There are other national cases with the lure of sex, violence and race. This would not compare in media coverage to the O J Simpson spectacle. Perhaps it brings national attention because it is not so Hollywood as that one was. A new element this time seems to be the specter of privilege and lack thereof. Or could it be because black woman against white men is a new form in the South?
I look at the extreme interest in the case to be the age-old battle of the sexes. Lisa brought out an important consideration. Androgyny is quite as much to be reckoned with as misogyny. I notice that young men nowadays have a lot to understand about their female associates. There must be a group of teen boys who have a hard time when teen girls range from demure to demanding.
Where does the joking end and crudities begin? Speech can be so strident these days. And actions follow suit. As for the political operatives, once an incident gets to court, we recognize that all sides are swayed by community pressures.
I thought the Duke case seemed a small metaphor of the serious national matter of dismissed US Attorneys.
See if you can hear what Senator Leahy said about the White House's veracity. Not so sexy, perhaps, but if Heather Wilson has to go before a judge, some reporter will make it seem so.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/041207A.shtml