History of Rape Culture
A rape culture is created when sexual violence becomes normalized and tolerated among members of society. A rape culture is often formed when the general members of society learn and perpetuate rape myths, which is largely influenced by media and popular culture. The term rape culture was classified recently, but the concept of rape culture has been in existence for centuries. This can be seen throughout history in the stories shared between members of Ancient Greek, Medieval and Victorian Societies.
The Term "Rape Culture" Coined in the 20th Century
The term rape culture originated when feminists released the film “Rape Culture” in January of 1975 to raise awareness of the normalization of sexual violence in society. This documentary was the first to establish the relationship between rape and our culture's sexual fantasies by examining popular culture and media. Feminists realized that they needed to take a stand against rape culture and make people aware of its consequences if they were going to make a change. Feminist Alana Prochuk states, “We need to notice this stuff, get outraged, and share our outrage with others. Staying aware of rape culture is painful work, but we can’t interrupt the culture of violence unless we are willing to see it for what it is”. Since the 1970's the term 'rape culture' has been used extensively in media and the public to explain the distasteful state that society is currently in and has relished in for centuries.
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Ancient Greek Society and Mythology on Rape
Zeus and Leda
By examining the stories and mythology present in Ancient Greek society, it can be seen that rape culture existed as far back as 900 BC. The rape of women and youth was a common theme throughout Greek mythology. One of the most famous stories from this time is the rape of Leda by Zeus. In this story Leda, the wife of Tyndareus, King of Sparta, is enjoying a bath in the local lake. During her swim, Zeus transforms himself into the shape of a swan and proceeds to sneak up on Leda and rape her. Zeus was a highly praised god in Greek society and was notorious for his sexual encounters with mortal women. It can be argued that “the myths catered for the salacious voyeurism of the ancient Greeks just as the gossip columns of the tabloid press do for us today” (225). Medusa Another popular story among the Ancient Greek civilization was the tale of how Medusa became a monster. Medusa was originally a beautiful young woman, known for her lovely hair and being the aspiration of many potential male suitors. Poseidon, God of the sea, took it upon himself to take advantage of Medusa and rape her in Athena's temple. After realizing what had happened, Athena blames Medusa, the victim in this case, for the sexual encounter that had occurred in her temple. Athena punishes Medusa for the incident by turning her hair into gruesome snakes and making her face so hideous that should anyone place their gaze upon her, they would turn into stone (898). These mythological stories promoted the idea of rape and taking sexual advantage of women in Greek society. |
Medieval Times and Stolen Women
In Medieval England both abduction and rape were punished as the same crime under one raptus law. Since rape and abduction were treated equally, assessing the consequences for various situations in which a member of society broke the law was difficult. This posed much confusion for the medieval society concerning their ideas of consent and rape. Two stories that reflect this confusion and were popular during the middle ages, included the story of Lucretia and Helen of Troy. The implications these naratives had on medieval members of society are explored in the book " Rape and Ravishment in the Literature of Medieval England" by Corinne J. Saunders. Both stories "end in the fall of a nation as the result of the social impact of rape or ravishment...their tellers engage with the opposition between private and public, force and consent, shame and honour, and suffering and desire" (152). The ideas these stories present, contribute to a rape culture in the Medieval period.
