PETA Invokes Sexual Violence to Promote Veganism

PETA has a new ad campaign to encourage men to try a vegan lifestyle. Their approach uses sexual violence to equate virility and assumes this must appeal to men as good reason to try vegansim. The campaign labels girlfriends of men who go vegan as “victims” of BWVAKTBOOM: Boyfriend Went Vegan and Knocked the Bottom out of Me. The video above accompanies a whole site dedicated to this fictional phenomenon. This is not the only video; there is a whole section of videos. One portrays a woman talking cheerily about the “side effects” of her partner’s veganism while covered with bandages.

PETA presents these “side effects” as a reason to go vegan, as though beating a partner were a good thing. It is just another way sexual violence is used to sell something; in this case an otherwise healthy lifestyle. This campaign says that being vegan doesn’t have to mean losing one’s masculinity, because according to the website, veganism can encourage behaviors that appeal to men:

For years, women have been open to the physical, emotional, and karmic benefits of veganism. But now, more and more men are discovering the perks of a plant-based diet. More specifically, a dramatic increase in their wang power and sexual stamina.

In the videos above, “wang power” is equated with sexual violence. This maintains the idea that a sexual male is ought to be a controlling, violent male. Connect the Dots has a response to this disgusting ad campaign. The post addresses that PETA missed an opportunity to approach veganism through a sex-positive lens and just about everything else wrong with this ad:

What’s the real message here?  Rather than a sex-positive take on veganism, this ad plays on traditional and harmful notions of masculinity.  It perpetuates common norms, like power and violence, that support a culture of sexual violence and exploitation.  It sends the same old, tired message that being a man is all about power, violent and sexual power, over women.  We wonder if vegan men appreciate being portrayed in this light.  And what are women good for?  That’s obvious.

Why PETA would approach a male audience in this way is not only baffling but extremely offensive not just to women, but to men. This horrific ad campaign rests on all kinds of assumptions about men’s desires and actively promotes the idea that men should use violence to assert their sexual prowess. One can only hope PETA will respond with an apology.

One Plus Negative One Equals Zero: A Response to PETA’s Rapey Ad [Connect the Dots]

UPDATE: Here is a link to a petition asking PETA to terminate the campaign: http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-peta-violence-against-women-is-never-okay

Fox News Pundit Says Women in Military Should “Expect” to be Raped

A recent Pentagon report reveals a huge increase in sex crimes committed by army personnel since 2006. The Huffington Post reports Fox News Pundit Liz Trotta believes this is a non-issue. The “close proximity” of soldiers means rape should come as no surprise. Trotta describes female soldiers as wanting to be both heroes and victims.

Now, what did they expect? These people are in close contact, the whole airing of this issue has never been done by Congress, it’s strictly been a question of pressure from the feminists.

Trotta’s attitude toward the issue is deplorable; she states that providing support to soldiers facing abuse is a waste of time as it is their job to protect us, not our job to protect them. The Huffington Post article includes a longer clip than the one shown above wherein Fox News host Eric Shawn alleges that perhaps the soldiers deserve to be protected as much as anyone from illegal activity. Trotta dismisses this as ridiculous.

Trotta stops just short of saying these soldiers facing rape and harassment are “asking for it.” If soldiers didn’t wear uniforms, perhaps she would say the female soldiers were simply wearing too short of skirts. No one can ask to be raped or assaulted or abused; in the case of the military, it is the organization’s responsibility to address this issue and provide support to all people in service. Everyone has the right to serve their country without fear of “getting raped”; Trotta’s attitude suggests it is their fault for joining the military, not the fault of the perpetrator or the fault of the military for not offering proper protection.

Jezebel recently posted a response from a former Marine to the ignorant and disrespectful remarks made by Trotta. Fox News is not known for its progressive stances, but Trotta’s attitude in the clip is remarkably backwards even by the network’s standards.

Fox News’ Liz Trotta On Women Raped In Military: ‘What Did They Expect? These People Are In Close Contact’ (VIDEO) [Huffington Post]

An Ex-Marine Explains Why Military Women Shouldn’t ‘Expect’ to Be Raped [Jezebel]

Why Was Chris Brown Allowed Back on Stage?

At last night’s Grammy Awards, Chris Brown took to the stage after a three-year hiatus. Because he now has a successful album for sale and has been on “good behavior” it is apparently acceptable to reward him with a platform such as a performance at the Grammys. Some people in last night’s audience even gave him a standing ovation.

In 2009 Brown physically assaulted his then-girlfriend, singer Rihanna, shortly before the Grammy Awards of that year. Since then he has released a high selling album and now he is allowed to perform again at a huge venue. In granting Brown this kind of platform, the entertainment industry is sending the message that beating his girlfriend is totally excusable. It is not.

HelloGiggles ran a post before the performances last night detailing the response in the media to Brown’s assault on Rihanna. Rather than supporting Rihanna and speaking out against domestic violence, by and large the media did little to speak out against his crime, even despite the horrific photos of Rihanna post-assault that later surfaced. Even worse, Rihanna herself was subject to backlash:

In fact, large segments of the Internet had devoted themselves to making Rihanna the scapegoat for any woman who ever had the gall to do something worth getting hit, and then the cloying self-esteem to go to the cops about it. Bloggers and their commentators flocked to Chris Brown’s defense in droves. It was a full-blown tearing-down of female self-worth, an assault on any progress women have made in this country in the past 200 years, and the mainstream media ignored it.

