Abstract
In 2009 a US-based television programme,The View, discussed the arrest of film director Roman Polanski. Polanski was wanted for six outstanding charges related to the rape of Samantha Gailey in 1977. During this episode of theThe View, Whoopi Goldberg made a controversial statement that Polanksi was not guilty of ‘rape-rape’. This statement along with the long history of Polanski’s avoidance of incarceration, illustrates the ongoing challenges for feminists to confront the trivialisation of sexual coercion and violence. Goldberg’s comments initiated an enthusiastic response on online forums and reinvigorated debates around definitions of rape. In this paper, I analyse online discussions on a feminist blog using discourse analysis (Parker, 2014) and the importance of considering the interrelated concepts of consent/non-consent, pleasure/distress and power in understanding the complexity and diversity of experiences of sexual violence.
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