What is Rape Culture?

What the hell is 'Rape Culture'? Does anyone know? To me, it sounds like something that some radical Leftist made up to divide people against each other. I sincerely doubt that any such thing actually exists since the mere term 'rape culture' indicates that there's a culture somewhere that actually thinks rape is acceptable. Here in the Free World, that is not even remotely true.

The only area where that would be even close to true is the epidemic of unreported/not prosecuted rapes in the U.S. military. Many victims, male and female, are afraid to report it for fear of retribution (which sadly does happen) and most unit commanders will want to sweep it under the rug. Why? Because actually investigating and prosecuting these rape incidents would mean their leadership failed in a really tragic way. Those unit commanders are doing what's expedient for their careers instead of doing what's morally right. This was one of the reasons why I left the Army. It heavily contributed to a crisis of conscience. I became disgusted with the utter lack of morality and failure of the Army to even live up to it's own professed values. I just couldn't stand to wear that uniform anymore. However, we've already beaten that horse to death. Back to the topic at hand...

I looked up Rape Culture on Wikipedia and then wished that I hadn't. The article was about as academic as any Wikipedia article but, right from the start, I knew it would be filled with more opinions than facts. After all, it started off with the words 'In feminist theory'. That's a clear signal that the whole idea is likely to be ill-defined at best. That, and it was Wikipedia. That isn't always the most reliable source. However, it can and usually does provide a good general starting point when you know nothing of the topic at all. Here's what the first two paragraphs said...

"In feminist theory, rape culture is a setting in which rape is pervasive and normalized due to societal attitudes about gender and sexuality. The sociology of rape culture is studied academically by feminists. There is disagreement over what defines a rape culture and as to whether any given societies meet the criteria to be considered a rape culture.

Behaviors commonly associated with rape culture include victim blaming, sexual objectification, trivializing rape, denial of widespread rape, refusing to acknowledge the harm caused by some forms of sexual violence, or some combination of these. The notion of rape culture has been used to describe and explain behavior within social groups, including prison rape, and in conflict areas where war rape is used as psychological warfare. Entire societies have been alleged to be rape cultures."

Entire societies being accused of being rape friendly, heh? What societies would those be? Is it the Islamic world? I can believe that since they treat women like shit in that part of the world. How about the Communist world where life is considered cheap and expendable? There certainly was a 'rape culture' when Chairman Mao instituted a 'cultural revolution' and the Red Guards went around raping as they pleased. (Not to mention looting, murdering, tyrannizing, terrorizing and destroying priceless archeological treasures...)

Let's go on reading this article and pick apart its non-sense, shall we?

"Michael Parenti believes that rape culture manifests through the acceptance of rapes as an everyday occurrence, and even a male prerogative. It can be exacerbated by police apathy in handling rape cases, as well as victim blaming, reluctance by authorities to go against patriarchial cultural norms, as well as fears of stigmatization suffered by rape victims and their families. Other sociologists posit that rape culture links non-consensual sex to the cultural fabric of a society, where patriarchial worldviews, laced with misogyny and gender inequality, are passed from generation to generation, leading to widespread social and institutional acceptance of rape."

That sounds a lot like the Islamic world as I have come to know it in the last 15 years... The reluctance of authorities to get involved and fear of stigmatization also sound like the military rape epidemic. Why aren't Feminists bitching about those two tragic situations for women? That would be an area where Feminism could (theoretically) do some good. I think I know the answer when it comes to Islam. They are afraid to stand up to the terrorists that have poisoned Islam from within years ago. As for the military's many sex crimes-related sins... Well, I don't know why they are so reluctant to comment on that one.

"Chris O'Sullivan teaches that acts of sexism are commonly employed to validate and rationalize normative misogynistic practices. For instance, sexist jokes may be told to foster disrespect for women and an accompanying disregard for their well-being, or a rape victim might be blamed for being raped because of how she dressed or acted. O'Sullivan examines rape culture and fraternities, identifying the socialization and social roles that contribute to sexual aggression, and looks at "frat life" and brotherhood ideals of competition and camaraderie. In these groups, sex is viewed by young men as a tool of gaining acceptance and bonding with fellow "brothers," as they engage in contests over sex with women. In O'Sullivan's article, sexualized violence towards women is regarded as part of a continuum in a society that regards women's bodies as sexually available by default."

Oh, great... Here we go blaming fraternities... Wasn't there a fraternity at Duke University a few years ago that had some of its members accused of raping a stripper, only to be exonerated by DNA evidence? Yes, I do believe there was... And it led to people losing their jobs, including the overzealous District Attorney prosecuting the case, Mike Nifong. He was also disbarred and jailed for his role in that farce.

Just because someone claimed to be raped does not mean that it automatically happened. People do lie about even the most horrible things. Proper investigation and Due Process should ALWAYS be conducted, no matter how obvious things might seem. We live in a society that is governed by the Rule of Law, not the whims of an angry mob. That's what was going on with that case where some of Duke's Lacrosse players were wrongfully accused. Everyone bought the media's false narrative and tried them in the court of public opinion. Even after being exonerated, those people will still have this miscarriage of justice following them like a spectre. That is not right.

"Rape culture is closely related to slut-shaming and victim blaming, in which rape victims are considered at fault for being raped. Scholars argue that this connection is made due to a culture that shames all female sexuality that is not for the purpose of reproduction in a hetero-normative married household. That some victims do not report rapes to the police due to fear of not being believed is often cited as a symptom of a rape culture. 6% of women who did not report rape said it was because of fear of not being believed by police."

