‘Rapeable’ and ‘unrapeable’ women: the portrayal of sexual violence in Internet memes about #MeToo

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article explores how female victims of sexual violence are portrayed in Internet memes about #MeToo on three social media sites: 9gag, Reddit and Imgur. Using discourse analysis, the article discusses how victims of sexual violence are considered either ‘rapeable’ or ‘unrapeable’ depending on their appearance and their sexual agency, and it considers the way in which women are blamed and held responsible for men’s abuse. Exploring how victims are portrayed also points to how sexual violence is discursively constructed within a humorous discursive space which ultimately trivializes sexual violence. As such, this article expands on existing literature on #MeToo to consider sexual violence, backlash and online humour.