In an attempt to encourage the support and awareness of what victims of rape and incest live through in order to survive, SMU Women’s Center and the Dallas County Sexual Assault Coalition sponsored The Clothesline Project and a lecture Monday night entitled, “The Eroticism of Rape in Film,” as part of Sexual Awareness Month.
Courtney Aberle, coordinator of Women’s Programs for the Women’s Center, felt the importance of these activities was to bring awareness to the media’s view when speaking on rape. “We live in a culture that supports the exploitation of women in movies. My goal in these activities is to bring to light the importance of media contributions and their effects on people.”
The Clothesline Project, adapted by the DCSAC, was meant to be a testimonial to the ramifications of sexual assault on women, men and children. According to the literature available in Hughes-Trigg Student Center, where the shirts were on display, “It honors those who have experienced intimate violence. Anyone who has experienced such violence, at any time in their lives, is encouraged to come forward and design a shirt.”
The Clothesline Project was started in Cape Cod, Mass., in 1990 to address the issue of violence against women. The idea of using shirts came about when the visual artist in charge of the project saw how powerful the AIDS quilt was, and felt that the clothesline helped explain the women and their duties, like the laundry. The specific color of the shirt represents different instances in which rape has occurred, from acquaintance (red, orange or purple) to gang rape (black).
The lecture, held Monday night in McCord Auditorium, was meant to help inform individuals, when watching movies, how fantasy and reality get intermixed. About 40 students listened to Vikla Adam, a member of the DCSAC, explain the important difference between movies and real life. Adam came up with the idea of lecturing on the subject while working with the Rape and Crisis Center at Syracuse University.
“I don’t want you to hate these films after we are through,” Adam said. “I just want you to have a better understanding of how rape and women are treated in these situations and the effect that it has on the viewing audience.”
Many different movie clips were shown, from both contemporary films and classics. Adam, in prefacing the clips made sure that everyone was aware of the nature of the clips, explaining that nudity, sex and language were all major parts of each scene, and if anyone felt uncomfortable they could leave.
Adam showed clips from movies such as The Piano, 40 Days and 40 Nights, Unfaithful, Goldfinger, and many others. Afterwards, the audience members were encouraged to express their feelings, so they could understand that the feelings evoked by the clips were being felt by everyone else in the auditorium. Ideas were expressed that touched upon topics from sex being used as a tool to get what the woman wanted, to the idea of rape being romantic.
The DCSAC, with help from Progressive Arts, is putting on a final event for Sexual Awareness Month Thursday evening at 8 p.m. at the Bath House Cultural Center. It will be an evening of reader’s theater, entitled “From Victim to Survivor.” Entrance is free, but tickets must be reserved. To reserve tickets, send an e-mail to [email protected].
