So you may have seen the story yesterday about the University of Vermont fraternity that was suspended for sending out a charming little survey that allegedly asked, among other things, “If you could rape someone, who would it be?” (FWIW, the frat now says it was the work of an individual frat member, not the chapter.)
Reading about this incident, I’m guessing that you probably didn’t ask yourself: “I wonder how the guys at the False Rape Society will use this news to push their own agenda?” Heck, I didn’t even think to ask myself that question. But while doing the rounds of the MRA blogs I’ve discovered the answer to that question, and here it is: FRS head honcho Pierce Harlan described the survey as “perhaps a poke at feminism’s fascination with rape,” then denounced it as “indefensible,” then ranted about the evils of false rape accusations. I guess that isn’t really shocking at all.
First, Harlan offered this take on the “who would you rape” question:
I assume the survey was sick humor, a crude satire of the fratboy culture, and perhaps a poke at feminism’s fascination with rape.
Yes, because any time men make rape jokes it’s probably because, you know, feminism, and its wacky obsession with rape.
Then Harlan went on to suggest that rape was no laughing matter – especially when it comes to rape that doesn’t happen:
Whatever it was intended to be, ultimately it is indefensible, because trivializing the word “rape” is no laughing matter, whether it’s a joke about the rape of male prisoners, or the fantasy “rape” of women, or a false rape claim intended to get a guy in, or a woman out of, trouble.
Well, that was quick. Let’s not talk about the trivialization of real rape. Let’s talk about the epidemic of “false rape accusations” that Harlan has convinced himself is the real problem here.
With nary a pause, Harlan moved on to complain about hypothetical feminists making a big deal out of this survey instead of joining him on his crusade:
There most certainly will be an outcry in the feminist blogosphere over this isolated incident
This what incident?
and it will be cited as proof positive to support the myth that ours is a “rape culture.”
Yeah, I wonder why casual jokes about rape would possibly be considered as part of “rape culture.”
A “rape culture,” of course, not only would tolerate but would condone such a puerile survey. Our society does neither. The only “rape” jokes our society condones concerns prison rape — and that’s because society actually encourages prison rape as a sort of “added bonus” punishment for any hapless male who lands in prison. It is ironic that actual prison rape does not garner the outrage that this this sick fratboy humor is generating. Go figure.
This from a guy who doesn’t seem to have ever even bothered to mention the leading anti-prison rape organization, Just Detention, on his web site. (See here for more on the issue on Man Boobz.) Though he does offer three links on his main page to information about the statute of limitation for rape charges, in case anyone reading is worried about getting caught being falsely accused for something they did didn’t do a long time ago.
Meanwhile,rape jokes — and not just prison rape jokes — are everywhere. Harlan, I assume you are at least somewhat familiar with a little site called Reddit, where people not only laugh at rape jokes – they laugh at actual rape!
Meanwhile, in the comments on Harlan’s article, some False Rape Society readers don’t even bother to pretend that the “rape survey” bothers them. According to the commenter called “bad,”
We should be celebrating young men who stand up against misandry. We should be celebrating the frat that said “no means yes” and we should be celebrating the frat that created this survey, if it’s a real story.
An anonymous commenter takes it a step further:
I do not condemn this action,
in fact, I wish I’d thought of it.
It is a brilliant and very appropriate response to the way young men are being treated by college campuses.
When the answer to “who would you like to treat like a rapist” is “all college men”, I think that asking them who they’d like to rape is more than fair.
But it is Harlan’s response to these comments that is the most revealing:
By the way, I read the reaction of Bad and others as a natural backlash … against the unconscionable PC culture of misandry on campus. I happen to disagree with those who suggest this was acceptable, but their remarks should not be construed as evidence that we live in a “rape culture.” Like Steve, I read their comments more as an affirmation that we live in a false rape culture–a culture that more and more men are finding intolerable.
I, on the other hand, doubt that these young men have the first clue about misandry, feminism, or how colleges run roughshod over the rights of young men. I am always amazed when we hear from falsely accused people who “had not idea this goes on.” My guess is they were just being being “funny.” I would, frankly, love to find out I am wrong, and that not only would they never call for a woman to be actually raped, but that this was a protest against the pendulum swinging too far. In that case, I am still not sure I could find it acceptable but it would initiate an entirely different dialogue.
