Analyzing an Editorial/Political Cartoon
Numerous stories have underscored how rape victims are often blamed and dismayed by the public for causing their perpetrators to engage in sexual activity with them—without their conscious consent. Individuals have sparked dismay towards female victims for making poor choices and causing rape to occur against them; as Coslette (2014) points out, from a Melanie Philips column, that “short-skirted, drunken ladettes who were raped or sexually assaulted brought it on themselves”. An ongoing social issue, Andrew David Cox’s editorial cartoon discusses the issue of rape victim blaming and how it has come to affect many people from multiple perspectives of life.
Cox depicts two women carrying heavy boulders on their backs; one carries one boulder, the other carries two. Their expressions portray resentment and sadness, signifying the troubles they have experienced. The heavy weight they feel on their shoulders describes how their experiences as victims have given them tremendous burdens, particularly the woman on the right, who has undergone victim blaming after she had chosen to speak up and report the incident. The lady with the short hair observes the burdens she received, and we can deduce she has a sense of disappointment for the treatment rape victims have gone through when they try voicing out their terrifying stories.
One reason expected to be the cause of why rape victims are in the blame is due to the choices of clothing or amount of drinking a female makes, making her perpetrator weak and vulnerable to his temptations. Because of her choices, individuals have argued that the rape victim has caused her own transgressions, so she is at fault. This excuse has resulted in a backlash, and as a result, thousands of protesters have taken to the streets and marched to speak out against the ill treatment they have received upon revealing the sexual harassment they had faced.
According to Philip’s statement, women who get drunk and wear revealing clothing “brought (sexual assault), or whether they are walking late at night, have brought it on to themselves; thus, they are blamed. However, the viewer can see that the women in the cartoon are fully clothed, suggesting a sense of irony. This correlates to the rape culture in India, where I have observed that no matter what you are as a female, and wearing full hijab clothing that covers you to a full extent, you can still be attacked and raped, as seen on this meaningful satirical advertisement:
Numerous stories have underscored how rape victims are often blamed and dismayed by the public for causing their perpetrators to engage in sexual activity with them—without their conscious consent. Individuals have sparked dismay towards female victims for making poor choices and causing rape to occur against them; as Coslette (2014) points out, from a Melanie Philips column, that “short-skirted, drunken ladettes who were raped or sexually assaulted brought it on themselves”. An ongoing social issue, Andrew David Cox’s editorial cartoon discusses the issue of rape victim blaming and how it has come to affect many people from multiple perspectives of life.
Cox depicts two women carrying heavy boulders on their backs; one carries one boulder, the other carries two. Their expressions portray resentment and sadness, signifying the troubles they have experienced. The heavy weight they feel on their shoulders describes how their experiences as victims have given them tremendous burdens, particularly the woman on the right, who has undergone victim blaming after she had chosen to speak up and report the incident. The lady with the short hair observes the burdens she received, and we can deduce she has a sense of disappointment for the treatment rape victims have gone through when they try voicing out their terrifying stories.
One reason expected to be the cause of why rape victims are in the blame is due to the choices of clothing or amount of drinking a female makes, making her perpetrator weak and vulnerable to his temptations. Because of her choices, individuals have argued that the rape victim has caused her own transgressions, so she is at fault. This excuse has resulted in a backlash, and as a result, thousands of protesters have taken to the streets and marched to speak out against the ill treatment they have received upon revealing the sexual harassment they had faced.
According to Philip’s statement, women who get drunk and wear revealing clothing “brought (sexual assault), or whether they are walking late at night, have brought it on to themselves; thus, they are blamed. However, the viewer can see that the women in the cartoon are fully clothed, suggesting a sense of irony. This correlates to the rape culture in India, where I have observed that no matter what you are as a female, and wearing full hijab clothing that covers you to a full extent, you can still be attacked and raped, as seen on this meaningful satirical advertisement:
Profoundly, the issue here highlights that we, instead of blaming and finger-pointing, we need to maximize in teaching good principles to each other. As we are all human, good values are needed to improve our societies.
Reference List:
Rhiannon Lucy Coslette, Published 28 Aug 2014. "Have accusations of rape victim blaming gone too far?". Retrieved from:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/aug/28/culture-rape-victim-blame-too-far
Rhiannon Lucy Coslette, Published 28 Aug 2014. "Have accusations of rape victim blaming gone too far?". Retrieved from:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/aug/28/culture-rape-victim-blame-too-far