This week had an amazing teachable moment - amazing because it led to some actual teaching.
At Georgia Tech, a frat brother's email on "Luring your Rapebait" went viral. It was about as bad as it sounds, basically advising guys to get the woman drunk.
The author now says it was intended as a satire. And then he did an interesting thing: he issued a public apology in the school paper. Not a bunch of excuses about how everyone should just have a sense of humor about rape. Not a "sorry if you were offended" weaselpology. An actual apology:
Misogynistic behavior is everywhere online and unfortunately, my attempt to ridicule it in an immature and outrageous satire backfired terribly and in a manner I mistakenly underestimated. In fact the “locker room” banter that characterizes this email was wrong in and of itself whether or not contained in a written communication. I am both embarrassed and ashamed at this dialogue and realize now that any sexual statement that is demeaning to women is never a joke.The good, the bad and the ugly - and some bad and ugly that grew into good - below the orange calligraphy exam.