Justice

This Video Will Shock You For Its Facts, Not Just For Its F-Bombs

October 24th 2014

Editors note: We are aware of the concerns surrounding FCKH8 and their business practices but at the basic level we believe that this argument in support of gender equality is spot on and helps further the conversation.

In a startling new video, young girls dressed up as princesses make a bold point about sexism by dropping the F-Bomb.

This new campaign by FCKH8 asks the disarming question, "What is more offensive: a little girl saying 'fuck' or the fucking unequal and sexist way society treats girls and women?"

And their point is well taken - after all, the image of these young children blatantly and proudly cursing is not even as shocking as the facts they present, "Here's some words more fucked up than the word fuck: pay inequality. Women are paid 23% less than men for the exact same fucking work. And women who graduate universities with straight A's get paid as much as men who only got C's. So, bad grades equal more bank just because you're a boy? ...I shouldn't need a penis to get paid."

Sure, we teach young kids not to swear, but who could blame girls for being pissed off that in today's world, if things don't change, they'll be paid 78 cents to a man's dollar, totaling a loss of $435,049 over the course of their career.

And that's not the only thing these girls are mad about, as they also point out the pervasive rape culture in the U.S: "one out of every five women will be sexually assaulted or raped by a man ... So how many more women have to get knocked down before society stands up and stops it? Here's a hot tip - stop telling girls how to dress, and start teaching boys not to fucking rape."

Now, of course, men too can be, and are, the victims of rape and sexual assault as well (roughly 1 in 33 men experience rape, or attempted rape, in their lifetime) and the video's focus on the sexual assaults of women should not belittle what they went through. What the girls point out, however, is our society's tendency to victim-blame when it comes to women. The truth of the matter is: no matter what a woman wears or does, they should not be the victim of rape or sexual assault. It really is that simple. No woman is ever "asking for it" when it comes to rape, and instead of only focusing on what women should do to prevent being raped, we need to start teaching men just how wrong rape and sexual assault is. And enforcing it.

California's recent active consent sexual assault law, which states that any college receiving public funds must adhere to the policy that sexual consent must be conveyed through a verbal or nonverbal "yes," is a good first step. However, that still leaves 49 other states where often colleges put the burden on the victim to prove that they actively said "no" to sex. Thus, many rapists and sexual assaulters are not punished and the rape culture continues to prevail. This "yes means yes" law will hopefully shift the way that we view rape as a society and put the burden instead on both individuals to consent to sex before engaging in it, instead of holding onto the misconception of "well, she didn't say no, so I guess she wants it."

It's time to vote for politicians who support equal pay for equal work and more rigorous measures to curb the epidemic of sexual assault this Election. You can pledge to vote on November 4th by clicking here