Saturday, October 16, 2010

Rape Isn't Sex!

There is this Latin American TV show I put on for my students to improve their listening comprehension. One of the episodes always results in the following conversation with the students. (Obviously, I'm translating it into English).

Students: OK, this is confusing. At the beginning of the show, this woman complains that she and her husband don't have sex any more. And later she says that when he gets drunk he rapes her.

Me: So what's confusing you?

Students: Why does she say they don't have sex when they do?

Me: Because they don't. He rapes her when he's drunk.

Students: Well, that's sex.

Me: No! It isn't! Rape isn't sex. It's a crime, it's abuse.

Students (looking enlightened): Oh, I guess it's just different in Spanish than in English!

2 comments:

Melissa said...

That is so sad.

Kathy (p/t writer, f/t mom) said...

I am continuously shocked when creeping the kids facebook pages and discussions how much term rape is used in jest. Has lead to many discussions around here, with my own kids and any one who walks in the door.
good post