This article examines ways that the severity of rape is undermined in pop culture and advertising campaigns. A survey of 1000 adults living in the UK revealed that 38% reported hearing jokes about sexual assault or sex crimes in general on a regular basis. Casual use of the word “rape,” rape jokes and using the word in reference to competition (as it pertains to winning or beating someone else) were most prevalent among younger demographics (18-24).
The author notes an increase in “rape themed” advertising used to sell products by objectifying women during the holiday season. She cites a Singapore-based company that used a black Friday slogan, “rape us now” and two studies that demonstrate the link between the consumption of sexual objectifying portrayals of women and increased likelihood of “acceptance of rape myths, victim-blaming, sexual harassment and interpersonal violence.” She closes by stating: “The feminist endgame is not to publicly punish everybody who makes a rape joke, or ban every advert that uses rape as a titillating way to sell products. It is to create a society in which it would never occur to anybody to do either in the first place.”