Undermining Rape Culture

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8b38mV6sio
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/02/lena-dunham-rape-story_n_5915328.html

     Lacy Purdum

     The man in the video talks about Huffington Post's article on Lena Dunham. The article talks about how Dunham opened up in her memoir about how she was raped when she was 19 years old. She talks about how she went back to her apartment with an "infamous on-campus Republican". She describes the boy as thuggish and a poor sport. She says that "revulsion turned to desire with the right muscle relaxers". It shows that the line of consent is extremely blurry especially when both parties are under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Dunham said she began to talk dirty to the boy to try and convince herself that she was giving consent. After the incident, Dunham recalls telling her roommate about the incident. Her roommate told her that she was raped and Dunham laughed. She says it took years for her to accept the situation for what it is. Rape.

      The video is a man talking about this article and how to relates to women crying “rape”. He talks about Dunham’s case makes it impossible for people to take real rape cases seriously. He says that Dunham talking dirty and being drunk blurred the line and gave the all good signal for the boy. He keeps reminding the viewer that in no way was she asking for it but the fact that she did not say no or didn’t try harder to stop him than it was not rape.

      I think this relates back to Fraternities and Collegiate Rape Culture by A. Ayres Boswell and Joan Z. Spade. For women, rape is when consent is not given. Whether the guy forces himself onto the girl or whether he just pressures her until she feels that she has to give in. To men, rape is jumping out of the bushes and attacking the woman. I think the man in the video fit’s this though process well. The title of his pod cast is Real Rape vs. Rape Culture. Like there is not a difference.