The feminist blogosphere has been really interesting lately.
It all started with this post ("How Bars Exploit Underage Woman As Commodities") on Alternet by a feminist named Liz Funk. Funk focuses on the "open secret" of bars and clubs to pay attractive underage woman (that is, below drinking age) to frequent their establishments, attracting male clientele who, naturally, buy drinks in order to break the ice with these young ladies. Also, young women (of legal age) are allowed in without paying cover charges, ostensibly for the same business purpose.
One common result of these practices, Funk argues, is date rape, or just plain old regular rape.
Funk’s fellow feminist bloggers are angry about the article, mostly because it places blame for rapes on unscrupulous club owners and the women who agree to be "bait".
Alternet has a run-up of reactions to the Funk article, but I think this one is the most typical:
I know that’s a bold claim, but I’m going to go even further: rapists are not just the leading, but in fact the only cause of rape. I’ve been turning this over in my mind for a couple of hours now, trying to poke holes in the logic, and I think I’ve got a solid case.
Of course the patriarchy doesn’t see it that way; under patriarchy, women are the ones who somehow cause themselves to get raped. They’re always either wearing short skirts or walking down the street or sitting at home or holding their mouths funny or breathing or doing some goddamn thing that makes men rape them.
We’re used to hearing that kind of crap from asswipes like the Cat Meat Sheik, but when ostensible feminists slide into victim-blaming it’s maddening. According to Liz Funk, the latest cause of rape is young women going out drinking. Ms. Funk completely omits any mention of who commits these rapes; apparently they just occur, like spontaneous combustion, when young women are out at night. A bunch of girls out on the town, having a few drinks, and poof! They’re raped!
Good reading and intelligent discussion — if the topic interests you.