In the wake of the recent allegations against Russell Brand following the release of the latest Channel 4 Dispatches, I have noticed people online have been sharing their views on why these claims aren't credible. Like with most stories of rape, abuse and assault, the real criminal is never offender, but those who come forward. So, in an effort to make sense of those in defence of Russell Brand, I have compiled a list of tips (according to his followers) on how to be believed if you ever find yourself in a situation of rape or assault.
- 1. Don’t hide your identity - but stay anonymous: To corroborate your story, the world MUST know your identity. How can we know if you’re telling the truth if you’re hiding your name and your appearance? But under no circumstances should you reveal your identity. That’s just begging for fame and notoriety. And money. Even if you have not even mentioned money or suing for damages, the world will assume that you’re going after your rapist for their hard earned cash. It’s simply not fair to go after a man’s livelihood, even if he did rape you.
- 2. Don’t have sex. Ever: If you have ever had sex with anyone ever in the past, how can we be sure you weren’t asking for it? Further, if you’re in a relationship with the person that assaulted you then I’m afraid that they actually did not. If you gave consent once, surely that’s a blanket of consent that you never have to give again, thus it can’t possibly be rape.
- 3. Don’t get assaulted by a rich, famous or powerful man: We all know that rich and powerful men can get who they want, when they want. Why would they have to resort to rape if they can get any woman they desire? If you ever find yourself being assaulted by a rich or famous man, consider yourself lucky, there are women who would do anything for that opportunity. The rules of consent don’t apply to rich, powerful and attractive men, of course.
- 4. Be beautiful - but be ugly: It is a well-known fact that less attractive women can’t possibly be raped or assaulted, and rape absolutely isn’t about control and is all to do with attraction. But on the contrary, do not be beautiful. Being too attractive means you’re asking for attention; how can you expect men to control themselves if you’re showing off your looks?
- 5. Be under the age of consent (preferrably): Rape will only be taken seriously if you’re under the age of consent, because raping a child is something to ACTUALLY care about. But even that’s not strictly true. 16? Meh, you’re the age of consent, so that means it’s completely fine for men of all ages to prey on you. It’s technically legal, don’t you know? Under 16? Well, you’re young, how can we believe the word of a child? Children make things up all the time, it’s probably just your imagination. If you’re really serious, then you won’t mind facing your attacker in court, will you? Not harrowing or traumatic for a child at all.
- 6. Go to the police or don’t speak up at all: You MUST report to the police the MOMENT you are attacked. You have no time to process what’s happened to you, its crucial to relay the worst, most traumatic event of your life to a total stranger, who probably won’t believe you anyway, the second it happens. Oh, and in your most vulnerable state, you must also go to a rape crisis centre immediately to get clinically examined, again, by a complete stranger, or it definitely didn’t happen. And if you fail to do both of those things, you should never bring up your story ever in the future, because you will not be believed. Why didn’t you go to the police in the first place?
- 7. Never be alone with a man: Being alone with a man, whether that be a stranger, a friend, a famous person, a boyfriend, a family member. It doesn’t matter who, but being alone with a man is putting yourself in the position to be raped. It’s not the rapists fault, of course not, why as a woman would you put yourself in that situation? It’s your own fault really.
- 8. Dress modestly: One of the most important tips is to never dress promiscuously. Men simply can’t control themselves around scantily-clad women. A bit of cleavage or leg showing? Sorry, but that’s just asking for it. We all know that women who dress provocatively are the only people who get raped or assaulted. Not children in their school uniforms, not infants in their pyjamas, not women who wear the burqa or the abaya, who are fully covered, it is only women who show too much skin.
Of course, this post is a sad sort of satire, but I wanted to highlight the absolute insanity that is floating around on the internet regarding this story. These instructions on how rape victims should behave are just plain ridiculous, but are very real beliefs that I have seen posted in the past week. Needless to say, I am not suggesting to never go to the police or a rape crisis centre if you are ever in that situation; doing both are incredibly important to getting justice. I am simply pointing out that it is easier to say 'well, I would have done this' in situations that are unimaginably difficult. These rape apologist arguments of doubting the victims story have been cleverly cultivated by a man who preaches to never trust anyone.
Brand has constructed his own cult following through the idea of 'question everything but never question me.' Is it any wonder that around the time of the #MeToo movement Brand began to pander to a right-wing audience, fabricating a new, enlightened persona that 'threatened' the mainstream elites?News flash: Brand is the mainstream elite. He's worth millions and is making more off of the very people he claims to care about. He isn't about to unmask a conspiracy that will bring the nation to its knees. He talks about things that are controversial enough to get people talking, but not anything nobody's ever said before. I have had a conversation with a man at work about the dangers of a cashless society, I promise you, Russell Brand isn't a free-thinking man of the people. He's not even that intelligent. He's just a man that recites Reddit conspiracy theories to gullible, tin-foil hat wearers for money and begs them to blindly believe him and no one else. He isn't a threat to anyone but women.
Investigative journalism is a legitimate form of investigation. It frustrates me that people discredit it as just another genre of intrusive journalism, and that all types of investigation should be left to the police. Without it, we would have never found out about Saville or Weinstein and I'm sure it will expose many more powerful people in years to come. The Times and Channel 4 would not legally be able to name Brand publicly without solid evidence due to the incredibly strict libel laws in the UK. There is a reason why he hasn't immediately taken legal action against them. The women who came forward didn't sell their stories, they're not asking for fame or notoriety - they want their stories known to bring an evil man to justice. The sheer ineptitude of the people defending him is astonishing.
Women deserve better. Victims deserve better. In a case where there is evidence - medical records and text messages from Brand incriminating himself, why are we still believing a rapist over women? Because you used to like watching him on Big Brother? You think he made a good point debunking Covid-19? That is not good enough. To the people who are questioning the authenticity of the claims with the argument 'well why didn't they come out at the time?' You. You are the reason women don't feel safe sharing their experiences. Do better. Believe women.
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