Hard Alley Protestors Issue Press Release
by Alphaville Herald on 28/11/09 at 1:59 pm
16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence visits Hard Alley in Second Life
by Pixeleen Mistral, National Affairs desk
Yesterday, about a dozen ham shaped avatars staged a protest in Hard Alley – a notorious role play sex sim – to warn against the objectification of women in the virtual world of Second Life. Could this the beginning of a wave of activism in the virtual realm – or will the Hard Alley property owners simply smile and enjoy the traffic boost?
Here is the text of the press release Scylla Rhiadra sent to the Herald's iMojo3Gs newswire:
WOMEN ARE NOT MEAT: A PROTEST AT HARD ALLEY IN OPPOSITION TO VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN.
As a part of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence, a series of events to promote an end to violence against women being held in Second Life from 25 November to 10 December, a broad coalition of activist groups in SL staged a performance protest at Hard Alley on 27 November.
Hard Alley was chosen because it is one of the most popular sims in SL featuring animations, poses, and products that depict violence against women, including rape, bondage, and violent physical abuse. Such depictions desensitize users to the violence that they represent; they "normalize" the rape and sexual abuse of women by asserting that these things are not merely "fun," but also sexually arousing. By doing so, they impact upon real life attitudes towards a horrendous social blight that annually leaves millions of women across the world traumatized, psychologically and physically scarred or injured, or even dead. Any activity that trivializes or seems to validate real life violence of women is intolerable. This protest was staged to make it clear that our society should not, indeed must not, tolerate it.
As residents of Second Life, we recognize that role play here is "consensual," and that the simulation of rape or other forms of violence against women is NOT the same as real life abuse. At the same time, however, we also understand that images and behaviours here do impact upon first life attitudes and practices, just as the images in any media, electronic or otherwise do. The media, and in particular interactive and "social" media such as Second Life, have an enormous impact, for both good and ill, upon societal values. Our protest here was both in opposition to the misogyny reflected by the form of role playing encouraged at this sim, and a forceful statement of our own commitment to ending the attitudes that sanction or create violence against women.
Because a founding principle of feminism is nonviolent activism, we chose a form of protest that was appropriately peaceful. We were not there to "attack" the sim, nor to grief it or its users. We did not spam visitors here, nor abuse them individually. We are protestors, not griefers.
We chose to represent ourselves as "meat," because this is the most appropriate metaphor to describe the attitude towards women and their bodies endorsed by the activities of places like Hard Alley. We also chose this means of protest to show that, while we take the issue of violence against women very seriously indeed, we also have a sense of humour and playfulness. The joy of shared laughter is one of our most potent weapons against the sort of hatred towards women exemplified by sims like Hard Alley.
More information on the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence can be found online at: http://slactivists.ning.com/
janeforyou Barbara
Nov 30th, 2009
Are we in RL?
Sex have been debatet sins the world “banged” in to the univers.Sex in VR hve been debated sins the first http://www.And ALL of us, you and me have been in to it in some way.
Some like it and some dont.We all got a limit and its personell,,its private.
And as its private i dont tell what my limits are.
Linden Lab got this “adult” rules/TOS and adult verfi tingy, ok we follow the “laws”
In secondlife there are places to go and places to do stuff that you may not like,, but you go there, yes?Cuz if you dont go there you cant know whats there, right?
We humans are curius by nature, its just how we are,and if you dont like what you se you stay away, right?
I respeckt any that dont like adult sex in all forms, and i respeckt all that like adult sex in any form–among adults– as loong as thay all want it and its leagal.
Cuz we do follow the law, dont we?
And plz dont bring on any that got to do with God or Jesus in to it. God.. the invsible ghost in the sky that loves you but want to burn you in hell for ever and torture you for ever…The bible are the biggest sex book in history and the followers are the worst murders and tortures and sex offenders in history,, so keep that out of the “moral” debate…
So show the moral finger up in to the dark place! And let every sigle ADULT women and man deside for them self what thay want or not!
( sorry for my crappy English)
Persephone Bolero
Nov 30th, 2009
@Scylla
Yes, Reason is a libertarian publication. But let me ask you this. Do you really believe that sex-negative feminists like yourself are unbiased and objective? We’re talking a group of people well known for their rabid dogma and unwavering intolerance of dissent. Do you really think that they’d fund research into how pornography is reducing rape and may be contributing to the dramatic reduction in rapes we’ve seen over the past decade? So, it’s a good thing Reason is around to draw attention to research that is doing just that. Otherwise the research on pornography would be more likened to propaganda than objective research.
Secondly, anti-pornography non-profits that fund sex-negative research depend on drumming up alarm about pornography to ensure their donations are maintained. This would be a huge incentive to silence any research that shows that pornography may be beneficial to society.
