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Gigi Hadid Criticized for Defending Herself. What's Next for Rape Culture?

Photo courtesy of news.com.au

Earlier this week you may have been following the Gigi Hadid drama in which the model was picked up by a strange man while leaving a Milan Fashion Week show. In defense against her attacker, Gigi elbowed the man in the face and he promptly let her down before running away.

In itself, this story is disturbing because it demonstrates the unwarranted comfortability some men have in their contact with women. The attacker, Vitalii Sediuk, claimed he picked up Gigi as a form of protest. He said he does not think Gigi and fellow model/friend, Kendall Jenner, represent high fashion well.

Whether you agree with his statement or not, you have to admit that that should not give anyone the right to invade someone’s personal space the way Sediuk did. What’s even more disturbing, though, was that Gigi was criticized for defending herself in a time of panic and struggle. One reporter from The Sun UK went so far as to call it “not model behavior”. In today’s society, women (specifically) have to be aware of their surroundings because it is more than possible that something like this can happen to any of us. To be on the defense like Gigi is only a way of preparing women to stand up to attackers, and it should not be condemned.

After the incident, Gigi took to Twitter to convey her thoughts on the confrontation:

The question is, why are high profile women (and celebrities in general) expected to act differently in situations like this? It’s as if they are excluded from the right to feel safe. In this case, some thought Gigi was overbearing and overreacted, while others supported her decision to defend herself. A situation like this shows how extreme rape culture has become. Although the attack on Gigi was not quite sexual assault, the actions of Sediuk are what will lead to more severe assaults.

Society’s response to Sediuk’s attack is what will define future circumstances. While the attack on Gigi may seem “small” or “just a prank”, we cannot forget how “minor” actions like these can encourage worse scenarios. I think it is also important that we do not discourage someone’s right to protect themselves. Imagine if this had happened to Gigi (or any other person for that matter) at night with less eyes watching. Sure, maybe Sediuk only picked Gigi up, but if the same thing had happened at night, this story would have gained ten times the amount of attention. So, why should we let “slight” attacks like this slip under the radar if they could lead to a more devastating outcome? The answer is we shouldn’t, and that everyone has the right to protect themselves within the means of necessity. Society should be promoting that instead of judging someone for displaying “not model behavior” in a moment like this.

Why Are We Fighting About Food?

Editorial by Brindy Francis

Photo from Tumblr

It’s Friday night. You decided to have all your friends over to watch the season finale of Stranger Things on Netflix. On your way home from work, you stop by Trader Joe’s to pick up some chips and dips and such. You remembered that Haley is vegan, so you pick up only vegan things so that everyone can eat and enjoy themselves! But wait, Johnny the meat eater doesn’t want any “rabbit food.” Crap. Now Haley the vegan is trying to throw environmental facts down meat-eater Johnny’s throat. It is now a riot.

Okay, but here’s the thing. Nobody cares what you eat. Nobody cares that you think vegans are stupid. Nobody cares that you think meat eaters are stupid. Nobody cares if you only eat fish, egg whites, or only the stem of broccoli. I’m not saying I’m going to support you for eating meat necessarily (I, myself, am a vegetarian), but I will defend your right to eat whatever you want.

Don’t get me wrong, I love hearing facts about how veganism can help us environmentally and health-wise and how it is saving our rainforests. I like hearing your stance on everything, but not everyone is going to. Just like the party situation, it can turn into a riot. I’m sure everyone could be interested in a nice conversation about it, but becoming defensive will not help your case. You’re here to have a good time! Let’s simmer down.

I’ve gotten comments my whole life being an off and on vegetarian. Every family event, I am questioned why I eat the way I do. I just inform them that it is my choice. Now, with veganism growing month after month, meat-eaters are looked down upon in youth. It does not have to be that way. People are not understanding that someone’s lifestyle is not going to affect them.

Whether you eat meat and dairy or not has been the big topic of discussion in the past year or so. The documentary Cowspiracy, directed and produced by Kip Andersen in 2014, really got people going. Animal cruelty was recognized, which is fantastic, but now everyone is expected to take that information and do something intense with it, such as change your diet and/or products completely. Something not understood is that it’s not as easy as everyone thinks it is, especially when someone is under harsh living conditions. Some people just flat out do not care about the movement at all. Does that mean they need to be shunned?

Having views is an absolutely wonderful thing, but you need to question whether it is really something worth feuding about. In no way do I want to advise you to not fight for what you believe in. If someone is being unreasonable about it, by all means, put them in their place. The point of this read is to bring peace to the situation. Yes, you have the right to speak whatever comes to mind, but you don’t have to be an asshole about it.

Generation Z: In Grayscale

In the past few years, the American LGBT+ community has been through ground breaking accomplishments such as same sex marriage equality, withdrawal of “Don’t ask, don’t tell”, and many other strides in visibility and acceptance. Though the fight for equality is very very far from over, the community has changed in extremes and being a part of generation Z, we’ve been in the frontlines watching these large milestones happen. As LGBT+ acceptance grows and fits in more and more with norms, the introduction and visibility of less of the black and white identities have been shown and are slowly fitting their way in modern day media.

