So thankful for both of these women! This is the year of Desiree and you know FreeQuency has been famous since birth! We CANNOT afford to be silent about rape culture!!
***** 'Does that mean America has a murder culture' Should not be a point in your argument here. Have you looked up the stats of murder recently? Heard about Ferguson? The school shootings? America isn't the state model for low murder rates, sad to say Rape culture is a thing, always has been sadly.
***** I feel like you need to watch this poem again and again and again. Victim blaming is still very common. Women and Men are chastised if they speak out. If we allow these things to happen, then we are failing and have created the rape culture that you claim "doesn't exist." Our "justice system" puts more people in jail for nonviolent drug use than it does for rape. Think about that.
***** The U.S does have tight laws against rape, but that does not mean that there is no rape culture. The fact that people ask "what was she wearing?" to excuse rape and often ask if the victim was drinking to excuse rape, even though someone who is intoxicated is legally unable to consent, so if the victim was drunk that means it was absolutely rape. Yet many cases do not go to court because it's much easier to blame the victim because they were drunk. This is rape culture.
John Sutton I've heard it about a thousand times, usually someone telling me they were asked when they were reporting rape or sexual assault, but I heard police ask my sister, who was sexually assaulted, whether she was dressed too provocatively. She was 13.
okay I'm a guy and I think this is a great written poem but honestly reading these comments make me sick it just goes to show how fucked the world is I't discuss me and it sad that this girls have to live in fear every day walking the street alone and they honestly shouldn't have to they should walk the streets knowing that there safe I have friend she takes me with when she's meets guys on dating websites cause she scared of what would happen to her if she went alone and that's just sad that the worlds like that I wish you girls the best and hope you stay safe and you guys shouldn't have to deal with that shit I feel sorry for who victim and hope you're doing fine god bless
I shared this today and felt good about this powerful message that would reach the men and women in my world... and then I realized it isn't captioned and, sadly, many of my friends will not have the opportunity to receive this message. It would be so wonderful if these powerful words were available to Deaf people too! Please caption or provide a transcript. Thank you!
BrokenTourniquet When you say "in reality", do you mean in real life? Because if not, then yes, you can easily just avoid any comments on the internet that you don't like altogether. And even in real life, it's easy to ignore offensive comments.
BrokenTourniquet How is it not easy to ignore misogynistic comments for a woman? If someone is telling you misogynistic/sexist comments in person, you can perfectly ignore them or do something about it.
The only problem with this poem is that "Baby It's Cold Outside" is not a rape song. It's a song where the woman lives in a society that doesn't allow her to express her sexual desires, so she has to say no. "Say what's in this drink?" was a stock joke of the time, meaning the drink was actually very weak. she wasn't drugged or drunk, she was sober and saying yes the only way she could in that time: making excuses for why she couldn't say no. ""But it’s also, at the same time, one of the best illustrations of rape culture that pop culture has ever produced. It’s a song about a society where women aren’t allowed to say yes…which happens to mean it’s also a society where women don’t have a clear and unambiguous way to say no."" (Quoted parts aren't my words but I agree with them wholeheartedly. I don't know the source to give credit though)
Loved this poem but sick of people using "Baby it's cold outside" as a song reference to rape culture. It wasn't and in the context of the entire poem it could never be interpreted as such. "Hey what’s in this drink" was a stock joke at the time, and the punchline was invariably that there’s actually pretty much nothing in the drink, not even a significant amount of alcohol. See, this woman is staying late, unchaperoned, at a dude’s house. In the 1940’s, that’s the kind of thing Good Girls aren’t supposed to do - and she wants people to think she’s a good girl. The woman in the song says outright, multiple times, that what other people will think of her staying is what she’s really concerned about: “the neighbors might think,” “my maiden aunt’s mind is vicious,” “there’s bound to be talk tomorrow.” But she’s having a really good time, and she wants to stay, and so she is excusing her uncharacteristically bold behavior (either to the guy or to herself) by blaming it on the drink - unaware that the drink is actually really weak, maybe not even alcoholic at all. That’s the joke. That is the standard joke that’s going on when a woman in media from the early-to-mid 20th century says “hey, what’s in this drink?” It is not a joke about how she’s drunk and about to be raped. It’s a joke about how she’s perfectly sober and about to have awesome consensual sex and use the drink for plausible deniability because she’s living in a society where women aren’t supposed to have sexual agency. Basically, the song only makes sense in the context of a society in which women are expected to reject men’s advances whether they actually want to or not, and therefore it’s normal and expected for a lady’s gentleman companion to pressure her despite her protests, because he knows she would have to say that whether or not she meant it, and if she really wants to stay she won’t be able to justify doing so unless he offers her an excuse other than “I’m staying because I want to.” (That’s the main theme of the man’s lines in the song, suggesting excuses she can use when people ask later why she spent the night at his house: it was so cold out, there were no cabs available, he simply insisted because he was concerned about my safety in such awful weather, it was perfectly innocent and definitely not about sex at all!) In this particular case, he’s pretty clearly right, because unlike in Blurred Lines, the woman actually has a voice, and she’s using it to give all the culturally-understood signals that she actually does want to stay but can’t say so. She states explicitly that she’s resisting because she’s supposedto, not because she wants to: “I ought to say no no no…” She states explicitly that she’s just putting up a token resistance so she’ll be able to claim later that she did what’s expected of a decent woman in this situation: “at least I’m gonna say that I tried.” And at the end of the song they’re singing together, in harmony, because they’re both on the same page and they have been all along. So it’s not actually a song about rape - in fact it’s a song about a woman finding a way to exercise sexual agency in a patriarchal society designed to stop her from doing so. But it’s also, at the same time, one of the best illustrations of rape culture that pop culture has ever produced. It’s a song about a society where women aren’t allowed to say yes…which happens to mean it’s also a society where women don’t have a clear and unambiguous way to say no.
