Sunday, December 27, 2009

"Rape" as metaphor

http://contexts.org/socimages/2009/12/18/politics-and-the-rape-metaphor/

The word's everywhere, even I'm guilty of using it to indicate that I'm not prepared for an exam, or I haven't practised enough to perform on stage blah blah. But is throwing that word around lightly justifiable? And what does its rampant use say, if anything at all?

What is the word rape a metaphor for? I don't think its usage is gendered, at least not in my immediate environment (i.e., on our campus). Thus I don't agree with some of the theories touched upon in the post that is linked above.

But I do think that its usage trivializes the crime, and in some cases, such as in the context of winning a game (our basketball team raped theirs, man!) or outsmarting someone (she was trying to argue in favour of xyz, I completely raped her) it lends a dangerous connotation to the actual act. One that associates rape with victory, greater power, success and celebration. Doesn't such usage also legitimize rape to an extent, if only at a subconscious level?

Yes, I know its not meant that way. But Yellow Submarine was not meant the way Helter Skelter understood it. And the makers of Gossip Girl certainly didn't think that a "vella" girl in a Hyderabadi high school would create an account on facebook, undertake the 'tremendous burden' of being one and deeply hurt her friends.

Meaning to say that such usage would a) hurt a victim of rape very profoundly and b) let some sadly misinformed kid somewhere feel that its cool to commit rape. Doesn't sound likely, but you never know.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

How much this sucks

People are making music, people my age, spinning at MOS, playing in bands, making music, and I'm sitting her, typing out a completely unoriginal, patently useless CPC project cause that's how my prof wants it. What could suck more?

I want to dance. Play. Write. Sing. Also research and write academic stuff, but if its exciting. Like jurisprudential crap. Very very interesting stuff, that. Or policy stuff. Not the procedure that needs to be followed when making an application for admission of additional evidence at appellate stage.

Bleh.


FML.