Definition of Rape Culture

"A rape culture is a complex of beliefs that encourages male sexual aggression and supports violence against women. It is a society where violence is seen as sexy and sexuality as violent. In a rape culture, women perceive a continuum of threatened violence that ranges from sexual remarks to sexual touching to rape itself. A rape culture condones physical and emotional terrorism against women as the norm.

In a rape culture both men and women assume that sexual violence is a fact of life, inevitable as death or taxes. This violence, however, is neither biologically nor divinely ordained. Much of what we accept as inevitable is in fact the expression of values and attitudes that can change."
-- Transforming a Rape Culture by Millie Buchwald, Martha Roth, and Pamela R. Fletcher

Funny Date Scene? or Date Rape?




In the dark comedy, Observe and Report (2009), starring Seth Rogen and Ana Farris, this scene occurs between the two. . .

Observe and Report (Click Here for Clip)

So. . . funny date scene, or date rape?
or perhaps it is what Cosmopolitan Magazine calls "Gray Rape". Gray Rape is when consent or denial is unclear.

In these scene from the film, Observe and Report, Ana Farris's character, Brandi is clearly intoxicated and has taken a dangerous cocktail of alcohol and prescription drugs. When the two characters arrive to the house, Brandi is having trouble walking by herself, and is throwing up!

What is even more shocking about this scene is that Seth Rogen's character, Ronnie, continues to have sex with her even thought she is clearly unconscious. If you look closely, there is vomit on the pillow that Brandi is lying on.

Seth Rogen explained in an interview that what made this scene hilarious and broke the tension is Ana Farris's line, "Why are you stopping motherfucker?"



Rape Culture allows us to believe that this is an acceptable form of consent for sex. If someone is heavily under the influence of a substance should he/she not require consent for sex? In this specific scene, should Seth Rogen's character, Ronnie, put a stop to this? Men CAN prevent rape. So what kind of message are we sending to young people when this kind of scene in a movie is considered comical?


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1 comment:

  1. ndrorDecember 9, 2009 at 2:06 PM

    Ugh, this scene was so gross and creepy. I can't believe that Seth Rogan considered it funny. There goes my respect for him.

    I wonder how many young men actually found it funny. My boyfriend didn't. (Thank goodness.)

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