So the survey is “indefensible,” yet a totally understandable reaction to, and protest against, an “unconscionable PC culture of misandry.”
Got it.
EDITED TO ADD: Harlan has written a response, of sorts, to this post. It is a bit — what’s the word I’m looking for here? — zany.
I can’t compose any meaningful replies that don’t involve the words “head” “ass” “far” and “grotesquely impossible”.
I find it amazing that these guys can’t register this one incident as part of a wider rape culture.
And the fact that they are shocked by it–like they think this is not actually part of frat culture–really makes me think these guys have no lives. Have they ever been in the real world? I mean, even if they’re never been in a frat house (I haven’t), do they not interact with humans?
On that note, the link you provided under “This what incident?” (the Google search results for “fraternity rape”) lists a bunch of scholarly articles at the beginning about the prevalence of fraternity rape. These guys should go read them.
Apparently Pierce Harlan lives in a magical alternate universe where rape never actually happens. It’s a totally mythical occurrence, like a Loch Ness Monster sighting except with jail time, and the shame of this survey is that it perpetuates the myth.
I’d like to live in his universe. Sounds like a nice place actually.
“Whatever it was intended to be, ultimately it is indefensible, because trivializing the word “rape” is no laughing matter, whether it’s a joke about the rape of male prisoners…”
Oh hey, an entire half-sentence that doesn’t make me want to strangle anyone! Too bad that saying something not completely reprehensible seems to have been a fluke.
If Harlan doesn’t condone the survey, why is he working so hard to rationalize it? Also, how much evidence do they need at the False Rape Society before they admit there is a rape culture?
“….or the fantasy “rape” of women….”
I’m getting hung up on this phrase. Is he trying to suggest that the rape of women is a fantasy? Why is that the only instance where rape is given the scare quotes? I really hope I’m overreacting and misinterpreting that line.
Crumbelievable – Because Pierce Harlan believes that if he admits that any woman has ever been raped, it would somehow open the floodgates to thousands more false accusations. Give ’em an inch and they take a mile, or something like that.
So the meaning of that line really is as bad I as thought, huh? Jesus Christ.
Well let’s see, we’ve got Katherine Heigl with her “I hate balls” campaign going on. As always it’s excused as satire. Now if a man who was a celebrity casually strolled about talking about slicing out womens genitals he’d be crucified. But not the privileged gender. No, no, noooooo. She’s exempt from all criticism.
We’ve got the scum monologues as a State funded schoolhouse rock sorta play. It’s satire baby!
We’ve got the verizon monster daddy DV video as if women never commit at least their fair share of DV, and the majority of child abuse.
So many laws are thrown at men, while women’s prisons are being traded in for spa’s and men are sentenced for the slightest offense.
You can’t go one day without a major newspaper bashing men, (female opinion piece of course).
It’s like a constant drone of hatred of men while women are spoiled beyond comprehension. Belly up to the bar boys for a heapin helpin of hate. Do you really think you’re going to get love and admiration in return?
Why is the fact of rape culture so goddamn difficult to believe? But I guess if you’re Harlan and can’t admit rape happens at all, there you go.
Cranial-rectal inversions really do cause blindness.
Right, NWO, and a “Who Would You Rape” list just screams “we love women.”
Eat a dick. And while you’re at it, get some new material.
NWO’s taking the time honored tactic of “women are misandrist, and that’s terrible, and it also means it’s okay for men to be misogynist!”
Pick one, dude. Either both genders have reason to hate each other (yay?) or neither does.
I’d like to think the latter is possible.
citation REALLY needed
What I read from the FRS commentary:
“Here’s just *one* more example of what *isn’t* rape culture. Stop overreacting over all these examples of what isn’t happening! I mean, every single time this whole rape culture issue comes up I have to explain to you silly feministicalogical peoplez as to why it doesn’t exist, and it’s getting reeeeally tiring. So, stop it already. Jeez.”
