What is satire?
On March 20, 2015, sometimes funny/sometimes over the top comedian Sarah Silverman re-tweeted a picture on Twitter entitled “Ten Rape Prevention Tips.” Here is it…read it carefully.
Apparently, a lot of people, and mostly men I guess, were deeply offended by this “list.” A few examples of the responses (well, the clean ones) were:
“This is so offensive to men. What an awful subtext you’re propagating. “
“rather harsh on those of us who, you know, wouldn’t dream of hurting anyone….”
So, the question is: IS THIS OFFENSIVE? And if so, why? To me, it’s plain and simple.
THIS IS SATIRE.
The definition of satire? Irony, sarcasm, or caustic wit used to attack or expose human foolishness or vice.
So what is the human foolishness here? It’s the century old idea that somehow it is the woman’s responsibility to avoid being raped. For decades, publications and leaflets have been distributed speaking to women about what precautions they can take to avoid it.
If the picture above offends, then it did its job and hopefully got everyone (especially men) to think about why it may have been offensive and them….to understand that women have been offended by similar “lists” since the beginning of time. Google “how to prevent rape” or “tips to prevent sexual assault” and what you will see (although most current publications now leave gender identifiers out) will be language aimed at the potential victim. Why should it be the potential victim’s responsibility? Why haven’t there been similar lists aimed at the potential rapist; specifically saying “hey, just don’t rape”? Or how about this novel concept: “hey, women are human beings that deserve the same respect as any other human being.”
We know rape is not about sex, it’s about power. But it also has to do with respect. One would typically not rape or otherwise assault someone that one respects. So, let’s teach (and expect) boys and men to be respectful of everyone. Let’s stop encouraging stereotypes and attitudes that depict girls and women as less than, inferior. Let’s stop placing so much emphasis on women’s bodies, reducing them to mere body parts. If we can build that foundation, then maybe attitudes will change.
OF COURSE not all men rape. It would be offensive and ridiculous to even say they did. So I get that some men (who don’t rape) would take offense to be lumped into a category that would even imply that they might. However, would those same men be equally offended if they read one of those lists aimed at women (i.e. the victim) telling them how to avoid being raped? They should be offended if they understood the irony….and that’s the point. That’s why satire is a brilliant teaching tool.
