British Comedy Guide

Rape jokes Page 4

Quote: Timbo @ May 11 2011, 11:27 AM BST

Interesting example - the joke relies on the fact that rape is not acceptable behaviour, but a similarly structured joke about, say, Paki-bashing would be considered as inciting hatred.

Exactly. The structure is the same, but there is a shift of power. Racism doesn't seem to be considered racism unless it's aimed towards a minority group.

Advertisements, for example, are all about ingroup/outgroup. Buy this product and you will be an ingroup. Use this deodorant and women will fall at your feet. Eat this cereal and you will lose weight. Buy this product and you will be smiley-happy. But also about categorising into "those who use Lynx" and "those who don't use Lynx". Showing a woman who doesn't look at the guy until AFTER he uses the advertised deodorant, it sends out the message that those who use this deodorant belong to the ingroup, those who do not belong to the outgroup. Just like the Paki-bashing joke upholds the belief that Pakis are outgroup. Non-pakis are ingroup. And if you laugh at my joke, you are MY ingroup. So, why is the Lynx commercial not racism? Yes ok, racism might not be the appropriate word, but you know, sectarianism. The word itself, racism, doesn't really fit for topics that don't concern race. But it is, in its simplest or more analytical form, the same behaviour, the ads and the racism. But when you are a minority group, you are more "vulnerable" in a sense.
There's this theory that we sometimes laugh to show our teeth, to show our opponent who is boss. And a joke aimed at a minority group can easily be interpreted as a threat or arrogant insult by someone feeling vulnerable. Mind you, a joke aimed at a majority group can interpreted the same way, self centered beings that we all tend to be ;) But as long as it is not perceived as a threat, you might be less likely to perceive it as insulting or condescending or.. racism-y.

"I'm not condoning rape, obviously, you should never rape anyone... unless you have a reason, like you wanna f*** someone and they won't let you; in which case what other option do you have? How else are you supposed to have an orgasm in their body if you don't rape them?"

Dr Sanchez that was funny.

I was raped by my psycoannalyst father. He didn't even find me attractive he was just hoping I'd kill my mum.

Sorry this thread inspired this joke.

Quote: Dr Sanchez @ May 12 2011, 3:56 AM BST

"I'm not condoning rape, obviously, you should never rape anyone... unless you have a reason, like you wanna f*** someone and they won't let you; in which case what other option do you have? How else are you supposed to have an orgasm in their body if you don't rape them?"

:( It is simply called violence.

Quote: Dr Sanchez @ May 12 2011, 3:56 AM BST

"I'm not condoning rape, obviously, you should never rape anyone... unless you have a reason, like you wanna f*** someone and they won't let you; in which case what other option do you have? How else are you supposed to have an orgasm in their body if you don't rape them?"

Louis CK.

Big, long paragraphs aside, no-one's mentioned Rape An Ape. Now, that *was* funny.

Dan

Quote: David Bussell @ May 11 2011, 4:37 PM BST

Please don't let this rape thread devolve into a bickering match!

Laughing out loud

Quote: sootyj @ May 12 2011, 6:08 AM BST

My mum shagged me. It was a plot to make me kill my dad.

Sorry this thread inspired this joke. And I screwed up the initial version

N.B. first of all when ever anyone mention's Millgram you have to remember Zimbado followed straight after with the Stanford Prison Experiment. Where given full autonomy humans utterly abuse power.

Jokes may increase acceptance of norms, but is that all jokes?

Take these 2.

1 No such thing as rape, a woman in a skirt runs faster than man with his trousers down.

2 I took part in a gang rape yesterday...boy does my arse hurt.

Both pretty much unacceptable. But both promoting entirely diferent norms of behaviour.

The problem is with we come up again and again. Is humour is a medium like anyother and should be censored/judged equally.

A film by paedophilia like the Woodsman may be a good thing, child porn isn't.

Of course this does leave the sensitive subject of comedy with a shock factor.

Quote: Eydis @ May 12 2011, 3:10 AM BST

Exactly. The structure is the same, but there is a shift of power. Racism doesn't seem to be considered racism unless it's aimed towards a minority group.

Advertisements, for example, are all about ingroup/outgroup. Buy this product and you will be an ingroup. Use this deodorant and women will fall at your feet. Eat this cereal and you will lose weight. Buy this product and you will be smiley-happy. But also about categorising into "those who use Lynx" and "those who don't use Lynx". Showing a woman who doesn't look at the guy until AFTER he uses the advertised deodorant, it sends out the message that those who use this deodorant belong to the ingroup, those who do not belong to the outgroup. Just like the Paki-bashing joke upholds the belief that Pakis are outgroup. Non-pakis are ingroup. And if you laugh at my joke, you are MY ingroup. So, why is the Lynx commercial not racism? Yes ok, racism might not be the appropriate word, but you know, sectarianism. The word itself, racism, doesn't really fit for topics that don't concern race. But it is, in its simplest or more analytical form, the same behaviour, the ads and the racism. But when you are a minority group, you are more "vulnerable" in a sense.
There's this theory that we sometimes laugh to show our teeth, to show our opponent who is boss. And a joke aimed at a minority group can easily be interpreted as a threat or arrogant insult by someone feeling vulnerable. Mind you, a joke aimed at a majority group can interpreted the same way, self centered beings that we all tend to be ;) But as long as it is not perceived as a threat, you might be less likely to perceive it as insulting or condescending or.. racism-y.

Reading this and your previous post makes me realise how lucky you lot are to have me posting on this forum - I give you the academic stuff juiced down to a lovely fruit crush instead of this joke-free stream of consciousness of obviousness and banality.

Why did Ken Dodd rape a tree?

He loves knotty gash!

Quote: Godot Taxis @ May 12 2011, 10:30 AM BST

Reading this and your previous post makes me realise how lucky you lot are to have me posting on this forum - I give you the academic stuff juiced down to a lovely fruit crush instead of this joke-free stream of consciousness of obviousness and banality.

Si Ambassador with your misanthropy you are spoiling us!

Quote: Godot Taxis @ May 12 2011, 10:30 AM BST

Reading this and your previous post makes me realise how lucky you lot are to have me posting on this forum - I give you the academic stuff juiced down to a lovely fruit crush instead of this joke-free stream of consciousness of obviousness and banality.

Modest and considerate of peoples feelings too.

I did an MA in film theory, well part of it was, and I still feel very uncomfortable using words like hegemony.

Quote: Nat Wicks @ May 11 2011, 2:52 PM BST

if a joke is there to laugh at, normalise or degrade the victim then it is bad- if it is subverting the act or degrading the rapist then it is fair game.

Yet there are a lot of people who think that you just can't make jokes involving it, because rape itself isn't funny. This attitude used to be applied to cancer.* In fact it seems pretty arbitrary that some subjects get frowned upon while others don't.

*Peter Cooke broke that taboo.

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