But furthermore, the research cited in the article *WAS* peer reviewed. Did you miss that? Of course you did. And that just shows that you’re more interested in maintaining your dogmatic crusade and you could care less about rape, what causes it, or how to stop it. You just don’t want people looking at naked women. So, you use rape to advance your agenda. Simple as that.
@whisper
Here is Todd Kendall’s personal homepage: http://www.toddkendall.net/
It includes a *detailed* CV as well as a list of his published works and awarded grants. It’s quite impressive. I was able to find this information with a little tool called “google.” You should try it sometime. It’s pretty neat.
And yes, I am pretty terse in my tone. Sex-negative feminism destroyed the entire movement to the point most women are distancing themselves from feminism all together. Backlash Redux could be right around the corner. For real this time.
BOTH @whishper and @scylla
Take notice how neither of you seem to want to answer my question. In fact, you both conspicuously ignored it. Like all sex-negative feminists, you make the rest of us look like misandrous hatemongers. Anytime those pesky facts get in the way of your crusade, you just pretend they don’t exist.
So here’s my question again:
***If indeed erotic and violent imagery causes violence, why is there a rapid decrease in violence against women at a time there is a rapid *increase* in the proliferation of erotic and violent material via the internet?***
Keithunder Graves
Nov 30th, 2009
As a socialist and a BDSM activist (and a member of SLLU) I dissasociate myself from this stupid and misplaced ‘demonstration’.
Fantasy is not reality.
We all have different sexualities and it is not something we choose. Whether we are gay or straight, vanilla or kinky.
The reality is that some right wing Christians and a small but vocal minority of authoritarian feminists son’t think that women and men should have the right to express our sexuality in an informed and consensual way.
We all have the right to choose .. as long as they agree to allow it.
I have debated with these people before and they are experts at poring out often contradictory and often discredited links to further their cause. The hope is that you don’t bother to follow them up and it gives a fake scientific gleam to their mostly spurious arguments.
The biscuit was really taken by linking to the “Evidence of Harm Relating to Use of Extreme Pornography Material: A Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA).” [Great Britain], Ministry of Justice. 2007.
This was an extremely biased bit of pseudo research produced by the appalling British Government (We lie about Iraq etc.)
It was convincingly trashed by Lady Miller in the House of Lords. So much so that the government stopped mentioning it!
The reality is that these people are bigoted against the BDSM community in the same way the homophobes are bigoted against Gays.
Pie Psaltery
Nov 30th, 2009
All I know is now I reallllly want a ham and cheese sandwich.
Darien Caldwell
Nov 30th, 2009
It’s always amusing to see so many get ‘taken’ by a joke. The ham avatar is a old mainstay of the griefer groups in SL. I suspect these protesters were nothing more than griefers pretending to be protesters. Well played.
Jarethe
Nov 30th, 2009
My opinion: These were girls that went to those sims wanting to be raped, and weren’t, and now staging protests because they didn’t get their little boxes filled with virtual “ham”
This is censorship, no matter what you wish to hide behind as a “rights activist” it’s still censorship
Your protesting in a PRIVATE owned sim, that has already been operating under Lindens acceptable use policies, is griefing. it’s also something that I consider to be more offensive then what you were protesting. You should have your accounts banned for abusing it to harass others with your personal views.
You are jumping on a band-wagon, that is actually counterproductive to what you claim to be protesting for. Extended exposure to rape and abuse and similar subject matters has helped to decrease real world occurrences. Does it desensitize people? No more then movies, or books, or your protest that brings it to the eyes of more people then it would have normally. It does however, show the results afterwards, which does make people more aware, more concerned. MORE then your protesting will ever accomplish.
Your protesting has likely increased people wanting to experience it out of curiousity or, more likely, because of your protest, people protesting you will start participating in these events more to prove a point.
So, once again your protest will do the opposite of what you intended, it will increase the traffic in rape sims, it will be read by teenagers now, who will also want to see what the “big deal” is. You have helped to increase the thing yo wished to decrease.
This is why I despise protesters, they are too self-centered to realize they do more harm, then good. But hey, in their mind they are heroes, who cares what their actions actually cause.
slut (xx Reyes)
Nov 30th, 2009
This protest is a joke. no-one enters these sims without plenty of warning about what takes place there. we enter because we want to act out scenes of force play. the “cartoon character” that represents me in sl is my “real self” in many way far beuond the person that i pretend to be at work. In the “real world” i have to pretend to be someone i am not because you and your kind stick your holier than thou noses into our bedrooms and tell us that we HAVE to live our lives the way YOU want us to live them..
You protest “force play” but YOU are the ones committing rape by attempting to deny other consenting adults the right to play out fantasy roleplay scenes in a safe virtual environment. Get the F out of my life you sanctimonious shrews.