Completely agreed. "It's a song about a society where women aren’t allowed to say yes…which happens to mean it’s also a society where women don’t have a clear and unambiguous way to say no."
i read this expecting some obligatory feministic or anti-feministic hate comment but it turned out to be literally the most concise and prudent comment i've seen on youtube.
Please do not attack these women for solely talking about cases of rape involving female victims. This is obviously what they are most familiar with and the issue closest to their hearts. A poem including rape occurring with all genders would definitely be ideal, however, it is not wrong for these women to write about what they are most familiar with. Men are capable of writing their own poems regarding their experiences and defenses towards rape culture and we would love to hear them.
This is easily one of my favorite poems I have seen on here. As a survivor myself I'm glad they decided to finally make this a point. I do agree with some of the other comments saying not only women can be raped men and children can suffer from the same abuse but overall I think that this was extremely well done.
I love this piece, its so beautiful, important, and well written, but theres a sense of unfortunate irony in the fact she's wearing a harely and joker shirt.
God FreeQuency is such a wonderful woman. I'm so glad to have gone to the same school as her, even though it was only for a year. I thank her with all my heart for introducing me to spoken word and giving me the courage to perform my first time. I hope you keep doing good in your life and bring pride to all of us in the BSU whom you left. Keep on strong, FreeQuency.
Just found this recently, and it's beautifully put together and eloquently worded. I'm not a huge fan of poetry, but this video will always be in my favorites :)
To everyone: It's talking about women. Not once does the poem say "men cannot be raped" It is talking about the female aspect. Don't get your panties in a twist.
This was an outstanding poem but I just have to say that "say what's in this drink" was an expression commonly used in the time the song was written that implies someone is saying or doing something they wouldn't normally do. In the story of the song, the female finds herself trying to make excuses for not spending the night when she knows she wants to, and spending the night was not something she would do.
This was a wonderful piece. Very moving, very empowering. I wish I could find the written version so I could read it more thoroughly... but this is just as good, if not better, because you can hear the emotion in their voices.
Everyone complaining that it doesn't state that men can be raped, its understandable and I get it, and i'm well aware they know this. Although there are flaws in this poem, such as the line where they say we are taught to be perpetrator or the victim, they start off with the two songs Blurred Lines and U.O.E.N.O. Looking at these both songs, they specifically target male audiences to listen to, and talk about WOMEN. So, looking at that aspect and then the lines of this spoken word poem, it is only evident that they are speaking about WOMEN in here. I don't think they ever meant to discredit the rapes that both men and young boys have to go through. but as two grown women who ultimately centred it around women from the first couple of lines, you should expect to not hear about these cases. Stop bashing it. Its such a shame to see that people are calling bullshit because they didn't mention men. I'm sorry, but this is a poem based on WOMEN. Not everything has to be around men (as horrible as that sounds in this context), but honest to God...
I like the message and the performance overall, but I have a quibble. The idea that rape went from "being punishable by death to qualifier" is kind of ridiculous. Rape has always been, in legal terms, a very serious crime, but the idea that there was some wonderful time in the past where rape victims were respected and believed and rapists were hunted down and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law is ludicrous. Rape is trivialized, condoned, and even celebrated in the histories of most religions. The patriarchy that currently shelters rapists and rape culture has been in power for millennia, and the fact that it is weakening is the only reason that there can be a public discussion of rape culture.
Great poem. I do have a genuine question though. Why do so many people talk about Robin Thicke's song saying "I know you want it" but people don't mention Jesse J's song which repeatedly says, "I know you want it?" It is a genuine question because when I first heard the criticism for that line, "I know you want it," I found it surprising. At first, I thought it was a harmless line. Many explained why it was so offensive. However, I haven't heard anyone criticize Jesse J for using that exact same line, "I know you want it," in her song. Why is that? (+)
***** Thank you for sharing. I think, both songs are about feeling confident when the opposite sex is playing hard to get. I think his (Thicke's) music video is what made the song so offensive because I did not get the context of the song being "she's saying no, but he 'know[s] she wants it,' so he's going to have sex with her anyway (rape)," at first listen. And the second reasoning you shared, "there's the plain fact that having a guy say that..." is following the ideology of sexism. Werriam-Webster defines sexism as "unfair treatment of people because of their sex" and Oxford defines sexism being "Prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination." The N-Word argument is a double standard in itself. I am not saying you are wrong nor than anyone else is wrong. I just enjoy playing Devil's Advocate for the sake of learning, growing, and provoking thought. (+)
sayElectronica Also, Pharrell says "let me tear that ass in two" which isn't really sexy compared to Jessie J feeling confident. Jessie J doesn't go against anyone's wishes. Maria explains that the girl is saying no in Robin Thicke's song, but he will anyway. Whereas Jessie J is like "damn i'm hot, i know you want me" does that make sense?
