I read the news today oh boy! Page 1,521

Exactly, society says women should be tall and men should be taller. (See the BBC news article about a future where there are two classes of humans - tall fit ones and little fat ones.)

I think the female media perpetuates the "willowy" myth, thereby making women think they need to be a size zero. On the other men ...well, men like lots of different body shapes, but often prefer a curvier physique and gravitate those aspects of the female form for which a greater fat content is required.

Meanwhile, in the land of foot in mouth disease:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tory-councillor-barbara-driver-apologises-for-when-rape-is-inevitable-lie-back-and-enjoy-it-comment-9256177.html

Lordy me. What is wrong with these people?

In fairness it was an idiotic joke on a different subject, not a position on rape and it sounds more of a one off.
Surely everyone gets make a prat of themselves occasionally without being strung out for it.

Is that really a 'saying'? I've not heard it before!

It's not so much a saying but it is a joke, you'll probably finding it turning up in comedy shows of a generation earlier.

It wasn't a joke, it was an analogy. She was trying to make the point that some new housing development was inevitable so they are going to have to make the most of it.

It is inappropriate because:

1. Housing policy and rape are not comparable.

2. The word "enjoy" perpetuates old rape myths that should have been thrown out with the dark ages.

3. She is an elected representative saying this in a council chamber.

If you mean she meant it as a serious analogy as opposed to a particularly dull witted joke, to illustrate a point.
Then you've been taken lessons in obtuseness from a mutual friend.

It's a stupid belittling joke she shouldn't have made, should say sorry for, it's barely even slightly news worthy.

The whole point of jokes is conflict and subversion. So when you make a joke about enjoying rape or a liver sandwich or watching Wiggan play at home. The joke is none of those things are fun.

That it's exploiting someone else's suffering for cheap amusement, or in this case perhaps to make a point. Is cheap and offensive granted.

Quote: Jennie @ 13th April 2014, 4:35 PM BST

most of it.

It is inappropriate because:

1. Housing policy and rape are not comparable.

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Neither is fracking, but we don't criticise environmentalist for saying 'raping the land' almost constantly.

Of course when this councillor was young 60 years ago, expression such as these might have been common place. I think she's been caught out for not moving with the times rather then any desire to belittle rape victims.

But we live in a very politically aware society, if she'd something equally insensitive like 'Paki Shop', then she would have also been criticised.

Well rape of a person and rape of the land are semantically different.

Or at the next meetup if you say you could murder a pint, I'll call the gavvers on you.

Personally, I am not mighty keep on the word rape in any other context, although I agree it is similar to the whole "I'm going to murder him" thing.

The other issue I have is the "lie back" bit, which is clearly from the "lie back and think of England" line favoured by Queen Vic. Spread your legs and get on with it.

I am not saying she actually condoning rape or suggesting that one should enjoy it, it is just that it is deeply unhelpful when we are yet to dispel all of the rape myths.

Quote: Jennie @ 13th April 2014, 6:34 PM BST

I am not saying she actually condoning rape or suggesting that one should enjoy it, it is just that it is deeply unhelpful when we are yet to dispel all of the rape myths.

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From reading the story, my view is that the expression was probably: 'If you know you're going to get f**ked, then make the best of it and enjoy it'.

But as a 77 year old woman is unlikely to use the word 'f**ked', she probably substituted it with the word 'rape' to keep it clean.

I think rape is a very old word, biblical even, with multiple meanings.
But I think it's rather over used on all sides.
Raping the land, along with rape culture is an example of smug, liberal trivialisation that really isn't acceptable.

I think it's a terribly, old offensive joke she made. She might as well have said; nigger in the wood pile, or we Jew'd the council tax down, or the my honorable opponent is a gypo scrat bastard.

All offensive, all stupid, all deserving of censure.

But as a one off remark made in haste, really worth losing your job over seriously.

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ 13th April 2014, 6:39 PM BST

From reading the story, my view is that the expression was probably: 'If you know you're going to get f**ked, then make the best of it and enjoy it'.

But as a 77 year old woman is unlikely to use the word 'f**ked', she probably substituted it with the word 'rape' to keep it clean.

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That's very patronising to old people.

Some of them are right filthy mouthed gobshites.

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ 13th April 2014, 6:39 PM BST

From reading the story, my view is that the expression was probably: 'If you know you're going to get f**ked, then make the best of it and enjoy it'.

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Are these actual expressions? Ones used by real people? In that form, it doesn't make any sense. If I know I'm going to get f**ked consensually, then of course I'm going to enjoy it. I might even shave my legs in advance.

You don't need to "make the best of it" unless it is really bad sex. So I suppose, "if you know you're going to have a crap shag, then lie back and enjoy it" makes more sense.

Quote: sootyj @ 13th April 2014, 6:41 PM BST

But as a one off remark made in haste, really worth losing your job over seriously.

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She resigned.

The word on Mumsnet is that she was known to be evil in other contexts too so it seems to be something of a back breaking straw.

Incidentally, Mumsnet verdict was that the phrase was "fanjo-clenchingly awful".

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-11-13/head-indias-fbi-says-%E2%80%9Cif-you-can%E2%80%99t-prevent-rape-you-might-well-enjoy-it%E2%80%9D

http://www.themarysue.com/microsoft-reply-rape-comments/

how bizarre the head of Indias FBI and some big wig in XBOX, all used the joke.

Personally like I say the actual joke is kinda irrelevant. It's the question that should a sufficiently offensive joke on its own terminate a career, and on that I vote no.

Also entirely out of context the joke in this clip made me laugh and feel bad straight away, its a great example of shock humour

http://bitchmagazine.org/post/douchebag-decree-daniel-tosh-rape-culture-feminist-magazine-comedy-jokes-women

Quote: Jennie @ 13th April 2014, 6:47 PM BST

The word on Mumsnet is that she was known to be evil in other contexts too so it seems to be something of a back breaking straw.

Incidentally, Mumsnet verdict was that the phrase was "fanjo-clenchingly awful".

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Oops you just torpedoed your own argument irreversibly.

I like mumsnet its entertaining, but that's just gossip and no substance.

That and no one sacks a politician, you resign or get voted out.

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Quote: Jennie @ 13th April 2014, 6:47 PM BST

. If I know I'm going to get f**ked consensually, then of course I'm going to enjoy it.

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I think she meant non-consensually. Though sooty has found other examples of it being an actual expression. So now I'm confused.

Now here is where we get into a deeper and more disturbing argument - feminists say we live in a rape culture and yet this woman resigned for making a trivial reference to rape - so someone is wrong. My money as always is on the feminists.

It's a joke from the 1950s-60s the kind of thing Don Draper or Sir Alf Ramsey would say to his team. Like I said before it's like nigger in the woodpile, Dutch auctions, Jewing someone, but I suppose it's actually a joke as well as an expression.