Cute story about an apparently gender-variant kid.
This deserves moar response. This was a great story, made my day. I wish everybody had siblings like that.
Rape prevention campaign targeted towards men... your thoughts?
Ignoring most of the discussion so far, I think it's great it's finally being done. Playing to the machismo might be a smart move, even though it might reinforce male stereotypes as well as the thought that only "weak" women get raped. But it's a poster campaign, it has to be a blunt, clearly told message... Hard to go indepth with. I don't think it says implies that all men are potential rapists, though. Definitely not in the derogative "so all men are to blame" kind of way. It just tries to put some responsibility on men as well (and it's not that people don't know it's the rapists who are responsible for rapes, even if many are quick to blame the victim, but that people don't put that knowledge to their own actions). I think that's good. Like I think Glyph said, a female-on-male poster (and also a lesbian couple) would have been nice though, but that's asking for perfection... All in all, it's all right as it is. I'd certainly rather have this flawed campaign than none at all.
One campaign I'd like to see, though, would be one aimed at disarming the myth that only "bad" people rape (with a side of further disavowing "only good girls can be raped"?). We need to face that, while not every man is a rapist, most rapists are everymen. Our friends, family, and co-workers. What we have now is this strange, irrational duality where even though there is a "rape culture" (if I'm using the concept right) rape is still considered one of the worst things men can do. It's absolutely taboo, worse than even killing at times - a known rapist will get ostracised and hated by everyone. I think this is to blame for much of the victim blaming and shaming - people don't want to face that their friends and loved ones can be such "monsters", so they go into denial it beyond reason, turn it into a small thing that doesn't matter. I think that in order for the culture to change, people need to face that yeah, everyone can rape. It doesn't take monster, it just takes unthoughtfulness and selfishness, or a sense of entitlement. Maybe if people would this, people would stop making excuses for the actual, and maybe then the rapists would start thinking of what they did, and rapists-to-be will think of what they are about to do. Or maybe people need to stop making excuses to face the truth. It's too early, I'm having trouble putting my feelings into words.
I guess it would be hard to fit it on a poster campaign as well. Not exactly easy to make into a short, clear and concise message. We need a discussion, I guess. Well, more discussion.
Also. Did anyone else notice how the male models in that campaign were all "get away from me, bitch, I'm posing for the camera"?