Lucretia The rape of Lucretia is a story that depicts her as an innocent victim of vicious sexual desire. In the story Sextus Tarquinius, son of the Roman King, takes a fancy to Roman matron Lucretia while visiting her hometown. During the night, Tarquinius sneaks into her bedroom with sword drawn while she is sleeping. She awakens surprised and after pleaing and threatening her, Tarquinius takes advantage of Lucretia without consent. During these times, adultery was punishable by death for women whether it was their doing or not. Therefore, as a result of the encounter, Lucretia ends her life despite being innocent, so she would not have to face being sentenced to death (155). This story touches on concerns regarding the notion of chastity and consent among women. Helen of Troy In contrast, the story of Helen of Troy focuses more on the abduction side of the raptus law. Instead of raising issues of chastity, the narrative encounters issues of property and identity. Citizens among society in the medieval period took a liking to the story of the Trojan war. The story begins with the marriage of Helen to Menelaus, king of Sparta. While Helen was spending time at the famous temple of Venus, Paris, son of Priam the Trojan King, placed his gaze upon her and fell in love. He approached Helen and they discussed their mutual passion for one another. They decided to flee to Troy and Paris came to carry Helen off from the temple in the night. Realizing what had happened, Menelaus gathers his men and troops into Troy to get his wife back, igniting the Trojan war. The Spartans were able to successfully overthrow Troy by means of the iconic Trojan Horse, demanding Helen's return (371). In this story, Helen is seen as Menelaus' property and that he has the right to have her back. The idea of having a certain entitlement to women during this time period helped perpetuate the notions of rape culture. |
King Kong the Rape-Ape in Victorian Society
Victorian Era
The idea of King Kong began with the introduction of the gorilla and its similarity to man in the late nineteenth century. When explorer Paul Belloni Du Challiu first presented the gorilla to European society, he described the ape as having physical aspects to humans yet possessing all the qualities of a monster. He told tales of the beast capturing and carrying off women into the woods to gain interest from his readers. [1] In response to his findings, people were strongly opposed to the idea that they could be related to such a vicious animal, yet remained captivated by the resemblances between the gorilla and themselves. In contrast evolutionist Charles Darwin, a major influence on the Victorian era, focused more on the human aspects in animals rather than humans being degraded to animals. He focused more on the ability of the gorilla to convey emotion in a way similar to humans to prove the relationship between animals and humans. Despite Darwin's efforts to show the humanity within animals, people were fascinated with the ape's beastly image, setting the stage for the creation of King Kong in the twentieth century.
King Kong
For some critics of the time, the character of King Kong is thought to have served as a figure to explore the human-animal boundary in which the white heterosexual man was able to project their secret rape fantasies (16). In the 1933 film, King Kong, a young white female named Ann Darrow becomes the object of Kong's desire. Attracted to Ann's beauty, Kong develops a passion for her and attempts to pursue her. There are some questionable scenes throughout the movie that promote the ideas of sexuality and rape. One of the more controversial scenes in particular occurs after Kong captures Ann and takes her back to his cave. Holding her limp body and filled with curiosity, Kong proceeds to remove some articles of Ann's clothing. When she awakens, she stifles a scream and tries to get away as Kong tickles her partially unclothed body (64). This movie has been remade twice since the original movie in 1933, continuing to portray a helpless women as the desire of King Kong. Movies and films popularized by society including that of King Kong, contribute to the myths and stereotypes that play into forming a rape culture.
Victorian Era
The idea of King Kong began with the introduction of the gorilla and its similarity to man in the late nineteenth century. When explorer Paul Belloni Du Challiu first presented the gorilla to European society, he described the ape as having physical aspects to humans yet possessing all the qualities of a monster. He told tales of the beast capturing and carrying off women into the woods to gain interest from his readers. [1] In response to his findings, people were strongly opposed to the idea that they could be related to such a vicious animal, yet remained captivated by the resemblances between the gorilla and themselves. In contrast evolutionist Charles Darwin, a major influence on the Victorian era, focused more on the human aspects in animals rather than humans being degraded to animals. He focused more on the ability of the gorilla to convey emotion in a way similar to humans to prove the relationship between animals and humans. Despite Darwin's efforts to show the humanity within animals, people were fascinated with the ape's beastly image, setting the stage for the creation of King Kong in the twentieth century.
King Kong
For some critics of the time, the character of King Kong is thought to have served as a figure to explore the human-animal boundary in which the white heterosexual man was able to project their secret rape fantasies (16). In the 1933 film, King Kong, a young white female named Ann Darrow becomes the object of Kong's desire. Attracted to Ann's beauty, Kong develops a passion for her and attempts to pursue her. There are some questionable scenes throughout the movie that promote the ideas of sexuality and rape. One of the more controversial scenes in particular occurs after Kong captures Ann and takes her back to his cave. Holding her limp body and filled with curiosity, Kong proceeds to remove some articles of Ann's clothing. When she awakens, she stifles a scream and tries to get away as Kong tickles her partially unclothed body (64). This movie has been remade twice since the original movie in 1933, continuing to portray a helpless women as the desire of King Kong. Movies and films popularized by society including that of King Kong, contribute to the myths and stereotypes that play into forming a rape culture.
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