Heard any good rape jokes lately?

[Meed]

I feel that comedians should say whatever they want, and so should critics/audience members/etc.

If you didn't like a play would you think it was okay to start heckling? Hecklers disrupt people who are trying to do their jobs and disrupt the entertainment of people who have paid to watch them do their jobs. The appropriate thing to do is just leave.

Unless the comedian was directly asking for audience input... Which one of the 3 accounts seems to indicate.

 

[sgtbaker]

If you didn't like a play would you think it was okay to start heckling? Hecklers disrupt people who are trying to do their jobs and disrupt the entertainment of people who have paid to watch them do their jobs. The appropriate thing to do is just leave.

Unless the comedian was directly asking for audience input... Which one of the 3 accounts seems to indicate.

I think this whole thing started because he asked for audience input.

 

[Careyp74]

If you didn't like a play would you think it was okay to start heckling? Hecklers disrupt people who are trying to do their jobs and disrupt the entertainment of people who have paid to watch them do their jobs. The appropriate thing to do is just leave.

Unless the comedian was directly asking for audience input... Which one of the 3 accounts seems to indicate.

If the most accurate account was where he asked for input, then it seems like there wasn't an altercation, but she just got angry and went home to complain. I can imagine it like this:

Tosh: Hey what do you guys want to talk about?
Viewer:Rape
Tosh OK, let's talk...
Her: NOOOOOO
Tosh: Wow, sounds like she's being raped right now
Her: Rape isn't funny
Tosh:How can rape not be funny, rape jokes are always funny, etc.

 

[DuvalHMFIC]

I've heard this many times, and I still can't imagine a scenario in which it is true.

And I can't imagine such weak-minded people who let what other people think get to them so much. I've never really cared what people think. Some like me, some don't. I know I'm living a good, honest life, so I can't really be bothered with people's opinions.

I know it's very important in this day and age for people to be accepted and liked, and I guess that's fine. But much like you "can't imagine a scenario in which its true", I have a hard time understanding people volunatarily giving someone else SO MUCH power that the very words they say can cause you harm. I know it happens, but I have a hard time understanding it.

 

[angrysoba]

And I can't imagine such weak-minded people who let what other people think get to them so much. I've never really cared what people think. Some like me, some don't. I know I'm living a good, honest life, so I can't really be bothered with people's opinions.

I know it's very important in this day and age for people to be accepted and liked, and I guess that's fine. But much like you "can't imagine a scenario in which its true", I have a hard time understanding people volunatarily giving someone else SO MUCH power that the very words they say can cause you harm. I know it happens, but I have a hard time understanding it.

Ha ha! I remember watching this TV show about a kid who had sticky-out ears and he got bullied by the other kids. When the presenters asked his parents what the other kids called him they said "FA Cup"! I spat out my tea, because FA Cup is quite a funny thing to call a kid with sticky out ears. He committed suicide. Obviously weak-minded and couldn't take a joke.

Actually, there was quite a good one when Billy Connolly was talking about Ken Bigley who had been captured in Iraq by Islamic militants. These thugs had said they were going to chop off Bigley's head so Connolly blurted out, "Why don't they jes' hurry up and do it!" Ha ha. They did actually cut off his head a few days later. I imagine any friends or family of Bigley who let any jokes about it get to them are "voluntarily giving someone else power over them".

Of course, Boris Johnson got into trouble for calling Scousers (people from Liverpool) a bunch of thieves, or words to that effect, and oh my word how they took it badly. They took it so badly he had to go up there and apologize. While he was there they said there was a condolences book being signed in a nearby church for the very same Ken Bigley, himself a Scouser, who had been decapitated in Iraq not long ago. But as Boris said, guffawing, when they got to the church they heard something terrible had happened. The condolences book had been stolen!

 

[Rasmus]

Twelve Norwegians are about to rape a German girl.

She screams, "Nein! Nein!"

So three of the Norwegians leave.



How's that?

Lame. Make it better:

eight Norwegians are about to rape a German girl.

She screams, "Nein! Nein!"

So the Norwegians called a friend.

(I just got hung up on "why would they stop on her say-so and how did they decide who of the three should go home?)

