I have to weigh in here.. bbm - I think there's a larger societal problem at play where it's very, very difficult for us as a society to accept men as potential victims on any level. This starts from a young age with little boys who are often taught to be tough and instead are programmed not to ever show weakness or vulnerability.
The idea that a grown man could possibly be a victim of any kind of abuse at the hands of a woman is not something we are comfortable with, accept, or understand.
IMO this is quite universal, and the cycle is very dangerous. There is stigma and shame for boys and men in coming forward and admitting fear, asking for help, etc. It stays quiet and we don't know it's real so we continue to deny its real. Whether its silent, veiled threats or stalking or physical abuse -- men can be victims as much as women can be. But if heaven forbid they end up murdered, the woman pretty much has a guarenteed automatic excuse that she herself was being abused by the man, and our culture is prone to give her the benefit of the doubt, assuming the man must have been somehow contributing to the problem.
In no way am I suggesting that Travis wasn't enjoying himself. He was honest with himself and with others. The defense is saying he was a hypocritical phony Mormon man portraying himself to be virtuous while living a sinful existence with Jodi. However I think he made it very clear to JA and everyone else what their "relationship" was and what it was not. Travis was clear and Jodi was clear and that was the problem. Travis wasn't conflicted.
He was inexperienced sexually, she seemingly was not and she was probably a "good time"... he had a good time with her. He knew and made it apparent she was NOT marriage material. He wanted more out of a partner in life and wanted to pursue bigger, better things.
As a normal 30-year old man, he probably couldn't have expected this crazy you-know-what who was stalking him and became obsessed to escalate. Frankly, I don't know how many men would recognize the signs of a truly dangerous woman and would know how to properly react in an appropriate reaction. I'm sure Travis NEVER thought the girl who slashed his tires would end up slaughtering him. Just because she didn't leave him bruised and battered doesn't mean she did damage to him.
One more thing - psychopaths of either gender are incredibly calculating and deceptive. Even trained professionals who specialize in psychopathy can have difficulty recognizing a dangerous psychopath behind their charm and manipulation. So to say that Travis must have been on an ego trip, stupid, or wanting sex actually fits perfectly with JA being a psychopath as they know what their victim is vulnerable to and they exploit that to the max and then go in for the kill (literally, in this case), finally disposing of the person who is no longer of use to them.
That's about all. I've lost my train of thought!
