A panel on the FOX News channel stated on Wednesday that women can take the “personal responsibility” of avoiding rape by not drinking to excess.
Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, who is a former George Washington University president, said that women should be taught to not drink too much, in order to keep the ability to punch a man who attacks them. Trachtenberg later insisted that he was not trying to blame women for rape.
Thursday’s Outnumbered broadcast featured Lou Dobbs saying that Trachtenberg’s comments were not offensive or controversial, but merely emphasized that being drunk was another form of vulnerability.
Liz Claman, acting as a co-host for the program, then pointed out that Trachtenberg’s message was excluding men’s behavior. She stated that men drink excessively, too, and should be held equally accountable for their actions. Claman also added that it is “stupid” to manage a responsibility message strictly through gender.
A second co-host, Andrea Tantaros, said many college-age women get drunk and are raped, but put the onus on Trachtenberg for not warning girls to avoid walking home alone or accepting rides from men they do not know.
She finished by stating that men should follow the same rules of conduct and personal accountability as women.