Simmons_P5 Research

Article: Rape – Still No Joke, written by Jessica Valenti

Source: The Nation

Last month Ma’lik Richmond and Trent Mays, two high school students from Steubenville, Ohio, were found guilty of raping an unconscious 16 year old girl. The trial’s outcome was made possible by the large amount of social media, texts, and video evidence that was left behind by the two boys and their peers who were present at the time of the rape. The fact that they would so carelessly post stuff of this nature on the internet shows that these two young men didn't think there was anything wrong with what they were doing. Even after they were found guilty, the fact that they had committed rape seemed to escape them; Mays apologized for taking pictures of the assault, not the actual assault itself. Mays and Richmond weren't the only ones who didn't see anything wrong with raping an unconscious girl. One witness who walked in on the rape said he didn't try to stop it because he didn't realize it was rape: “It wasn't violent… I thought rape was forcing yourself on someone.” A volunteer coach of the boys’ football team was quoted in The New York Times claiming that the victim had made the story up, because she regretted staying out late and getting drunk. Furthermore, the news coverage of the trial, particularly on CNN, was appalling. It consisted largely of the news anchors sympathizing with the rapists and becoming emotional over the loss of their “promising” lives. Not one word was spoken about the victim. Instead, they portrayed the rapists as victims. It is this type of victim blaming and rape trivializing that highlights the rape culture we live in.

For my editorial imagery I’m thinking of creating a picture of Richmond and Hays in their football uniforms on a football field appearing how CNN portrayed the boys – good students and star athletes with promising futures. Except instead of their team name on the front of their jerseys, it will say ‘rapist’, giving them the label they deserve. The thing in the composition that I will photograph myself is the football field. For the pictures of the boys I will use photos from the Steubenville High School football team website, pictured below.

 Ma'lik Richmond

Trent Mays