sayElectronica the next line is "I'll let you have it". this shows that she knows that he wants to have sex with her and she is giving him clear consent. I do understand how you could misinterpret that though (:
This is the kind of poem where trying to argue the validity of what is being said is just gonna get you in trouble but it was at least very moving to see how much passion they poured into it.
Sublime's song "Wrong Way" refers to Annie, a 12-year-old girl soon to be forced into a life of prostitution by her "drunk-ass" dad. The narrator of the song, sexually attracted to Annie, removes her from the situation, but she ultimately leaves him as well. www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=7592
Definitely feeling the poem. Rape is no joke but neither is sexual harassment. I think it would've been nice to hear about how our media satirizes sexual harassment in situations where the man is the victim or how in real life situations if a woman gives a man unwelcome sexual attention no one takes it seriously because "he wanted/liked it". NEVER if the situation were reversed would it not be take seriously. Rape culture affects all. Women AND men. Love this piece though.
You know how every verse of the song Wrong Way has a line that goes, "It was the wrong way"? Yeah, the song is against the behavior of the characters in it. Also they have this other song called Date Rape where they call Date Rape for what it really is in a pop song. In 1992. Probably before these two people were even born. I get the overall point, which is fine; but you could have made that point without throwing your elder supporters who are now deceased under the bus for no reason. Seems pretty fucked up to me.
Well, it's more than the individual case itself. The fact that the whole Woody Allen thing was taken so unseriously is a testament of how we don't even give potential victims the opportunity to voice themselves, we just dismiss them altogether. If someone were to be accused of killing some children or something, trial or not, everyone would be pissed and carrying pitchforks, but with rape victims, we don't really give a shit.
No sir and or madam... Being as Mr. Allen is a public figure this would not be classified as slander against him. Furthermore, how do you still have faith in the criminal justice system?
Is it too informal to cite this in a research paper? Just seems to say everything I want to about rape culture and media, only a lot more eloquently than I would.
Yea you have many good points and such, it is a massive problem on our culture especially in music... But don't come at Tyler like that. You really gonna take a group with the name "Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All Don't Give A Fuck"'s lyrics to heart? lol. But just listen to more music than one of his songs, he's aware... Just don't cherry pick. But yea, good message.
Rape jokes aren't funny and neither are stupid song lyrics about rape. You must obviously love Tyler but that doesn't excuse using the type of lyrics that he did in a song, regardless of if it was serious or not. I'm sorry, but you can't excuse one artist's rape lyrics because you like the artist and not excuse the countless others. It doesn't work like that.
ofmiceandsyd well its context and making fun of the perpetrator that allows a joke about rape to work. I don't think you can say that rape jokes can never work only that you personally are offended by them no matter the context. 40% of people in the United States believe rape is worse than murder so you can sleep easy realizing that we live in a society where murder is considered a more humane act. Rape culture might still be a thing but the anti-rape culture people are becoming the majority and have the biggest microphone at the moment.
Some of the points are valid but I'm always leery of claimed statistics. What's the source of the 11k & 400k rape kits? One in 5 women raped? I believe that many at some point in their lives have an unpleasant encounter but not buying that rape stats are that high. What about all the false claims? I know a college student who claimed that she was raped but her story didn't hold up under police questioning. What about the Rebecca Watsons of the world who freak out because a guy chats her up in an elevator? "Baby It's Cold Outside" has nothing to do with rape or coercion. She wants to stay but is torn between what she wants to do and the social pressure of what others will think, the song was written in a completely different time. There's enough genuine shit on the airwaves that you don't have to make things up. So you've got a problem with song lyrics - so certainly you'll be happy to denounce all the rap crap that extols ghettotivity as a valid lifestyle.
They actually are that high. I have been sexually assaulted, both of my best friends have been raped, and my mom and sister have been raped. That's 5 women right there and all 5 have been sexually assaulted. And this is not counting the many friends and others that I know who have been raped or sexually assaulted. It's more of an epidemic than you think.
