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The Presence Of Rape Culture In The United States

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Rape culture, as defined by UMass Amherst Department of Communication lecturer Lynn Phillips, is “a culture in which dominant cultural ideologies, media images, social practices, and societal institutions support and condone sexual abuse by normalizing, trivializing, and eroticizing male violence against women and blaming victims for their own abuse”. I have come across numerous articles (and the dreaded comments section) that debate whether or not rape culture actually exits in the United States, and I agree with many points coinciding with the presence of rape culture in our society in regards to victim-blaming and slut-shaming, however to some degree, I do not believe song lyrics, TV shows/movies, and jokes that seemingly promote rape actually causes rape to occur. …show more content…
It can also happen to anyone: men and women, old and young, people of all ethnicities. Despite rape being serious issue, it is sometimes taken in light in media and pop culture. For example, infamously known “Blurred Lines” and “Blame It (On the Alcohol)” are songs with a rape undertone; “Bro, I raped you,” says Gamer 1 to Gamer 2 who loses the 1v1; the trend of sexually explicit jokes in mainstream “comedy” movies. However, even though one might be exposed to these types of media, they don’t cause an average person to rape. Furthermore, eliminating all rape-glorifying pop media won’t magically stop all rape from occurring. Everyone is born with a conscience that tells us right from wrong. We are complex beings with many influences. If we constantly fill our minds with songs and movies that glorify rape, it may create a mindset more easily influenced to cross the line, but the chances are most likely not, unless you are truly messed up in the

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