Satirical Sensationalism?

On my quest for alternate representations of these tragedies, I came upon yet another genre – satire. This video is a brilliant example of seething commentary against another aspect of rape culture – blaming the victim. Too often, incidences of sexual assault go unreported simply because the victims are convinced that it was their own doing – either through wearing provocative clothing, or leading men on, or reasons as ludicrous as “If it’s your husband, it isn’t rape.” Blaming of the victim is a pervasive issue, and just one of several components of the patriarchy that is responsible for incidents like the Delhi and Mumbai gang-rapes occurring. The sooner it is addressed directly, the sooner we may see actual change in the system, and women being safer. The video went viral shortly after its release, and perhaps constitutes yet another form of sensationalism? If so, the attention it received and the comments it generated certainly seem to point towards it being an example of effective sensationalism – gripping the spectator’s attention, and forcing them to acknowledge a difficult issue that does not receive adequate attention. Certainly the strategy employed in this video would have contributed to its efficacy, and it might suggest that breaking past the norms of everyday coverage is an effective way of capturing an audience’s attention, and perhaps even of generating powerful reactions that could lead to a lasting impact.

Sources: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hC0Ng_ajpY; http://thegreatantagonizer.wordpress.com/2012/10/26/why-not-blame-the-victim/