I suppose the rape apologists and rape deniers will say the CDC’s nearly 1 in 5 rape or attempted rape is a bunch of feminist lies too amirite? why would I believe that when I could believe what an MRA site would tell me?!
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/15/health/nearly-1-in-5-women-in-us-survey-report-sexual-assault.html?_r=3&ref=health
isn’t it also lovely how no one really ever denies other crime statistics, but when it comes to rape hateful pieces of shit like NWO come out and deny deny deny?
@Holly Pervocracy
I’ve already told you what the new game has to evolve into. One-upmanship. Men have been be beaten over the head with a club for generations by women. Men have pulled a knife. Women pulled a pistol in the scum monologues, everyone here defended that video as satire, or just kids, or shock school parody, or some other nonsense. Men pulled out a rifle.
Women as a whole could’ve literally grabbed these girls and beat the shit out of them, they chose to stick up for their sisters. Women as a whole could’ve literally beat the shit out all the hosts on the view, Katherine Heigl and just a host of others. They chose to call it satire, write it off, excuse it or even join in the fun.
Women use men, men use women. Women abuse men, men abuse women. You excuse one and condone, excuse, neglect, deny, or ignore the other. Betcha it get’s a lot worse. real fast.
Then men are just as bad as women or worse. So this is barely about gender any more. In your view, everyone just hates everyone.
You’re disgusting. I know you get off on hearing me say that but sometimes I just can’t help myself.
And you want absolutely nothing better for the world than to have it the other way around.
It must be sad. Or it would be, if you were able to think about it lucidly.
[emphasis added]
Sorry, but the ebil guvmint’s CDC just released a report that doesn’t agree with you… the only measurable stat in the IPV section of the survey that came out showing men were being more victimised than women was cases of physical violence excluding rape and stalking (or other impacts such as PTSD), and only for cases in the last 12 months. Put back in the cases of women being raped and stalked, and women were once again dominating the stats in a bad way – and likewise if domestic violence over the person’s lifetime was considered.
I suppose for the stats to say men aren’t responsible for more than their fair share of violence would require you to argue that most of the women were been lesbians or bisexuals and it was only mainly their female partners that committed violence. That claim would require a big fat [citation needed].
(Not that I expect being hit with the reality cluebat will have any impact on NWO’s continual airing of disproven fallacies, but I still had the report open from citing it contra a rape culture denialist on another thread.)
NWO, child rape advocate, cannot resist this one!
Which is to say, women were more victimised than men — to forestall any deliberately malicious misreading of the comment, which I realised was possible after I’d pressed “Post Comment”. D’oh (and that goes doubly for
werehad been in the next paragraph).Bostonian – NWO only rapes children because women won’t beat each other. See, it’s fair.
@Quackers
Deny what? The article even states, “The study, a continuing telephone survey of a nationally representative sample of 16,507 adults, defines intimate partner and sexual violence broadly.”
A telephone suvey that defines rape broadly? What the hell is that? Broadly? “Did you ever stub your toe?” “Yes.” “Well that’s rape!”
To show you what a crock this study is, 1 in 4 women are supposedly raped in college. You’re far safer from rape on the mean streets of any city like Detroit than you are in college. What a crock of shit, and you people are so ideology driven you’re like slavering beasts, drooling at the chops to believe anything any MSM outlet tells you. Just to have an excuse to hate men.
owlslave, it really would save a lot of trouble if you would just admit that the only way you can understand the world is by hitting things
NWO thinks it’s bad that women don’t just beat each other to a pulp when someone says or does something he doesn’t personally agree with. I would say that was the most horrible thing he’s ever said, but there was that time he openly advocated slavery, so… enjoy your silver metal!
NWO’s “prison spa” narrative seems to come from this one place called Chiang Mai Prison Spa in Thailand
http://slices-of-life.com/2011/10/19/unusual-spas-in-unusual-places/#2_Chiang_Mai_Prison_Spa_Thailand
It says the women have been in prison and that the spa is sort of rehabilitation program.
So no, the women’s prison has not been turned into a spa. They’ve already served hard time in actual jail.
There seems to be a similar operation going in Malaysia, but only at those two places