Pop Culture: An Analysis Of Rape Culture

Many individuals might wonder, what is rape culture? “Rape Culture is an environment in which rape is prevalent and in which sexual violence against women is normalized and excused in the media and popular culture. Rape culture is perpetuated through the use of misogynistic language, the objectification of women’s bodies, and the glamorization of sexual violence, thereby creating a society that disregards women’s rights and safety.” Most women limit their behavior because of the existence of rape. (Marshall University)

However, I am privy to the fact that the U.S ranks amongst the highest in the number of female rapes. It seems that the US is at war with itself. Here in the U.S individuals rape others for their own personal gain rather than a war tactic. Rape in the U.S is created by our rape culture instead of being a weapon of war. Rape culture is all around us. There is a sort of "tolerance" for rape that has been normalized in society. This is not acceptable. Our rape culture takes form in many ways. One being victims seem to always get the finger pointed at them when they gather the courage to report it. Personally speaking, I was taught if I do not want to be raped then I should not wear certain outfits, drink alone, leave my drink unattended, I also should not walk alone at night, and the list goes on. And if I were to be raped, I should be prepared to be bombarded with questions that paint me as partially responsible for getting raped, which in turn, takes some of the blame off of the assailant. This is not right, however, it is justified due to our rape

In the documentary, The Hunting Ground, there is an exploration of rape on campuses throughout America. According to the film, more than 16 percent of college women are sexually assaulted while in college (Dick, “The Hunting Ground”). Interestingly, the woman actually ended up complaining of two traumas: the first being the actual rape, and the second being the method in which the Universities decided to handle the complaints. Within the documentary, the numerous women that were interviewed complained vehemently that instead of pursuing the predator that raped the victims, the victims were blamed and silenced. The women were asked whether they were drinking alcohol, what they were wearing, if they said no, and if they

In “Tell Me There’s No Rape Culture”, published in the Huffington Post in October of 2016, Ali Owens explains the inconsistent theories on how a woman can prevent getting raped to showcase the fact that the underlying problem is that women are being blamed for the rape. The author states that the problem with society is that women are being shamed and silenced by individuals who do not believe in rape culture. Victims are trapped in a lose-lose situation. Women who come forward are asked about how they got into the situation. Why was she walking alone at night? Why didn’t she fight harder? Was she giving off mixed signals? Instead of prosecuting the rapist, more time is spent

(US Department of Justice- Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2014). While the numbers are startling, what is most alarming, is that it took eighty years for the government to change a definition that was wrong from the beginning. Moreover, this attitude of ignorance and apathy towards rape victims has trickled down and can be seen in the attitudes of the American population. While many feminists have suggested that rape is a tool used by a patriarchal society to maintain a status quo, and rape myths are tools used to justify this violence against women, what I believe is that rape myths are more pervasive than this explanation. Rape myths and their acceptance is in fact a part of the status quo, determined by the gender role construct reflected in current American society, Without a radical change in views towards gender roles rape myths will continue to be widely accepted, and victims will

America has a proud history of being a country that has many different ethnicities and cultures living within its borders. But one of the most prevalent cultures is one that transcends race or country of origin, rape culture. The term used by modern day feminist and gender activist defines a culture which normalizes rape and sexual assaults because of the deeply rooted societal attitudes towards gender and sexuality. In a rape culture the instances of rape are accepted as everyday occurrences and even as the prerogative of men, resulting in the stigmatization and blame placing of rape victims. Although the phrase “rape culture” is relatively modern, the

The term ‘rape culture’ was coined by feminists in the United States in 1970. The term itself was designed to illustrate the ways in which society blamed victims of sexual assault, and how the normalization of male sexual violence was acceptable. Rape culture can stem from the acceptance of rape as a daily occurrence, manifested as a male prerogative. There is a hesitation by the authorities to go against the patriarchal cultural norms, hence linking nonconsensual sex to the cultural disposition of society. The patriarchal perspective of rape culture, embedded with gender inequality and misogyny are passed through generations which ultimately leads to the extensive institutional and social acceptance of rape. Actions which advocate sexist ideals are utilized to justify and validate normative misogynistic perceptions. Rape culture sexualizes violence inflicted upon women, as it serves as a continuum of a society which views a women’s body to be sexually available by default, deriving from the overall domination and objectification of a female. The underlying cause of rape culture is localized as it based upon the social aspects of culture. For example, countries with a prolific ‘war culture’ tend to emphasize violence and masculinity, and therefore rape is viewed as a normal facet of society. I intend to parallel the element of rape culture to the enforcement of social rules and the conditioning of gender roles. I plan on analyzing the notion that within the encompassment of

In the United States individuals of both genders are being sexually violated, yet way too often their offenders often get off scot free or with very little punishment. Rape culture exists because we don't believe it does. The first step to ending such culture is to name the real problem, which is victim-blaming. We treat victims like they’re responsible, which would be obscenely different for any other criminal charge. When a sexual assault is reported on the news the first questions the media asks are about the victim’s sobriety, clothes, or sexuality. The right question is, “What made the attacker think this was acceptable?” Changing a mind set that has been engraved in us for centuries is going to be strenous, yet not impossible. It starts

