STEWART'S PLIGHT ENTHRALLS FANS, FOES.

Byline: Susan Palmer The Register-Guard

When it comes to Martha Stewart, there's no neutral zone. You love her or you hate her.

Mary Hargett of Junction City, a fan of Stewart's products, television programs and magazine, was shocked recently when she visited an Internet chat room to see what people were saying about the stock scandal and trial of the self-made maven of gracious living.

"There was one man, he was adamant. He just wanted to hang her," Hargett said.

A federal jury began deliberations Wednesday in the case against Stewart, but the verdict probably won't change minds already made up about the celebrity trend setter.

Thousands of women have rallied to Stewart's defense at Web sites such as SaveMartha.com, which has logged more than 20 million visits since it went online in July 2002. Their consensus appears to be that prosecutors have unfairly targeted Stewart for reasons that have little to do with her alleged crimes.

That's a common theme among supporters. "She's female, she's smart and she built an empire from very little," said Beth Welder, a Eugene speech and hearing therapist. "She's a scapegoat, but there's so much worse happening in the stock market."

Hargett, a homemaker, feels a mix of emotions. "I love her stuff and I don't want to see her go to jail," she said. "It's hard to imagine her being in prison."

On the other hand, Hargett saw the TV biopic of Stewart's life last year and acknowledges that the corporate bigwig may not be the kind of person you'd want for your best friend.

Piece together the details - Stewart's phenomenal success, her gender, her troublesome personality and the relatively little she stood to gain in a stock sale that saved her $45,000 - and some women start seeing a pattern of persecution. Stewart faces charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and lying to investigators about a stock sale.

There may well be a hint of gender double-standard behind the trial coverage, said Tim Gleason, dean of the School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon.

"Powerful women get viewed differently than powerful men," Gleason said, and cited the case of billionaire hotel owner Leona Helmsley - known as "the Queen of Mean" - who was convicted of tax evasion in 1989.

Helmsley got almost as much press for being nasty as she did for her crimes. A Newsweek cover story on her that year ran the headline: "Rhymes with rich."

But a kind of social voyeurism that knows no gender boundaries also comes into play when celebrities get caught in criminal acts, Gleason said.

And that's how Eugene resident Diane Mecartea sees the furor surrounding Stewart.

"We like to see that fall from grace," said Mecartea, a utility customer service representative. That's why stories about basketball player Kobe Bryant, who faces rape charges, and Rush Limbaugh, who admitted abusing prescription painkillers, have such staying power, she said.

In comparison, Stewart's alleged misdeeds seem like small potatoes, especially since the judge dismissed the most serious charge, that Stewart engaged in securities fraud, Mecartea said.

"Lots of people have done a lot worse things than Martha Stewart," she said.

Federal charges aside, Stewart may just be a victim of her own peculiar success, Gleason said.

Having made a fortune creating a lifestyle and a particular image, she also has spawned a vigorous subindustry devoted to parodying her, Gleason said.

"She was already fair game," he said.

Will a conviction spell the demise of the Stewart empire?

Hargett doesn't think so. Stewart seems more guilty of bad judgment than of criminal wrongdoing, which doesn't necessarily excuse her, but makes it tough for fans to reject the products, craft ideas and recipes that have been her hallmark.

"I ordered her catalog and I still watch her show," Hargett said.

MARTHA CHATTER

Several Web sites let fans and foes express themselves

Fans: www.savemartha.com and www.marthatalks.com

Humor: www.mrsmegabyte.com/links.html for links to several sites parodying Stewart

Alter ego: What if Stewart were a Goth? Explore the notion at www.toreadors.com/martha/