If you only bring up the fact that men are raped and assaulted as well when trying to invalidate the threats women face every single day and never speak of it any other time, then you need to stay in your lane because you're not helping anyone- especially not the men who really have been assaulted.
the only people who are influenced by these songs are people who are already fucked up in the head. like the psychos who go on shooting rampages and trying to place the blame in movies/video games/music/media/etc, it's less on society and more on what's going on inside the individual who commits heinous crimes like that. quoting tyler the creator is pointless (to me) because the guy says so much shit but that's all he does he's a character who portrays many extreme, crazy emotions i don't think he's actually encouraging rape. although rick ross is a good example of the extreme side of how much of cunts some people can be. but what do i know? never been raped nor have i raped so my input on this topic won't go very far to the people this affects.
Love the poem but I think she should have worn a different shirt.... The Joker is abusive to Harlequin.... I’m not trying to put them down!!! The poem hit a lot of good points!!! I’m just saying she might not want to wear something that contradicts her poem....
I have an issue with the Robin Thicke lines. The song really isn't as sexist as it looks on the surface, and writing an entire poem without analyzing what you're writing about is kind of ridiculous. The opening lines are even empowering. The chorus is sarcastic as fuck, even the title and other most common line, "I hate these blurred lines" is a comment on the rape culture you so actively advocate is present. A lot of your other examples are good, and I mostly agree with your message, but that point on Thicke's song gets hammered too much to leave alone.
Austin Keegan Yeah, the song is saying that there shouldn't be blurred lines. Read any of Thicke's statements, it's sarcasm. “It’s actually a feminist movement within itself. It’s saying that women and men are equals as animals and as power.” The women is the video are clearly in control of what they are doing, and make almost constant eye contact with the camera. There are lyrics like "That man is not your maker, let me liberate you." He's seriously not trying to objectify, if anything he's doing the opposite.
Austin Keegan The fuck there's not blurred lines. I'm guessing you haven't had many casual sex encounters. When the vast majority of communication, especially sexual, is non-verbal, there will always be grey areas a.k.a. blurred lines.
well if general public is not sure if someone is guilty or not, I don't think it's write to involve them in a piece (that was already powerful enough). It just seems like they're looking for an avenue to bash him
Frank Sinatra didn't sing a fuckin christmas song about rape. Wrong way isn't about rape, (date rape is). Steal my kisses from you isn't about rape. I was not raised to rape people as a boy. I'm not saying that there isn't a problem with rape in the world. I'm saying that we need to re-evaluate what is relevant conversation to raise awareness. And fear mongering and finger pointing isn't it. You should be talking to the drunk fraternity's and sororities, and the drink spikers, and the peices of shit who think that rape is ok, or no big deal. making a joke is not rape. Forcing yourself on another PERSON sexually, is rape.
Am I the only person who is in love with Desireé and her poetry?
So thankful for both of these women! This is the year of Desiree and you know FreeQuency has been famous since birth! We CANNOT afford to be silent about rape culture!!
***** 'Does that mean America has a murder culture' Should not be a point in your argument here. Have you looked up the stats of murder recently? Heard about Ferguson? The school shootings? America isn't the state model for low murder rates, sad to say
Rape culture is a thing, always has been sadly.
***** I feel like you need to watch this poem again and again and again. Victim blaming is still very common. Women and Men are chastised if they speak out. If we allow these things to happen, then we are failing and have created the rape culture that you claim "doesn't exist." Our "justice system" puts more people in jail for nonviolent drug use than it does for rape. Think about that.
***** The U.S does have tight laws against rape, but that does not mean that there is no rape culture. The fact that people ask "what was she wearing?" to excuse rape and often ask if the victim was drinking to excuse rape, even though someone who is intoxicated is legally unable to consent, so if the victim was drunk that means it was absolutely rape. Yet many cases do not go to court because it's much easier to blame the victim because they were drunk. This is rape culture.
John Sutton I've heard it about a thousand times, usually someone telling me they were asked when they were reporting rape or sexual assault, but I heard police ask my sister, who was sexually assaulted, whether she was dressed too provocatively. She was 13.
John Sutton It's certainly not like that here. It's a lot better in some places than others.
okay I'm a guy and I think this is a great written poem but honestly reading these comments make me sick it just goes to show how fucked the world is I't discuss me and it sad that this girls have to live in fear every day walking the street alone and they honestly shouldn't have to they should walk the streets knowing that there safe I have friend she takes me with when she's meets guys on dating websites cause she scared of what would happen to her if she went alone and that's just sad that the worlds like that I wish you girls the best and hope you stay safe and you guys shouldn't have to deal with that shit I feel sorry for who victim and hope you're doing fine god bless
I shared this today and felt good about this powerful message that would reach the men and women in my world... and then I realized it isn't captioned and, sadly, many of my friends will not have the opportunity to receive this message.
It would be so wonderful if these powerful words were available to Deaf people too! Please caption or provide a transcript. Thank you!
I freaking love the poem but I should not have read the comments.
Then don't read them.
Briansimon2 Yes, because ignoring misogynistic comments works so well in reality.
BrokenTourniquet When you say "in reality", do you mean in real life?
Because if not, then yes, you can easily just avoid any comments on the internet that you don't like altogether.
And even in real life, it's easy to ignore offensive comments.
