Rape culture -- why? What can we do? [View All]

So I got to thinking about two weeks back about how our culture glorifies rape while I was reading an LA Times article. It was about the British memo that showed that the US and Britain were planning on invading Iraq no matter what the rest of the world thought, even before they had completed gathering evidence on the issue (and I use the term "evidence" loosely here). In one part of the memo, it talked about what aspects of an invasion most concerned US and British officials. That part went as follows:

But there were some signs, since we last spoke, of greater awareness of the practical difficulties and political risks.... From what she said, Bush has yet to find answers to the big questions:

* How to persuade international opinion that military action against Iraq is necessary and justified;

* What value to put on the exiled Iraqi opposition;

* How to coordinate a US/allied military campaign with internal opposition (assuming there is any);

* What happens the morning after?"

OK, does anybody else see something wrong with using the term "the morning after" in this context? As far as I understand it, the term means the morning after sex. What that means is that invasion, bombing, and war are used here as a metaphor for sex. Sex is violent, and violence is sex. We've also seen a song with the words "Beat the pussy up" in the chorus become a huge hit on pop radio recently. Another popular rap song has the words "Be a good girl now, turn around, and get these whippings/You know you like it like that/You don't have to fight back/Here's a pillow, bite that." Also recently, a movie that seamlessly couples violence with sex and sex crimes with half-naked prostitutes and a half-naked female police officer (Sin City) became a huge box-office success. As if that weren't enough, about two or three months ago my roommate had a party, and one of my guy friends who actually cares about a lot of feminist issues turned to me and said, "So do you put up a fight, Chicaloca, or do you just give in?" From these instances and more, I don't see how it's possible to conclude that we DON'T live in a rape culture. Furthermore, what is it that makes people so stupid and vicious and hateful, particularly toward women? Is there anything we can do to stop it? I boycott things I find sexist or misogynist and speak out against rape-friendly ideas whenever I encounter them, but maybe folks here have some other strategies. (If you just want to vent about it here, that's fine, too. I haven't written a good rant for a while, so maybe that will encourage me.)

edited to add: I also just remembered that omega minimo has a thread going in the Women's Issues forum where she's documenting sexist and misogynist posts that she comes across on DU. In one, a poster wrote something like "You used the word rape twice in your post. I like rape." HOW THE FUCK CAN YOU WRITE THAT AND STILL BE A HUMAN BEING?!?!? :cry: