Introduction: #(No)SeAcabó/it is (not) over: The Rubiales/Hermoso non-consensual kiss and the growth of a culture of concern

Abstract

The 25th of August 2023 saw the birth of a new hashtag, in Spanish: ‘#SeAcabó’, or ‘it’s over’, to add to the many others that have accumulated following #MeToo. The hashtag arose out a protest following the medal ceremony for the Women’s Football World Cup during which Luis Rubiales inflicted a non-consensual kiss upon player Jenni Hermoso. In this introduction to the cultural commons special section, we prepare the way for our contributors’ contextualisation of the Rubiales/Hermoso non-consensual kiss by introducing the notion of a culture of concern. In this special issue, contributors chart how concern can be said to manifest as a rise in vigilance (Fowler) and in calls for accountability (Moro) both of which can be contrasted with a more typical culture of complacency and letting be. What is specific to this case study is the fuelling of concern by pre-existing debates around consent (Cefai) and visual representation (Zecchi), as well as the specificities of context such as the Spanish one (Fernández Romero and Núñez Puente) and the fight for equality for women in sport (Crabill).