Opinion: Date rape a complex issue

Tucker Max coming to Ohio State was bound to cause a controversy. He is the best-selling author of "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell," and is not one to mince words. The book details his drunken exploits, frat boy humor and general lack of respect for women. All of these things led to him being protested by feminists for allegedly promoting a rape culture and being paid by OSU to do it.

The valid points the protesters had were lost in their obnoxious and counter-productive behavior. While Tucker Max's behavior is horrible, the protesters ignored the issue of personal responsibility and the fact that reality is far more complicated than they would like it to be. If one defines rape as sex without consent, and if consent cannot be given when one is drunk, then Tucker Max is guilty of rape. Of course, with these standards, so are thousands of OSU students.

College students aren't oblivious to the real world. Politically correct nonsense aside, they know that the line concerning sex and alcohol is far blurrier than many would like. Many women who get drunk are looking to engage in sexual activity. Others are not and are harassed and even taken advantage of by unscrupulous men.

However, it is beyond hypocritical to shout down Max as a promoter of culture of rape, then scream sexism or worse when someone suggests that women's behavior is a factor in Max's exploits. In fact one of the strongest themes in Max's books is the fact all of these women hook up with him despite how poorly he treats them.

It has been almost two decades since dissident feminist Camille Paglia, currently a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, published the highly controversial article "Rape and Modern Sex War," saying women should be aware of sex, and how high risk behavior can lead to rape and the failings of the modern feminist movement. She later made the point that anyone has the right to leave a purse on a park bench in Central Park and then walk away, just as a woman has the right to get drunk wearing a see through blouse and a short skirt, so one shouldn't be shocked when that kind of behavior leads to a crime.

However easy it was to steal something doesn't change the fact that stealing is a crime. Likewise, no matter how the victim behaved, rape is rape. It is always wrong and the perpetrator should suffer the same punishment regardless of how the victim acted. This is separate, however, from recognizing that the victim may have put herself in a high risk situation. One needs only to go out to a campus bar on a Friday night and see this principle in action. For daring to point this out, Camille Paglia was exiled and attacked by mainstream feminists.

Tucker Max is simply taking advantage of a culture that lets him be an asshole, sell books and get laid. No one forced those women to get drunk and have sex with him, just as no one forced students to go and enjoy his speaking visit. While his behavior is reprehensible, so are the contestants on the average reality show, or some lyrics in mainstream music. Modern feminism is unable to see beyond oppressors and the oppressed, ignoring the choices that the oppressed make and the complicated reasons that this type of culture exists. The protest only served to discredit their message and make Max the voice of reason.