Aimee Merrydew
School of Humanities
What did they really say ? Exposing rape culture through blackout poetry
In 2017 , Isobel O ’ Hare went viral on Twitter after they posted a series of # MeToothemed blackout poems . These poems were made by redacting apology statements released by high-profile celebrities after they were publicly accused of sexual harassment and abuse . O ’ Hare made these blackout poems to expose how the original statements create and support rape culture in US society and globally . The process of selectively redacting the statements enables O ' Hare to reveal sentences – and confessions – that were always present but hidden beneath carefully constructed PR language . O ’ Hare is not alone in their use of blackout methods to express political critique . M . NourbeSe Philip , Niina Pollari , and Tracy K . Smith are a small selection of poets who have taken up this form in their politically charged poetry . Taking O ’ Hare ’ s # MeToo poems as my focus , this presentation considers the political potential of blackout methods when used to challenge misogyny , sexism , and rape culture . Why was O ’ Hare drawn to blackout techniques ? What are the necessities and possibilities of redaction as a method of political protest today ? Are there any limitations ?
Postgraduate Conference 2020 Page 31