TO THE EDITOR:
Like many of us, I enjoyed another frightful night of revelry on Franklin Street on Sunday. However, I was somewhat disturbed to see a student dressed as Antoine Dodson, the YouTube celebrity propelled to fame with his auto-tuned hit, “Bed Intruder Song.” In the viral video, Dodson proclaims that we should hide our kids and hide our wives from rapists. Most viewers find Dodson’s reaction to his sister’s sexual assault to be humorous. There is nothing funny about rape or sexual assault.
By laughing at the video or costume, we’re making light of the issue of rape, which makes it harder for victims to come forward. Survivors are already greeted with skepticism or a burden of proof, and when we make a joke of rape or use phrases such as “I raped that test,” we make it more difficult for survivors.
One in four women are raped or suffer attempted rape before graduating college. If one in four women were to experience H1N1 before attaining their degree, the epidemic would quickly become a highly publicized concern. Support for the movement would come in droves, with experts and officials working around the clock to bring about change. Why, then, is violence against women any less of a public health issue than contagious disease? After all, both are illnesses that deeply permeate our society. In the words of Antoine Dodson, you can run and tell that.
Lexi Cribbs
Junior
English
