Abstract
The postdigital landscape, with its shifting relationships between humans and technologies, has widened the visibility of feminist discourses, including for issues of sexual consent. But paradoxically, as feminist activism has gained traction through movements such as #MeToo, misogyny has intensified across everyday practices and many aspects of media. This contradiction has led to polarizing discourses and increasing anti-feminist backlash through networks such as the Manosphere. Focussing on the case of rape survivor Gisèle Pelicot, who became a global feminist icon and drawing on examples from the sexual assault trial of French actor Gérard Depardieu, who continually denied any wrongdoing, this article explores the nexus between sexual consent, feminist activism and misogyny in a postdigital landscape. Underpinned by an intersectional approach to feminism, the article discusses issues of sexual consent, feminist activism, gender-based violence and public survivorship in a society underpinned by rape culture. Whilst much media attention has been paid to judicial and victim-survivorship narratives in an increasingly complex postdigital world, the article calls for education about issues of sexual consent, sexual assault, misogyny and the Manosphere to go beyond the judicial system across multiple disciplines.