Are Rape Jokes Okay?
- Thread starter Costanza
- Start date
Meant to get back to this sooner...
Good clip. I listened to the entire video and I think he makes good points. I voted yes because I value freedom of speech. "You don't sat to a novelist, is there anything you wouldn't write about" I think that is a perfect way of framing the issue. It doesn't mean all books are good or that no book is worthy of condemnation but it calls for a little examination and discussion.
I'm a communal guy. I believe everybody deserves a shot and, with the parents a lot of us are stuck with, not everybody has that. I think it's the responsibility of every decent person to try to offset that inequity as much as possible.
If you don't care about other people's kids, I can't make you care. But I don't think you should fault me for caring and I know some of those kids who don't have anybody to care for them grow to appreciate that.
Mike, I don't know about you, but I have spoken to total degenerates who joined the army because they think it'll be fun to shoot and kill people. I don't know how many killers Black Ops 2 created but games like that have warped more people than you may realize. The thoughts and motivations of every sick person are not publicized.
How do we combat that? I'm not sure. But I don't think it should just be passively accepted. And I grew up playing some games like that without ever committing any act of violence, so I understand there's more to it than that. I'm not advocating a ban on violent video games but I'm not saying they're harmless as you seem to be. It's a nuanced issue and I don't have the answer here. I know it's not to just dismiss the "what about the kids" question.
Good clip. I listened to the entire video and I think he makes good points. I voted yes because I value freedom of speech. "You don't sat to a novelist, is there anything you wouldn't write about" I think that is a perfect way of framing the issue. It doesn't mean all books are good or that no book is worthy of condemnation but it calls for a little examination and discussion.
I'm a communal guy. I believe everybody deserves a shot and, with the parents a lot of us are stuck with, not everybody has that. I think it's the responsibility of every decent person to try to offset that inequity as much as possible.
If you don't care about other people's kids, I can't make you care. But I don't think you should fault me for caring and I know some of those kids who don't have anybody to care for them grow to appreciate that.
Mike, I don't know about you, but I have spoken to total degenerates who joined the army because they think it'll be fun to shoot and kill people. I don't know how many killers Black Ops 2 created but games like that have warped more people than you may realize. The thoughts and motivations of every sick person are not publicized.
How do we combat that? I'm not sure. But I don't think it should just be passively accepted. And I grew up playing some games like that without ever committing any act of violence, so I understand there's more to it than that. I'm not advocating a ban on violent video games but I'm not saying they're harmless as you seem to be. It's a nuanced issue and I don't have the answer here. I know it's not to just dismiss the "what about the kids" question.
I think he clearly does rape Marge off screen-- "That wasn't so bad" and the request for round 2 indicates an off-screen round 1-- and, even worse, Marge is portrayed as liking it.
Maybe this is an accessibility issue? I had to look up Fritz the Cat because I'd never heard of it. I think the Simpsons is a better analog. The Simpsons isn't simply for kids but clearly draws kids and every person on the planet knows cartoons are more likely to appeal to kids. I don't see what makes Family Guy, American Dad or any other show like that any different. It's totally accessible to kids and very likely to draw them in if they can watch it.
I would have no problem and would actually lend support to seeing Family Guy removed from the airwaves for that clip. If it aired on HBO or at 1 AM, fine, but I think there's something wrong with having that on in a slot where it's so likely to be viewed by kids with that sort of content.
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U don't die when u get raped
People joke about insensitive shit all the time, that's just how shit goes. People even joke on retarded people, so why are rapes off limits?
I'll agree that they are a hypocrite. It's not fake outrage and I think you should agree based on what you wrote but it is hypocritical and wrong. There is a difference.
I thought the Dave Chappelle clip Pack Rat posted was funnier the second time I viewed it. I think it's all about context and there's nothing wrong with deconstructing why a joke is or is not funny or why it is or is not okay.
Even though I thought it was funny, I'd have no problem with someone attacking Dave Chappelle for that clip and raising awareness about male rape. I didn't know before this conversation that the majority of rape victims in this country are male and I think it's worthy of consideration.
Dave quit his show-- rightly, in my mind-- over his own jokes crossing the line so I think he could respect that.
I do. I also believe in redemption and teachable moments. As you correctly stated, there is some feminist hypocrisy on the rape issue. The proper expression of offense may educate some people. Of course, not everyone is as reachable as others.
There are societal standards, though. Google "nigger jokes" and, while they're protected by free speech, not prosecutable, not objectively wrong, and obviously have an audience based on the sheer number of them, they're out of the mainstream and nobody is going to chalk that up to personal sensibilities and different temperaments.
Keep an eye on this spin-off poll:
Do you support the effort to silence Rush Limbaugh by pressuring his advertisers?
I doubt it will be as close as this one or that we'll see such ardent free speech advocacy.
I was right when I figured the free speech "If you don't like it, walk away" brigade wouldn't come out in quite as strong a showing...
