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In 2011, actor Johnny Depp told the November issue of…

“In 2011, actor Johnny Depp told the November issue of Vanity Fair that he felt participating in a photoshoot was akin to rape. "Well, you just feel like you're being raped somehow. Raped . . . It feels like a kind of weird - just weird, man. But whenever you have a photo shoot or something like…” quote by Emma Elsworth
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““In 2011, actor Johnny Depp told the November issue of Vanity Fair that he felt participating in a photoshoot was akin to rape. "Well, you just feel like you're being raped somehow. Raped . . . It feels like a kind of weird - just weird, man. But whenever you have a photo shoot or something like that, it's like - you just feel dumb. It's just so stupid," he said. Likening instances of being flustered or uneasy to the often life-shattering experience of rape has become a far too common comparison in modern lexicon. The phrase "Facebook rape" is perhaps the most widely used, which implies one person has posted on another person's Facebook account - usually something intended to embarrass the person. But the casual, flippant use of the term "rape" in instances that do not involve sexual violence is highly problematic in that it trivialises one of the most despicable invasions of a human being. Desensitising the masses to the term "rape" is just another way the conversation surrounding sexual assault is derailed or diluted in society. Rape is, and should be considered universally, as a serious societal sickness that occurs within the "toxic silence" that surrounds sexual assault as Tara Moss put so elegantly in her recent Q&A appearance. Further to that, the use of the term can be a trigger for rape survivors in that it may jolt terrifying memories of their own experience. According to the Australian Institute of Family Studies, up to 57 per cent of rape survivors suffer post-traumatic stress disorder in their lifetime, with "triggers" including inflammatory words like rape causing deeply traumatic recollections. Beware desensitising the term "rape", Newcastle Herald, June 6, 2014””

Emma Elsworth

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Using rape as a metaphor trivializes sexual violence and harms survivors.

In simple terms: Rape should not be used casually.

Key Takeaway

Avoid harmful comparisons.

Themes

language ethics sexual assault media societal impact

Mood

concerned critical

Type

analytical journalistic

When to use this quote

  • public discourse
  • social media
  • education
  • policy making

Key Concepts

sociology psychology media studies

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does language shape perception of assault?
  • What alternatives convey distress responsibly?
A Different Perspective

Metaphors can convey intensity without causing harm.

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