#SexIs - Are Rape Jokes Ever Funny?

Contributor: - Kira - - Kira -
Quote:
Originally posted by Gdom
Oh, I thought what you said was perfectly reasonable; my annoyance was actually directed elsewhere. Saying that Tosh (or anyone else) shouldn't be legally restricted from saying tactless things is a perfectly cogent position. I'm not actually ... more
Ah, okay.

I generally feel that if you say "don't say this!!" it gives more power to the word/statement when it is said. Favorite example is "Voldemort" in Harry Potter, but then I'm a dork. Ha. But in real life, if you say racial slurs are illegal, doesn't that make them even worse than what they would be otherwise? I dunno, I just think it's usually better to take the power away from a word rather than to give it even more.
07/28/2012
Contributor: Gdom Gdom
Quote:
Originally posted by - Kira -
Ah, okay.

I generally feel that if you say "don't say this!!" it gives more power to the word/statement when it is said. Favorite example is "Voldemort" in Harry Potter, but then I'm a dork. Ha. But in real ... more
That's definitely something to consider (and the Voldemort example is the best; I'm a huge dork too ). On the other hand, I have a hard time finding a clear downside to, say, Germany's laws against inciting racial hatred or publicly denying the Holocaust. Maybe there are cases in which you just can't take the power away from a word or viewpoint (antisemitism or Holocaust denial in Germany, for example), so the best you can do is try to squash those ugly sentiments. But that's all rather complicated and ugly, so I'm far from making up my mind on all that.
07/28/2012
Contributor: socceras socceras
Rape jokes are sick. Rape is one of the worst crimes against humanity and it completely destroys a person. How can you make that funny.
07/28/2012
Contributor: - Kira - - Kira -
Quote:
Originally posted by Gdom
That's definitely something to consider (and the Voldemort example is the best; I'm a huge dork too ). On the other hand, I have a hard time finding a clear downside to, say, Germany's laws against inciting racial hatred or publicly ... more
Yay for Harry dorkiness!

"Inciting" seems to have a different connotation than simply saying something. To me that seems to convey that you're trying to get lots of people on your side or even starting a mini riot of sorts. So, yeah, I can see kinda saying don't "incite" people to racial slurs. However, if one person is talking to another and one uses a racial slur or denies the Holocaust, is that really the government's business at all? All "giving power to words" aside, I just don't like my government to be that up in my conversations.
07/28/2012
Contributor: edeneve edeneve
Quote:
Originally posted by Mikemanz
Ok, so Devil's advocate then. I didn't hear the joke and don't know what the context is. I prefer my comedians very edgy. Try Doug Stanhope or David Cross or Sarah Silverman (who is vicious about race and rape and Catholics, but ... more
free speech is a highly debated topic. I believe that rights end when we use it to do harm as with any rights we have. the rights we have are not a freedom that is given without responsibility attached to them
07/28/2012
Contributor: Airen Wolf Airen Wolf
Quote:
Originally posted by Ansley


Devil's Advocate: Are Rape Jokes Ever Funny? - Click here to read this great article by Roland Hulme!

Recently, Daniel Tosh was heckled during one of his shows after performing a joke about rape. In response to the heckler, Tosh ... more
Personally? I don't find rape jokes funny. I also don't like hecklers either...if you dislike what a comedian is saying walk out and ignore him/her. That makes the teller look like an ass, not you.

If I know a comedian has a reputation for being controversial I simply don't laugh at the jokes I find offensive and look at him/her expectantly for the real funny stuff. If none is forthcoming I leave the venue, simple as that.
07/28/2012
Contributor: married with children married with children
sexual jokes are not very funny.
07/29/2012
Contributor: SexyStuff SexyStuff
I love Tosh, not many people could pull it off though
07/29/2012
Contributor: bayosgirl bayosgirl
Quote:
Originally posted by socceras
Rape jokes are sick. Rape is one of the worst crimes against humanity and it completely destroys a person. How can you make that funny.
I completely agree. I have not read the article yet, but I can't see how this could be OK. especially when he said the haggler should be gang raped. What a nasty and cruel thing to say to someone.
07/29/2012
Contributor: jessiegurl316 jessiegurl316
No there not funny, most of the time they get to the people that have been raped!
07/29/2012
Contributor: quinceykay quinceykay
How is this even a question? People who apparently think it's funny - if you were raped and you had to bear the trauma of that, would you still think it was hilarious?
07/29/2012
Contributor: wicked weasel wicked weasel
All I can is those don't do it for me...
07/29/2012
Contributor: mama2007 mama2007
Quote:
Originally posted by socceras
Rape jokes are sick. Rape is one of the worst crimes against humanity and it completely destroys a person. How can you make that funny.
AGREE 100%
07/29/2012
Contributor: mama2007 mama2007
Quote:
Originally posted by quinceykay
How is this even a question? People who apparently think it's funny - if you were raped and you had to bear the trauma of that, would you still think it was hilarious?
i agree. sick question. even sicker if ppl find it funny. as rape victim this post is very offensive
07/29/2012
Contributor: RomanticGoth RomanticGoth
No.