BuzzFeed ran Twitter responses that sadly confirm just how dangerous this message is. The tweets from accounts that appear to be run by young women say things such as:

I don’t know why Rihanna complained. Chris Brown could beat me anytime he wanted to.

Chris Brown could serenade me and then punch me in the eye.

Considering the spotlight Brown has been given, it is no surprise so many fans have reacted this way. He is once again being held up as a pop star worthy of adoration. What he did is inexcusable and yet the fall-out was minimal and he is allowed to proceed with business as usual.

HelloGiggles asks if things would have been different if Brown had hit Taylor Swift, instead of Rihanna. Swift, like Rihanna, is a young successful pop star, but her public persona is “pure” and virginal, while Rihanna’s is built on overt sexuality (if you need proof of this, just look at what Swift and Rihanna wore to last night’s red carpet). Maybe the media would’ve reacted differently, maybe the blame Rihanna faced in her own assault wouldn’t have befallen Swift.

No matter what, Brown’s actions were permissible under no circumstances. The entertainment industry has rewarded Brown, however, thereby sending the message that his commercial success makes his violent attack on his girlfriend totally OK. This message is detrimental to any survivor of domestic violence. It makes it far more difficult for victims to speak out and seek help. And it makes it far easier for people such as Brown to continue to commit assault on their partners with little to no repercussions.

I’m Not Okay With Chris Brown Performing at the Grammy’s and I’m Not Sure Why You Are [HelloGiggles]

Chris Brown’s Grammys Comeback: This Is How Men Get Away With Domestic Violence [Blisstree]

Horrible Reactions to Chris Brown at the Grammy’s [BuzzFeed]

You Are Not Alone

This post appeared on Rookie Magazine about a month ago, but was recently brought to my attention. The article is about surviving assault, how to reach that place where one can be “OK” after a traumatic experience. Rookie’s target audience is teenage girls, and in my experience teenage girls don’t get a lot of adequate information on sexual assault, despite the fact that 1 in 4 girls will be sexually assaulted before the age of 18. This post is extremely important not just for its target audience, but perhaps for anyone who has survived sexual assault. As the comments on this article show, the internet is an incredible tool for connecting people through shared experience. You can survive, and you are not alone.

We’re Called Survivors Because We’re Still Here [Rookie]

Thanks to Sarah for the tip.

The Politics of Fighting Violence

 

The New York Times reports that all Republicans in the Senate Judiciary Committee  have voted against a reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. The law was first instated in 1994 to provide federal funding to fight domestic violence and sexual assault. It has since expanded to protect victims of other forms of assault and violence, such as stalking and dating violence, through reauthorizations in 2000 and 2005. The new draft up for reauthorization was in fact introduced to the committee in part by Republican Senator Michael Crapo of Idaho, yet his fellow party members on the Senate Judiciary Committee have unanimously voted against the new draft. As the Times reports, they take issue with the bill’s language in aid of minority groups:

The Republican opposition seems driven largely by an antigay, anti-immigrant agenda. The main sticking points seemed to be language in the bill to ensure that victims are not denied services because they are gay or transgender and a provision that would modestly expand the availability of special visas for undocumented immigrants who are victims of domestic violence — a necessary step to encourage those victims to come forward.

The bill passed the committee nonetheless, but now needs to pass through the Senate.  Fighting violence, of any kind, should not be a political issue. It is clear from this committee’s actions however that it is still subject to political biases, evidently in this case due to attempts to aid LGBTQ or immigrant victims.

Here is a full PDF of the proposed law: To reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act of 1994

Republicans Retreat on Domestic Violence [NY Times]

The Visibility of Sexual Abuse Survivors

Regardless of gender identity, sexual abuse can happen to anyone. The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network has posted a video made by Dr. Broderick Fox of Occidental College to highlight this and urge survivors of any identity or background to seek help.

Though survivors of sexual assault are frequently female, it can happen to men as well. Unfortunately, notions of masculinity in our society often prevent men from speaking out. The New York Times recently ran an article on the difficulty male survivors face in seeking help. The consequences of sexual abuse, ranging from depression to substance abuse, know no gender but as the article says, male survivors often face a challenge particular to their sex:

But men also face a challenge to their sense of masculinity. Many feel they should have done more to fight off their attackers. Since they may believe that men are never raped, they may feel isolated and reluctant to confide in anyone. Male rape victims may become confused about their sexual orientation or, if gay and raped by a man, blame their sexual orientation for the rape.

Men are “supposed” to be the active agent in sexual relations, while women are often positioned as passive, making them susceptible to rape. But rape is not a sexual act, it is an expression of power and dominance. Men can just as easily be made targets of rape, due to “violent, drunken or drug-induced assaults; war crimes; interrogations; antigay bias crimes; and hazing rites for male clubs and organizations, like fraternities, and in the military.” In this instance, men are harmed by a misogynistic society that equates masculinity and male heterosexuality with power and aggression. As long as these ideas perpetuate, male survivors will have difficulty seeking help, and the abuse against them will be rendered invisible and thus more easily continued.

Male Sexual Assault [RAINN]

Male Victims of Sexual Assault [Sociological Images]

Men Struggle for Rape Awareness [NY Times]