I agree that many of these perpetrators were portrayed as unrealistically calculating and sober, given the mandates of party culture.

But I also agree with the idea that you began to explore near the end: that alcohol is an excuse men use for behavior they know is wrong.

Studies show that violent abusers often deliberately get drunk before their abusive behavior. They plan to use their drinking to excuse their violence, knowing full well that their impulse to abuse predates their drunkenness.

The same is true about men and sexual violence. Men who would never consider raping a woman while in their right minds do not suddenly become rapists when drunk. Instead, men get drunk because they know that "party culture" is a handy catch-all for men preying on women.

They get drunk because they plan to be one of those drunk men preying on one of those drunk women.

Alcohol does not cause men to rape. It provides a socially acceptable excuse to rape.