‘Real Men Treat Women With Respect’ Anti-Rape Video Will Restore Your Faith In Humanity

In her viral anti-rape video, University of Oregon film student Samantha Stendal is sharing a big message with the world: real men don’t rape. Disgusted as she watched major news outlets place blame on the victim of the Steubenville rape trial, Stendal created the short 26 second YouTube video “A Much Needed Response” to share the idea that real men respect rather than rape women.

Since the conviction of the Steubenville football players for the assault of an unconscious 16-year-old girl, the topic of rape has been talked about more than ever. While in my mind the definition of rape and consent is very clearly defined, it’s become discouraging to hear of the thousands of individuals who find fault — not with the men that chose to rape the girl — but with the girl herself.

Stendal’s video “A Needed Response” depicts a typical after party scene of a college girl passed out on a couch. As a man finds the girl asleep, he talks to the camera, “Guess what I’m going to do to her?” And in a move that reaffirms my faith in humanity, he tucks her in, places water next to her bed and states, “Real men treat women with respect.” It is videos like this that remind us that no matter what someone wears or how much they drink, no one EVER deserves to be raped. So thank you Stendal for taking a proactive approach to trying to change our ideas surrounding victim blaming, your small video is making a difference in a huge way.

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