The Media's Use of Rape Culture
Social media, news and porn are crucial learning tools that strongly influence how the wider community behaves, and the use of rape culture across these platforms has substantial consequences. It is time to stop glorifying rape culture.
Social Media
Media persistently portrays rape culture or uses its rationale for benefit, excuse, pleasure, the list goes on, although this is not always obvious to the naked eye. Social media is a means that almost all people have access to; it transmits across the globe and is available at any time of the day. Consequently, social media is one of the biggest promoters of rape culture, especially among young adults. Why? The prevalence of rape culture on social media normalizes things like victim blaming and slut shaming, and desentizes us, as consumers, to the occurrence of this type of harmful language of a sexual manner. Social media and pop culture portray stereotypes of gender; women as passive, powerless objects of male sexual desires while the male as a dominant, strong and powerful figure. This gender narrative underpins many media discourses. Social media constantly reflects negative emotions towards females and constructs femininity through the ‘male gaze’ of what one should and should not post on their own media platforms! This reinforces the assumption that women are “asking for it” established through how they dress and the posing of their bodies... bullshit! It is time to stop glorifying rape culture.
News Media
A “timely reminder to not walk the streets alone at night” was recommended in a Stuff News article regarding a fortunate escape from sexual assault. What the fuck does that mean?
A study conducted by Matthew Baum, published in the Quarterly Journal of Political Science, revealed that a correlation can be found between media coverage and the incidence of sexual assault. Research affirms that what is portrayed in news media reflects community norms. Often news media uses terms such as ‘non-consensual sex’ or ‘sex attacks’, describing the event as 'sex', a pleasurable act, suggesting a lack in the severity of the crime and less connection to violence. Within rape culture, sexual violence is accepted, justified, and often unchallenged by society. The level of rape culture within news media reflects these societal norms and acceptance toward rape.
Whoever was referenced to first within a news article title can also profoundly influence the reader and characterize rape culture. A heading such as "violence against women" is problematic; there is no active agent in the title; the perpetrator is not even a part of the statement. The media needs to focus more on holding the perpetrator accountable instead of placing survivors in a vulnerable position open to further harm through unhelpful framing of their stories. It is time to stop glorifying rape culture.
Pornography
At its most basic, pornography is material containing explicit descriptions or displays of sexual activity. According to a 2018 survey conducted by OFLC (Office of Film and Literature Classifications), 15% of New Zealand youth view porn on a regular basis, having first seen porn at a young age of 12. Pornography often promotes violence, a lack of sexual safety and undermines the notion of consent. The material is widely available online and is often graphic and aggressive, portraying that men have a ‘right’ to a woman’s body. The OFLC study further stated 73% of regular viewers use porn as a learning tool, and 1 in 5 recent viewers have tried doing something they saw in porn. An extremely problematic statistic!
Pornography reproduces and reinforces rape culture on a whole different level. It would be inaccurate to say that negative sexual behaviours should be blamed on this material alone. It is not the viewer's fault for not understanding consent properly when rape culture is used on a dramatic scale and incorporated into pornographic material so prolifically. More knowledge and, therefore, better awareness is needed to create change. The Light Project is a great resource to gain further information. It is time to stop glorifying rape culture for entertainment purposes.
Consequences
The use of rape culture language and gestures across extensive media platforms has substantial consequences. The choice in wording, the structure of an article, how a victim or offender is pursued, or the non-consent aspects of pornography create various reactions and alter the issue dramatically.
Social media, news media and pornography are crucial learning tools and strongly influence how the wider community behaves. Our biases, needs and experiences shape how we communicate and relate to others and the world around us; in some way, everyone is a copycat, it’s human nature. The interpretation of a message can influence political focuses, and our minds instinctively filter out or link together information. The use of rape culture is harmful and disempowering; it victimizes and feeds into stereotypical narratives of females. Rape culture is glorified by a huge range of platforms, and it is time to put a stop to it.
