Are you tired of people who place the blame on other things, instead of pointing the finger towards the ones at fault? The usual argument is rape and harassment happen because of women’s clothing and how they present themselves—it’s overkill at this point, to be honest. But here’s another excuse that’s just as infuriating: blaming it on the alcohol. No, I’m not talking about Jamie Foxx’s hit song.
Let me paint a picture for you: When a woman opens up about being harassed or assaulted during a situation where alcohol is involved, some people’s first instinct is to ask, “How drunk were you and the other person?” Likewise, when someone is confronted for their actions, they make a lame excuse about being too drunk and not being accountable for their actions.
READ MORE: Men who don’t call out other men’s sexist actions are also to blame
Just recently, artist Trisha O’Bannon made a Twitter thread about being harassed at a music festival. When she reported it to the concert production, they said they’d look into it and also implied it’s a normal occurrence at events like that, especially when alcohol is served.
Basically, if someone did something disrespectful out of sheer drunkenness or don’t remember anything at all, their actions don’t matter. Because, duh, it’s the alcohol’s fault. The perpetrator’s rationale isn’t clear, they shouldn’t be blamed!
No, no, no. Remember: Janella Salvador once tweeted that being drunk shouldn’t be used as an excuse when you hurt someone. There’s also a double standard that comes with this argument because when a woman is drinking, it’s their fault for being around men in the first place. “You shouldn’t place yourself in such a vulnerable position,” so they say. Janella was also blamed for allegedly being hysterical after drinking and that she deserved to be beaten by her ex, Elmo Magalona. Ugh, people.
How about telling men not to make unconsensual advances? Brock Turner was convicted for raping a drunk, unconscious Stanford woman behind a dumpster. It was clear what he did was a crime, yet the victim was blamed for drinking excessively.
READ MORE: A call out to Brock Turner’s “outercourse” bullsh*t
These are just a few examples of people who’ve used alcohol as a scapegoat. Instead of worming out of your misbehaving, you should own up to your sh*t. Also, we can’t believe we’re saying this again, but rape and harassment happen because there are people who can’t keep it in their pants. It’s not the victim’s fault for drinking or being around men who are supposedly trustworthy enough to not harm them.
Art by Marian Hukom
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