Born in 1999, I grew up with very black and white ideas of things. You’re either a boy or a girl, gay or straight, etc. However, as I aged and become more comfortable questioning myself, I began to realize this isn’t really the case. Though the ever so famous pride flag is known for it’s ROYGBIV stripes, there’s actually so many other ways one can (or not at all) label themselves that isn’t a “color” on the spectrum. As we progress and the idea of not being straight or your assigned at birth gender becomes more and more normalized, so is the beginning of a more expressive and self aware society.

Generation Z is a group that has been born into a world of so many advancements. Most of us can’t remember life without a computer or cell phone or how to get anywhere without Google Maps. The creation of the internet and our generation’s attraction to it has also made us so much more questioning of our identities than any other previous generation. Instead of having to stick to the norms of our outside environments, we can easily connect with about anyone who brings a completely new set of ideas and interests, making information travel so much faster. Though nonbinary, pansexual, asexual, etc people obviously existed long before our iPhones did, social media and online publications have made these identities so much more visible and accessable to learn about. It’s hard to be unaware when you’ve got about every resource out there at the typing of a google search.

So why are so many of the teenagers of generation Z living in this “grayscale” of sexuality? How did we find these rather invisible and not quite accepted identifiers?

“I’m incredibly fluid when it comes to my gender and don’t feel acceptance of either the male or female ideas and roles.” says Alex,16.

As Kira,17, stated, “I have never felt like a boy but didn’t associate myself with being female. I had no idea what non binary meant until last year, but have always been so. I think it’s all about exposure. Just like so many people in history have been closeted gays or trans people, non binary isn’t a new thing. It’s just now more common and ‘out there”. These points on the spectrum have always been there, just now they are receiving more attention and exposure. As the citizens of generation Z grow older, I predict there will definitely be a decline in the need to label oneself or try and fit in with one of the classic ROYGBIV areas of the spectrum.

Parental Guidance: Teen Movies and the Portrayal of Parents

Heathers, the iconic and underrated 1989 black comedy, has a lot going for it: Winona Ryder in her early days, crazy 80s fashion, biting wit, and harsh reality. Perhaps the harshest of said realities that the film serves up is the way the film portrays adults’ perspectives of teenagers.

Most teen films feature parents one way or another; after all, so much of being a teenager is about your relationship, or lack thereof, with your parents—fighting with them, bonding with them, being annoyed with them. The lesson of most teen movies is yeah, parents can be annoying, but they only mean the best. Think about it: Kat from 10 Things I Hate About You eventually convinces her father to let her leave the nest as they face their differences and accept each other for who they are; Andie’s dad from Pretty in Pink gets her her killer prom dress.

But Heathers takes a darker, if not caricatured, approach to the parent/child relationship. For example, two separate scenes in Heathers mimic each other almost exactly in dialogue, as Veronica’s parents discuss the same things each time. The movie seems to imply that they hold no regard in finding new things to talk about with their child, and instead settle for the mundane and repetitive instead of engaging in an interesting conversation with their daughter.

When Veronica complains to her parents that teenage suicide is being glamorized in the media, she tells her mother, “All we want is to be treated like human beings. Not experimented on like guinea pigs, or patronized like bunny rabbits.” Her mother scolds her harshly: "’Treated like human beings?’ Is that what you said, little Ms. Voice-of-a-Generation? How do you think adults act with other adults? Do you think it's all a game of doubles tennis? When teenagers complain that they want to be treated like human beings, it's usually because they are being treated like human beings.” “Well I guess I picked the wrong time to be a human being,” sighs Veronica. Her mother’s complete disregard for Veronica’s disgust at this romanticized version of suicide and her annoyance with Veronica’s request for respect encapsulates how Heathers views the adult world: full of contempt for youth and unable to properly respect and appreciate the ideas and opinions of teenagers. And unlike other team films, there’s no resolution—this is the last conversation we see Veronica and her parents having. No tear filled apologies and forgiveness here.

Heathers furthers this perspective with a cast of adults who lack respect for teenagers: the guidance counselor who uses an outbreak of suicides to make herself look good, the board of teachers whose only concern about student deaths is how many days of school to cancel, J.D.’s father who completely fails to take on the role of a father. Everywhere you look in this movie, parents fail to fulfill their duties as supportive and compassionate parents to their children.

And when you think about it, many films are filled with this view of parents. While Ferris Bueller’s parents may be adoring, his friend Cameron’s father seems to value his precious Ferrari more than he does his son. The school dean thrives off of Ferris’ failure and tries to bring about his downfall. And how about The Breakfast Club? Parents are off screen in this film, but forefront in each of their kids’ minds. Whether their child is torn between divorcing parents, desperately trying to fill their parents outlandish expectations for them, abused, or just flat out ignored, these kids do not have the loving and caring parents that we all hope for and cherish.

