







One accusation often leveled at feminists is "oh, well, you see rape" as if we're a bunch of reactionary funsuckers who just want everyone to stop pole dancing and start reading Plath.The thing is, OK, and call me a hairy-faced PE teacher or whatever, rapeeverywhere.This week, for instance, we have had the shocking, disgusting and frankly incomprehensible Twitstorm surrounding the victim of Ched Evans (a man who will go down in history as the first rapist footballer to get the jail sentence that was bloody well coming to him) and news that Unilad (the lads' banterful guide to getting into a girl's pants whether she likes it or not) is back up.I was too busy to get to the Ched Evans story before everyone and their nan had had their say, and the less said about Unilad the better, so today I want to talk about Lush. *record scratch* You heard me.You might know Lush for their organic products and heady scents. I know them for making brilliant bubble baths, lovely soaps, oh and publicity that equates women with lab animals.Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Lush's latest campaign.Before I go any further, I'd like to state that I in no way condone animal testing in cosmetics. But then, neither do I condone a publicity stunt that clearly uses rape imagery to attract attention, and in doing so equates a rape victim to an animal.And before you go "but Becca, you see rape!" consider this: why is the 'victim' a woman? Why is the 'doctor' a man? Why is she wearing a skin-coloured, nude-effect body stocking? Why could you easily take the 'drinking' shot shown above, substitute the glass for a big spunky cock and not have this look out of place in a porno?*I don't doubt that the intention behind this stunt was to shock, to generate publicity, maybe even open up debate. And it is shocking, but not because of the original message. It is shocking that Lush believe that women (who must make up a hefty proportion of their clientele and staff) will stand for this.This publicity stunt is vulgar, unforgivable and exploitative. This publicity stunt says that the inhumane treatment of a lab animal is the same as sexual violence against a human woman. This publicity stunt says therefore, that women are animals. Passive, weak, eternally done-to rather than doing.*and if you think I'm over-egging the force-fed glass of spunk, you haven't seen the porn I've seen. Oh, and if you think I'm some anti-porn Dworkinite, a.) you're wrong and b.) sod off.