Paper 2 proposal

Rhetorical Analysis

Title: “Rape Culture”

Author: Jacqueline Cooper
Date: 11/11/12

Topic: How the objectification of women in advertising and popular culture leads to dehumanization and how the encouragement of men to be aggressive and reject anything perceived as feminine or ‘gay’ contributes to a culture where physical and sexual violence against women and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) community are the norm.

Analysis of argument

Exigence: “From Fly Girls to Bitches and Hos” by Joan Morgan discusses sexism in rap music, “Two Ways A Woman Can Get Hurt” by Jean Kilbourne discusses the objectification of women’s bodies in advertising at length, and Michael Kimmel’s “Bros Before Hos” discusses the cultural stereotype/ideal of the physically aggressive, emotionally indifferent, and hostilely homophobic man. These all tie together when discussing a culture where aggression against women and members of the LGBTQ community are accepted and expected.

Intended audience: People who are familiar with the topics of human objectification in advertising, gender stereotypes, and American culture.

Purpose: To explain how media which constantly sexualizes images of women and reduces women to body parts and a culture which prizes male aggression and homophobia leads to a society where violent attacks on women and members of the LGBTQ community are common (according to Kilbourne, “the rate of sexual assault in the united states is the highest of any industrialized nation in the world”(p 588).) and victims are often blamed for their attacks.

Claims:

Main evidence: “The rate of sexual assault in the united states is the highest of any industrialized nation in the world… one in five of us has been the victim of rape or attempted rape”((Kilbourne, Par 25).), case where a male baby sitter in Canada was acquitted of child molestation because the judge decided the 3 year old victim was “sexually aggressive” (Kilbourne, par 30)) “women have, in men’s minds, such a low place on the social ladder of this country that it’s useless to define yourself in terms of a woman. What men need is men’s approval.” (David Mamet as quoted by Michael Kimmel, p 611) “Homophobia – the fear that people might misperceive you as gay – is the animating fear of American guy’s masculinity.” (Kimmerl, p 613) “The single cardinal rule of manhood, the one from which all other characteristics… are derived is to offer constant proof that you are not gay” (Kimmel, p 613) “Sex has long been the bartering chip that women use to gain protection, material wealth, and the vicarious benefits of power. In the black community, where women are given less access to all of the above, “trickin’” becomes a means of leveling the playing field.” (Morgan, p 605) “Yeah, sistas are hurt when we hear brothers calling us botches and hos. But the real crime isn’t the name calling, it’s their failure to love us – to be our brothers in the way that we commit ourselves to being their sistas” (Morgan, p604)