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.
How does a woman have to behave in order not to arouse men? You’re dodging the question.
NWO: The ‘differences’ you cite are bullshit. I’m a woman, I fucking well know my own sexuality, and you theories are nothing but crap. I ask again: Why the fuck should I have to worry about whether some guy I don’t know thinks long pants and a sweatshirt are sexy? If I can manage not to jump men I find attractive, men can fucking well do the same.
@CassandraSays
I think you know I meant in public, however if that’s not the case. In public.
——–
@ozymandias42
Well, let’s have us a little pow-wow?
……………………………………..________
………………………………,.-‘ …………….“~.,
………………………..,.- …………………………..“-.,
…………………….,/………………………………………..â€:,
…………………,?………………………………………………,
………………./…………………………………………………..,}
……………../………………………………………………,:`^`..}
……………/……………………………………………,: ……/
…………..?…..__…………………………………..:`………../
…………./__.(…..“~-,_…………………………,:`………./
………../(_….â€~,_……..“~,_………………..,:`…….._/
……….{.._$;_……â€=,_…….“-,_…….,.-~-,},.~â€;/….}
………..((…..*~_…….â€=-._……“;,,./`…./ ………../
…,,,___.`~,……“~.,………………..`…..}…………../
…………(….`=-,,…….`……………………(……;_,,-â€
…………/.`~,……`-………………………….……/
………….`~.*-,……………………………….|,./…..,__
,,_……….}.>-._……………………………..|…………..`=~-,
…..`=~-,__……`,……………………………
……………….`=~-,,.,………………………….
…………………………..`:,,………………………`…………..__
……………………………….`=-,……………….,%`>–==“
…………………………………._……….._,-%…….`
……………………………..,< `.._|_,-&“…………….`
Why not in public, and what are we calling sexual? Is kissing in public sexual? Because if so, saying that women shouldn’t do that is a. rididulous and b. unlikely to go over well with other men either.
Also I don’t think for a minute that you did mean in public. Unless you meant that it would be OK for little girls to dress and act sexual in private, just not in public, in which case I’d love to see you try to justify that belief.
@VoiP
Why don’t you tell me what’s acceptable in public? Slutwalks? Topless? What age? You all are way more evolved than I. Plus you’ve got ideology.
————
@ozymandias42
C’mon Ozy, I’ve got a question just for you.
Not that it matters, since there is no chance whatsoever of the rest of society ever agreeing to go along with any of your ideas. That stings, doesn’t it, NWO? The knowledge that you’ll die without seeing a single one of the things you dream of come true.
@CassandraSays
” Why not in public, and what are we calling sexual? Is kissing in public sexual? Because if so, saying that women shouldn’t do that is a. rididulous and b. unlikely to go over well with other men either.”
Kissing? After the stuff I’ve heard come from your mouth you suddenly act the naive virgin?
“That stings, doesn’t it, NWO? The knowledge that you’ll die without seeing a single one of the things you dream of come true.”
I think his dream is to disagree with everyone on the internet.
Dodging the question isn’t going to work, NWO.
@CassandraSays
“Not that it matters, since there is no chance whatsoever of the rest of society ever agreeing to go along with any of your ideas. That stings, doesn’t it, NWO? The knowledge that you’ll die without seeing a single one of the things you dream of come true.”
If you mean the different things man and women do that hurt each other. Where things women do don’t hurt women but they hurt men and things men do don’t hurt men but hurt women? You mean I’ll die before mutual respect between the genders has been achieved all because a hate ideology refuses to hold one of the genders accountable for their actions? Meh, I tried. That must be why I sleep so well at night. A clear concience.
The question, NWO, isn’t what Cassandra thinks is publicly sexual behavior… it’s what you think is publicly sexual behavior.
NWO is suddenly reminding me of the man who started shouting abuse on a public bus in Bellingham, Washington when my mother and I were sitting, holding hands (I’d been away to college, and she was visiting after a year or two), and talking.
A very filthy minded man, mind you.
We got off at the next stop and walked back to campus……still holding hands.
I was at the graduate commencement today (512 master’s students, 10 doctoral), and while the venue is horrible (it’s the Field house, lousy acoustics), the bleachers on three sides and 1/4 of the chairs on the floor were filled with families of the graduates–the graduates were all down in front, the faculty at one end), and you know, I bet a huge number of the people (ranging in age from babies to the eighties) spent a couple of hours NOT thinking about sex, how women were dressed being the same as rape, etc.
They were happy and celebratory, and well PEOPLE.
Too bad Newts WO cannot ever have that.
You know what I actually meant, NWO. Sucks, doesn’t it, that you’ll die without ever seeing the gains that feminism has made rolled back? I could say I feel bad for you, but my parents taught me not to lie.
@CassandraSays
I asked a question three pages back. All I got was gobblygoop in reply. Well lotsa snark, cursing and evasion. I’ve answered tons.
I’ve got a question specifically for Ozy, seems she won’t even come out of hiding.
It wouldn’t happen to be about “zie creatures”, would it?
NWO, there are a lot of happy people in the world. There are a lot of men and women happily co existing with each other. I shit you not. Have a think about that one.
@ithiliana
A personal story of a bad man and the innocent victim women enduring mens harsh language. Definitely MSM worthy. It’s so rare to hear such a tale.
Wow… ozy isn’t on Manboobz on a Saturday night. NWO want’s to yell and her and insult her and she’s otherwise engaged, and he thinks it’s like his disappearing when Ami shows up; nevermind that she talks to him all the time.
She’s probably doing something more meaningful, like giving/getting head, pegging some pretty boy, playing a boardgame, getting tipsy.
But NWO wants to pretend she’s hiding.
I just have to spread this out and enjoy the irony of it all:
Newt W. O. complaining about the lack of response(s) to his question:
*looks at a representative sampling of Newt’s Unique Syntax and Diction (I especially liked “feints” instead of “faints” a while ago), and bursts out into laughter*
What goes around, comes around, dude!
I’m pretty happy. That must be very upsetting to NWO, what with my filthy mouth and tendency to wear clothes that fit and all.
Too bad, so sad, etc.
@Joanna
And there’s a lot of unhappy people in the world. Did you since the vile filth of feminsim has been introduced into State policy in India, married mens suicide is up like 16 x as high as pre-feminist State policy?
That’s a lotta hate to do something like that. We’ve been inundated with feminsim for generations. I wanna end the hatred.
Only an evil whorish zie creature would be out having fun on a Saturday night! How dare Ozy not be avaliable for NWO to curse at.
@CassandraSays & the rest of the gang as well.
Am I happy?
@ithiliana
Is that the best you can do? A typo? Well ya got me. I guess?