Robert
Nov 30th, 2009
Yes Persephone…I agree with you that feminism is an attempt to limit freedom of expression and create a conservative society through the use of manipulated statistics and shrill protests, but the simple reality is that there has been a massive profusion of pornography at the same time as a significant drop in the number of rapes has taken place…this one critical fact renders the basis for Scylly’s argument completely moot.
batter up
Dec 1st, 2009
Just go to a furry (read: gay) Baseball game in SL and get all the pitchers to come over and ass rape all the Gor guys and give them a taste of what taking a forced hot one is like.
Trixianna Saenz
Dec 1st, 2009
I have been visiting the Alley for around six months. I work there and practically live there. People who know me in both worlds would think I am insane being I am a rape and sexual abuse survivor in real life. Do I participate in forced fantasies? Yes. Do I enjoy it? Yes. Do I feel like I am being objectified? No. And with all this talk about women’s rights and respect, what about the male rape survivors? Are we to continue boosting the male ego making it seem as if only women get violated? We are only glorifying the real life horror of a violation as to placing it as only women are falling under this horrid act. Being a participant in forced fantasies, I can say none have simulated an actual violation. And I know what a real violation is.
A forced fantasy is well known and actually accepted by many sexual therapists as a way to vent your inner most desires. It is a form of submission since during the act the “victim” acknowledges and enjoys the act of pleasing their captor. The situation is just an aggressive and “spontaneous” one.
I am a sexual assault survivor. I was present at the protest and I am completely against their views on roleplay and the real life facts. No one in Second Life is forced to anything unless they click the little accept button. Even using Restrained Life Viewer, you have to give devices and tools permission for them to do anything to you. What we do on our personal time and in our avatars is our problem and we as adults are responsible for our actions. And if you still feel violated, there’s a little X on the top right corner of your Second Life viewer window. Use it.
Bear Jharls
Dec 1st, 2009
@Robert. Syclla’s point is not moot. Her point, and that of the other protesters, is that the portrayal of rape, and the depiction of abused women as a means of entertainment and profit in SecondLife is not helpful to the advancement of the human condition.
In the first version of the Kendall paper presented to a Law and Economics Seminar at Stanford University in September 2006, Mr Kendall had this to say:
“In a meta-analysis of such studies, Allen, et al (1995) find a generally small positive effect of exposure to violent pornography on acceptance of rape stereotypes and aggressive behavior. Marshall, et al (1991) find that exposure to videos of simulated rapes led to greater sexual arousal in men when exposed a second time to such materials. Zillmann and Bryant (1984) find exposure to pornography reduces subjects’ desire for society to punish actual rape offenders.”
Mr Kendall then proceeded to argue against these findings without providing any evidence to support his argument. In the second version of his paper dated July 2007, Mr Kendall excised his argument against these findings, along with 14 other pages of unsupported commentary.
@Persophone. What rapid decrease? The Kendall paper (either version) makes no such claim. Mr Kendall reports that there is a decline in the number of reported rapes by 15-19 year olds at a rate significantly faster than those of all other men when correlated against the rate of uptake of internet access. And in some of the groups of other men the correlated rate did not go down. It went up.
The demographic of the groups where the correlated rate went up mirrors the main demographic of SecondLife residents as published by the Lab. Thats whats interesting about the Kendall paper IMO.
The U.S. Department of Justice reports for the same period as the Kendall paper 1998 to 2003:
1998: 29,300 males in jail for rape. 300 females.
2003: 60,800 males in jail for rape. 500 females.
This is not a decrease.
Persephone Bolero
Dec 1st, 2009
@Bear
Pay attention to the conversation. I hate having to retype statistics that were given here three times.
“Since 1993, violent crime in America has dropped by 58 percent. But the progress in this one realm has been especially dramatic. Rape is down 72 percent and other sexual assaults have fallen by 68 percent. Even in the last two years, when the FBI reported upticks in violent crime, the number of rapes continued to fall.Nor can the decline be dismissed as the result of underreporting. Many sexual assaults do go unreported, but there is no reason to think there is less reporting today than in the past. In fact, given everything that has been done to educate people about the problem and to prosecute offenders, victims are probably more willing to come forward than they used to be. No one would say the current level of violence against women is acceptable. But the enormous progress in recent years is one of the most gratifying successes imaginable.”
Whole thing here: http://reason.com/archives/2007/11/05/is-pornography-a-catalyst-of-s
Jarethe
Dec 1st, 2009
1998: 29,300 males in jail for rape. 300 females.
2003: 60,800 males in jail for rape. 500 females.
Saying it like , is the most idiotic way of measuring increase or decrease.
That is like saying, “there were 20,000 people buried in this grave yard in 2001, and now in 2009, there is 35,000 people buried in it, that means the number of people dying has increased.”
All your 1998 verse 2003 stats above indicate, is that there are more people in jail in 5 years later then were in jail five years previous. that doesn’t mean increase or decrease.
in 1998 there could have been 10000 rapes, decreasing by 1000 a year to were only 5000 rapes in 2003, and you know what, if every rape was placed in jail, it would show those a similar increase in prisoners, and STILL miss that the number of rapes a year went down.
Bear Jharls
Dec 2nd, 2009
@jarethe. Point taken.
Convictions for rape:
2004: 12,310
2002: 10,980
2000: 10,600
1998: 11,622
Source: U.S. Department of Justice. (The figures are released every 2nd year on a delayed basis. Those for 2006 have not been released yet)
DF
Dec 3rd, 2009
@Isobellyjellybean: “I am sure that visitors to this sim keep an eye on the RL door because their partners/wives would bludgeon them if they were discovered coming to Hard Alley. I suspect that the visitors here have pretty dysfunctional sex lives, though.”
It’s quite telling about you that you assume these things. Me pointing out to you how wrong you are would be futile, as you probably realize yourself that there is as much truth to your statements as, for example, statements by others that everyone on SL is a middleaged man living in their parents bedrooms.
You’re not winning any of us ‘dysfunctional’ people over to your side with things like this, you should realize. It’s quite harmful to the cause.
@UndoneChaos Enoch: “My guess is that no one who has posted their argument against the protest would find it acceptable to have a region open to the KKK?”
I do believe that the KKK has the right to have their own sim, as does any and everyone has the right to. That’s the beauty of SL, it’s freedom. (despite LL taking more and more of it away from us but that’s a whole different matter)
I might not agree with the KKK’s ideas, but I acknowledge their rights. As I acknowledge the rights for people to have a sim to play out their rape fantasies.
Live and let live, even tho you’re not in agreement with them, if it does no harm, no foul.
D.
Dec 3rd, 2009
@janeforyou Barbara:
The only person I have seen in this article and comments bringing anything religious into this discussion were someone who commented on everyone having the right to decide for themselves if they RP rape or not, thus agreeing with you fullheartedly, and your little bibletrashing at the end of your comment.
Its one thing to be an atheist, its a completely other thing to be such a hatemongering bibletrasher as you claim Christians to be.
If you want to leave religion out of the discussion, leave it out of the discussion please.
I dont like biblehumpers but I dont like bibletrashers. Please be an atheist, not an atheist extremist.
janeforyou Barbara
Dec 3rd, 2009
@D
Am no biblehater,,i hate the religion and the abuser of the bible, them that use the bible to get rich or to moralise and point there fingers ppl to say thay are better then you.
I read the bible sevral times not cuz i am regligius but cuz i find it as a historybook over the errors human have done.I belive in the free man and women.
As i say i respeck anyones opinion on this matters.I dont agree on all but thats why i am a free person.A free mind and a free soul, am no slave and i never get on my knees for anyone.
Scylla Rhiadra
Dec 3rd, 2009
DF, this is a thoughtful response, and you do a nice job, intentionally or not, of identifying the nub of the issue:
>>”Live and let live, even tho you’re not in agreement with them, if it does no harm, no foul.”
It is precisely our contention that it DOES do harm, that it impacts upon real life attitudes towards women and rape. And, again, there is a large amount of research to show that this is so, some of which has been cited here.
This isn’t about disfunctional sex lives, or what we find “offensive,” or even about individuals at all. We aren’t protesting because we are afraid that Avatar “X” is on his way to becoming a RL rapist: we have no way to predict this.
We are protesting against a harmful behaviour, not against individuals who engage in that behaviour.
Korwyn Obscure
Dec 4th, 2009
@Persephone: well played. But there is more that can be added to your argument here. Why is it that in countries such as Japan, Malaysia and others that have less controls on sexually titilating material, including depictions of violent rape in comics, books, and on TV they have LOWER numbers of actual violent sexual crime then in countries that control it?
The simple answer, by being able to read about it, or see it or in the case of Second Life, pretend it out, they get the release that would otherwise be denied them.
They have proven that rape fantasies are very normal in normal poeople. Hell the stereotype of a romance novel is the big Fabio looking pirate kidnaps the woman and then ravishes her.. .and usually falls in love with him and leaves her boring suitor back home to become the pirate wench in service to her Fabio looking pirate captain. It was still rape at first… till she fell for him in the novels.
And with Second Life limits being defaulted to 40 per sim, if more then 10 of you showed up you went from protest to griefers by trying to lock the sim down so that those who WANT to go there, get their release via CONSENSUAL roleplay could not… you’re griefers and every single canned ham and sign holder needs to be AR’d for it. End of Story.
None of the ‘scientific evidence’ they’re posting proves anything or answers anything, such as Persephone’s question about why violent sexual crime world wide is going down while the ammount of pornogrphay goes up. Especially Fetish pornography such as BDSM, Edge play and Forced Fantasy Play.
And another thing… semantics. If you’re protesting something then you ARE asking for it to be censored. If not by the administration then the players of Second Life. Call a spade a spade and don’t try to hide it.
Bear Jharls
Dec 5th, 2009
@Korwyn Obscure. You can check your assertion for Malaysia against that country’s judicial database if you care to.
The relevant details for Japan as provided by the Japan Ministry of Justice are linked below. (Japan also releases it figures on a delayed basis)
http://hakusyo1.moj.go.jp/en/53/image/image/h003001004001h.jpg
http://hakusyo1.moj.go.jp/en/55/image/image/h006004001002e.jpg
Japan is fully aware of what happened in their society in the mid 1980s that coincided with the halt in the decline of rape. They are also fully aware of what happened in the late 1990s that coincided with the acceleration of rape offenses in their society. Like other countries with the same problem, Japan is today addressing how to best deal with this.
Keithunder Graves
Dec 7th, 2009
orona Anatine
So the Iranian Government and now the BBC have banned Tom and Jerry. I hope you were making a joke when you said it was because of copyCAT violence he he. There is a difference between cause and effect. I don’t believe any such link has been proved.
So we should get Iran to decide what we should be allowed to watch? It does appear that you ARE arguing for the banning of all violence from our screens! I would hate to live in that kind of society. The tv shedules full of programs like “Parking crime life on the streets”, “Full Metal Waistcoat”
, “Agatha Cristie – minor crimes!” and “Dogs of a bit of trouble”
Scylla Rhiadra
) The difference between the gratuitous violence in King Lear and any other violence is purely a matter of perception. Otherwise we all be the same and we don’t all see the same thing in the same way. I always used to hope the Indians would win whenever I watched cowboys and indians when I was a child. I am sure that was not the intention. Most people can tell the difference between reality and fiction my reactions to watching the news and a tv show are quite different.
There is very little evidence to show a cause and effect between fictional violence and actual violence. To look for that you need to look at social pressures, prejudice, religion and politicians. Society was a lot more violent before tv.
2) If your aim is not censorship that certainly wan’t made plain. It seems that Corona who supports your position does not agree with you. The protest was very much like homophobes protesting at a Gay men’s club.
3) You only like the sex you approve of. Many people self define as BDSM, clearly something you disapprove of in a similar way that homophobes disapprove of gays
4) The attitudes of Christian far right on this issue is identical to yours. It surprised me but this coalition does exist in the UK in the anti-BDSM UK ‘extreme porn law’ and is quite clear from submissions to the Scottish Parliament on this issue. You are with them as one when the issue is a woman’s right to choose when it comes to BDSM, pornography and prostitution. I accept that you are unlikely to agree on abortion.
karen
Dec 9th, 2009
Wonderful article that illuminates the problem of those people glamorizing the acts of violence towards women and children.
These people should be identified and placed in a database so that they are never in a field of employment that involves children, the elderly, sick, or any other people that these animals could take advantage of.
Then there are other places that a simple google search produces such as the crack den with images
suggesting sex or violence towards nude women and children.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/34305715@N05/3193581161/in/photostream
Keep up the good work people, lets make Second Life a fun and friendly place for everyone.
Nazi Hater
Dec 9th, 2009
@Karen
Hey! When do you plan on holding your next book burning you fucking fascist cunt? I’ve sat idle while you idiots ramble on and on, mindlessly screaming your propagandised rhetoric and false statistics, but you my dear have pushed the wrong damned button. I can’t believe that anyone would go so far as to even suggest that a database be formed for the purpose of persecuting those who involve themselves in pure fiction! Get it through your damned undereducated, ignorant, brain deprived skull and realise what most us who play in these worlds have known from day fucking one. ITS FICTION! Its a false fucking world you see on your computer screen. What goes on there is not real and quite honestly if you can’t tell the difference then do yourself and the rest of us a favour. Uninstall your client and just fucking leave!
If two consenting adults want to play with pixelated dollies the that’s their own business. If you don’t like how they play? Simple solution! Go to the other side of the play ground and play with someone else. But for shit’s sake, don’t do around screaming that you want to round up all the “undesirables” and send them to the fucking gas chamber!
Raji
Dec 10th, 2009
@Karen
Sick and wrong. Should be classified as child-porn since it is the portrayal of children involved in sexual encounters — it shouldn’t matter that the actors are adults. It’s a problem if we consider children sexually attractive. I have the same issue with “furry sex” “Rape RP”.
I mean, I love sex, and I have no problem with people getting kinky, but there ARE lines, and making the excuse that they participants are adults doesn’t–to me–change the fact that they are promoting sex with children and animals (even if it IS cartoon animals).
And, again, with the wide-open world of opportunities to create in SecondLife, why does everything come down to sex. So many people have created amazing things in SL, but still the world is littered with porn.
CB
Dec 11th, 2009
Unfortunately, sexual perversions tend to escalate over time – someone into fetishism or a “peeper” may escalate into burglary to steal womens’ undies and then to actual rape. With people attracted to child sex, the willingness to engage in pseudo-child sex (using a child avatar with a consenting adult as typist for the kiddie/victim av) is only a ‘front door’ that leads to the adult looking for a REAL kid to “play” with. The link in the German story about the “age play” couple and the contact offering the reporter REAL kiddie porn is no big surprise; anyone who’s done any reading of about serial rapists or other serial criminals and “pattern” criminals like rapists and pedophiles knows this is the standard pattern. It’s only the online community who seems to think there’s a VR/RL disconnect. There isn’t, and acting like it’s something strange is unrealistic and irrational.
Luvs2quilt
Dec 11th, 2009
Oh look at this double edge sword. “Experts” say that violent games cause violent behaviors. If they’re going to apply this theory to all games, then it can be believed that all simulated in game actions will lead to real life actions. But then they’re those that say games are just pretend and that no harm is being done regardless of the content. So this kind of online role-play is okay (although creepy) by that theory.
Well, which is it now? Most of today’s society has grown to accept violent media. It’s everywhere. But now here’s an instance where the violence is being swapped out for something much more controversial. Even though it’s all adults taking part it brings up more questions. Is this a good thing as it will contain these sickos to a game/simulated experience with out victims? Or will it lead to a stronger yarning to have the real thing for the “player”.
I have 2 year old daughter so this thing just makes me sick and I believe it should be shut down. It’s just wrong.
DF
Dec 12th, 2009
@ SCylla I understand that you and the other protesters see a danger in behavioral change due to playing rape in SL. Crystal clear.
The number of people who get influenced into carrying over such play into RL, from (frequent) visits to this sim and others like it are very unlikely to be higher then one percent. There’s plenty of numbers of convicted rapists who have seen violent porn, but how many people arent rapists despite seeing the same porn?
Everyone will agree with you and me, that rape, RL rape, is a horrible, horrible thing. And yes, porn has an influence. But is it enough to create such a fuss over that all those people enjying this roleplay and are not rapists, a little bit of (for them) harmless fun?
In the same argument, it has been shown in countless studies that some people who committed violent crimes of another nature, (murder, manslaughter, etc) were influenced by seeing violence in just about any media we have available today. But the number of people who have witnssed the same amount of violence, have been completely uninfluenced by it and go about their normal merry lives never hurting a fly. Is there a reason to call for a banning or at least boycott of all violence in all media justified?
In other words, do you want to take away my GTA games and my slasher horror movies because of the Columbine school massacre?
I see the harm that rape roleplay and other ‘damaging’ types of roleplay do as trivial in the discussion of being against these kinds of roleplay. AS I said, no harm no foul.
The ‘not wanting to ban anything, only protesting the behavior’ is a moot point, if you’re protesting against the act of rape roleplay, you’re protesting against the roleplayers and ultimately against the roleplay sim.
Especially the sim and its visitors if the protest takes place in the sim. If the protests have taken place in places where the general public is and not only those who come to visit this sim specifically for rape RP, it would be different.
RL rape is a horrible, horrible thing, and should indeed be protested against, and people educated about. Rape Roleplay in Second Life, is just innocent fun.
@janeforyou Barbara: “As i say i respeck anyones opinion on this matters” You did not show any such respect in your previous post. Your opinion about religious matters aside, they are your own, but that kind of insulting post was uncalled for.
@Luvs2quilt: the best thing you can do is teach your child the difference beteen fantasy and reality. That way she can look at these things with a clear, open mind.
Disgusted
Dec 13th, 2009
I’m only suprised it wasn’t added sooner. In fact, I’d say it was, but this isnt the first time someone’s making money with it. This isn’t added in by the devteam, second life’s biggest appeal is that it’s content is entirely user created and goverened. Unfortunately, this turns out to be more of a weakness, as the majority of the people playing it are incompetent, moronic, sexual deviants. Shit there’s even “adoption agencies” where people can rent kids. I’ll leave it up to you to imagine why
Karen
Dec 14th, 2009
@Luvs2quilt
That is right, teach your two year old to be accepting of rapists and on line predators so that they become a victim also as DH suggests. Teach your child to become open minded about perverts? A pedophiles dream come true.
Would you feel comfortable leaving your child in a daycare or school with someone who has rape fantasies? The only place that this type of garbage belongs is in the trash.
Mako Mabellon
Dec 15th, 2009
“The R[apid] E[vidence] A[ssessment] supports the existence of some harmful effects from extreme pornography on some who access it. These included increa sed risk of developing pro-rape attitudes, beliefs and behaviours, and committing sexual offences.”
Except the study in question completely and utterly fails to find any evidence to support its claims. Famously so, in fact. The whole thing was politically motivated – the UK government wanted to be seen to be doing something after the murder of Jane Longhurst, so they hired some feminist anti-porn researchers from a local university who they knew would come up with the results they wanted.
Scylla Rhiadra: yes, feminists care about men, they just don’t listen to or respect them. Saying “feminists care about men” is close to an empty statement; after all, most anti-feminists care about women…
Paula
Dec 17th, 2009
Wow, that’s a little strange….. I think they need some help. I mean I think about being raped, but not as a good thing, ya know? Like I walk home from friends houses all the time at night and I always think about the possibility of that happening, but I pray to God it doesn’t. And thank God, it never does. But I seriously think that people that fantasize about being raped need help and a lot of it!
Niki
Dec 17th, 2009
What do I think? This role-play promotes our already existing rape culture. role-play such as this one do not turn men into rapists but such role-play certainly enforce many rape myths and common justifications/excuses and of course that mandatory ’she was to blame for causing a man to rape her.’
I know claims are commonly made ‘we here in the west are far more civilised than non-western cultures. So why then did a Scottish temporary judge imprison a female rape survivor for one night because she dared to become distraught when subjected to a battery of questions from a defence barrister. The woman rape survivor was giving evidence in a rape case, but her distress was dismissed by the male judge because she supposedly acted in a disrespectful manner to the court and its male legal officials. Yet here in the UK we commonly hear claims from the government female rape survivors are being treated with more respect and dignity when they give evidence in court. So role-play such as this normalise rape because it becomes ‘non-rape’ because such actions are part of the widely promoted belief men have an inalienable sex right to any woman or girl.
Scylla Rhiadra
Dec 18th, 2009
Nice post, Niki.
This is really what it is about. It’s not that the protesters believe that those who engage in rape RP are on their way to becoming real rapists. And it’s certainly not about suggesting that rape RP is in any way “like” real rape. Rather, the issue is the way in which this kind of activity, particularly in a public venue like Hard Alley, contributes to the cumulative weight of misleading conceptualizations about the nature of rape and of female sexuality. “Rape myths” — that women really “want it,” or that they were “asking for it” — are all too prevalent in an enormously broad range of popular media, and that certainly includes SL.
In the long term, the most effective way of reducing the incidence of RL rape is to challenge those myths, wherever they are perpetuated. Hard Alley is unquestionably one such place.
Karen
Dec 18th, 2009
I can think of another reason this garbage does not belong in SL. Australia is turning on the internet filters in a couple of months and possibly blocking all users from SL in that country, that is a lot of people who SL will lose money from. Which country is next? SL needs to decide whether they want to keep the sick perverts or clean up the trash before more people cannot access SL
DF
Dec 18th, 2009
Karen, I would feel a thousand times more comfortable to leave my kids in the care of someone who might have a fantasy or two, then with someone as hateful as you.
Also, try and read this the way I wrote it, not the way your mind works: I am advising luvs2quilt to teach her daughter to have an open mind, and USE IT, so that she wont turn out to be like you.
How in the world your mind works, jumping from open mindedness to being pedophile victim I have no idea and I cant begin to fanthom what makes you think that way.
I hope luvs2quilt wont raise her kid to become another you, there’s too many in the world already.
And regarding garbage, its YOU that belongs there. You must love the Aussie government, they seem to share your ideas if they want to block off any part of the internet…
You dont have to protect people for the bad things on the net, we’re all old and wise enough to protect ourselves. (and if not, they dont belong on SL in the first place) (hey that means you Karen)
Carla
Dec 21st, 2009
You have to be a very disturbed or misguided individual to want to even role-play rape. What an insult to women who have been actually raped, their lives altered by the brutal act of it.
Kathy
Dec 22nd, 2009
It’s really frightening to me for women to say they have rape fantasies because I have this fear that men will read that and think women really like to be raped. It seems like a lot of men think that anyway, and women saying they have fantasies about being raped could only make it worse. But, I am not in favor of censorship or anything like that. I think its good to talk about what we like sexually, but I think that women who have rape fantasies would not really want to be raped. Not most of them anyway, but then, I am wondering if they want to be raped by a stranger or not because they say they have rape fantasies. So, if I’m confused, wouldn’t men be too? And, where does the line get drawn? I mean if this man has a fantasy about raping his wife, what about a fantasy about goats or children?
