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

Rape in the Media























The Duncan Quinn advertisement is appalling to say the least. I was shocked to find such a disturbing ad!!! The ad shows a woman in lingerie, on the hood of a car. Not only is the woman being strangled by a man, but there also appears to be blood around her head.

What is Duncan Quinn trying to sell? Suits? Rape?! Murder?! Sexualized-Rape?!

This image is a major contribution to rape culture. The image that is being shown to us suggests to us that any form of sexual violence is accepted and tolerated. The act of sexual violence in this image is being glamorized!!! The man shows complete disregard for the woman, and gives the message that treating women in such manner is acceptable.








This Dolce & Gabbana ad is glamorizing and tolerating rape in print media.

The female model in this image is being pinned down to floor by her wrists by a male model. While the other four male models in the background do nothing to protest; the rest of the men just observe.
They may not be directly saying it, but there is the definite implication that gang rape is considered sexy. The woman in this situation is passive, and shows no sign of objection. This advertisement for Dolce & Gabbana contributes to rape culture's notion that rape is not something serious. The woman's passiveness even eludes the possibility that she could be enjoying it, and that rape is a compliment these men are paying to her beauty.
















In this Pepsi ad, a young boy is trading a Pepsi for a Lifeguard shirt. With the Lifeguard shirt comes a free pass at the beautiful, unconscious woman on the beach in a bathing suit.

Should this be considered an innocent act? What is the BOY going to do? We shouldn't assume just because of the age of the young boy, that this act of sexual assault will stop at "innocent" kiss. This ad is portraying a dangerous situation, which would not be considered "innocent" if the young boy trading the Pepsi happened to be an adult male.

Not only is this advertisement condoning a sexual act without consent, but it also is saying that it holds as much value as a can of Pepsi.
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1 comment:

  1. whayes-buckDecember 8, 2009 at 4:18 PM

    I would have never noticed how the D&G ad looks eerily like a gang rape! Quite insightful and you are so right about the Lifeguard Pepsi ad, it would be totally sketchy if the boy were an adult male. Now every time I look in a magazine I'll be on the look out for other examples of this... I'm not sure I'm happy about that, but at least I'm in the KNOW!

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