Shia LaBeouf says he was raped: double standard brings doubters

In the media, rape has become an increasingly popular topic. In most scenarios, it’s a younger woman who is the victim, but this isn’t the case all the time. Actor Shia LaBeouf has recently alleged his experience as a rape victim in an email correspondence with writer Aimee Cliff, which was later summarized and published in the winter issue of Dazed magazine.

At his “I Am Sorry” art event last February in Los Angeles, LaBeouf  claimed that he was “raped” by a woman in front of many people. He sat in a room with a paper bag over his head that read “I am not famous anymore” and allowed people to come into the room for a one-on-one meeting.

In the summary of the Cliff interview published on Dazed’s website, LaBeouf said, “One woman…whipped my legs for ten minutes and then stripped my clothing and proceeded to rape me.” LaBeouf said there were hundreds of people in line when she “walked out with disheveled hair and smudged lipstick” to her awaiting boyfriend.

British journalist Piers Morgan sent out numerous tweets accusing LaBeouf of “insulting all REAL rape victims everywhere.” Morgan backed his claims in his online column about the incident by saying it’s hard to believe LaBeouf would have sat in silence, not doing anything about what was happening. Morgan’s accusations made it seem as if LaBeouf had not minded the encounter.

Many find it hard to believe that a man could be seen as a rape victim, insisting that they would “enjoy” it. Rape is rape. The most common double standard in contemporary society is how women are viewed versus men when it comes to dress, with women being judged more harshly for clothing choices that could potentially attract sexual predators. However, a new double standard is emerging concerning rape and sexual assault: men are seen as impossible to be victimized.

The fact that this has happened to such a well-known star doesn’t aid in the understanding of the situation. It has allowed people to formulate theories based on their prior knowledge of the celebrity, such as LaBeouf’s recent plagiarism scandal involving graphic novelist Daniel Clowes. If anything, his non-resistance during the rape only displays how strong his feelings are towards his art. Just because rape committed by women towards men isn’t a prominent topic in media today, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. The controversy surrounding his allegations may negatively  impact the amount of male rape victims in the same position willing to come forward.