With campaigns like #MeToo bringing discussions of sexual assault and harassment to the forefront, it’s easy to think that we have made substantial progress, but one in five women can still expect to be sexually assaulted in college, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. This calls into question the culture of college campuses, even relatively small, liberal arts schools like Ithaca College.
Typically, when the topic of rape on college campuses arises we look at binge drinking, drug use and partying, yet we do not always consider the problematic messages that are being perpetuated on campus. In the last year, a student brought a Barstool Sports (an organization known for their problematic rhetoric under the guise of fun and satire) affiliate page to campus. You may recall a troubling statement their founder, David Portnoy, made in 2010 “Even though I never condone rape, if you’re a size 6 and you’re wearing skinny jeans you kind of deserve to be raped,” which by the way, Mr. Portnoy, is condoning rape. His organization has spread across the country on college campuses toting a dangerously misogynistic view with phrases like “Saturdays are for the boys” and traditions such as “Smokeshows,” showing off nonconsensual photos of women to be objectified by the rest of campus, or really anyone with internet access.
While these “Smokeshows” blatantly objectify women and reinforce the idea that women are just there to service men, the key issue is that these photos are submitted without the woman’s consent. Followers of Barstool Sports simply have to screenshot a woman’s photo off of Instagram and send it to Barstool, where the submission is considered and posted without notifying her or asking for permission. She is then suddenly subjected to an onslaught of attention whether she wanted it or not.
One female student who had been featured as a “Smokeshow,” said that she “woke up to a bunch of messages,” telling her congrats in a less than congratulatory way or to look at Barstool Ithaca’s Instagram. There she found a screenshotted picture of herself in a bikini from over the summer accompanied by #smokeshow. She was rather upset at the blatant disregard of consent especially considering she had been asked in the past and had clearly said no. She quickly messaged the page urging them to take down the photo, while many of her friends and her partner did the same on her behalf. Her partner even commented to Barstool Ithaca saying “I know consent isn’t something you practice often but you really should.”
The page did take down this student’s photo, but she was frustrated that they didn’t bother to apologize, especially considering the misogynistic atmosphere the page promotes. The only girls featured in Barstool Sports are “smokeshows” or are made fun of by the male population for failing to shotgun a beer or falling down while drunk outlining a clear place for women in the Barstool community as either an object of ridicule or masturbatory aid. Barstool sports swears this is all in innocent fun, but they have failed to consider the consequences of their actions.
By presenting women as objects they explicitly say that it is okay for women to be viewed and treated as objects barren of any thoughts or feelings. When presented as an object she can be used in any way that people want to use her (despite her own opinions) like having sex without her consent. Barstool Sports doesn’t just objectify women; they also promote a predatory, male dominating view of the world through their catchphrases. This further asserts male dominance and the idea that it is okay to treat women as tools for sexual pleasure or amusement and not as full fledged human beings.
Women are not even included in the Barstool Sports world, they are simple accessories to a male world and that is a problem. Despite the issues surrounding Barstool Sports, they continue to grow and spread their message across college campuses and select high schools. This brings to question why we and our administration allow such a harmful community to take root on our campus, when sexual assault on campus is so clearly an issue and the objectification of women directly affects over half of our population. Barstool Ithaca clearly states on their Instagram page that they are not affiliated with Ithaca College, relieving the administration from any legal responsibility to the contents of the page, but when that content contributes to an overarching dehumanization of Ithaca students and the subsequent safety of those students, shouldn’t the administration be held accountable?