“Real Men” Targeted By UK Anti-Rape Campaign
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Carrie NelsonTags:
advertisements male rape Masculinity men rape rugby SurvivorsUK UK
Image via www.queerty.com
SurvivorsUK, an organization devoted to raising awareness about male rape and sexual violence, has released a new ad. It features a rugby ball with a nail jutting out, with the copy “Real Men Get Raped and Talking About It Takes Real Strength.” Certainly, the ad is bold, and it brings to light a critical issue. The British Crime Survey estimates that 11% of British men are sexual abuse survivors. That’s a huge number, and awareness and prevention measures must be taken. But is this ad the right way to go?
The ad targets a very specific demographic, and it may prove to be quite effective in reaching this demographic. According to Joe. My. God., the campaign’s press release states that the campaign “launches during the England home games at the 2012 6 Nations Rugby tournament across London Underground, Waterloo Station and selected OOH Sites on a very limited budget.” SurvivorsUK wants to reach conventionally masculine, presumably heterosexual, rugby-loving men with this campaign. By featuring a violated rugby ball front and center on the poster and timing the launch to coincide with the rugby tournament, heads will almost definitely turn.
However, the problematic messaging of the ad cannot be ignored. By declaring that “Real Men Get Raped,” the ad implies that there are “Real Men” and “Fake Men.” The campaign clearly wants to appeal to a certain demographic of men, but to say that those men are “Real Men” sends a harmful message to men who fall outside of that demographic. It’s possible that men who conform to traditional standards of masculinity who are survivors of sexual assault may not be willing to seek support, finding it difficult or frightening to talk about their experiences. Those men need to be reached, and if this campaign is effective in doing so, that’s a good thing. But I can’t help but think that by using exclusionary language like “Real Men,” the campaign will be shutting out a huge amount of men who would benefit from SurvivorsUK’s services but don’t fit the limited definition of masculinity signified by rugby.
Rape does not discriminate. It affects the lives of men, regardless of gender presentation, sexual identity or personal interests and hobbies. Any man could be raped. So why, then, must there be a false dichotomy of “Real Men” and “Not Real Men”? The idea of using rugby as a hook is a smart one. But the campaign should be inclusive of all men, regardless of how their masculinity manifests.
What do you think of this campaign? Do you think it will be an effective strategy?
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7:48 am
When I first saw this, I thought they were trying to do a play on words off of last year’s popular campaign “Real Men Don’t Rape”. But yeah, I don’t think they thought it through well enough–it just comes off really awkward…
8:55 am
Interesting–their other recent advertising campaign uses a similar strategy, using words typically associated with masculinity and then breaking them down to show how men have been victimized (http://www.survivorsuk.org/recent-advertising-campaigns.html).
As long as they change their messages here and there to reach out to different types of men effectively, I don’t see it as a huge problem. The whole point of their organization is to get these men help.
9:29 am
I think there is an interesting correlation between the “real men” language used here and those made by Roland Martin during the Super Bowl. Both the ad and Martin are attempting to define masculinity in narrow terms, which necessarily leaves large swaths of men outside of their reach. There is also something homophobic in each. It is not a direct form of homophobia (i.e. gays are wrong); yet many queer identified men struggled (or currently) struggle with their own sense of masculinity. These men also get raped and playing rugby or football does nothing to alleviate that or make them more male.
8:11 pm
I’m not gay. Big deal. But have you tried Googling “Rugby LEAGUE-homophobia” rather than just “rugby”? Here’s the link-
http://www.therfl.co.uk/~rflmedia/docs/Guidance_for_Rugby_League_clubs_-_Challenging_homophobia.pdf
Sorry we’re a bit, well, Northern (apart from London Broncos and London Skolars). But check out Stonewall- Rugby League is the only UK sport that features in the top 100 employers.
Just have a look at sports administration a little north of Watford, will you?
http://www.therfl.co.uk/news/article/famous-faces-to-help-sheffield
5:36 am
“Real men’ is divisive especially with the punctured rugby ball which implies that only sportsmen are ‘real’. All men are real; it would have been better to show a number of different men and youths, ages, looks, dress, etc and the banner ‘Any man can be raped.’ With information on how to get help. This current ad is almost offensive.
7:53 pm
I’m trying to point out here that there’s no such sport as “rugby”. But you don’t seem to be able to accept it.
Let’s take in a few facts here. Rugby LEAGUE is the first sport in the UK to have a national black captain, coach and manager (Clive Sullivan, Ellery Hanley and Abi Ekoku respectively), as well as the first Asian/Britsh international (Ikram Butt).
Watch this, my little Londoners, won’t you- and tell me it’s boring…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhGEldMGoSM
Soccer, rugby union… Pah!
9:26 pm
Let it go MW it’s not important to anyone else but you; the issue here is the rape of men. Rugby shmugby!
9:47 am
The point of using “real men” is pretty obvious in my opinion. It is challenging the mythology and misconception that only gay men are raped or that men who are raped are small, weak, unable to defend themselves etc.
Using such a cliché as “real men” gives a mental image of a strapping six foot something rugby (union or league) player, capable of looking after themselves and saying if it can happen to them, it can happen to anyone.