We Are Not Feminists

Henry Rollins shares his thoughts on the Steubenville rape case and it’s one of the few more nuanced pieces that I’ve read floating around online. Really great read…

“Many people are angry that more time was not given to the offenders…I understand the anger but don’t know if adding a decade onto their sentences would be of any benefit. To me, the problem that needs to be addressed is where in the information chain were the two offenders made to understand that what they did was not wrong on every possible level? You can execute them both tomorrow but still, there is a problem that needs to be dealt with.”

Read more: http://henryrollins.com/dispatch/detail/dispatch_03-17-12_los_angeles/

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Why do we use cases like these as an opportunity to renew the conversations with our daughters about needing to protect themselves when they go out, about not wanting to end up like that poor, poor drunk girl? When we point out that she was drunk, when we point out that the boys’ promising future is “ruined,” we are reminding women and girls everywhere that their own safety lies entirely in their hands, and not in the hands of those who make the choice to attack them.”

A Saudi cleric has suggested that female babies wear a burka immediately after being born to avoid sexual attacks.

Again, we’re telling women (or rather babies) to not get raped, instead of men to not rape.  This one’s on the extreme but another example of how we perpetuate rape culture.

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I came across this post on Jezebel the other day and was pretty shocked after reading the first paragraph…it reads, “Rapists and would-be rapists are opening up about “the other side of the story” — theirs — on a massive Reddit thread about the motivations behind sexual assault. The conversations range from exasperating to disturbing, and the whole of it may make you want to roll your eyes in disgust. But you shouldn’t dismiss the thread as mere rape apologia. There’s plenty of that, sure, but there’s also a lot more to it.”

I don’t quite know how to feel about the fact that there’s a forum for rapists on Reddit, of all places. I understand the value in opening up this conversation and taking it away from the usual thread of victimization and towards that of motivations, but still…the whole thing gives me the creeps. Is this a necessary conversation and the step towards deconstructing our rape culture? Haven’t sorted out my thoughts/feelings regarding this but thought I’d share with you. Your thoughts?

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The whole Daniel Tosh rape joke was done in terribly poor taste. I didn’t even understand how or why that was funny. Seemly put, it perpetuates the already toxic rape culture we live in.

“Satire is traditionally the weapon of the powerless against the powerful. I only aim at the powerful. When satire is aimed at the powerless, it is not only cruel—it’s vulgar.”

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