Briansimon2 I'm sure it's extremely easy to ignore chauvinistic comments when you're a man. For those of us with vaginas, not so much.
BrokenTourniquet How is it not easy to ignore misogynistic comments for a woman?
If someone is telling you misogynistic/sexist comments in person, you can perfectly ignore them or do something about it.
Blurred lines made me legitimately pissed, I'm glad someone else noticed
The only problem with this poem is that "Baby It's Cold Outside" is not a rape song. It's a song where the woman lives in a society that doesn't allow her to express her sexual desires, so she has to say no. "Say what's in this drink?" was a stock joke of the time, meaning the drink was actually very weak. she wasn't drugged or drunk, she was sober and saying yes the only way she could in that time: making excuses for why she couldn't say no.
""But it’s also, at the same time, one of the best illustrations of rape culture that pop culture has ever produced. It’s a song about a society where women aren’t allowed to say yes…which happens to mean it’s also a society where women don’t have a clear and unambiguous way to say no.""
(Quoted parts aren't my words but I agree with them wholeheartedly. I don't know the source to give credit though)
If you agree with this poem I suggest not reading the comments
Thank you for the warning
Loved this poem but sick of people using "Baby it's cold outside" as a song reference to rape culture. It wasn't and in the context of the entire poem it could never be interpreted as such.
"Hey what’s in this drink" was a stock joke at the time, and the punchline was invariably that there’s actually pretty much nothing in the drink, not even a significant amount of alcohol.
See, this woman is staying late, unchaperoned, at a dude’s house. In the 1940’s, that’s the kind of thing Good Girls aren’t supposed to do - and she wants people to think she’s a good girl. The woman in the song says outright, multiple times, that what other people will think of her staying is what she’s really concerned about: “the neighbors might think,” “my maiden aunt’s mind is vicious,” “there’s bound to be talk tomorrow.” But she’s having a really good time, and she wants to stay, and so she is excusing her uncharacteristically bold behavior (either to the guy or to herself) by blaming it on the drink - unaware that the drink is actually really weak, maybe not even alcoholic at all. That’s the joke. That is the standard joke that’s going on when a woman in media from the early-to-mid 20th century says “hey, what’s in this drink?” It is not a joke about how she’s drunk and about to be raped. It’s a joke about how she’s perfectly sober and about to have awesome consensual sex and use the drink for plausible deniability because she’s living in a society where women aren’t supposed to have sexual agency.
Basically, the song only makes sense in the context of a society in which women are expected to reject men’s advances whether they actually want to or not, and therefore it’s normal and expected for a lady’s gentleman companion to pressure her despite her protests, because he knows she would have to say that whether or not she meant it, and if she really wants to stay she won’t be able to justify doing so unless he offers her an excuse other than “I’m staying because I want to.” (That’s the main theme of the man’s lines in the song, suggesting excuses she can use when people ask later why she spent the night at his house: it was so cold out, there were no cabs available, he simply insisted because he was concerned about my safety in such awful weather, it was perfectly innocent and definitely not about sex at all!) In this particular case, he’s pretty clearly right, because unlike in Blurred Lines, the woman actually has a voice, and she’s using it to give all the culturally-understood signals that she actually does want to stay but can’t say so. She states explicitly that she’s resisting because she’s supposedto, not because she wants to: “I ought to say no no no…” She states explicitly that she’s just putting up a token resistance so she’ll be able to claim later that she did what’s expected of a decent woman in this situation: “at least I’m gonna say that I tried.” And at the end of the song they’re singing together, in harmony, because they’re both on the same page and they have been all along.
So it’s not actually a song about rape - in fact it’s a song about a woman finding a way to exercise sexual agency in a patriarchal society designed to stop her from doing so. But it’s also, at the same time, one of the best illustrations of rape culture that pop culture has ever produced. It’s a song about a society where women aren’t allowed to say yes…which happens to mean it’s also a society where women don’t have a clear and unambiguous way to say no.
Completely agreed. "It's a song about a society where women aren’t allowed to say yes…which happens to mean it’s also a society where women don’t have a clear and unambiguous way to say no."
Thank you for this post.
Today I learned that "Baby It's Cold Outside" is not a horribly rapey, sexist song.
Amazing.
I wonder whether this is micro-cosmic of going from a repressive society, to an oppressive one. Just wondering. Thoughts?
i read this expecting some obligatory feministic or anti-feministic hate comment but it turned out to be literally the most concise and prudent comment i've seen on youtube.
Please do not attack these women for solely talking about cases of rape involving female victims. This is obviously what they are most familiar with and the issue closest to their hearts. A poem including rape occurring with all genders would definitely be ideal, however, it is not wrong for these women to write about what they are most familiar with. Men are capable of writing their own poems regarding their experiences and defenses towards rape culture and we would love to hear them.
This is easily one of my favorite poems I have seen on here. As a survivor myself I'm glad they decided to finally make this a point. I do agree with some of the other comments saying not only women can be raped men and children can suffer from the same abuse but overall I think that this was extremely well done.
