Rush Limbaugh seems to be upset about consensual sex. On Monday, the conservative radio host devoted a portion of the program to lamenting Ohio State University's new definition of sexual consent, which in Limbaugh's view "takes all the romance out of everything" by requiring agreement for sex. Mandating affirmative consent is especially troublesome, the host argued, because sometimes "no means yes if you know how to spot it."
"Seduction used to be an art," Limbaugh said. "Now, of course, it’s prudish, it’s predatory, it’s bad."
The host read from Ohio State's new standards for sexual consent, which is described as "the act of knowingly, actively and voluntarily agreeing explicitly to engage in sexual activity." The guidelines explicitly state that "the absence of 'no' does not mean 'yes,'" and that "it cannot be implied or assumed even in the context of a relationship" -- and that's where Limbaugh started to cry for backup outrage from his male listeners.
"How many of you guys, in your own experience with women, have learned that no means yes if you know how to spot it?" Limbaugh asked. Seeming to realize immediately that his comments might not be well-received, he added, "Let me tell you something, in this modern world, that is simply not tolerated. People aren’t even going to try to understand that one.”
Listen to Limbaugh's confusion about consent, via Media Matters, below:
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