In this episode, Dara has a look at the Cornell 7 rape case that has found itself at the centre of the discourse. A shared female opinion that he has come across online suggests that men need to be directed in how they should respond to this case and to rape and sexual assault in general. The assumption seems to be that men are disinclined to express disapproval of rape unless sufficiently prompted to do so.
This is a perception that arguably comes from the belief that many men are unable to resist the power of Rape Acceptance Myths. Dara argues otherwise while allowing for the concept of male compartmentalisation of sex, taking in along the way the context of male maturation within a pornography-saturated world. Context is also important in the specific milieu of US undergraduate frat house culture.
Before any of that, Dara reflects on the fallacy of the dichotomous self, the contemporary obsession with certitude and moral absolutes, and the benefits of striving for a response rooted in one’s present reality.
Higher Learning podcast on the Cornell 7 Case: https://www.theringer.com/podcasts/higher-learning-van-lathan-rachel-lindsay/2026/10/02/the-cornell-7-case-eric-schmitts-basketball-blunder-and-dr-abdul-el-sayed-joins-the-show
The ClearOut on male sexuality: https://theclearout.com/podcast/billy-budd-russell-brand-and-the-dark-corners-of-male-desire-episode-122/
The ClearOut on frat boy culture at Woodstock ’99: https://theclearout.com/podcast/when-the-vibe-is-gone-or-peace-and-love-and-dollar-bills-man-episode-65/