I'm so glad to read your comment as a survivor and activist. Wishing you wellxxx
I love this piece, its so beautiful, important, and well written, but theres a sense of unfortunate irony in the fact she's wearing a harely and joker shirt.
i was just about to comment the same thing
fictional villains ??
Love how these two can express themselfs.. powerfull!!!!
God FreeQuency is such a wonderful woman. I'm so glad to have gone to the same school as her, even though it was only for a year. I thank her with all my heart for introducing me to spoken word and giving me the courage to perform my first time. I hope you keep doing good in your life and bring pride to all of us in the BSU whom you left. Keep on strong, FreeQuency.
Really loved how you both put this together & your performance was extremely powerful! Especially Now!
Two of my very favorite and of the very best and talented poets. "We tell victims to trust the system that puts them on mute"...!
Just found this recently, and it's beautifully put together and eloquently worded. I'm not a huge fan of poetry, but this video will always be in my favorites :)
no matter how many times I watch it I still love these. personally I hate poetry and art stuff but these are really great
This needed to be said so badly, and I can't think of a more eloquent, thoughtful way to say it. Amazing!
To everyone: It's talking about women. Not once does the poem say "men cannot be raped" It is talking about the female aspect. Don't get your panties in a twist.
that was spoken so powerfully! beautiful word.
This was an outstanding poem but I just have to say that "say what's in this drink" was an expression commonly used in the time the song was written that implies someone is saying or doing something they wouldn't normally do. In the story of the song, the female finds herself trying to make excuses for not spending the night when she knows she wants to, and spending the night was not something she would do.
what? i'm genuinely confused on what you're saying.
yeah, two of these are a stretch but otherwise the pice is exceptional.
This was a wonderful piece. Very moving, very empowering. I wish I could find the written version so I could read it more thoroughly... but this is just as good, if not better, because you can hear the emotion in their voices.
by the end of this video, I cried. this is just incredible!
I get chills when I watch this. it's so powerful and true
It's so true. When we all stop singing along....it will really be a quiet storm that makes a difference.
This is powerful and very well done.
Everyone complaining that it doesn't state that men can be raped, its understandable and I get it, and i'm well aware they know this. Although there are flaws in this poem, such as the line where they say we are taught to be perpetrator or the victim, they start off with the two songs Blurred Lines and U.O.E.N.O. Looking at these both songs, they specifically target male audiences to listen to, and talk about WOMEN. So, looking at that aspect and then the lines of this spoken word poem, it is only evident that they are speaking about WOMEN in here.
I don't think they ever meant to discredit the rapes that both men and young boys have to go through. but as two grown women who ultimately centred it around women from the first couple of lines, you should expect to not hear about these cases.
Stop bashing it. Its such a shame to see that people are calling bullshit because they didn't mention men. I'm sorry, but this is a poem based on WOMEN. Not everything has to be around men (as horrible as that sounds in this context), but honest to God...
Love this. And Desiree continues to be my favourite.
This was actually really powerful.
...that was amazing
Is this piece published in a book? If so, what book?
“We live in a country where it’s custom to take”
Goosebumps every time.
This is...amazing. Shaking by the end of it. You two are wonderful. I've never told anyone...but thank you. You get it.
This is the most amazing thing I have ever seen.
+MRostendway fuk u
+MRostendway pls dont do these things fam mate buddy friend pal. You're part of the reason she had to perform this poem in the first place
trigger warning: don't read the comments
Skip the comments. Off to the next poem you go.
Spine-tinglingly amazing. SO brave, so strong, so inspiring, thank you!
Love this. If any poets are interested in speaking at the March to End Rape Culture (annually Sept) in Philadelphia, reach out to us!
I like the message and the performance overall, but I have a quibble. The idea that rape went from "being punishable by death to qualifier" is kind of ridiculous. Rape has always been, in legal terms, a very serious crime, but the idea that there was some wonderful time in the past where rape victims were respected and believed and rapists were hunted down and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law is ludicrous. Rape is trivialized, condoned, and even celebrated in the histories of most religions. The patriarchy that currently shelters rapists and rape culture has been in power for millennia, and the fact that it is weakening is the only reason that there can be a public discussion of rape culture.
Can i just say whoa?
This is so important.
Who even are you? Why was that necessary? Do you think your funny? I can't. *****
Chills, amazing.
Great poem. I do have a genuine question though.
Why do so many people talk about Robin Thicke's song saying "I know you want it" but people don't mention Jesse J's song which repeatedly says, "I know you want it?"
It is a genuine question because when I first heard the criticism for that line, "I know you want it," I found it surprising.
At first, I thought it was a harmless line. Many explained why it was so offensive. However, I haven't heard anyone criticize Jesse J for using that exact same line, "I know you want it," in her song. Why is that? (+)
Which song are you talking about?
***** Jessie J's "Bang Bang." (+)
***** Thank you for sharing. I think, both songs are about feeling confident when the opposite sex is playing hard to get. I think his (Thicke's) music video is what made the song so offensive because I did not get the context of the song being "she's saying no, but he 'know[s] she wants it,' so he's going to have sex with her anyway (rape)," at first listen.
