The Blurred Lines Debate and Miley Cyrus

So I have been off the grid for a lot of the summer. Been busy doing some campaigning in my home state back in the U.S., but now I'm back and I have this thing that I absolutely must address: I'm sure most, if not all, of you have heard about this song by now (I am very late to this party) - "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke and features TI and Pharrell. It was and still is a pretty popular song. For those of you who are fans please listen to what I am saying.

If you identify as a feminist, or just as a person who is against rape, or against violence against women, or just in general think that consent is a needed for sex to happen between two people, you should not like this song! Its catchy. I'll admit to being lured in by its beats and listening to it before I knew the message behind it.

Steubenville Rape Case - Rape Culture

As I'm sure many of you have heard there has been a recent case decided in Ohio regarding two young men who had sex with a 16 year old girl while she was essentially unconscious. In case you haven't here is a quick summary of what has happened: Last summer, two young men (16 and 17) were out partying, and were allegedly seen dragging a 16 year old girl's body from party to party and committing sexual acts with her. One of the young men even took a video.

The two boys have been found guilty as of late, and the story has received national attention. This national attention, however, has its own consequences. While it encourages a conversation about rape and rape culture, it also exposes many of the attitudes we have about rape. This case in particular shows a worrying unwillingness to hold certain people accountable, and a desire to sweep personal liberties and justice for rape victims under the rug.