On the doop
Dec 23rd, 2009
Waste of time protesting…Hard Alley is all about the rough sex RP… well if you take things from another perspective then its your problem… i hope you got dinner served there.enjou your meal
karen
Dec 24th, 2009
Protesting does a world of good. It brings attention to problems so that they get solved. I doubt that any of the sick people would suddenly change their evil ways over a protest. It is the other people and Agencies that see this disease and bring about cures. Look at all the positive events that have been happening over the past year. We have a crude age verification system, Linden labs took the big squeegee mop and pushed the scum off of the main grid into its own septic tank away from the rest of us, and even the Australian government has had enough and may filter this. When it becomes to expensive and to much trouble to deal with adult content, then finally Linden labs will decide to get rid of the blight and ban all adult content.
Nrock
Dec 25th, 2009
Second Life isn’t really a game, it’s interactive pornography.
Citizens Against Thought Crimes Legislation
Dec 25th, 2009
@Karen
You just watch out, after all the door swings both ways don’t you know? Don’t be surprised when our group organises and the protests against the downright fascist and nazi-esque tactics of both you and Linden Labs begin. We, those who use Second Life for fictional, story telling purposes, are all downright sick and tired of you social network, MySpace Facebook type of players coming in and forcing your right wing christian ideals down our throats!
You don’t want adult content? Freedom of thought and expression? That’s fine with us, there are other places we can go to play where people like you most certainly are not welcomed. But before we go you can rest assured that we’re fighting hard to undermine your ideals as well. After all, sex and violence aren’t the only things that are “broadly offensive” – to borrow a Linden term. Many of us are outright offended by the sudden presence of all these religious groups on Second Life. As well all these political and activist groups.
Obviously you want to turn this little play world into a politically charged battleground. Well, bring it on! We’ve already began petitioning the Lindens for a re-ban of religious and political groups (oh yes, at one point it was forbidden and considered a form of recruitment). Its only a matter of time before they do something about it!
sulee
Dec 25th, 2009
I’ve been to Second Life, and upon seeing all the sex animations, virtual penises and pedophilic furries I’m grossed out with this game..
Anonymous
Dec 25th, 2009
sulee – I’m guessing you’ve never been to a little ole place called the Internet? Oh, wait. Maybe you have, but since you’ve never SEARCHED it for such things you’ve likely NEVER COME ACROSS THEM! Hint, hint – if it ain’t your cup of tea, don’t drink it.
Get a brain idiot.
Mofo
Dec 25th, 2009
I dont think that is a good role playing activity, Rape is a crime and I dont know about everyone else but the thought of raping a girl doesnt turn me on.
Coral
Dec 26th, 2009
Yea I was with you on this until I found out my husband abused second life and had internet sex, deceived me and betrayed me for the whole relationship, and the next few years to get over having my life turned upside down and dumped so my husband could jack on second life for strangers. So… as much as you are thinking everyone is all prudes, your view is just as “extreme” and one sided as the other. So… try to get a balance in your views.
Roger
Dec 26th, 2009
@Karen
I am shocked to see Linden Labs lack of censorship regarding illegal pornographic content which is seemingly freely broadcast and received by Second Life Users. There is a loophole child pornographers seem to be exploiting on Second Life. I have inadvertently discovered this and reported it to Linden Lab. The code word for underage pornography is “Age-Play” “Loli” in all venues I have witnessed.
Karen
Dec 26th, 2009
I know and this is just the tip of the iceberg on the disgusting material that you can find in SL.
Abuse reporting and bringing this type of material into the light so that others can see it is the first step in cleaning up the filth.
Using Viewers like Emerald will give you a multitude of tools to help fight this plague. One favorite of mine is the ability to tp right into a situation that looks questionable and sample the text that is in local chat.
I have heard those terms and I am sure that there are many more. Another way around it is these people will look like children and then place in their profile that they are over 18 and trying to make their size more realistic. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck….
Andrew
Dec 27th, 2009
Ok…..any rape-play is f*ckin sick and wrong,
so I think there should’nt be a form of it anywhere.
Real/Fake, who cares, it sickens me to know that people beat off to that sh*t.
Conclusion – Ban all hard-core RP
MG
Dec 27th, 2009
How pathetic it must be to have to resort to your computer for sex. All rape is morally/ethically unacceptable under any circumstances
Simslider
Dec 28th, 2009
I find it amazing that supposedly civilized people can be so passionate about protecting their right to virtual kink .Grow up, get a date, stop perving.