I begin to suspect that eventually any and everyone organizing over the Internet will be Anonymous.
I thought about this post after that Robin Thicke Blurred Lines video came out. If we are to obviate ethical behavior, we definitely need to recognize the role that such media plays in objectifying women. I'm not sure what is to be done though? The last thing I would EVER want to do is to limit freedom of speech and expression but at the same time, I don't want my kids growing up looking at the billboards I see on a daily basis that objectify women and trivialize sex. There's a time and place for such things and it's not when you are 3 years old. Still, I'm not sure what can be done. I will just do my best to instill the type of ethics and integrity in my children that counteracts those pervasive images.
Perhaps one alternative is to require that schools have a career long "media" course that starts at an early age. Understanding how media outlets work and that they are, in fact, an industry with a focus on profits would be helpful for every citizen to understand. Moreover, that may start to change the way that media sources advertise and present themselves to consumers. Failing that, I will certainly try and teach my children why they see certain images on TV and in magazines and what those images are attempting to get them to do (buy things). At least this way we are able to have a society in which free speech is valued (totally agree here) but are able to change the behavior of the consumers of speech. Hopefully that will change the type of expression we see through media sources.
I think that is a fantastic idea. One thing I'm shocked to realize is that well educated adults don't realize that on media sites, they are the product. They think they're using the product but really they are being consumed, packaged and sold. Great suggestion.Perhaps one alternative is to require that schools have a career long "media" course that starts at an early age. Understanding how media outlets work and that they are, in fact, an industry with a focus on profits would be helpful for every citizen to understand. Moreover, that may start to change the way that media sources advertise and present themselves to consumers.
They never really mention what this "rape prevention" class would be? There's no mention of topics or curriculum. Perhaps it could be a class that emphasizes that people are not objects? That seems like a good start to me.
That's a good point, the article did seem a little vague about the content of the class. I think I just reacted to the phrase "rape prevention" and was concerned that it was about avoiding rape and how to not rape people as opposed to the real issue of people becoming nothing more than sex objects.
I hear you, it's not a title that suggests nuance. It could be called something better, no doubt about it.
I've never actually seen such a class, but I gather they're more about avoiding raping people than avoiding being raped. I'm at a loss as to why they'd want to use the Anonymous shtick in teaching one, or why anyone wants to use it for causes not involving the Internet or general troublemaking, but obviously kids exist who need to be told things like "persons who are passed/blacked out are not capable of agreeing to sex."