And his response was in poor taste.
07/30/2012
Contributor: K101 K101
Quote:
Originally posted by Ansley


Devil's Advocate: Are Rape Jokes Ever Funny? - Click here to read this great article by Roland Hulme!

Recently, Daniel Tosh was heckled during one of his shows after performing a joke about rape. In response to the heckler, Tosh ... more
I didn't hear much about it except what he said, which you posted here and I read it somewhere on FB a while back. I think it was way out of line. Rape jokes are immature, inconsiderate and quite frankly, disgusting. It sickens me and I have my very reasons why. I think there are some things that should never, ever be said and wishing rape on someone (joke or not) is not ever funny and is very bad taste. Rape is far too serious and traumatizing for it to ever be made light of. People start doing that and well, us girls get taken even LESS seriously about rape. It sucks.
07/30/2012
Contributor: K101 K101
Quote:
Originally posted by edeneve
Rape is NEVER FUNNY. It takes a heartless person to make a joke out of it. It doesn't make any difference if they're a Comedian. Being a Comedian doesn't give you a license to be an ass to other people, although, plenty of them are. ... more
Amen to this. I love how you put that. I agree. What is it about being a comedian that entitles you to be so nasty? Of course I'm not going to be sad over the offensive things comedians say, it usually just doesn't phase me. I get that they're going for the shock factor. It's just blah to me, but it's still something (the rape and violence jokes period) that shouldn't be made light of or turned into something to laugh over. And damn sure nothing to wish on someone, even as a funny. It's not. There's nothing funny about it. I couldn't imagine seeing any person bust out laughing when they hear someone say that they'd laugh if another person was raped. There's nothing even remotely funny about it.

I really love what you said up there. "This isn't a matter of free speech, either. It's a reflection of how some many people are still so blind as to what rape is and the irreversible damages." Very well said, and I have to agree.
07/30/2012
Contributor: blondie blondie
It's very low and disgusting to make a joke like that.
07/30/2012
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
I think ultimately it's a very difficult road to navigate in any arena. I've seen discussions about rape dog pile into exercises of finger-pointing and victim-blaming then go so far as to compare an ignorant human being to the likes of Adolf Hitler, who was anything but ignorant of the atrocities he committed.

There are extremes within every topic when it comes to debates; for instance you have Westboro Baptist Church who will picket anything in the name of "God Hates Gays".

I think the difference between Westboro's actions and Daniel Tosh's action is that Westboro actively plots their reactions to things they disagree with; Daniel Tosh was put on the spot and probably deserves a good spanking for saying what he did.

But, how many times have we seen celebrities miss the PC-mark and then have to profusely apologize the next day because the PR team is about ready to pull their hair out of their heads? Is the apology sincere? No. Will it change their way of thinking? No.

