Matthew Rozsa discusses how an off-hand observation during a speech illustrated an important point about rape culture.
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Every so often, a single experience will instantaneously illuminate an aspect of the human condition to a person who had previously failed to viscerally grasp it. Such was the case for me earlier this month, when I joined Professor James Peterson in a round-table discussion with Lehigh University students and faculty about how to get published as an op-ed columnist.
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When one of the attendees asked us to elaborate on the type of negative feedback one can anticipate upon being published, I remarked that it often depends on the demographic profile of the author in question. “Figure out what aspects of your racial, religious, or sexual identity are most likely to be attacked, and then assume that a bunch of trolls are going to make the most vulgar comments they can think of based on them,” I pointed out.
Figure out what aspects of your racial, religious, or sexual identity are most likely to be attacked, and then assume that a bunch of trolls are going to make the most vulgar comments they can think of based on them.
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“Can you give a specific example?” asked one student.
After taking a moment to think about it, I replied, “Well, as those of you who followed Gamergate last year have already seen, female writers frequently receive rape threats. Many of the women I personally know in the industry get rape threats all the time, even when they’re not writing about video games or gender-related topics. As a man who has never gotten a rape threat …”
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Although I hadn’t intended to say anything humorous, I had inadvertently caught a glimpse of a deep gender bias in our culture, one that equally disadvantages men and women.
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Before I could finish that thought, a chuckle rippled throughout the room. Although I hadn’t intended to say anything humorous, I had inadvertently caught a glimpse of a deep gender bias in our culture, one that equally disadvantages men and women. To wit:
—For women: Although I am certain the audience members did not intend for their mildly jocular response to be interpreted this way, the reality is that they laughed because our society has normalized certain horrifying assumptions about women being raped. When the term “rape culture” is used, it is because of occasions like this, wherein the concept of a woman being raped is easy to understand but the notion of a man having the same experience is literally scoffed at. It also goes a long way toward explaining why rape threats are such a common default response for Internet commenters—even though most polite society distances itself from such rhetoric, on a primal level we still haven’t shaken the inner bigot that still deems them acceptable.
—For men: According to a study in 2008, over 200,000 prison inmates have been victimized by sexual assault during their time beyond bars; by comparison, there were over 90,000 reported case of rape outside of prison that same year. Considering that the majority of those prison rape victims were men, it stands to reason that rape is hardly an exclusively female problem in our society. Acknowledging this reality does not diminish the problem of rape culture or culturally-ingrained misogyny, but instead isolates rape as an act of barbarism that should never be normalized, regardless of the gender of its victim.
When I pointed out to the audience that their laughter reflected the pervasiveness of rape culture, most of them nodded in agreement. After all they, like me, were leftist academics, and as such generally sympathetic to the tenets of Third Wave feminism.
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Indeed, this incident reinforced why it is so important for the West to have a robust feminist movement at this point in our history. For all of the progress that has been made in women’s rights over the past century, there are still plenty of embedded cultural assumptions that teach us dangerous, even dehumanizing lessons about the kinds of experiences that should be considered normal for women versus those anticipated for men. When feminists speak of a patriarchy, this is why. While I’ve always understood that intellectually, for a brief moment, the harsh real-world reality stared right into my face.
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When I pointed out to the audience that their laughter reflected the pervasiveness of rape culture, most of them nodded in agreement. After all they, like me, were leftist academics, and as such generally sympathetic to the tenets of Third Wave feminism. ♦◊♦ Indeed, this incident reinforced why it is so important for the West to have a robust feminist movement at this point in our history. For all of the progress that has been made in women’s rights over the past century, there are still plenty of embedded cultural assumptions that teach us dangerous, even dehumanizing lessons about the… Read more »
@ Danny “I find it interesting that despite there being several people in the room that laughed at that point who identify with feminism, instead of acknowledging that you were wrong to laugh you seem to just push that “more feminism” line that is so common.” I agree with you, but I disagree with the author too. I agree with you because they believed it to be a sign of rape culture. I disagree with the author because I don’t think they were laughing because they thought rape was funny or “deserved” (ie rape culture). I think they were laughing… Read more »
Well I guess you could say it is rape culture that influenced them to laugh away their discomfort rather than acknowledging it and facing it. Rather than realize they have a fucked up outlook on such a scenario they would rather laugh and then chant that they are right and that their brand of right needs to be spread across the land.
Yeah, it’s a bit like that “what we really need here is MORE guns!” line you hear after a shooting spree.
The dude was laughing at your mention of Gamergate and using it to make a point about rape threats. I know because I had the same reaction.
Mathew, I appreciate your efforts in trying to be even-handed. I think that may actually be an illustration of progress in the discussion of rape. I will take issue though with this concept of rape culture. The example you provided, rape threats over the internet is NOT an example of rape culture. Allow me to explain. If we start from the definition that rape culture are these societal norms / beliefs that normalize rape, the example you provided does not hide her victimization. In fact, the troll knows that rape is a bad thing to happen and wrong and that… Read more »
Matthew
What is it about prisons in the US that cause all this rape?
I have never heard about any other country with prison rape statistics like those in USA.
And I wonder why?
Why do inmates in US rape each other more than men say Europe,or Scandinavia?
I believe if you watch a few documentaries about life in US prisons (there’s a lot on Youtube), wou will immediately know why. They appear to be basically hellholes. Overcrowded, inhumanly austere, dominated by violent gangs strictly divided along ethnic lines, high numbers of untreated mental illness. What I have seen of prisons in my own area, they seem to be so much more … gentle. And of course the terms are much shorter.
Silke,
I guess that criminal “culture” both inside prisons and the outside society is based largely on power and supremacy (over others). But perhaps this culture is less sexualized in Scandinavia compared to some other areas in the word, or at least have been.
Or, maybe it’s there but we just haven’t looked into it all that much?
You hit the nail on the head. If you notice, some references have been made as to “sexualization” which is interesting in that if you look at female rape, it’s seldom about “sex” but more that of control.
Rape is w tool that’s used to control inmates, it’s that simple.
@ Silke “Why do inmates in US rape each other more than men say Europe,or Scandinavia?” Do you really know what the numbers are in Europe,or Scandinavia or is it like male rape about 20 years ago where it was never looked into. There are a lot of misconceptions in your statement. In the U.S. there have actually been studies looking at the incidence of prison rape (a requirement under PREA, The Prison Rape Elimination Act) and many people are still coming to terms (or sometimes in flat out denial) with the results not matching the societal narrative. First, staff… Read more »
John Anderson
You are right,I have not read research and studies done on this issue in Europe or Scandinavia.
But I will be surprised if prisons in my country has rape on the scale you have in US. I am Norwegian and facts like that is not likely to be totally hidden from the public,
I will try to see if I can find studies about this .
Male victims of rape are the ones who get laughed at when they get raped by females. If YOU laughed then YOU’RE the one with the problem, not society.