Those 6% were wrong. Society will not blame them, even if some random jackass makes comments about the victims choice in clothes. That being said, a little modesty would not hurt. Dressing in a short skirt doesn't make you a whore but, you do have to admit that is part of a hooker's uniform. :P

Also, have any of you out there ever heard a single person ask what the victim was wearing when they were raped? I haven't. I can't help but wonder if that actually happens often or at all. It might but, I have never heard that phrase uttered even once. Maybe it's because I don't purposely associate myself with judgmental assholes?

And that leads us to the next paragraph...

"Victim blaming is part of a phenomenon known as 'Rape Myth Acceptance,' a term coined by researcher Martha Burt in the 1980s. It is defined as prejudicial, stereotyped or false beliefs about rape, rape victims, and rapists which can range from trivializing rape, denial of widespread rape, labeling an accuser as a liar, stating that most rape accusations are false, refusing to acknowledge the harm caused by some forms of sexual violence, or accepting that the victim "deserved it" because she was defined as a slut."

Who would trivialize such a horrible crime? Also, some people do lie about being raped. That stripper making false accusations against the Duke Lacrosse players demonstrates that as being factual. It may not happen often but, it does happen. I'm just wondering if it was some kind of scam to get money or if the stripper was mentally ill. (Maybe both?)

"Pornography has been commonly targeted as a contributor to rape culture because of adding to larger patterns of oppression. Feminists frequently link rape culture to the widespread distribution of pornography, which is seen as an expression of a culture that objectifies women, reducing the female body to a commodity. Accounts of rapists often feature fusion of several pornographic motifs."

BULLSHIT. Porn can be a pretty bad thing for a lot of reasons but, it doesn't make someone a rapist. It's just a sleazy form of entertainment that some people masturbate to sometimes. It also objectifies men too, sometimes just as much as the female performers. In those flicks, Men are usually just a cock with a body attached. The same can be said for the women starring in these films who are 'being treated like a piece of meat' or as 'just a pair of tits and a vagina.' Everyone is being objectified in those films. That's what happens in exploitation flicks. It's not real. It's just a sleazy movie or set of pictures. However, no Feminist will ever point that out, no one really complained about it and, sadly, no one actually cares.

In fact, if Porn makes you a rapist, why have I never raped anyone? Goodness knows I've certainly looked at enough of that kind of material over the years. I should be the most infamous rapist in the world if Porn actually contributed to rape statistics. I'd probably be the modern-day Jack the Ripper or a real-life Patrick Bateman, picking up hookers from wherever and making a mess out of them. And yet, this has never happened. Either I am a lot more saintly than I give myself credit for OR maybe the idea of viewing porn contributing to Rape is flat out ridiculous.

"Rape culture can be perpetuated via language used in everyday conversations, as well as through overt violence. The frequency of rape jokes on the internet has been cited as an example of the belittling of rape that characterizes rape culture. Prison rape is a topic about which jokes are abundant. Linda McFarlane, director of Just Detention International, states "Humor is part of the cultural attitude that (prison) is the one place where rape is okay.""

I make lots of sick jokes about lots of things. That doesn't mean that I approve of those things. However, Rape is one topic I don't joke about because I don't think it's funny. Not even if you're raping a clown. (Sorry, I couldn't help myself...)

"According to political scientist Iris Marion Young, victims in rape cultures live in fear of random acts of oppressive sexual violence that are intended to damage or humiliate the victim. Others link rape culture to modernization and industrialization, arguing that pre-industrial societies tend to be "rape free" cultures, since the lower status of women in these societies give them some immunity from sexual violence. In industrial rape cultures, women emerge from their homebound roles and become visible in the workplace and other areas traditionally dominated by men, increasing male insecurities that result in their using rape to suppress women. Others also link rape culture to environmental insecurities, where men objectify women as part of their struggle to control their immediate environment. It is also linked to gender segregation, and the belief that rape proves masculinity. Other manifestations of rape culture include denial of widespread rape, institutional apathy toward the problem of rape, minimization of rape cases by government officials, and excusing rapists as social anomalies."

BULLSHIT!!! There was plenty of rape before industrialization happened. Why do you think proper gentlemen were always taught to protect women? Also, you do realize that a housewife can still be raped by her husband, right? Not to mention delivery men, male house servants, gardeners, the mail man, the milk man, etc. etc. etc.

I can't read anymore of that stupid Wikipedia article on this subject. It just goes on to talk about Slutwalks, victim blaming and 'toxic masculinity'. There is a section on the criticism of the idea where even prominent feminists question its validity. The names mentioned are exactly the ones that I expected: Camille Paglia and Christina Hoff Sommers. They're both from a more old-school brand of feminism. In their day, the movement was actually worried about female equality rather than female domination like the 'Third Wave' Feminists of today. Those Third Wave Feminists also try to demonize these two for not towing the party line.

I'm actually surprised that they haven't been accused of secretly supporting the Patriarchy yet. I've been accused of that by at least one Feminazi over Facebook. I just rolled my eyes. The mere idea of this Patriarchy is complete BULLSHIT but, every new religion needs a Devil. For Feminazis, that will be a secret conspiratorial cabal of men that are determined to keep women in their proper place: the kitchen. If that sounds crazy to you, then I say Congratulations. You still have a sense of objective reality about you. Too bad today's Feminists don't.

Also, I would NEVER want to keep a Feminazi in the kitchen. She'd probably use it as an opportunity to poison me with the sandwich that a good woman would make for me without even being asked...

'Would you like a Peanut Butter and Rat Poison sandwich, dear? How about Bologna and Strychnine?'

No thanks, honey. I'm good... :P

And if any of this actually offends your delicate sensibilities, then all I can tell you is...

Soooooo many Feminazis are going to have a stroke over this one...

- Publius