The pervasiveness of the rape culture phenomenon is a direct result of the trivialisation of sexual violence towards women in both actions and speech. In other words, if it’s something that you can joke about then there’s nothing really seriously dangerous about it. Perhaps that’s why the management of a posh hotel in Bengaluru had no qualms in putting up what can be honestly termed as a sick rape joke as artwork.
Facebook user Anoushka Kapoor expressed her disgust on social media after she encountered the ‘joke’ in one of Lemon Tree's bathroom stalls. Not only was it implying that women are mere objects that should exist for the sole purpose of the sexual gratification of men but it also seemed to negate the idea of women’s consent regarding physical intimacy.
The fact that marital rape in India is still not deemed illegal is all the more telling of the toxic misogynist mindset of many in society.