And the second reasoning you shared, "there's the plain fact that having a guy say that..." is following the ideology of sexism.
Werriam-Webster defines sexism as "unfair treatment of people because of their sex" and Oxford defines sexism being "Prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination."
The N-Word argument is a double standard in itself.
I am not saying you are wrong nor than anyone else is wrong. I just enjoy playing Devil's Advocate for the sake of learning, growing, and provoking thought. (+)
sayElectronica Also, Pharrell says "let me tear that ass in two" which isn't really sexy compared to Jessie J feeling confident. Jessie J doesn't go against anyone's wishes. Maria explains that the girl is saying no in Robin Thicke's song, but he will anyway. Whereas Jessie J is like "damn i'm hot, i know you want me" does that make sense?
sayElectronica the next line is "I'll let you have it". this shows that she knows that he wants to have sex with her and she is giving him clear consent. I do understand how you could misinterpret that though (:
POWERFUL! Well done ladies! Right there with you! Thank you for posting!
Yeah, that's pretty spot on....
Yes! Fantastic! But could you please put the words in the "show more" thingy?
wow, this gave me chills
(I can't get the link in the comment) check out the blurred lines parody by Bart Baker.
This is the kind of poem where trying to argue the validity of what is being said is just gonna get you in trouble but it was at least very moving to see how much passion they poured into it.
Shouldn't have read the comments. If you want to read about pro-rape do read the comments otherwise don't, trust me.
Guys. We have all read the Tumblr post about Baby It's Cold Outside. It's not a rape song. We get it.
This is important and these are strong, brave, intelligent women
Amazing!
this is the best thing I have ever seen I cant stop watching this its too amazing :) great job girls way to go
Gave me chills.
SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER!
Woah. On point. Totally on point.
!! APPLAUSE APPLAUSE !! that was jaw-dropping, thank you. now that's what a feminist looks like !
Published on my birthday
Sublime's song "Wrong Way" refers to Annie, a 12-year-old girl soon to be forced into a life of prostitution by her "drunk-ass" dad. The narrator of the song, sexually attracted to Annie, removes her from the situation, but she ultimately leaves him as well.
www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=7592
Absolutely breathless.
They're right about some of the songs, but Ben Harper wrote "Steal My Kisses" about his young son.
Definitely feeling the poem.
Rape is no joke but neither is sexual harassment. I think it would've been nice to hear about how our media satirizes sexual harassment in situations where the man is the victim or how in real life situations if a woman gives a man unwelcome sexual attention no one takes it seriously because "he wanted/liked it". NEVER if the situation were reversed would it not be take seriously. Rape culture affects all. Women AND men.
Love this piece though.
FUCKING AWESOME, thank you so much.
Wow. Speechless. ..
You know how every verse of the song Wrong Way has a line that goes, "It was the wrong way"?
Yeah, the song is against the behavior of the characters in it.
Also they have this other song called Date Rape where they call Date Rape for what it really is in a pop song. In 1992. Probably before these two people were even born.
I get the overall point, which is fine; but you could have made that point without throwing your elder supporters who are now deceased under the bus for no reason. Seems pretty fucked up to me.
FreeQuency I love your shirt and this video it teaches so much
👏👏👏👏👏👏 this made me cry 👏👏👏👏👏👏
This is why i listen to jazz fusion
They missed the Motown hit "Fire".
Seeing as Woody Allen hasn't been found guilty of anything wouldn't this be classed as slander against him? Just a question nothing else.
Well, it's more than the individual case itself. The fact that the whole Woody Allen thing was taken so unseriously is a testament of how we don't even give potential victims the opportunity to voice themselves, we just dismiss them altogether. If someone were to be accused of killing some children or something, trial or not, everyone would be pissed and carrying pitchforks, but with rape victims, we don't really give a shit.
No sir and or madam... Being as Mr. Allen is a public figure this would not be classified as slander against him. Furthermore, how do you still have faith in the criminal justice system?
im crying
Is it too informal to cite this in a research paper? Just seems to say everything I want to about rape culture and media, only a lot more eloquently than I would.
yes.
Yea you have many good points and such, it is a massive problem on our culture especially in music... But don't come at Tyler like that. You really gonna take a group with the name "Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All Don't Give A Fuck"'s lyrics to heart? lol. But just listen to more music than one of his songs, he's aware... Just don't cherry pick. But yea, good message.
Rape jokes aren't funny and neither are stupid song lyrics about rape. You must obviously love Tyler but that doesn't excuse using the type of lyrics that he did in a song, regardless of if it was serious or not. I'm sorry, but you can't excuse one artist's rape lyrics because you like the artist and not excuse the countless others. It doesn't work like that.
Fair enough.
ofmiceandsyd 9 out of 10 people enjoy gang rape
such funny
ofmiceandsyd well its context and making fun of the perpetrator that allows a joke about rape to work. I don't think you can say that rape jokes can never work only that you personally are offended by them no matter the context. 40% of people in the United States believe rape is worse than murder so you can sleep easy realizing that we live in a society where murder is considered a more humane act. Rape culture might still be a thing but the anti-rape culture people are becoming the majority and have the biggest microphone at the moment.
