Rape Culture Is: Know It When You See It

Introduction

• Authors: Julia Kacmarek and Elizabeth Geffre
• Published: June 1, 2013, Updated December 6, 2017
• Platform: HuffPost Contributor
• Focus: Understanding and identifying rape culture in modern society.

Understanding Rape Culture

• Definition Ambiguity: Lacks a single, clear definition; comparable to the concept of obscenity: "know it when you see it."
• Prevalence: Seen in advertising, movies, music videos, social media.
  • Men dominating women portrayed as normal.

Everyday Language and Rape Culture

• Language: Phrases like "I raped that test" trivialize serious issues.
• Online Jokes: Memes and jokes online that make light of rape situations, e.g., "rape sloth."

Media Representation

• Movies: Films like "American Pie," "Euro Trip," and "Superbad" normalize and trivialize getting women drunk to have sex.

Defining Rape Culture

• Becky Lockwood's Insight:
  • Culture shifts sex from intimacy to possession.
  • Objectifies sex, detaching it from emotional experience.
• Lynn Phillips' Definition:
  • Normalizes, trivializes, and eroticizes male violence.
  • Blames victims, condones abuse.

College Perception and Rape Culture

• College students often confuse the definition with rape itself, not understanding its broader implications.
• Angie Epifano's Experience: Highlights the silence of survivors due to societal stigma.

Political Implications

• Todd Akin (2012): Claimed women's bodies "shut down" during a "legitimate" rape.
• Richard Mourdock: Suggested rape resulting in pregnancy was "intended by God."

Efforts to End Rape Culture

• "Boys will be boys": Societal acceptance of male rowdiness undermines responsibility.
• Education: Start teaching healthy relationships from an early age.
  • Address bullying, which often relates to not fitting gender norms.
  • Gendered bullying: "slut-shaming" for girls, "wuss-shaming" for boys.

Conclusion

• Rape culture is pervasive in various societal aspects.
• Key to tackling the issue is education and changing societal norms and attitudes towards gender and violence.