He was put on the spot and he chose a poor direction. I think we've all been there a time or two, ourselves. To me, it just means the guy is a human being and he made a mistake.
07/30/2012
Contributor: mama2007 mama2007
Quote:
Originally posted by Ansley
I think ultimately it's a very difficult road to navigate in any arena. I've seen discussions about rape dog pile into exercises of finger-pointing and victim-blaming then go so far as to compare an ignorant human being to the likes of Adolf ... more
Hillsboro Baptist is VERY innappropriate. i mean i am for 1 man 1 woman too, BUT i do not say God hates gays, etc. they need to be shut down. churches should never talk and act like they do!
07/30/2012
Contributor: Mamastoys Mamastoys
I don't think rape jokes are ever funny. I have cared for too many victims and see the long term effects. There are other areas that aren't funny either and I would rather not hear them but everyone has their right to say what they want to. I just don't have to listen to them!
07/30/2012
Contributor: YvetteJeannine YvetteJeannine
I have never (thankfully) been raped. However, I did come thisclose when I was 19, and I was pulled off of a city street and into a cemetary. I screamed at the top of my lungs. The man pulled me so hard he tore buttons from my coat. He told me if I screamed again he would "knock me out". I knew i had NO OTHER CHANCE, and I screamed as LOUD AS I COULD right in his face. He was, I believe taken by surprise. He let go of me JUST. ENOUGH. I RAN MY AZZ OFF! I don't think that is funny. Today, I shudder to think what would have become of me (I think this man had more in mind than sexual assault-i saw something in his eyes I can only define as a lust for blood). I kid not. I believe I would be simply a statistic of Hartford, Connecticut's violence. I cannot think those types of jokes are funny. I ESCAPED; a luxury I know many, many women never have! Millions of women have to live with that sick feeling of violation EVERY DAY. I FIND ''Rape jokes" to be about as funny as most of America finds 9/11 jokes. 'Nuff said.
07/31/2012
Contributor: marshmallow marshmallow
It disgusts me that anyone on this site could think rape jokes are funny. Totally lost some respect for Eden.
07/31/2012
Contributor: Pururin Pururin
I don't find rape jokes funny. Especially because you have no idea who could have dealt/could be dealing with sexual assault. Many victims never speak up about their experience so for all you know your best friend could have been raped.
However if you're going to one of his shows then you should already know how over-the-top some of his humor is and you should be prepared for anything. Therefore, I don't think she should have heckled him on stage. He had every right to respond negatively for being heckled on stage, though his comment to her was ridiculously stupid and he probably should have just ignored her.
07/31/2012
Contributor: Kitten has left the site Kitten has left the site
as a victim of rape, i find it extremely offensive. what if she had been raped?

i tell you right now, if anyone said that to me, i may be sitting on a bench in a jail cell. no joke.
07/31/2012
Contributor: sweetiejo sweetiejo
Quote:
Originally posted by - Kira -
I get that people make rape jokes purposely to be offensive, but to tell someone it would be funny if they were raped? Not. Cool.

I don't like rape jokes in general, but I try very hard not to let them bother me as I am of the belief ... more
I couldn't say it any better.
08/01/2012
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
Two things.

1) I believe some people are confusing the words offensive and triggering.

No one is attacking rape victims, but there is plenty of attacking going on in the media against Daniel Tosh. So, in that regard if this post is offensive, it should only be offensive to Daniel Tosh.

One could argue this post is triggering to victims of rape. For that, I will not argue.

I myself am a survivor, not a victim. Giving a voice to my pain took the power away from the event. I cannot hide from things that may bring up or instigate flashbacks to those events. I can however choose to not let them continue to shatter me each time I stumble across them.

2) Did any of you read Roland's article? Because it seems to me that what Roland was trying to relate to us is that what Daniel Tosh said is only a small part of the problem.

What about television shows like Oz? Prison rape was an established part of the plot line. If I recall correctly, there was one scene where a nemesis was requesting head as payment for some favor done for "the prison bitch" after a few brief moments of engagement, said prison bitch stabbed him in the perineum with a melted toothbrush turned shank. It was one of the highest rated episodes ever.

We joke that if Sandusky were to be released into gen. pop. that he'd be dead in a minute flat because for some reason, violent criminals draw the line at raping children. (Always seemed like an odd paradox, to me.)

We joke that priests have altar boys for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We have high profile comedians and even politicians making wise cracks and saying that the sanctions levied against Penn State were too harsh. No one bats an eye. Joke about raping a woman and all hell breaks loose. Does this not seem like a very selective picking of battles?

How about the phrase "thanks, but I like be kissed before I'm fucked" in reference to someone screwing you over on a deal? Or, the phrase "you're the kind of guy to buttfuck a guy without having the decency to give him a reach-around first"?

...
08/01/2012
Contributor: Tangles Tangles
People like Daniel Tosh clearly lack perspective. If they were educated on issues like rape and sexual assault, I doubt they would be making jokes like that.
08/01/2012
Contributor: Vaginas Vaginas
tosh is a sexist pig. he honestly disgusts me. even if you think rape jokes are funny you should keep it to yourself because you never know who around you could have been raped or be close to someone who was raped and you could seriously trigger and harm someone with your joking. rape is an extremely traumatic thing. you cannot tell just by looking at someone that they were raped and no one should have to advertise that something so horrible happened to them if they don't want to. so it'd be nice if people could just keep their disgusting jokes to themselves.
08/01/2012
Contributor: Rawr4483 Rawr4483
They're jokes, If you want to take offence to them just don't listen, or walk away. They're aren't physically hurting anyone.
08/01/2012