Public Service Announcement (for rapists)
April 6, 2010
After hearing so many blame-the-victim rape prevention “tips” I was afraid to watch these, even if someone as perceptive as Marcella posted them first. Fear not, these are AWESOME!
Tip#1: Clearly state your needs and desires.
Tip#2: Use the Buddy System.
Tip#3: Call for help
Marcella didn’t post the third one, and I’m taking a guess as to why she didn’t. The third video misses the mark just a tad and yet an obvious reason for it’s lack doesn’t leap out at me. Perhaps you can figure it out. The concept itself when written appears to get the point across effectively, so I’m wondering why the visual interpretation seems to be missing something. Or maybe it’s just me.
Is it that the first two were so perfect, or is it that most rapes are committed by someone known to the victim and the focus on stranger rapes always seems to me to be an excuse not to focus on the most common type of perpetrator? You know, that really cute guy down the hall who is so sweet and innocent and admires your personality? I think I liked the first one so much because it was clear that the two people were on a date, which was going rather well for both of them, right up until PsychoMan makes his move. The second video clearly showed the psychopath’s premeditative intent and also the strategy he was using.
From a guy’s perspective, one who isn’t utilizing rape as a get-to-know-you technique, those first two videos are likely to make him realize what feminists have been trying to tell him all along — that no he doesn’t do any of that crap. Seems like it would defuse some defensiveness, which would then allow the genuinely nice guy (all five of them) to see rape from a female’s perspective instead of being caught in the endless loop of defensiveness-excuse-blindness. From a woman’s perspective, those first two are likely to make her focus on the nice “trustworthy” guy, whom I loathe.
Anyway, these are AWESOME, and are created by the utterly fabulous folks at the sexual violence center — that link leads directly to their stats page, which is helpful to have handy all in one place. I’m posting this to encourage them to make MOAR.
miss Andrea's 
April 9, 2010 at 1:10 am
In the third one I think it is partly the body language of the people that doesn’t make sense.
Her body language speaks her fear. His speaks no concern whatsoever.
April 15, 2010 at 9:34 am
These are great miss a. I didn’t watch the last one though, because if they got it wrong, im not interested. It’s too sensitive a subject, and its too typical. As for the first two, these are such great points and they need to be made often. Only men can stop rape, under the current system. You know, where men make all the rules, and police each others behavior. And vigilante justice is illegal.
June 22, 2010 at 8:59 pm
They should make those videos as part of Rape Awareness videos. I do like the videos and they do get the message out.
June 29, 2010 at 10:27 am
I love these! Why can’t we get these aired during the Superbowl and sports events where they insist on putting that watered-down drivel?
It looks like they’re based right off that list of “ten things men can do to stop rape.” Would love to see them do every one.
This may not be a fair critique, but I think the last one misses because of the acting. It’s clear they didn’t get professional actors in any of these, but it doesn’t matter as much with the first two. The last one needs a predatory feel to make “the break” of blowing the whistle work.
It just looks like a man walking down the street behind a woman, and he suddenly pulls out a whistle.
December 14, 2010 at 9:59 am
These are awesome! Except the third one, I agree about that. It’s funny, but I think it has to do with the fact that it’s mocking what a woman should do that makes it totally ineffective. The other ones just make it blatantly obvious what really should happen, but the third one is satire making fun of rape whistles and women who call for help. Wouldn’t it be nice if this was really the way the world worked though?