This master's thesis in US American cultural studies posits that the phenomenon of rape culture represents a socio-cultural system of social power structures and cultural myths. Based on so-called rape myths, this system also constitutes an ideology. The thesis aims to demonstrate how these rape myths are instrumentalized in order to protect (primarily white, cis-male) perpetrators and instead assign responsibility to those affected by sexualized violence. In doing so, the thesis shows that young men like Brock Turner, who benefit from patriarchal power structures, grow up to become men like Brett Kavanaugh, who not only benefit from the fact that rape culture excuses their abusive behavior, but also from the fact that this enables them to reach positions of power through which they, as decision-makers, can in turn maintain the structures underlying rape culture. The thesis focuses on the rape myths of so-called victim blaming and shaming as well as the victimization of perpetrators. These myths are examined by analyzing 19th-century newspaper articles and then traced into the 21st century. Based on Mary Douglas' theory on ideas of purity, the thesis shows the extent to which not only social categories, namely gender, race, socio-economic status, and age, but also the sexual purity or impurity of those affected have an impact on the societal response to rape cases. Furthermore, the thesis demonstrates how female bodies function as an ideological battleground for political and social change in the US, and how perceived threats to the patriarchal status quo are framed in public discourse as moral dangers posed by female bodies. The paper argues that rape culture is driven by (white cis) male entitlement to female bodies but moreover to positions of power in the patriarchal system. The thesis shows how this system instrumentalizes rape culture to maintain its underlying structures that favor (cis) men and, in contrast, disadvantage (cis) women and other marginalized and non-heteronormative groups. This is illustrated by analyzing the 2016 Stanford rape case and the 2018 Kavanaugh hearing.