Spring Break
Comedian brings danger of sexual assault to light
By: Amanda Grosegbauer
Issue date: 3/3/08 Section: News
Ben Atherton-Zeman, a comedian and presenter on sexual assault, will perform an educational comedy, "Voices of Men," Monday as part of the Safe Spring Break programs. The one-man play is an interactive performance to help men learn to speak up against violence against women.
The play deals with several important issues such as sexual assault and consent, dating violence, domestic violence, sexual harassment and objectification. By using humor, Atherton-Zeman presents these topics and minimizes male defensiveness, which allows both sexes to speak more freely about their roles in the violence against women.
Each male character, all portrayed by Atherton-Zeman, is forced to deal with a specific issue in which they see how they are both a part of the problem and a part of the solution.
"The process each male character goes through has led many boys and men to become involved in both self-reflection and violence prevention efforts," Antherton-Zeman said.
Master Officer Kristi Hosea, Crime Prevention Officer for University Police, is a fan of Atherton-Zeman's performance and an advocate for its effectiveness.
"This is a great educational presentation for men and women, given through comedy," said Hosea, who saw the play at a national conference last May in Florida. "It was outstanding and he was able to get a new concept in prevention across in a non-threatening way."
"We can all benefit from this new approach to an old topic," Hosea said.
"We are always telling the girls: safety in numbers, watch out for this or that, but we never say it to the guys," Hosea said. "We need the boys to stand up and take a stance, that they will not allow or condone this behavior any longer."
Hosea said that the biggest problem on campus dealing with these issues is acquaintance rape. "Many women have trouble recognizing rape as a tool of power and control because [they believe] a friend would not do that to them," Hosea said, "but often times it is only a friend of a friend and you should never second guess consent."
The play deals with several important issues such as sexual assault and consent, dating violence, domestic violence, sexual harassment and objectification. By using humor, Atherton-Zeman presents these topics and minimizes male defensiveness, which allows both sexes to speak more freely about their roles in the violence against women.
Each male character, all portrayed by Atherton-Zeman, is forced to deal with a specific issue in which they see how they are both a part of the problem and a part of the solution.
"The process each male character goes through has led many boys and men to become involved in both self-reflection and violence prevention efforts," Antherton-Zeman said.
Master Officer Kristi Hosea, Crime Prevention Officer for University Police, is a fan of Atherton-Zeman's performance and an advocate for its effectiveness.
"This is a great educational presentation for men and women, given through comedy," said Hosea, who saw the play at a national conference last May in Florida. "It was outstanding and he was able to get a new concept in prevention across in a non-threatening way."
"We can all benefit from this new approach to an old topic," Hosea said.
"We are always telling the girls: safety in numbers, watch out for this or that, but we never say it to the guys," Hosea said. "We need the boys to stand up and take a stance, that they will not allow or condone this behavior any longer."
Hosea said that the biggest problem on campus dealing with these issues is acquaintance rape. "Many women have trouble recognizing rape as a tool of power and control because [they believe] a friend would not do that to them," Hosea said, "but often times it is only a friend of a friend and you should never second guess consent."
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