Women in the "Grey Zone"? Ambiguity, Complicity and Rape Culture

12 page(s

Representing rape in Holocaust film: exhibiting the eroticised body for the camera’s gaze

16 page(s

Book review : 'Reframing bodies: AIDS, bearing witness, and the queer moving image'

A book review of 'Reframing bodies: AIDS, bearing witness, and the queer moving image' by Roger Hallas (2009). Duke University Press, Durham NC, ISBN 9780822346012.1 page(s

(Un)reasonable doubt : narrative immunity for footballers against allegations of sexual assault

12 page(s

'It was the beer' : the discursive function of alcohol in representations of sexual violence

Alcohol is cited with increasing frequency as a factor in discussions of violence, from brawling and knife-fighting on the streets of Melbourne, to cases of alleged sexual assault involving elite footballers, which are regularly reported in the Australian media. Media commentators tend to presume that the link between excessive alcohol consumption and interpersonal violence is self-evident, despite the fact that studies indicate the connection to be more about one's perception of alcohol's effects, rather than measurable, physiological ones. However, no scholar or commentator has yet considered the discursive function of alcohol in media reports of sexual and other violence, and the role of discourse in diminishing the responsibility attributed to a perpetrator for acts of violence. This chapter explores how language is used to diminish responsibility in media representations of violent crime, deflecting it onto alcohol. Through the examination of media reports and analyses of sexual assault cases from Australia's principal elite football codes, I demonstrate that alcohol is used in narratives of the cases to deflect blame away from the accused players, and diminish their responsibility for their actions. Through close examination of grammar and syntax, I show that drinking alcohol is frequently portrayed as a context or situation in which problems can occur, sometimes a situation created by footballers, but more frequently by unmarked agents. Alcohol itself can also appear as a causative agent, whether implicitly or explicitly, further exonerating players from blame for their behaviour. This naturalises and thus potentially reinforces the popular perception of alcohol as a "cause" of sexual and other violence.17 page(s

Book review : 'Civilized violence : subjectivity, gender and popular cinema'

A book review of 'Civilized violence : subjectivity, gender and popular cinema' by David Hansen-Miller (2011). Ashgate, Farnham, ISBN 9781409412588.1 page(s

Athletes, sexual assault, and "trials by media" : narrative immunity

Since footballer sexual assault became top news in 2004, six years after the first case was reported, much has been written in the news media about individual cases, footballers and women who have sex with them. Deb Waterhouse-Watson reveals how media representations of recent sexual assault cases involving Australian footballers amount to "trials by media", trials that result in acquittal. The stories told about footballers and women in the news media evoke stereotypes such as the "gold digger", "woman scorned" and the "predatory woman", which cast doubt on the alleged victims' claims and suggest that they are lying. Waterhouse-Watson calls this a "narrative immunity" for footballers against allegations of sexual assault. This book details how popular conceptions of masculinity and femininity inform the way footballers' bodies, team bonding, women, sex and alcohol are portrayed in the media, and connects stories relating to the cases with sports reporting generally. Uncovering similar patterns of narrative, grammar and discourse across these distinct yet related fields, Waterhouse-Watson shows how these discourses are naturalised, with reports on the cases intertwining with broader discourses of football reporting to provide immunity. Despite the prevalence of stories that discredit the alleged victims, Waterhouse-Watson also examines attempts to counter these pervasive rape myths, articulating successful strategies and elucidating the limitations built into journalistic practices, and language itself.238 page(s

Re-/deconstructing the Yellow Brick Road : gender, power and Tin Man

20 page(s

'You posted what on Facebook?' : sport, sex and the 'St Kilda schoolgirl'

Throughout 2010-11, a series of sex scandals involving a young woman, AFL players and staff occurred, largely enabled through both social and traditional media. Through this case study, this article questions the power of social media to facilitate an individual's challenge to traditional power hierarchies, exploring the interactions between social media and the news media in gaining public attention. I also uncover the patriarchal ideologies that shaped the way the scandals played out, highlighting the narrative and discursive strategies employed to dismiss Duthie's actions. She was portrayed as a child, a 'woman scorned' and/ or mentally ill, ultimately disempowering her. The case is a powerful illustration of the continued influence of patriarchal ideologies in curtailing women's power, which is only amplified by the interactivity of social media.10 page(s

Playing defence in sexual assault 'trial by media' : the male footballer's imaginary body

21 page(s