Nearly eight hours later:
View Poll Results:
Are rape jokes EVER okay?
Yes, 20, 50.00%
No, 20, 50.00%
Voters: 40.
View Poll Results:
Do you support the effort to silence Rush Limbaugh by pressuring his advertisers?
Yes, 30, 100.00%
No, 0, 0%
Voters: 30.
Are rape jokes EVER okay?
Yes, 20, 50.00%
No, 20, 50.00%
Voters: 40.
View Poll Results:
Do you support the effort to silence Rush Limbaugh by pressuring his advertisers?
Yes, 30, 100.00%
No, 0, 0%
Voters: 30.
I think we generally agree more than disagree, and much of what we seem to disagree on pretty much boils down to semantics.
About your last statement though; "societal standards" are really just a mega-collective of group-think, group norms and in group/out group morality. don't forget that the only reason why ****** jokes are not mainstream anymore, is because the powers that be, want to project a certain image, and blatantly telling ****** jokes is not a part of it. it wasn't that long ago, when it was quite mainstream to tell ****** jokes and the like. societal standards should not be the used to determine what jokes are 'appropriate' and what not.
I don't think it's mere semantics but I recognize that we're pretty much in agreement. This isn't about winning an argument for me-- more of a thought exercise.
That's a good point and exactly why this conversation was worthwhile IMO. You're right on that one. Rather than using "societal standards" like it closed some sort of a door, I should have just acknowledged there is no objective line, I don't think one can ever be drawn and that's why our societies are always going to have to have these ongoing conversations.
Who said they are?
The Tim Allen "n-word" controversy started by addressing this issue:
Seems the comedy world has shifted a bit. Now we’re debating whether standups can joke about rape.
A: I’m just … I’m just watching Paula Deen.
Oh boy.
A: “I’ve had this argument on stage a million times. I do a movie with Martin Lawrence and pretty soon they’re referring to me, 'hey, my n-----’s up.' So I’m the n----- if I’m around you guys but 7 feet away, if I said n-----, it’s not right. It’s very confusing to the European mind how that works, especially if I’ve either grown up or evolved or whatever, it literally was growing up in Colorado, with Hispanics and Anglos, that’s all I remember. So when Paula Deen (admits her language), they go after her, and now we’ve gone backwards in the world. She said n----- in ’83 or something?
’86, I think.
A: ’86? How the f--- do you know that? Who remembers that?
She admitted it in a court deposition.
A: “In Webster’s old dictionary the word “n-----” means unemployed and indigent dock worker. That’s one definition. So I said, (to my brother) in that case … he lives in Boston and he’s not employed … so you’d be a ******. And he goes, yeah. If my brother told me not to call him a dingleberry in front of my mother, ‘cause I knew it pissed him… pisses me off. As soon as Mom left, and I wanted to piss him off? I’d say ‘dingleberry, dingleberry, dingleberry.’ So if you’re around a word to be problematic for you and low intellect or uninvolved people find that out, they’re gonna call you n----- all day long ‘cause they know you don’t like it. And I said, so this debate rages in the public, but when it gets to the comedy world, we’re not even allowed to say it, and I gotta refer to it as the N word, F word, B word … it gets all the way down the line. It gets really intense; we’re running backwards.”
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/media...g-kids-and-the-work-of-standup-comedy/2133253
This is much more analogous, let's see how this one goes:I was right when I figured the free speech "If you don't like it, walk away" brigade wouldn't come out in quite as strong a showing...
Nearly eight hours later:
View Poll Results:
Are rape jokes EVER okay?
Yes, 20, 50.00%
No, 20, 50.00%
Voters: 40.
View Poll Results:
Do you support the effort to silence Rush Limbaugh by pressuring his advertisers?
Yes, 30, 100.00%
No, 0, 0%
Voters: 30.
Is It EVER Okay For a White Comedian to Say Nigger?
Your Rape Joke Is Bad and You Should Feel Bad
—By Ben Dreyfuss| Sun Feb. 2, 2014
Pornhub, a hub for pornography on the information superhighway, is a little well known for being snarky and amusing on social media. Chasing that reputation may have just got it into trouble.
Sunday night the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Denver Broncos in a football game. This inspired Pornhub to make the following joke:
So, stop it.
Pornhub, stop it.
Whoever you are, if you're telling a rape joke, stop it.
It's 2014. We really shouldn't have to say this. Just, dear god almighty, stop.
They aren't funny. You aren't funny. Stop.
UPDATE: Pornhub has apologized in the comments to this post. Their social person seems like good people:
—By Ben Dreyfuss| Sun Feb. 2, 2014
Pornhub, a hub for pornography on the information superhighway, is a little well known for being snarky and amusing on social media. Chasing that reputation may have just got it into trouble.
Sunday night the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Denver Broncos in a football game. This inspired Pornhub to make the following joke:
Pornhub Katie @Pornhub
Don't try uploading the Game to Pornhub because we don't allow rape.
