The writing is on the wall. * ‘There are few things that manifest such a violently ill feeling in me as rape. Unfortunately for my nerves and my stomach, its culture manifests around us as pop culture frequently desecrates women’s sexual agency and victim blaming still resonates as a disgustingly appropriate means to control women’s…
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No one is happy with postnatal body shaming fitness mummy-blogger, Maria Kang. Mother of three and fitness blogger, Maria Kang, angered a bunch of people pretty much everyone when she posted a picture of herself on Facebook, posing amongst her children (clearly labelled aged three years, two years and eight months) looking totally ripped, with…
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A video satirising the culture of rape and victim-blaming in India has garnered more than 2.2 million views on YouTube since September 19. In the video, which is produced by a group of comedians, Bollywood actress Kalki Koechlin and television host Juhi Pandey explain why women must take the blame for the rising number…
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Robin Thicke has defended his much-criticised hit, ‘Blurred Lines’, in an interview with BBC Radio 1 on Wednesday. He claimed, among other things, that the lyrics are anything but misogynistic, and could even be empowering to women. ‘For me, [the lyrics are] about blurring the lines between two things. One, men and women and how…
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Through popular culture we create and reiterate our notions of gender and sexuality in society. Sorry to get all Sociology 101 on you, but when I saw the hit ‘Blurred Lines’ by Robin Thicke soar to number one, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of messages are being sent here in terms of gender…
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The Steubenville rape case of August 2012 was given international attention and exposed many of the darker elements of America’s – and the world’s – reaction to and further creation of rape culture. The well–documented incident involved sixteen-year-old students and budding football stars Ma’lik Richmond and Trent Mays, and the repeated rape and sexual…
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**Trigger warning: discussion of rape, rape culture and assault** Offensive humour: it almost always goes wrong, and it’s pretty obvious why. Most of the time it’s just not funny. Offensive humour is a way for people to justify saying things that are at the very least insensitive, and at worst are racist, sexist, misogynist, homophobic,…
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Last week, former British television presenter, Nick Ross, sparked controversy when an excerpt of his upcoming book, Crime, was published in the Daily Mail. In the piece, heavily edited from a chapter focusing on crime and sex, Ross argues that ‘it has become sacrilege to suggest that there can be any gradation’ when it comes…
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*Trigger Warning: this article contains discussion of rape, sexual violence and anti-feminist backlash that may be disturbing and/or upsetting for some readers. In spite of the resurgence of feminist activism against rape and sexual violence, it seems like every day we hear of new atrocities: the Steubenville rape, the Cleveland kidnappings, a young aspiring Tasmanian…
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Minding one’s lovely lady lumps isn’t usually the kind of advice stored under the heading “Safety Tips for Ladies”. But that’s exactly what the latest Twitter trend is. #safetytipsforladies was trending on Twitter on Tuesday 26 March, attracting a variety of hilarious, attention-grabbing tips strung together in less than 140 characters. The hashtag, coined by…
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CNN’s coverage of the Steubenville rape trial is drawing the ire of viewers and non-viewers alike. The report on the conviction of Trent Mays, 17, and Ma’lik Richmond, 16, for the rape of a 16-year-old girl last August was sympathetic to the plight of the rapists, wondering what was to become of their once “promising”…
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A series of t-shirts have been withdrawn from sale online at Amazon.com after consumer outrage over their apparent glorification and support of sexual and physical assault. The t-shirts featured statements like ‘Keep Calm and Knife Her ’, ‘Keep Calm and Rape Them’, and ‘Keep Calm and Hit Her’, to name a few. The t-shirts were…
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Like most young women, Gemma Beale has had her fair share of harassment and unwanted attention, and at midnight one night she decided she’d had enough. Rape culture is an undeniable aspect of our society, and now through the use of social media and tumblr, Gemma is shining a light on the all too common…
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On October 25th Dr Mukwege of the Panzi Hospital in Bukavu was attacked at his home, a few blocks from the headquarters of MONUSCO, the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. While motive is uncertain— there was nothing stolen or damaged at the site of the attack—Dr Mukwege was repeatedly shot…
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