Content warning: this article includes discussion of sexual violence.
On Sept. 14, Jane Doe filed a civil lawsuit alleging that Cornell University protected seven men who she claims drugged and gang-raped her over the course of several hours in October 2024. Cornell had conducted an internal investigation, and prosecutors have now reopened their criminal investigation. Regardless of how this lawsuit plays out, it has sparked outrage online due to the lack of severity in its consequences and the sheer amount of men in the fraternity who were aware of sexual violence happening without stepping in. This has led to larger conversations about rape culture, men’s accountability, and how we treat victims in the aftermath of assault.
We cannot change behaviour or institutional thinking without understanding how rape culture shows up and is lived out in everyday life. In pursuit of that understanding, here is some media that speaks about these issues through film, documentary, comedy, and music.
Promising Young Woman (2020) is a comedy thriller about Cassie, who pretends to be heavily intoxicated to entrap men intent on taking advantage of her. A chance encounter gives her the opportunity to get closer to those who enabled the rape of her best friend, and she proceeds to carry out a series of revenge plans. Instead of focusing solely on the assault and its perpetrator, the film asks how so many people were willing to look the other way. This was the first piece of media that came to mind for this list because it does a brilliant job of showing how many forms rape culture can take, and how easy it is to miss our own part in it.
The Hunting Ground (2015) is a documentary that investigates sexual assault on college campuses and the institutional failures that often follow. Over a decade after its release, it remains painfully relevant. Looking around today, especially in the wake of the allegations at Cornell, it can feel as though we’re still living in the hunting ground the film describes. Through survivor testimony, reporting, and heartbreaking statistics, the documentary exposes how institutions frequently fail those who come forward, turning the aftermath of assault into a nightmare that extends far beyond the assault itself. It’s not only a recommended watch but a necessary one. College sexual assault continues to be an epidemic, and while it’s unfair that survivors and advocates must keep fighting for change, the reality is that the fight is far from over.
X (2019) is a comedy special by Scottish comedian Daniel Sloss. In this 90-minute special, filmed live at a sold out show in Australia, Sloss discusses his observations on modern gender and sexuality, with direct takes on toxic masculinity and rape culture, including reflection on when a male friend of his assaulted a women they both knew. It’s articulate, funny, and current.
“I believe and deep down I know that most men are good, of course, we are. But when one in 10 men are s and the other nine do nothing, they might as well not f***ing be there.”
Paris Paloma’s “Good Boy” is a folk song speaking directly to the men who inadvertently or intentionally uphold systems of patriarchy that push women down. Paloma has written numerous songs about the patriarchy’s effect on women, including “labour,” “last woman on earth,” “as good a reason,” and “Good Girl.” Her writing and music videos have resonated with a wide audience. “Good Boy” addresses how engaging in these attitudes and ways of thinking often harms the men involved as well, distancing them from healthy community and fulfillment. It speaks to men with empathy without absolving them of fault.
The news of what happened at Cornell was not surprising to me or any of the women in my life. By the time that I was 18, I had lost count of how many women and girls had personally told me about their experiences with sexual violence. I have never lost count of how many of their attackers have seen consequences for their actions, because that number is zero. The men who hurt the women around me were not held accountable, least of all by the men around them.
When men chuckle at disrespectful jokes, are all too ready to call a woman a bitch, or objectify women in conversations with other men, they chip away at any potential trust that they would be the man to step forward, stand up to their mates, and stop harm before it happens. Learning about the problem, listening to the women around you, and reflecting on the ways you may have caused harm or mistrust is what gives you the tools needed to call out harm in others. Being able to call others out starts with being able to call out yourself.
