Breaking down 'lad culture'

'Lad culture' is something we are all familiar with at uni. However, far too often this phrase is thrown around as an excuse to justify behaviour towards women that, let’s face it, shouldn’t be excused. Join me as I question just how damaging lad culture can be, and why it is so important that we talk about it with the boys around us.

I should clarify exactly what I mean by 'lad culture'. It’s not just about the hook up culture that praises men as 'players' but women as 'sluts'. It’s more than sharing pictures of girls to rate in the group chat, because "they’re the boys!”. 

The true damage of lad culture lies in the silence of these boys’ friends. 'Locker room chat' and not speaking up when you hear causal misogyny is just as harmful as the actions themselves. Not acknowledging it because “they were just joking”, or “they don’t really mean it” enables lad culture to grow, whilst respect for women disappears.

As this respect vanishes, 'feminist' becomes a dirty word, an insult used for people who stand up against this culture of engrained misogyny. A feminist is simply someone who believes in the equality of all genders. Nothing more, nothing less. Where lad culture exists, the goal of feminism is pushed further back.

Let me explain. In the last month the negative effects of lad culture were made clear on the news outlet GB news. The actor, turned amateur politician; Laurence Fox, made sexist and disgusting personal comments about female journalist; Ava Evans, who had been on a previous show. 

Fox asked who would want to “climb in bed with that woman”, before adding “who’d shag that?”, comments utterly irrelevant to the discussion he was there for.

Obviously, Fox’s behaviour was abhorrent, however what was equally appalling was host Dan Wootton’s actions. Seen laughing along with Fox’s comments, Wootton enabled this misogyny to be broadcast without being challenged, perpetuating lad culture and implying to the viewers of GB news that it is acceptable to talk about women in a way which totally degrades and objectifies them.

Following this event, Evans revealed she received countless death threats and abusive messages from Fox’s supporters. This highlights the staggering negative impact that lad culture has on feminism. 

Not all examples are this extreme, and having fun with the lads isn’t a crime. However when it is at the expense of female respect, lad culture becomes dangerous. We must challenge behaviour when it happens at a smaller level, to prevent the growth towards such hatred towards women.

Boys, we need you to call out your friends when a joke at pre's goes too far. We need you to challenge behaviour on a night out that you wouldn’t want your female friends to experience. Speak up before it spirals out of control. Just imagine what could have happened if someone had called Fox out on his casual comments years ago.