''Rape Culture'' is a 1975 film by

Cambridge Documentary Films Cambridge Documentary Films is a non profit organization established in Massachusetts in 1974. The purpose of the organization is to create new perspectives on important social issues and give voice to groups and individuals whose perspectives are ...

, produced by

Margaret Lazarus Margaret Lazarus (born January 22, 1949) is an American film producer and director known for her work in documentary film. She and her partner, Renner Wunderlich, received an Oscar in 1993 for their documentary ''Defending Our Lives'', about bat ...

and

Renner Wunderlich Renner Wunderlich (born May 5, 1947) is an American film producer/film director known for his work in documentary film. He and his partner, Margaret Lazarus, received an Academy Awards, Oscar in 1993 for their documentary ''Defending Our Lives'', ab ...

. It was updated in 1983. In January 1975, Judy Norsigan outlined how the film illustrated "

rape culture Rape culture is a setting, studied by several sociological theories, in which rape is pervasive and normalized due to societal attitudes about gender and sexuality. Behaviors commonly associated with rape culture include victim blaming, slut-s ...

", through the voices of men and women, including rapists, victims, prisoners, rape crisis workers, and the media. The film featured prisoners of

Lorton Reformatory The Lorton Reformatory, also known as the Lorton Correctional Complex, is a former prison complex in Lorton, Virginia, established in 1910 for the District of Columbia, United States. The complex began as a prison farm called the Occoquan Work ...

, Virginia, "Prisoners Against Rape Inc" (PAR), a not-for-profit organization founded by William Fuller and Larry Cannon on September 9, 1973, in conjunction with women fighting rape. The prison administration "approved" self-help status. PAR was set up after Fuller wrote to the

DC Rape Crisis Center DC, D.C., D/C, Dc, or dc may refer to: Places * Washington, D.C. (District of Columbia), the capital and the federal territory of the United States * Bogotá, Distrito Capital, the capital city of Colombia * Dubai City, as distinct from the ...

in 1973 and asked for assistance. The DC Rape Crisis Center had opened in 1972 in response to the high incidence of rape against women of color. Fuller acknowledged his history of rape, murder, and prison rape. He wanted to stop being a rapist. This resulted in a cooperative effort. The women from the DC Rape Crisis Center who initiated work with PAR were

Loretta Ross Loretta J. Ross is an African American academic, feminist, and activist who advocates for reproductive justice, especially among women of color. As an activist, Ross has written on reproductive justice activism and the history of African American ...

, Yulanda Ward and Nkenge Touré. Ross has said that whilst the relationship was seen initially as controversial, it was one of the more interesting aspects of her work at the DC Rape Crisis Center in the 1970s and 80s. In an interview with Joyce Follet, Ross observed that in the work of the DC Rape Crisis Center they could bandage up women all they wanted to, but if they did not stop rape what was the point? Maragaret lazarus, the film's producer, said of this relationship that the work was "groundbreaking". The film featured

Mary Daly Mary Daly (October 16, 1928–January 3, 2010) was an American radical feminist philosopher and theologian. Daly, who described herself as a "radical lesbian feminist", taught at the Jesuit-run Boston College for 33 years. Once a practicing Rom ...

, radical feminist philosopher, academic, and theologian, and Author and Artist Emily Culpepper. They discussed rapism as an intellectual concept, and phallocentric morality and "its 'unholy trinity of rape, genocide and war.'". Doreen McDowell, a rape victim, talked of her experience, how sex fantasies play a part in rape, and how male identified behavior in women maintained a "state of siege". Powerful statistical evidence, refuting rape myths, law enforcement and legislative views of rape were presented by Joanna Morris, author and statistical coordinator for rape crisis centers across the USA. The film also looked closely at the mass media, how filmmakers, songwriters, writers and magazines perpetuated the attitudes to rape, which normalized it and even perpetuated rape myths and stereotypical behavior around rape. ''

Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Wind may also refer to: Music * ''Gone with the Wind'' ...

'',

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

's film ''

Frenzy ''Frenzy'' is a 1972 British thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It is the penultimate feature film of his extensive career. The screenplay by Anthony Shaffer was based on the 1966 novel ''Goodbye Piccadilly, Farewell Leicester Squar ...

'', and ''

Hustler Hustler or hustlers may also refer to: Professions * Hustler, an American slang word, e.g., for a: ** Con man, a practitioner of confidence tricks ** Drug dealer, seller of illegal drugs ** Male prostitute ** Pimp ** Business man, more gener ...

'' magazine were some of the media used to illustrate the normalization of rape. In describing the film, the producers say that it attempts to give real and accurate limits to rape and expand society's narrow and sexist concepts of rape. Lazarus has said of the film's title that it came from long discussion about what the film was trying to illustrate. She has also expressed the view that the film is the first time "

" was used in its widest accepted sense. A mention of the film in the

Congressional Record The ''Congressional Record'' is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress, published by the United States Government Publishing Office and issued when Congress is in session. The Congressional Record Inde ...

in January 1978 is the first known occurrence of the term 'rape culture' in national-level American politics.

References

External links

* *{{official website, http://www.cambridgedocumentaryfilms.org/filmsPages/rapeculture.html from Cambridge Documentary Films
Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology
Documentary films about violence against women Feminist theory Cultural studies Documentary films about misogyny Radical feminist mass media Films about rape History of women in Virginia

See also

References

External links