This is part two of a series reflecting on Sexual Assault Awareness Month. I’m looking at news and social media portrayals of sexual assault cases and how they affect rape culture on a larger scale. For part one of the series, including my work as a teacher & the backstory about Real Life Athena (RLA) and their response to a controversial music video, click here.
Fighting Fire with Fire
Social media is an easily accessible – and therefore powerful – tool, as Sarah Brammer-Shlay and the other contributors at Real Life Athena can attest. Youtube and Facebook were responsible for the original dissemination of the DAVIDBLAYNE’s music video, a verbal sexual assault on women. Because anyone could view the video, RLA was worried about the audiences it could reach. Brammer-Shlay debated whether or not she should even comment on the Facebook post, but decided she couldn’t go to bed without speaking out.







