Wednesday, July 08, 2015

The aftermath of Bill Cosby's admission? That's rape culture...

Now we know.

In 2005 Bill Cosby admitted, under oath, to drugging several women with the intention of having sex with them. (To be clear, sex without one party's consent, is called rape.) But in the intervening hours since the report first emerged, the realities of rape culture -- its insidiousness and pervasiveness -- have become all the more clear.

Even now, in the wake of the Cosby news, people and media outlets are still using language that simultaneously downplays and sensationalizes what he did. Headlines like, Cosby's "Sex Bombshell" that don't use the word "rape" perpetuate this idea that what this man did was creepy, yet somehow benign. Furthermore, this news is not a bombshell. We've known about Cosby's history of assault since last year. Really, it's been out there -- but ignored -- for at least 10 years.

(...)

Proof beyond a reasonable doubt is needed in a court of law, but the court of public opinion does not require the same standards. We should be able to decide for ourselves and listen to the stories of Cosby's accusers who have gained nothing by speaking out.

There have been suggestions that Cosby's wealth, his standing in the black community, his celebrity, all allowed him to get away with this for so long. And still, even now, some people suggest that this is some kind of wild conspiracy to bring down a prominent black man. But this isn't strictly about celebrity, or money, or access, or respectability politics -- we should stop looking for one thing to blame. This is about the intersection of all those things, and how, with the addition of sexism and misogyny, they make stories like this a reality. Full story...

Related posts:
  1. Bill Cosby sex abuse claims: 'The truth is out'
  2. Funnyman Bill Cosby in controversy over rape allegations...
  3. Why doesn’t anyone care about the sexual assault allegations against Bill Cosby?
  4. Media cover up Bill Clinton's alleged pedophilia on Epstein's 'orgy island'
  5. Nicole Kidman’s father dies amid Aussie paedophile ring scandal...
  6. Rolf Harris was dirty old man who abused victim for years...
  7. Revealed: how Jimmy Savile abused up to 1,000 victims on BBC premises...
  8. Compartmentalizing Woody Allen: What America chooses not to see...

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