Women and children don’t need to be protected by men—they need to be protected from men. This talk of protection should be seen for what it is: A protection racket. One man or group of men promises to protect women and children from other men. And to do that, these good men must have the power to protect, which means the power to control.
Robert Jensen (via menofconscience)
Even better, can I get an end forever to movies and tv shows with the man-protecting-a-woman-or-child-from-a-rapist trope (instead of the woman/child protecting themselves, or being protected by another woman)?
Because those scenes are really gross. Why? First, they reinforce the learned helplessness that makes it easier for rapists to operate. Second, they excite and prey on a man’s rape instincts (yes, we all have them, women too; but these scenes specifically target straight men - ie, statistically, the people most likely to commit rape anywhere on the planet) while AT THE SAME TIME allowing him to identify with the “good” male hero who “rescues” the woman or child.
In other words, it feeds the male gaze / rape culture norm while pretending it doesn’t even exist.
(Note: the way most other girl mammals protect themselves from rape is by living in large female social groups that kick the ever-loving shit out of any male who even thinks about trying something. In other words, your squad got your back. Not a bad model, I’d say.)
turnnoffyourmind
2087
romaincrisis
andulkaphoto
snowghoul
tangentwithtanner
