In alarming news, a new study has determined that most people cannot differentiate quotes in British “lad mags” from statements made by convicted rapists… and that when men are asked to choose between the statements made by both parties, men will more often agree with the rapists’ opinions.

Popular men’s magazines and sex offenders are using the same language, and it would seem that these magazines are perpetuating sexist and misogynist notions about women and sexuality.

“There is a fundamental concern that the content of such magazines normalises the treatment of women as sexual objects. We are not killjoys or prudes who think that there should be no sexual information and media for young people. But are teenage boys and young men best prepared for fulfilling love and sex when they normalise views about women that are disturbingly close to those mirrored in the language of sexual offenders?,” asked study co-author Dr. Peter Hegarty.

Here’s one quote:

You do not want to be caught red-handed . . . go and smash her on a park bench. That used to be my trick.

Now, take a guess: is that quote taken from a men’s magazine or was it said by a rapist? If you guessed the former, you are unfortunately correct.

Here are two more disturbing examples:

I think if a law is passed, there should be a dress code . . . When girls dress in those short skirts and things like that, they’re just asking for it.

And

I think girls are like plasticine, if you warm them up you can do anything you want with them.

The first is by a rapist and the second by a magazine. Hard to tell the difference, isn’t it?

“We were surprised that participants identified more with the rapists’ quotes, and we are concerned that the legitimisation strategies that rapists deploy when they talk about women are more familiar to these young men than we had anticipated,” said lead study author Dr. Miranda Horvath (emphasis mine).

And I thought women’s magazines were trouble!

Do you read men’s magazines that promote — even if only subtly — violence against women? And if so, now that you are aware of this study and its implications, will you stop?

What else can we do?

Does abstinence-only education help? Do we need comprehensive sex education classes in schools instead? What else would be necessary to teach young people to respect the sexuality and boundaries of their peers of all sexes and genders (actually, people of all ages would benefit from this type of information, would they not?)? Further, what else in our society is exacerbating the issue of sexual assault – TV shows that sexualize and objectify women? (I can think of plenty that air on foreign television, e.g., Argentina’s Show Match, in which women prance each night wearing glittery g-strings and stilettos. Apparently this phenomenon is popular in Italian culture as well.) Are films to blame (pornographic and not)? Frat culture? Even women’s magazines?

What are we teaching boys and men?

One of the roots of the problem is that men are strongly encouraged to assert their aggressiveness and sexual appetite to manifest their masculinity — a move ostensibly necessary to gain the respect of others. Men are often taught to put their sexual desires ahead of common sense. Besides, boys will be boys. This behavior is widely accepted.

Taking Action

One group that’s working to address this is Men Can Stop Rape, an international organization that strives to eradicate rape and violence through public awareness and leadership training.

“In contrast to traditional efforts that address men as the problem, Men Can Stop Rape’s pioneering work embraces men as vital allies with the will and character to make healthy choices and foster safe, equitable relationships,” the group explains.

Another great organization is Eve Ensler’s V-Day — a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls. This group does not only address rape, but also female genital mutilation (FGM) and sex slavery, among other issues. It does this via global campaigns and fostering public awareness. V-Men workshops, for example, raise awareness and funds for anti-violence groups within their own communities.

What can you do?

I am in love with Feminist Ryan Gosling.

Feminist Ryan Gosling’s Danielle Henderson is a goddess. It was about time I shared one of her creations.

I will soon begin writing about body-image, body-hatred, self-esteem, and other issues affecting women in particular but men — and children! — as well. It’s an issue very close and harmful to my body, mind, and soul and the bodies, minds, and souls of countless people I come across every single day. It’s amazing to me how far-reaching the media’s noxious messages are and how deeply they infiltrate our thought processes.

TV, magazines, billboards, cosmetics companies, inventors of Botox, cosmetic surgeons, etc. — you are some of our society’s worst poisons. Many of us are are fighting you. And you are not going to win.

This 10-minute presentation by Eli Pariser – Eli Pariser: Beware online \”filter bubbles\” (BTW can someone please help me embed this? WP is being temperamental.) – tackles how the trend toward greater personalization in the web could jeopardize the civic uses of new media.

Pariser directly addresses Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who are in the audience, asking them to offer the public more transparency and more control regarding how the search for information is being filtered. The author argues that not only should algorithms decide what to show us based on relevance, but that they should also provide material to us that is important, uncomfortable, challenging, and presents other points of view.

What I would like to know more about are the issues of importance and unease (the material deemed “uncomfortable”).

Who decides what is important? Apart from the obvious – e.g., news on Occupy Wall Street trump those on celebrities and fashion – the issue of power remains. Who are the watchdogs? Who has the power? Probably, in this case, those who create the algorithms. And are these parties fit to determine what is important? For example, in Argentina, where I’m from, the news on TV covers mostly local crimes, local politics, sports, and fashion. You virtually never hear about what’s going on abroad, which I find astounding – and harmful because it’s harshly limiting. And while I believe the people at Google, at least (since I browse Google News), are significantly more competent and reasonable in that respect, I am still uncomfortable knowing that they have this power instead of, say, Noam Chomsky, Eve Ensler, or Naomi Klein (am I biased? Nooooooo!).

But how could we work through this? What is the solution? How do we arrive at it?

Regarding news that is “uncomfortable,” what does this category mean, exactly? News about rape and incest? News regarding fetishes and the disturbing show Toddlers & Tiaras? News about Ukrainian authorities barbarically killing stray dogs in preparation for the Euro 2012 soccer championships next summer?

Life is plenty uncomfortable and jarring, so isn’t it logical that we should be exposed to news covering prickly topics? Ugly things are taking place, whether you want to stick your head in the sand or perk up your ears and somehow participate. Don’t you want to be part of progress, of action, of life on this earth? Staying updated on what’s going on around us is arguably necessary: it can help us keep an inclusive and well-rounded perspective in general, which is conducive to a more open, tolerant, and even compassionate mind — especially if our news consumption includes information coming from all sides. (Hear that, Google News/Yahoo News/etc.?)

What are your thoughts on Pariser’s video?

We are all trees.

This is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard. Not surprisingly, it’s a story by the wonderful Eve Ensler. (Since for some reason I am currently unable to embed the video, follow this link to watch and hear Eve tell you her story herself.)

I asked a woman in Nairobi, in a rift valley, “Do you like your body?”

She looked at me like I was crazy.

“Like my body? Like my body? Ooh, I love my body! I love, love my body! And my hands – ooh, my fingers! Look at my fingers, my fingernails! They’re crescent moons! My hands, my arms! So strong! They carry me along, so strong! Ooh! And my legs! My legs can wrap around a man and hold him down. My breasts…”

“I was like, whoa, whoa… stop there.” I said, “I don’t know how to do that. I don’t know how to love my body.”

She said, “What’s wrong with your body?”

And I said, “Well, I’ve got this stomach…”

And she said, “A stomach? What stomach? Your stomach is mean to be seen!”

So she said to me, “Eve, Eve – do you see that tree? Do you like that tree? Now, look at that other tree. Do you like that tree? Do you think that tree isn’t pretty because it doesn’t look like the other tree? Do you think this tree is ugly because it doesn’t look like that tree? You’re a tree. You’ve got to love your tree! Love your tree!”

How often do you remember to love your tree? Let’s remind ourselves every day! We are all trees worth loving.