Maybe the adult world isn’t as cruel as these movies make it out to be. But sometimes a caricature of a real problem can make it stand out to viewers. Being a teenager is hard, and criticism and cynicism from adults doesn’t make it any easier. These films go very far in their negative portrayal of parents, but they surely point to an issue in our society. Every parent/child relationship is different, but I imagine many teenagers can relate in some way to the parental dynamics portrayed in these movies.

One Final Click to Save a Life

Photo by Emily Tebbetts

Humans have made it a habit to sell anything and everything they possibly can, so there is no wonder how we’ve managed to sell sex as perhaps one of the biggest commodities out there. Sex is something humans crave, so of course it is easily sold. Whether it’s the magazine with a cover photo featuring a woman in a skimpy bikini or if it’s an adult film propped up on the highest shelf at the movie store; sex sells. Now more than ever, pornography is easily obtained no matter your age or where you live. The “You must be 18 or older to access this content” button can be clicked by anyone.

Pornography is, without a doubt, one of the leading ways sex sells. There are websites, magazines, movies, even novels available to meet sexual desires. When you think about it, it may seem as just another way humans seek thrill and pleasure, but when you take a look behind the scenes, it’s more than just an after-school special.

Not only has pornography been proven to damage relationships and diminish intimacy between partners, it promotes violence and objectification, is linked to the abuse of drugs and alcohol, and is connected to sex trafficking. Pornography turns sexuality into a business, and it distorts the reality of sex, which only fuels the demand for more sex.

Like any other drug, once you try it, it takes more and more to surpass your previous high. In Deconstructing the Demand for Prostitution: Preliminary Insights from Interviews with Chicago Men Who Purchase Sex, 83% of men explored prostitution services to satisfy their pornography addiction that could no longer be fulfilled by pornographic media, 60% of which are married or in a serious relationship.

It is not only women who are burdened by the impacts of pornography and sex trafficking; men experience the effects as well. Women, however, make up 80% of sex trafficked victims, 50% of those are minors. “If it’s so bad, why don’t they quit?” is a question I hear often. The reality is, pornography and financial assistance are used as blackmail to keep trafficked victims from leaving the industry. In an interview with Fight the New Drug, an organization against the development of pornography, a former porn actor said, “The only thing different from rape and that moment was the money,” when discussing a specific instance while filming.

What you may find pleasurable and harmless, is life-threatening to others. Every level of pornographic consumption fuels the demand for sex trafficking. Each time you click the link to a pornography site, a victim is being filmed one more time. Help to make your last click be the final click.

Reaching Truth: What Glamorizing Mental Illness Really Does

Photo by Michelle Heppner | @michelleeheppner

Anxiety is a thief; an unwelcome stranger who knocks on your door any hour of the day. Whether you are expecting it or not, it will let itself in and wreak havoc on your abode, causing shortness of breath and the feeling of an anvil eternally resting on your chest.

We, as humans a part of a society, treat real criminal break-ins with serious caution and detest. So, why is it when anxiety, and mental illness in general, trespasses into our lives, we sometimes romanticize and glorify it in hopes of coming across as “poetic”? When music, film and art is created to glamorize mental illness, rather than to magnify the serious effects of it, the light is removed from those who are in critical need of help. This also causes some doubters to believe others use mental illness as an attention grab, which also puts those living with mental illness at risk because they are reluctant to step forward.

There is a difference between occasionally feeling anxious and having an anxiety disorder. A disorder is constant and disabling, causing someone to feel like they are drowning in fear and panic everyday. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, anxiety disorders - the most common form of mental illness in the U.S. - directly affects 18 per cent of the American population, never mind the percentage of those who feel the effects as a bystander to someone who they know is living with an anxiety disorder.

Often, we make lighthearted jokes about mental illness. Common ones include saying things like, “My OCD is acting up again,” when we neatly square-up a stack of books. Or, “I’ve eaten so much ice cream today; it’s depressing.” Although these expressions seem harmless, they only add to the stigma of mental illness, and are typically said by those who don’t understand its real effects.

In American culture, glamorized cases of mental illnesses can be perceived through social media, movies, music, photography, art, etc. These cases misconstrue mental illness to make it seem appealing and beautiful, when acknowledging how someone living with a mental disorder feels, is tossed aside. With mental illness being glamorized in the media, we are also wrongfully taught how to comfort and assist those in need of a helping hand.

I believe the most important thing to remember is, if you are not personally going through it, you will never fully understand it, consequently you have limited say in the matter. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America says only one-third of people living with anxiety disorders receive help. This statistic is shocking, considering anxiety disorders are highly treatable. The question is, if anxiety disorders are as simple to treat as they say, why are people not reaching out for help? Among many possible reasons, the one that typically stands out is because patients fear they will get grouped in with the few who pretend to have a mental illness in order to receive sympathy and attention.

Mental illness is not a trend, so let’s stop glamorizing it like it is one.

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