RAPE T- Shirts !!!

Alex Dibranco wrote :

Judging by the array of pro-rape T-shirts on the market, assaulting and violating a woman makes a fantastic fashion statement. First, I came across this post on Australian vendors marketing pro-rape T-shirts.

Melinda Tankard Reist has pics for a collection of the shirts, which includes such charming tag-lines as "it's not rape: it's surprise sex," "sometimes no means yes," and "it's not rape if you yell SURPRISE!"

My response to these statements, in order: no it's not, no it doesn't!! People have actually asked online, "I herd its not technically rape if you yell 'SURPRISE' before you do it? is that true?"

I know dumb things get posted on the internet, but really? One sarcastic response: "Yes. Just like before you commmit a murder if you yell 'LOOK OUT HERE I COME ', it is not really murder." It's surprise death! Unfortunately, I quickly discovered that these rape advocacy T-shirts aren't confined to the Land Down Under, and they've been around for a while.

I'm especially fond/frightened of the description for this "sometimes no means yes" shirt from the UK's Lush T-shirts: "In a nightclub, trying to get a girl to go home with you but she says "no". Sometimes that could mean yes ... " The sound of that "dot dot dot" gives me shivers. For more in depressing fashion, Cracked.com has a round up of oh-so-charming rape T-shirts, including " Anti-Abortion! But Pro-Date-Rape" and "NO means YES" .

The blog toomuchtosayformyself.com highlights shirts promoting both rape and violence against women, including "dead women don't say no" (promotes rape, murder, and necrophilia) and "I still miss my ex but my aim is getting better."

The only positive aspect I can find for these shirts is that they warn women to run in the opposite direction when they see a guy wearing one of these charmers. Unfortunately, that doesn't outweigh the damage they do in broadcasting the message that rape is fashionable, funny, and fun -- people hold on to the message without sporting the shirt. And, for the record, rape is one "surprise" that no woman wants.