Yesterday, a few enterprising students across the United States conspired to hack for the good of student kind. They redirected Playboy's annual best party-school guide with a Pro-Consent Guide. It was spectacularly successful and well received.
FORCE: Upsetting Rape Culture is behind the effort. Partywithplayboy.com may not be grandma approved, but I like the message better than slut shaming any day of the week.
A good college party is all about everyone having a good time. Consent is all about everyone having a good time. Rape is only a good time if you’re a rapist. And fuck those people.
Ok, now, who isn't in for a good time for all?
Ask first.
A simple, no nonsense, proactive stance.
Redirecting people to fake pages with a bit of intellectual property infringement is well, um improper. I suppose these students could get into trouble, but I hope not. Some of those spoofed are going along with it.
Brobible took it well. They did admit it was a spoof that they agreed with.
Huffington Post is also handling it well.
Upworthy hasn't noticed yet. Here's the fake pick up.
Playboy apparently is the buzzkill. According to FORCE, Playboy wants the stuff associated with their magazine taken down. Playboy hasn't responded to Huffpo for a statement but FORCE: Upsetting Rape Culture did:
What is Playboy saying? While they have told reporters that the site was not theirs they also told partywithplayboy.com’s server to take it down. Trying to take down a website that is getting thousands upon thousands of people excited about consensual sex? Sounds like a party foul to us! We here at consent conspiring headquarters have one thing to say to Playboy: why not join the consent party, already??!?!! Of course you’re invited! Consent is for everyone!
Of course, it would be difficult to put
words in Hef's mouth, but it is an admirable effort.
Meghana Kulkarni, who is the coordinator of a men's activism group that does a "No Shave November" campaign to raise awareness about consent told Huffpo that she "thinks people responded so well to the Playboy prank because FORCE used humor and put sex in a positive light. They didn't use "social justicey lingo," Kulkarni said, and avoided the negative "rape is bad" message because people tend to tune that out."
Another note worthy quote:
“Our culture needs influential leaders, like Playboy and other enterprises, to step up and change the conversation. The excitement generated by this just shows how ready we are as a society for a cultural shift.” - Katya Palsi member of PACT5 and from Rowan University.
Although we may lament the idea that young adults consider Playboy an influential leader, the fact is, these women knew who they wanted to get this message. Young men like to think about sex and Playboy is a major player for those interests.
Well done.