Yeah, prison rape is glorified in song & on stage (rolls eyes) - not saying rape is justifiable, it's an act of violence.
wow, powerful stuff
Powerful.
girl on the left is against abuse but is wearing a joker x harley shirt🤔👀
Fiona Johnson she can wear what she wants.
i find the Joker and Harley Quinn shirt pretty ironic. Comic book joker is super rapey
Omigod
Thank you women! '
Fucking fantastic
Gave me chills, AMAZING
Some of the points are valid but I'm always leery of claimed statistics. What's the source of the 11k & 400k rape kits? One in 5 women raped? I believe that many at some point in their lives have an unpleasant encounter but not buying that rape stats are that high. What about all the false claims? I know a college student who claimed that she was raped but her story didn't hold up under police questioning. What about the Rebecca Watsons of the world who freak out because a guy chats her up in an elevator?
"Baby It's Cold Outside" has nothing to do with rape or coercion. She wants to stay but is torn between what she wants to do and the social pressure of what others will think, the song was written in a completely different time. There's enough genuine shit on the airwaves that you don't have to make things up.
So you've got a problem with song lyrics - so certainly you'll be happy to denounce all the rap crap that extols ghettotivity as a valid lifestyle.
They actually are that high. I have been sexually assaulted, both of my best friends have been raped, and my mom and sister have been raped. That's 5 women right there and all 5 have been sexually assaulted. And this is not counting the many friends and others that I know who have been raped or sexually assaulted. It's more of an epidemic than you think.
If you only bring up the fact that men are raped and assaulted as well when trying to invalidate the threats women face every single day and never speak of it any other time, then you need to stay in your lane because you're not helping anyone- especially not the men who really have been assaulted.
the only people who are influenced by these songs are people who are already fucked up in the head. like the psychos who go on shooting rampages and trying to place the blame in movies/video games/music/media/etc, it's less on society and more on what's going on inside the individual who commits heinous crimes like that. quoting tyler the creator is pointless (to me) because the guy says so much shit but that's all he does he's a character who portrays many extreme, crazy emotions i don't think he's actually encouraging rape. although rick ross is a good example of the extreme side of how much of cunts some people can be.
but what do i know? never been raped nor have i raped so my input on this topic won't go very far to the people this affects.
Finally.
Wow.
Respect
Love the poem but I think she should have worn a different shirt.... The Joker is abusive to Harlequin.... I’m not trying to put them down!!! The poem hit a lot of good points!!! I’m just saying she might not want to wear something that contradicts her poem....
If Rape culture in America is a huge problem why not setting the world afire about Muslim/ Hindu culture?
I have an issue with the Robin Thicke lines. The song really isn't as sexist as it looks on the surface, and writing an entire poem without analyzing what you're writing about is kind of ridiculous. The opening lines are even empowering. The chorus is sarcastic as fuck, even the title and other most common line, "I hate these blurred lines" is a comment on the rape culture you so actively advocate is present. A lot of your other examples are good, and I mostly agree with your message, but that point on Thicke's song gets hammered too much to leave alone.
The point is that there is no "blurred lines". There is consent, and then there is rape. That's it.
Austin Keegan Yeah, the song is saying that there shouldn't be blurred lines. Read any of Thicke's statements, it's sarcasm. “It’s actually a feminist movement within itself. It’s saying that women and men are equals as animals and as power.” The women is the video are clearly in control of what they are doing, and make almost constant eye contact with the camera. There are lyrics like "That man is not your maker, let me liberate you." He's seriously not trying to objectify, if anything he's doing the opposite.
Jason Latham And when Pharrell says he wants to "tear my ass in two" is liberating?
Austin Keegan The fuck there's not blurred lines. I'm guessing you haven't had many casual sex encounters. When the vast majority of communication, especially sexual, is non-verbal, there will always be grey areas a.k.a. blurred lines.
Always ask. Simple.
Kobe didn't rape her
the court case
well if general public is not sure if someone is guilty or not, I don't think it's write to involve them in a piece (that was already powerful enough). It just seems like they're looking for an avenue to bash him
LOVE LOVE LOVE
my queens
Frank Sinatra didn't sing a fuckin christmas song about rape. Wrong way isn't about rape, (date rape is). Steal my kisses from you isn't about rape. I was not raised to rape people as a boy. I'm not saying that there isn't a problem with rape in the world. I'm saying that we need to re-evaluate what is relevant conversation to raise awareness. And fear mongering and finger pointing isn't it. You should be talking to the drunk fraternity's and sororities, and the drink spikers, and the peices of shit who think that rape is ok, or no big deal. making a joke is not rape. Forcing yourself on another PERSON sexually, is rape.
youre so dumb tbh, to your second to the last sentence. is rape funny that youd make a joke about it?
Epic