Fitzgerald and Lonsway define myths of rape as “false but persistent beliefs and stereotypes regarding forced sexual intercourse and the victims and perpetrators of such acts” (Kahlor). These rape myths include opinions that women who act or dress offensively are asking to be raped, or women who claim to have been raped when they later regretted having consensual sex. While it may be a common myth that some women lie about being sexually assaulted, “the fact is that only 2% of rape reports prove to be intentionally reported falsely” (Bohmer). An additional flagrant myth about rape is that no actually means yes, and that being raped is what some women secretly want. Although there a many myths about rape that are related to the rape victim and what she was doing and wearing, there are many myths about rape that define the rapist and create false images on what people actually commit rape crimes. An example of one of those myths is that “rapists are sex-starved, insane, or both” and that the action of rape is strictly a passion crime (Iconis). These assertions provide many

“Rape Culture is an environment in which rape is prevalent and in which sexual violence against women is normalized and excused in the media and popular culture” (1a) Today you can't turn the television on without hearing references to rape culture. Jokes about sexual abuse plague every sitcom and news channels question rape victim’s every move. Even entire shows are dedicated to the topic such as Law and Order SVU. The media trivializes rape leading to a rape culture in America.

“You were asking for it,” is one the most shared comments and viewpoints expressed towards women who have been sexually assaulted or raped. According to “The Criminal Justice System: Statistics | RAINN,” 994 perpetrators out of 1000 rape cases will walk free; and every 108 seconds a sexual assault is committed. You may have heard of rape culture on the news, social media, and/or online, but rape culture isn’t just some group of people or a society, but rather the concept of rape culture means we have familiarized ourselves and have come to terms with rape and have made it our norm in society or our culture. We have learned to brush it under the carpet, and often joke about it, and even go so far as to blame the victim for the attack. The

Rape culture, two words that many in the Western world have heard, and are all too familiar with. Rape culture itself is a societal problem and has been perfectly defined by Melissa McEwan, who says that a rape culture is a society that condones male aggression both emotionally and physically towards women. It is a society that has made sexual remarks, sexual touching, to rape itself, a norm for all members of the community and inflicts fear into the hearts of all women everywhere and anywhere they may go (McEwan, 2009). Since the women’s movement began rape and sexual violence has been a pressing concern that many have tried to address and stop. Although back then it may not have been labeled rape culture it was most definitely present and is still present today. One particular place that harbors rape culture and attempts to

Rape culture. This is a term that was coined in the 1970’s feminism movement that has been rehashed with 4th wave feminism amongst millennials in the 2000’s. Though the term seems to irritate many that attempt to refute that the systematic tolerance of rape in America is a non-issue that would disappear if “women just stopped getting so drunk” (Judge Mary Jane Mowat, 2009) it is in fact a perpetuated problem that plagues todays society. By definition, rape culture is the embodiment that of the “complex set of beliefs that sexual aggression" and can be further defined as being found "is in a society that embodies rape culture that women receive a continuum of overly sexualized remarks (cat-calling), to the act of rape itself, and condones that these physical and emotional acts against women are an inevitable fact of life”. Sound familiar? Welcome to our great nation. Though this perpetuation of sexual violence is a normalcy is harmful to women and even men, across the entire nation, its main impact targets the women and children of low socioeconomic areas, female students on university campuses, and of course, the women who choose to seek justice against our everyday superheroes- the famous, and the athletes.

Even though the first amendment states freedom of expression, statistics show rape and sexual assault numbers have risen due to the presence of rape culture in modern society. Rape culture promotes more assaults and violent acts, not only towards women but also towards men. Some evidence rape culture is present in today’s society are rising statistics showing that only three out of a hundred rapists see jail time and that over 17 million American women are victims of sexual assault every year. Rape culture is seen in every aspect of daily American life, even if people do not realize it.

Rape culture is an environment in which social attitudes have the effect of normalizing sexual violence against women and excusing it in the media and other popular cultures. Rape culture attempts to rationalize a continuum of sexual violence that range from sexist remarks to unwanted sexual touching, and rape itself. Rape culture has become so desensitized by society that perpetrators may not be aware of their wrongdoings and victims may not realize they are being victimized. It is a culture in which victims are suppressed when they decide to speak up about their traumatic attack, because they are seen as being dramatic or untruthful while the perpetrator's actions are left unpunished. While the majority of victims are women, rape culture is not solemnly an issue of female oppression, it is a general disconnect between human beings. It is a culture that many of us refuse to accept exist, however there are numerous examples that normalize rape and sexual assault on a daily basis. Rape culture is not a new topic. The term was first used back in the 1970’s by a group of feminist to raise the awareness of the normalization of sexual violence in society. In recent years the topic has become a popular, controversial issue and has come to permeate virtually every aspect of our lives through media, song lyrics, and everyday jargon.