I found this talk to be quite interesting. I had hoped that after I went, I would learn knew ideas or ways of looking at the topic, but I am beginning to think that this class covers basically all the rhetorical ways of looking at the topic. However, the talk was interesting to attend largely to see the way that the topic is being discussed to populations that may not be familiar with the rhetoric or the ways that it is now being explained to people who are in systems that might not be as familiar with the topic.
Green used an engaging Prezi presentation that had bright colors and unassuming cartoon characters. To begin her discussion, she used a video where she compiled many instances of rape culture set in front of a fairly menacing musical rhythm. Before she showed her video, she asked the audience who had heard of the term 'rape culture'. Both of these rhetorical moves made sense, because it showed an understanding of who her audience might be. While most of the audience in the front rows knew the term, I can't imagine there were not more that did not know the full implications of the term. Green defined rape culture as a culture in which sexual violence i common, considered normal, and tolerated.
To make her presentation digestible, Green divided the topic into four parts, stating that rape culture is perpetuated by: toleration, trivialization, blaming the victim, and toxic masculinity. Then, she used cases for each piece, as she worked through the four parts.
Toleration, Green said, is involved in much of rape culture. This is because our sentencing for rapes are low, or in many cases (as our own class has examined), non-existent. Additionally, Green brought up the fact that our culture often tries to protect the perpetrators. Whether it is athletes or even men in higher positions of power, we are too concerned with the idea that whatever sentence we would give them would be "ruining their lives." Green also says that we downplay the crime (a la "boys will be boys") and we sympathize with the perpetrators. She used the Brock Turner case for this topic.
Next, rape culture is kept alive by trivializing the crime. She asks why we don't believe survivors when they tell us that something has happened. Moreover, Green compiled five ways in which we trivialize rape: 1) misunderstanding, 2) people we love/admire aren't capable of rape, 3) bitches be crazy, 4) males always want sex, and 5) they asked for it. Green says when presented with the accusation of rape, we say that it was probably a misunderstanding and that it was actually consensual. We don't want to believe that the people we know could be capable of a violent sexual crime We think that women are just attention-hungry or crazy in general. Conversely, we think that men always want sex, so when they are victimized, they wanted it. Lastly we think that if the violence happened, then the person must have been doing something to ask for it.
We blame the victim when we use alcohol as a double-standard. The perpetrator gets a free pass when they are drunk, but the victim gets blamed for their attack when they are drunk. Additionally, Green brought up the idea of slut-shaming as a way we blame victims. The victim was dressed provocatively, so she was asking for it.
Lastly, toxic masculinity contributes because it takes the ways our culture thinks about masculinity and applies them to sexual encounters. This requires men to be dominating and overly powerful. It says that men need to be in control and the pursuers. Also, toxic masculinity stigmatizes male survivors, because it says that they should have exerted more power in trying to get away from the attack.
The talk was an interesting one to learn how it is being talked about in the "real world" (or outside of an academic contexts). However, I did not learn anything new.
Green used an engaging Prezi presentation that had bright colors and unassuming cartoon characters. To begin her discussion, she used a video where she compiled many instances of rape culture set in front of a fairly menacing musical rhythm. Before she showed her video, she asked the audience who had heard of the term 'rape culture'. Both of these rhetorical moves made sense, because it showed an understanding of who her audience might be. While most of the audience in the front rows knew the term, I can't imagine there were not more that did not know the full implications of the term. Green defined rape culture as a culture in which sexual violence i common, considered normal, and tolerated.
To make her presentation digestible, Green divided the topic into four parts, stating that rape culture is perpetuated by: toleration, trivialization, blaming the victim, and toxic masculinity. Then, she used cases for each piece, as she worked through the four parts.
Toleration, Green said, is involved in much of rape culture. This is because our sentencing for rapes are low, or in many cases (as our own class has examined), non-existent. Additionally, Green brought up the fact that our culture often tries to protect the perpetrators. Whether it is athletes or even men in higher positions of power, we are too concerned with the idea that whatever sentence we would give them would be "ruining their lives." Green also says that we downplay the crime (a la "boys will be boys") and we sympathize with the perpetrators. She used the Brock Turner case for this topic.
Next, rape culture is kept alive by trivializing the crime. She asks why we don't believe survivors when they tell us that something has happened. Moreover, Green compiled five ways in which we trivialize rape: 1) misunderstanding, 2) people we love/admire aren't capable of rape, 3) bitches be crazy, 4) males always want sex, and 5) they asked for it. Green says when presented with the accusation of rape, we say that it was probably a misunderstanding and that it was actually consensual. We don't want to believe that the people we know could be capable of a violent sexual crime We think that women are just attention-hungry or crazy in general. Conversely, we think that men always want sex, so when they are victimized, they wanted it. Lastly we think that if the violence happened, then the person must have been doing something to ask for it.
We blame the victim when we use alcohol as a double-standard. The perpetrator gets a free pass when they are drunk, but the victim gets blamed for their attack when they are drunk. Additionally, Green brought up the idea of slut-shaming as a way we blame victims. The victim was dressed provocatively, so she was asking for it.
Lastly, toxic masculinity contributes because it takes the ways our culture thinks about masculinity and applies them to sexual encounters. This requires men to be dominating and overly powerful. It says that men need to be in control and the pursuers. Also, toxic masculinity stigmatizes male survivors, because it says that they should have exerted more power in trying to get away from the attack.
The talk was an interesting one to learn how it is being talked about in the "real world" (or outside of an academic contexts). However, I did not learn anything new.
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