I can’t tell if you’re being whooshed or not. On the one hand, Biggirl’s post sounded sarcastic to me, especially the line about her head-bobbing which sounds like she’s making a snide reference to the stereotype of the African-American female head bob.
But on the other hand, maybe she’s sincere? I honestly can’t tell. Am I the only one?
No idea. Maybe when the rape victim comes to answer the other question he or she can field that one as well.
Seriously - I’d imagine this guy woke up in the middle of the night hearing his sister struggle with an intruder rapist with her baby in the bed with her. What’s hilarious is that he responds in a way that’s a hilarious hybrid of hard gangster thug and Broadway chorus line dancer. Nobody’s watching that and saying “Yeah, rape!” They’re saying “I hope he catches that motherfucker and plants his pansy-ass pointy boots up his ass!”
ETA - there’s an added element of the composure of the victim - you get the feeling that she’s like, “Okay, bring it, motherfucker. Bring it in the daylight and watch me and my gay-ass brother kick your fucking ass.”
Yeah, Biggirl was making the point that the young lady in the video seems not at all like a wilted flower completely devastated by her ordeal. Her ghetto head bob is a sign of her sassy, no nonsense way that lets you know she is nobody’s victim. So I think she can handle a few jokes on the internet that is in no way directed at her. At least that’s how I read the post, and I’m pretty certain I’m right.
PlainJain and Biggirl are on the same side, it seems. Now, I’m off to read Two Many Cats’ link.
It would be absolutely impossible to explain it better than this in a single sentence.
Exactly this. As Miller pointed out years ago this woman would probably have been ashamed to even talk about in public so soon after this happened. As it is she defiantly challenged her attacker. I believe this is due in part to having the “psychic weight” lifted from this subject.
Well, that and I want to go over and have a drink at their apartment. We’d talk some serious shit about that fucking rapist, I can tell you. Honey.
After reading the article you linked to, Two Many Cats, I will say that I just can’t get on board with putting a protection from humor around certain sacred topics. Because when a human’s nature directs him to laugh, it is not necessarily at something that isn’t serious or sacred.
I’ve told this story before many times, but I will tell it again. When I was left giggling ragged, jagged, tear streamed giggles as my daughter was having her eyes cut open on the operating table, all because my husband knew how badly I needed some levity, I knew the power of humor. The fact that he could make me laugh specifically about her eyes at a time like that really clenched it for me.
If we don’t allow rape jokes, do we also have to say no to any jokes about murder? How about humorous songs about murder? Funny movies about murder? And slapstick humor is a no go, since it includes physical abuse? Is slapstick ok between men, like the three stooges, but not ok when it involves women, like my favorite scene ever from Cheers? I don’t know about this. I don’t normally get skittish around slippery slopes, but this slope seems a bit more slick than most.
That’s fine. Take your time, get some sleep. Post’ll still be there in the morning.
So, your argument is that rape should be joked about, because a rape victim might be listening, and hearing a joke about rape might be “triggering,” which, I assume, means it might cause some sort of a flashback?
That’s not really an overwhelmingly convincing argument.
For one thing, it goes back to my earlier question about the relative terribleness of crimes. Lots of people out there suffer traumatic experiences. Most of them aren’t sexual in nature. I mean, there’s a couple of wars on. Are jokes about wars unacceptable, because there might be someone who served in Iraq in the audience, and he might have a flashback? Where do you draw the line about what topics are too terrible to joke about? And if rape is in a category by itself, what does that tell us about our preconceptions of rape? Is that the healthiest way to view the subject?
Yeah, it’s difficult to imagine yourself in that sort of position. I’ve never been there, either, so this is all supposition, but I can’t imagine being more disturbed by a joke about rape, then I would by the idea that because of my ordeal, everyone has to be super careful not to “trigger” me. I’d like to think, if I were sexually assaulted, at some point I would be able to heal and move on with my life. I think I would very much not appreciate spending the rest of my life being treated like a victim, as if being raped was the defining moment of my life.
But, of course, I’ve never been there, so who knows?
Even though I agree with you on rape jokes in general, I laughed at Antoine.
And I was going to make a snarky comment like “Y’know, there comes a point where you might just have too many cats…”
But, if you just got back from an Open Mike night, then you already are ten times more exciting than any of the reclusive Cat Ladies i know.
However, I am hearing “Watched it. Not funny.” as delivered by Antoine Dodson.
“Watched it. Not funny. Watched. It. Not. Funny. Not funny not funny not not not funny. Watched it. Not funny.”
The original video isn’t available anymore due to copyright issues, it says. So I could only watch the musical version.
I am a real rape victim. And that was funny.
The joke is on the rapist.
I’m sure the folks playing the home game are keeping up but the above quote attributed to me was actually posted by Two Many Cats. Maybe a mod could clean this up for me, that’s twice this thread.
*Everything *is a legitimate subject to be joked about. People joke about cancer, for god’s sake. Should people avoid that subject because a cancer survivor might hear it and get upset? Wasn’t this idea behind the entire controversy of the Mohammed cartoons? Either everything is ripe for parody, or nothing is. The only requirement I have is that it actually be funny.
Well obviously not all of us! Sorry. But I see it’s been fixed (thx Marley)
Although I’m of the mind that the humor in the video is because of Dodson’s character and has nothing to do with the attempted crime, I did find this video recently that’s relevant to the concept of rape humor. It’s Stephen Colbert on Meet the Press, and near the beginning he briefly talks about a quote of his: “You can’t laugh and be afraid at the same time.” When you laugh, fear goes away.
Thanks Marley.
Well, what the hell. Tell all the rape jokes you want. Yuk it up. Be proud of it.
Put it in your personal ads: “Hi! I’m Steve. I like boating, romantic dinners, and rape jokes.”
Go on, laugh! It’s funny!
What’s the number one cause of rape? Women who say no.
What’s the biggest problem men have while dating? Not punching hard enough.
Wow, you’re right! I really feel empowered as a woman now!
What’s the biggest problem women have while dating? Getting the bloodstains out of the carpet.
And why stop there? Let’s have some Matthew Sheppard jokes!
Why was Matthew Sheppard so disappointed when he died? He thought he was going outside to exchange blows!
And what the hell, Jew jokes!
How many Jews can you fit in a Volkswagen? It depends on how big the ashtray is!
Oh, my sides ache! I really have to stop now.
But please, please, do go on. I love a clever display of wit. Just how funny can you get about rape? Go on, give it a shot.
Man, I was hoping one of those were going to be funny.
Except no one made a rape joke.