – not my business.”  Others say the boy must be happy but the mother was being stupid.  On Smosh’s Facebook page, users commented, “Epic win for the son.  Epic Fail for parenting.”  That post was removed.  That site showed a younger people’s reactions whereas the other five websites were marketed for older age groups, thus adding variety to the data.  From the other sites, commented prefaced with “I would not choose this for my child, but, (insert condoning statement).”  There was a long comment that shifted blame from the parent to the business that should have known the age of the clients.  This comment is the middle of the shades of gray; a fusion of disgust and indifference:

“Tacky, poor taste, inappropriate, stupid? Yes. ENDANGERING THE WELFARE OF A CHILD? No.”  Daily Mail.

Bottom Line

Due to the predominance of positive comments favoring her illegal actions, it is more than likely that similar parties and events are continuing to happen.  Parental support of these actions is possible to be repeated just like in Viger’s case, since her crime is sociologically supported.  The real harm is that an adult is providing an underage boy with sexual entertainment.  Worse is that society supports this.  In the future, there may be more cases of pedophilia, due to a reduced sense of discretion among certain groups of people regarding sexual conduct.

©2013 Caroline Friehs
Originally posted: March 27, 2013
Last updated upon blog renovation completion.

References:

Associated Press (2013 Feb 19).  Cops:  Mom Hires Strippers For Teen’s Birthday.  ABC7.  Retrieved from:  http://abc7ny.com/archive/8997895/

Associated Press (2013 Feb. 19).  Judy Viger, New York Mother, Arrested For Buying Strippers For Underage Son’s Birthday Party.  Huff Post – Crime.  Retrieved:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/19/judy-viger-new-york-mother-arrested-buying-strippers-sons-16th-birthday_n_2718279.html

Crimesider Staff (2013 Feb. 19).  Judy Viger, NY mom, hired strippers for son’s16th birthday party, police say.  CBS News.  Retrieved from:  http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57570091-504083/judy-viger-ny-mom-hired-strippers-for-sons-16th-birthday-party-police-say/

Ratliff, J (2013 Feb 20).  Judy Viger arrested:  Cops say mom hired strippers for 16-year-old’s birthday party.  WPTV – West Palm Beach.  Retrieved from:  http://www.wptv.com/news/local-news/water-cooler/judy-viger-arrested-cops-say-mom-hired-strippers-for-16-year-olds-birthday-party

Sources used exclusively for comment data collection:

Dominiquez, D (2013 February).  Mom Gets Son Strippers For His 16^th Birthday.”  Smosh.com.  Retrieved from:  http://www.smosh.com/smosh-pit/articles/mom-gets-son-strippers-his-16th-birthday

Knowles, D (2013 Feb. 19).  New York mom charged with child endangerment after hiring strippers to perform lap dances at her 16-year-old son’s birthday party, police say.  NY Daily News.  Retrieved from:  http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/cops-mom-hired-strippers-son-16th-article-1.1268136

Satherley, J (2013 Feb. 19).  Mother who hired strippers for her son’s 16^th birthday party is arrested and faces up to a year in prison for endangering the child’s welfare.  Daily Mail.  Retrieved from:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2281324/Judy-H-Vigor-arrested-hiring-strippers-sons-16th-birthday-party.html

The Weekly Vice (2013 Feb. 19).  Judy Viger – Jailed After Hiring Strippers For 16-year-old Son’s Birthday Party.  The Weekly Vice.com  Retrieved from:  http://www.theweeklyvice.com/2013/02/judy-viger-jailed-after-hiring.html