The phrase “Rape Culture” can be a controversial term – it can also be a very misunderstood term. While I’m not seeking to debate how it is used in contemporary discussions, I will say that I think there is definitely value in an understanding of the term as it is often intended. Put plainly, “Rape Culture” is any aspect of society that minimizes the control women have over their own person, normalizes violations of that control, and/or dismisses the significance of such violations.
Why is this concept important? Perhaps this is best illustrated by a recent example. A couple of days ago, Bloomingdale’s released its holiday catalog. That catalog contained this image:
That image, with the caption “Spike your best friend’s egg nog when they’re not looking” ran in a holiday advertisement for one of America’s most prestigious retailers. Bloomingdale’s “playfully” suggests getting a friend intoxicated without their knowledge while a man looks at his unsuspecting female friend. That is rape culture.
Why is it rape culture? Because according to the Department of Justice, 1 in 3 women in America will experience an assault in her lifetime. It’s rape culture because, according to the CDC, almost 1 in 5 women (18.3%) will experience a rape in her lifetime. It’s rape culture because, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 80% of all sexual assaults are committed by an acquaintance of the victim. It’s rape culture because, according to the CDC, 51% of all sexual assaults are committed by intimate partners. It’s rape culture because, according to the CDC, 1 in 5 female college students will experience a sexual assault during her academic career, and at least 50% of college sexual assaults are associated with alcohol use by one or both parties (New York Coalition Against Sexual Assault).
That advertisement is rape culture because, in a society where all those things I just wrote are true, Bloomingdale’s decided to “playfully” use the subject to sell holiday clothes.
Our day-to-day society is made up of all the little things that are “just” no big deal
That it is “just” an advertisement is what makes it such a great (read: depressing) example of what I described above. It implicitly dismisses the significance of such violations by making it the subject of advertising. And it normalizes getting a woman intoxicated without her knowledge – a gross violation of her personal boundaries. Res ipsa loquitur – that it is “just” an advertisement is the very issue. That it is “just” an advertisement is what allows it to make such events just a part of “normal” life.
That is rape culture.
For further thoughts, I suggest reading the Washington Post’s excellent take on the advert.