Via BoingBoing, a whacky solution (this one Japanese, but is it any whackier than what we Americans come up with?):
Ms. Tsukioka, a 29-year-old experimental fashion designer, lifted a flap on her skirt to reveal a large sheet of cloth printed in bright red with a soft drink logo partly visible. By holding the sheet open and stepping to the side of the road, she showed how a woman walking alone could elude pursuers — by disguising herself as a vending machine.
The wearer hides behind the sheet, printed with an actual-size photo of a vending machine. Ms. Tsukioka’s clothing is still in development, but she already has several versions, including one that unfolds from a kimono and a deluxe model with four sides for more complete camouflaging.
It’s hard to imagine this particular solution being proposed in the United States, but this is one place where I think the narrative of Japanese oddness can do some good. Dressing up as a vending machine seems silly to American eyes, and hopefully it can demonstrate by analogy the silliness of our own expectations of what women can and should do to avoid rape and assault.
At BoingBoing, Doctorow notes that the design of this vending machine plays into a Japanese cultural myth that crime rates are increasing, when in fact “Japanese crime levels are in decline” — another point of similarity between Japanese and American hysteria about rape and assault.
(Hat tip: draegonhawke)
Okay, okay, rape… not a laughing matter. But this is really hilarious.
It does raise serous questions. For instance, will it introduce new angles in court? Prosecuting attorney: “Clearly she was not asking for it, she was wearing her vending machine underpants!”
exelizabeth
Glad somebody said it before me. I saw that thing on another site before I knew it was supposed to be some sort of “anti-rape” tool, and my first thought was “wow, I wish I was a woman – I want one!”
That thing is awesome/hilarious.
Still, when I saw the headline here, I was expecting some sort of depressing vagina-dentata device like Rapex.
It’s not really serious, and I don’t think rape was specific about it, just a more nebulous “CRIME FEEEEEAAAAR” thing. They also produced a children’s fire hydrant backpack, and a purse that disguises your belongings as a manhole cover.
like most concept items like this, the very existence is probably more intended as social commentary than actually intended to be sold as described.
perhaps I’m just giving an overly optimistic reading, but the creator’s commentary when I saw it in the original article sounded very much like it wasn’t offered as a serious crime defense, but more akin to “What the hell is wrong with people they would think this is serious?” kind of deal.
I second what karpad says about it not specifically being marketed for rape. An often sexist, but occasionally useful site talks about the story here. http://japundit.com/archives/2007/10/21/7244/
Though I don’t think the vending machine story is worth noting, rape, assault, and harassment ARE huge issues in Japan. In a country obsessed with cell phones one of the most popular applications is designed to speak for women who are socially conditioned not to make a scene. From the Daily Mainichi newspaper, “The application flashes increasingly threatening messages in bold print on the phone’s screen to show to the offender: “Excuse me, did you just grope me?” “Groping is a crime,” and finally, “Shall we head to the police?”
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/national/news/20071024p2a00m0na025000c.html
The train line I live on had a serial rapist who targeted women sitting alone next to windows. He would take the aisle seat and begin to touch them. This newspaper account mentions three victims, but since it was published at least a dozen more have come forward. “Some passengers probably heard her crying. There has been a lot of criticism that no one noticed what was happening between the two. “Apparently, some passengers did notice what was going on, but they decided to look the other way when Uezono yelled at them: ‘What the hell are you looking at!’” police said.”
http://www.japantoday.com/jp/shukan/395
I suspect this may be an art project. As such, it’s brilliant. Tackles women’s place in the public sphere, the obsession with crime, etc.