6:42 PM - 2 Feb 2014
Don't try uploading the Game to Pornhub because we don't allow rape.
6:42 PM - 2 Feb 2014
So, stop it.
Pornhub, stop it.
Whoever you are, if you're telling a rape joke, stop it.
It's 2014. We really shouldn't have to say this. Just, dear god almighty, stop.
They aren't funny. You aren't funny. Stop.
UPDATE: Pornhub has apologized in the comments to this post. Their social person seems like good people:
Alright Ben, you're right, I feel bad and I'll stop. The tweet wasn't intended to offend anyone, you have to realize my target demographic on twitter isn't the same as say, Mother Jones.
Pornhub has a twitter account and followers?
Stop apologizing to these dickheads that demand PC language. Bullshit. If you complain about a joke's offensive content, that means you have to be fair around the board and can not enjoy comedy in any way. Every joke is at someone's expense...a chick talks about her man climaxing too quick...fire her because I suffer from premature ejaculation and it hurts my feelings.
Fair point, for the most part.
The answer from the beginning was "yes". Men getting raped in prison/jail always seems to be okay in any context.
If you've ever known a rape victim you already know rape is nothing to joke about.
I do.
There is no concrete rule about this. It's purely subjective and situational.
If you've ever known a rape victim you already know rape is nothing to joke about.
If it's not your humor, then ignore it. I'll laugh at a good rape joke because I'll also laugh at a good race joke, good financial joke, good sex joke...I can't be a hypocrite and say something is off limits because it is "touchy" to me. You can't laugh at a being broke joke, then when it gets around to talking about your clothes...oh no the comedian went too far. Laughing at everyone else's pain, but crying when the joke is on you is selfish.
Fuzzy_McNut
Banned
Yes.
Fuzzy_McNut
Banned
/Thread
Off Limits.
I dont like rape jokes, but thats because I feel like people who do that are the lowest forms on earth; right next to racist and child molestors; that just me though..
No subject, including rape, is taboo in comedy.
Comedy is truly the last bastion of free speech.
Even if it isn't funny to anyone other than the person making the joke,
the joke is always justified. There will always be someplace or sometime when that joke is
insensitive or inappropriate, but that is determined by bad timing or poor choice of audience.
The humor itself is never in question.
Comedy is truly the last bastion of free speech.
Even if it isn't funny to anyone other than the person making the joke,
the joke is always justified. There will always be someplace or sometime when that joke is
insensitive or inappropriate, but that is determined by bad timing or poor choice of audience.
The humor itself is never in question.
Does that make it right?
More Men Are Raped In the US Than Women
Josh Sowin
Most of us have the idea that women are raped more then men in the US. And it's true in the places we normally live.
In 2008, the FBI reported 90,479 cases of rape. 91% of rape victims were female, 9% male, and 99% of the rapists were male.
But the FBI didn't include prison rape statistics. The Justice Department estimated that there were 216,000 prison rape victims in 2008, most of which were men.
With those numbers included, it would mean that more men than women are raped in America.
http://betweenletters.quora.com/More-Men-Are-Raped-In-the-US-Than-Women
I do think prison rape is an entirely different animal, as outside influences aren't going to have the same effect. But I'm not buying "Well, nobody complains about it so it must be okay."
Rape statistics are bullshit cause 60% of rapes go unreported anyway.
I am not cool with rape jokes, brethren
I have a good friend who was raped and dude didn't think that was enough, he had to stab her pussy several times. She almost bled to death. After massive reconstructive surgery, she's mentally jacked for life.
Rape is one of those crimes that STICK WITH YOU FOR LIFE.
A rather tenuous reason to bump your own thread.
I dont make them. I work with teenagers. A lot of them have some sort of sexual abuse in their background, and jokes like that can be triggering. I dont fuck with it. Even when they write poems about that trauma, they give trigger warnings before they perform them so people can leave if need be.
what about prison rape and the joke about you better be funny to keep their minds of your ass...?
or the jokes about Bubba or Big Bertha ?
I think most jokes will offend somebody just due to their lifes experience.
Jokes about your drunk uncle will offend somebody who had an alcoholic in their family.
Arnez J would offend somebody with his disability routine.
I think all jokes are okay if there is an audience for them and the audience used to be how comedians regulated....Tell a joke that is too offensive and it bombs and they stopped using it...
what about prison rape and the joke about you better be funny to keep their minds of your ass...?
or the jokes about Bubba or Big Bertha ?
I think most jokes will offend somebody just due to their lifes experience.
Jokes about your drunk uncle will offend somebody who had an alcoholic in their family.
Arnez J would offend somebody with his disability routine.
I think all jokes are okay if there is an audience for them and the audience used to be how comedians regulated....Tell a joke that is too offensive and it bombs and they stopped using it...
Yeah.