How true. That was in fact my point. A metaphor derives its power from taking the connotations of an object or event and applying them to a new circumstance. Sadly, the painting has very little to do with rape at all, either in Africa or outside of Africa.

What the painting does do is take social stereotypes of rape and then use them to make a rhetorical point. I could argue against myself and say a social stereotype is as much a connotation associated with rape as the actual feelings and insights experienced by rape survivors. I could even argue that stereotypes are by definition the more easily accessible set of connotations and so are a better set of associations for an artist to rely on.

But I’m bothered by a question that I hope also bothers you. Should art uncritically represent social stereotypes when they distort lived experience? If people find black men scary, should artists use images of black men to connotate fear? Is there really any message important enough for that kind of perpetuation of a stereotype? I surely hope not. Why then is it OK to use social stereotypes of rape for rhetorical advantage? An artist’s job is to be creative finding fresh metaphors, not to reach for the most convenient one lying around.

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I actually do think rape is a good metaphor for Africa’s ills, just not the way LaChappelle is using it. The way he uses it, I think it actually hurts Africa.

The problem with portraying Africa as helpless and destroyed is that at most it inspires pity. Pity does not usually lead to respect.

Secondly, LaChappelle’s portrayal of rape as “taking” and rape victims as damaged and destroyed represents people’s fears of what rape will do rather than what it actually does. I have yet to see anyone empowered by representing fear as truth.

Rape victims and those who love them often fear that the rapist has caused permanent damage, but it isn’t true. When healing is farther along rape survivors often find that nothing essential was taken. They are not damaged or broken or destroyed at all by the rape.

What rape survivors do find is that something has been given to them: a vision of a broken world they did not see before and never wanted to see. There is sadness and sorrow with that, but not helplessness. It more often than not leads people to think about how they can make a difference in private and sometimes public ways. It is important to stress that real rape reveals the brokenness and damage in the world around the victim, NOT the victim.

If Africa really is helpless in the face of Western consumerism, then who is supposed to fix it, knights in shining armor from the West? I think not. If Africa is not helpless, doesn’t she deserve the respect due to someone who survives against all odds?

Thank you.