From its origins in academic discourse in the 1970s to our collective imagination today the concept of "rape culture" has resonated in a variety of spheres including television gaming comic book culture & college campuses Beyond Blurred Lines traces ways that sexual violence is collectively processed mediated negotiated & contested by exploring public reactions to high-profile incidents & rape narratives in popular culture The concept of rape culture was initially embraced in popular media
- mass media social media & popular culture
- & contributed to a social understanding of sexual violence that mirrored feminist concerns about the persistence of rape myths & victim-blaming However it was later challenged by skeptics who framed the concept as a moral panic Nickie D Phillips documents how the conversation shifted from substantiating claims of a rape culture toward growing scrutiny of the prevalence of sexual assault on college campuses This in turn renewed attention toward false allegations & away from how college enforcement policies fail victims to how they endanger accused young men Ultimately she successfully lends insight into how the debates around rape culture including microaggressions gendered harassment & so-called political correctness inform our collective imaginations & shape our attitudes toward criminal justice & policy responses to sexual violence