After weeks of battling against a sexual assault conviction, Brett Kavanaugh, an American lawyer and jurist, was confirmed by the Senate to serve on the Supreme Court on October 6, 2018. Those who were invested in the trial and concerned with Kavanaugh’s character, were left enraged and disappointed with the winning vote. This is just one of thousands of cases in which accused perpetrators get away without consequences. It is happening all around the world, and leaving victims helpless and afraid. Rape culture, the social phenomenon that enables and normalizes sexual violence, plays a huge role in decisions associated with convicting people such as Brett Kavanaugh. Rape culture roots from toxic masculinity, the lack of systemic and institutional support, and most significantly sexual objectification of women’s bodies because it is influenced by the media; these are all sources that contribute to the normalizing of sexual harassment and therefore lack of support for victims.
Toxic masculinity gives men the sense of entitlement which allows for them to feel dominant in their gender role, giving woman less power to fight against or speak up about sexual violence. It is defined by The Good Men project as “a narrow and repressive description of manhood, designating manhood as defined by violence, sex, status and aggression” (Clemens). Such expectations learned by men result in unhealthy pride and obsession associated with power. The pressure to adhere to the standards of what is considered a “man” in society can create insecurities which some may try to fulfill with violence and aggression. Since “research shows that most rapes are exercises of power or anger”, it is evident that there is a relationship between the firm norms of masculinity, and violence (Andoh). Society teaches men to act accordingly to their role as the “dominant gender” and to turn to anger when their power is threatened. The power that men feel over women goes hand in hand with their alleged raging sex drive, which lets them feel that they are entitled to have sex with a woman who has shown interest in them, thus why some like Virginia state senator Richard Black would justify rape as “human nature” and “many men and women [to] excuse acquaintance rape by affirming that men cannot control their natural urges” (Breitman; Boswell & Spade). The flaw with that logic is that it is not human nature for men to feel entitled to power; it is rather nurture through societal norms and is called rape culture. This is the type of environment men in high positions at their workplace are influenced by, systematically allowing rape culture to grow.
For many years now, rape culture has become a systematic problem, as institutions ranging from Universities to modeling agencies etc. have been trying to cover up sexual harassment incidents by not supporting victims in reports. As seen in multiple incidents around the world, Universities and especially fraternities have become an unsafe place for women. At these schools, “the abusive attitudes toward women that some fraternities perpetuate exist within a general culture where rape is intertwined in traditional gender script” (Boswell & Spade). Sexual activity defines manhood for a guy; the more action he gets, the more of a stud he is, whereas girls suffer from the double standard and are looked down on for engaging in such promiscuity. This allows for rape myths to surface and suddenly, men believe the women is just playing hard to get or trying to look pure, when really they just plainly mean “no”. The secrets don't stop there. Modeling agencies have also been covering up sexual harassment for a very long time. Subsequently, “even more than eating disorders, the fashion industry's real dirty secret is the sexual abuse of models, male and female” (Freeman). Models are feared into thinking they will not have a career in the industry if they report such incidents. In the end, it is the reality of the industry, and it has become normalized because of the numerous unreported cases, all of which are results of woman feeling they will not be supported and rather blamed. Rape culture enables those who lack empathy to make victims feel at fault for situations they have no control over. Social media is also a contributing cause of silencing the voice of women and their rights.
One of the most detrimental causes of rape culture is the misogynistic portrayal of women’s bodies, which is made possible and influenced by media. It is oftentimes hard to see how the media uses rhetoric “in a culture seduced by the almighty dollar, [in which] capitalism is allowed to replicate the rape culture by selling it maniacally as sex” (Pearson 14). Consumers blindly feed into the commercials and advertisements, not realizing that it is tearing down the image of the female character. If women are being portrayed as sex on TV, how will that translate into the real world? How will women be able to regain their identity as equal beings who are just as much intellectuals as men? Advertisements for numerous products “display the American way of misogyny through objectification of and disrespect to the female figure and the to the female existence” (14). If men are taught that they are entitled to the female body, as it is seen in the media, they will grow up with that mindset, unaware of how their cruel actions can affect the life and health of a women. Simply being aware of how the media is selling sex can prevent ignorant comments and actions. However, it seems that misogyny is a recurring theme in the music industry, more specifically the hip hop/rap genre; “misogynistic sexual scripts are continually being produced that reinforce stereotypes misogynistic expectations by both men and women” (Benton). The messages that are understood from current music videos have a horrible effect on the youth. They destroy the efforts made toward equality, and teach young men that women simply belong to satisfy the sexual needs of a man.
After conducting two personal interviews, I learned that while men in my family were not aware of the term ‘rape culture’, they still understood the contributing effects of the media. When I began writing this essay, I knew that I wanted the opinion of the male figures in my family, simply because I wanted to see if they were educated on rape culture, and if not, I thought it would be a good learning experience for them. I began by asking my brother, Adees Bablanian and my cousin Vako Aharonian if they knew what rape culture was, and as I imagined, they were both not really educated or interested in the topic. After explaining to them at a surface level what is was, I decided to dive into the main cause: social media and misogyny. I asked “In the music videos that you both watch, what are usually the main themes that you encounter?”. My brother answered “I notice that they typically advertise drugs, money and girls”, while my cousin simply answered “It is usually always sex and girls.” I wasn’t surprised of course; my research had educated me on this, but I was more interested in what they thought were the effects of misogyny in the media. I followed up with “Do you believe the way media portrays women is harmful to the way women are portrayed in real life?” My brother answered, “While I know that music videos exaggerate on wealth and display a fake reality, I think they way they show women is degrading and definitely has an effect on the youth and the way they look at women growing up.” My cousin also agreed and added that it teaches young men that women are submissive beings to sex. In conclusion, I think many people are unaware of the social phenomenon known as rape culture, but those who have seen the way media depicts the female body, understand that it is detrimental to the coming generations who are ironically being told to treat women equally.
Rape culture is enabling sexual harassment and has become destructive to society and the goal of quality; its causes, as discussed, lie in toxic masculinity, the secrets of institutions and most importantly the media’s portrayal of women’s bodies. Men are growing up with the message that they are the dominant gender, allowing them to get away with actions that should not be tolerated, especially men who hold authoritative power. Meanwhile, the media is falsely depicting women’s submissive and willing behavior in music videos and advertisements. These misogynistic messages will continue to have a brainwashing effect on the youth. Rape culture is real, and it is the reason victims are afraid to speak up. It is the reason rape is being normalized and called ‘a natural urge’. It is the reason victims are being blamed. When will women seize back control and reverse the effects of rape culture?