The Rape Culture Lie Analysis

Obama defines rape culture as, “[a] culture that normalizes, trivializes, and quietly condones male sexual assault against women, blaming victims while subtly celebrating male predators” (Wilhelm). It’s all about the hype of the word rape culture. It’s seeped into the conscious minds of our supple brains. And, “once it’s settled in, it’s hard to pry it out,” or so Wilhelm admits. She also says that the one in five statistic is entirely false, as said by several other sources. “Speaking of culture, what does it say about ours when such clearly preposterous statistics are so easily believed?” Wilhelm proclaims while referring to the one in five statistic. This question was used to make readers stop, and consider what she is claiming; essentially

urging readers to discredit any of the statistics they once believed to be true before reading her article. In the new age of technology, it is easy to surrender to phony statistics, and this could be effecting how people view rape as well. For instance, if someone wanted to know how many false rape allegations there were every year, they might seek out a number that would verify their beliefs. Nonetheless, not everything on the internet is true, but there is no denying that rape is influenced from cultural attitudes.
One of the most notable aspects of Wilhelm’s article is her language. As stated before, she starts with a quote from Obama and his stance on the rape epidemic in this country. This is geared to entice readers to her argument, since her topic appears to be an issue of national debate. In the next few sentences, she uses humor to make jokes about the progression of rape culture in the google search engine saying, “ [i]n 2013, it spiked, the graph forming a hockey stick that would made make global-warming doomsayer Michael Mann proud” (Wilhelm). This quote does implies that there is some editorializing in her article. She shows her bias referring to Michael Mann: a scientist whose reputation was tarnished after the emails of those working for his institute were leaked. Although this connection she makes contains some bias, her argument still holds reliable substance. Here she is suggesting that just recently, rape culture has become a popular topic of debate, and she is right. I reason that it is recently an issue, because rape has been noticed as a progressing issue in America today. Especially in college, rape has been debated as progressing into a norm stemming from inappropriate sexual environments on campuses. I do notice that the language people use, and how people act, can contribute to the above definition of rape culture.
I moreover contend that rape culture, as defined by some people like Zerlina Maxwell, does exist in today’s society. Might I add that culture is defined as: “a way of life of a group of people, the behaviors, beliefs, values, and symbols that they accept, generally without thinking about them, and that are passed along by communication from one generation to the next.” The behaviors, beliefs, and values that are accepted without thinking about them. Now I sit here perplexed, because I too have heard someone say something that would contribute to this rape culture, and accepted it without even thinking. I tolerated it being said, and therefore am contributing to rape culture myself. Unfortunately, I propose that this is a cultural norm; hearing someone say something undeniably inappropriate, even as a joke, and not doing anything to stop it.
To echo my aforementioned thoughts, I am assenting, unlike Wilhelm that rape culture exists; however, I am offering another angle on why rape is occurring.

Heather Wilhelm’s article titled “The Rape Culture Lie,” is a highly opinionated work that dismisses rape cultures existence, while portraying it as a concept that stems from the historical misconception on the relevance of sex as a deep and intimate part of life. She does not argue that rape is not a big deal, but instead offers an overlooked perspective on rape in society. Wilhelm notes, “But the perpetrator, ironically, isn’t a massive, oppressive ‘rape culture’. It’s the ‘sex means nothing’

culture.”
With the revolution of culture, there has also been a shift in sexuality and the views humans have on sex.

It is in my discovery that, something that was once an intimate and special part of a person’s life is turning into somewhat of a game for others. I do not mean to argue that everyone views sex as meaningless, but some people do, and this downplays sex and sexuality in human culture. An article written by Rachel Hills from TIME titled, “What Every Generation Gets Wrong About Sex,” examines the similarities in the sexual culture of the early 1900’s to the 21st century. Hill contends that in 1964, “[s]ex was no longer a source of consternation but a cause for celebration; its presence not what made a person morally suspect, but rather its absence.” Here she is agreeing that today, sex is seen as an

achievement.
The sexual motives of some people influences culture directly; this includes the search for praise in being a “sexual machine,” as Hill puts it, leading others to consider themselves lesser if they are not sexual enough. Unbelievable. I understand that exploring sexuality is an innate part of human behavior, but praising someone for their sexual encounters only encourages him or her to continue to expose themselves in an effortless fashion. In an article titled, “Boarding School Rape Trial Highlights a Dark Culture of ‘Sexual Scoring,’” Ellie Schechet writes about an alleged rape that happened at an elite boarding school in New Hampshire. The motive was a so called “Senior Solute,” where senior men try and take young girl’s virginities before they graduate (Schechet). It even went as far as an achievement board in the laundry room where the seniors would put up how many girls they “scored.” The alleged rapist Owen Labrie announced to the court that he, “[w]anted to be number one (Schechet).” Now, this attitude of sex seen as a competition, I believe feeds into why rape is common in today’s culture. If someone perceives sex as being merely a competition, I fear they will be more enticed to disrespect another’s sexual boundaries.
Rachel Hill quoted an article from an earlier Time magazine asserting, “In the 1920’s, to praise sexual freedom was still outrageous,” and “[t]oday sex is simply no longer shocking” (Hill). Young adults in the 21st century are treating sex as something of a lifestyle, and wearing sexuality like a fashion piece. I far too often hear people in high school, and even middle school say, “Just do it to get it over with.” Do it to get it over with, right? It is a shame to think sex is not valued by some people anymore, and instead it is talked about like an English term paper that needs to be done. I say this because it seems that there has been a shift in ideological views about sexual freedom. In her conclusion Hill proclaims that sex in our culture should be stressed upon as being significant and central to each person’s uniqueness. Understanding, and realizing the challenge of sexual freedom will aid in the obliteration of the “sex means nothing” era.
Similar to many other crimes in the world, rape will always exist; there is no silver bullet. However, by understanding some of the factors that contribute to rape in human society—like rape culture and the “sex means nothing” ideology, people can be more aware of these risks. Similarly, the misconception about sex as being meaningless and easy, might also translate into sexually uncomfortable environments. By denying that rape and rape culture is an issue as so many people do, we are preventing these rapists from being punished and further silencing the victims. I aim to let others ponder that creating and maintaining an environment that accepts the use of lewd and inappropriate language silently condones rape. Regardless of one’s opinion on rape culture or sex, it is hard to ignore the overarching fact that what humans accept now, will translate into what humans in the future absorb in their culture.