 

[tyr_13]

Lame. Make it better:

eight Norwegians are about to rape a German girl.

She screams, "Nein! Nein!"

So the Norwegians called a friend.

(I just got hung up on "why would they stop on her say-so and how did they decide who of the three should go home?)

One in four Norwegian men are gay.

 

[angrysoba]

One in four Norwegian men are gay.

Yeah, that might be a good heckle from Tosh, "You got a problem with rape? Huh huh huh, must be gay!"

 

[DuvalHMFIC]

Ha ha! I remember watching this TV show about a kid who had sticky-out ears and he got bullied by the other kids. When the presenters asked his parents what the other kids called him they said "FA Cup"! I spat out my tea, because FA Cup is quite a funny thing to call a kid with sticky out ears. He committed suicide. Obviously weak-minded and couldn't take a joke.

Actually, there was quite a good one when Billy Connolly was talking about Ken Bigley who had been captured in Iraq by Islamic militants. These thugs had said they were going to chop off Bigley's head so Connolly blurted out, "Why don't they jes' hurry up and do it!" Ha ha. They did actually cut off his head a few days later. I imagine any friends or family of Bigley who let any jokes about it get to them are "voluntarily giving someone else power over them".

Of course, Boris Johnson got into trouble for calling Scousers (people from Liverpool) a bunch of thieves, or words to that effect, and oh my word how they took it badly. They took it so badly he had to go up there and apologize. While he was there they said there was a condolences book being signed in a nearby church for the very same Ken Bigley, himself a Scouser, who had been decapitated in Iraq not long ago. But as Boris said, guffawing, when they got to the church they heard something terrible had happened. The condolences book had been stolen!

Thanks, you made my points for me. For every kid who commits suicide because he got picked on, I can show you far more who overcame it. Weak argument... I mention not letting stuff people say get to you, and you jump straight to full-on bullying. Quite different. Bullying is an aggressive, repeated action. I still think it's only words, and if you as the person being bullied ignore it, the bully gets bored and finds another target.

But that being said, I'll even give you that a kid isn't fully developed, and should get a pass. They haven't learned how to cope like an adult has. As a parent I know that kids deal with things differently than adults do.

As for adults, I stand by my statement, but those were some cute little extreme anecdotes you had there. A far cry from a comedian making a rape joke.

 

[themusicteacher]

Here's a funny rape joke.

Now, I do happen to like Tosh's show on Comedy Central most of the time but he does cross the line sometimes but that is his schtick. On at least one occasion, he's mentioned that even he thought a joke was over the line and that was how he even knew he had one anymore. I also happen to think this is being waaaaay overblown primarily because:

A) This girl was there to see Dane Cook. W. T. F? Anyone who knowingly goes to see a Dane Cook show knows they're in for a raping of their ears anyhow.

and

B)Why is this important in the least? What some moderately-known comic says (in jest or in seriousness) is of such little consequence and import I don't even know why I'm bothering to chime in on it. Who ****** cares what Daniel Tosh said or how he said it in a single set during his comedy routine?

 

[Halfcentaur]

Humor like Tosh's is at heart self deprecating. When it's an actual mysoginist or bigot making these jokes, there is no dissaproval of the act being joked about. When someone like Tosh does it, it's not intended to condone the acts at all, it's intended to make you cover your face and shake your head and share in how wrong it is to say such a thing.
It's supposed to be ironic.

But whether I think it's funny or not, people need to get over it. Nothing should be off limits to humor. Humor is not just about mocking and belittling, it's many more things than that.

 

[Giz]

Ha ha! I remember watching this TV show about a kid who had sticky-out ears and he got bullied by the other kids. When the presenters asked his parents what the other kids called him they said "FA Cup"! I spat out my tea, because FA Cup is quite a funny thing to call a kid with sticky out ears. He committed suicide. Obviously weak-minded and couldn't take a joke.

If he was as fragile as that, should the local council have knocked down all the bridges, leveled all of the cliffs and halted all of the trains in the area? Who knows when he'd be walking along and, because no-one had said anything affirming to him in the last 20 minutes, decide to end it all?

We must protect everyone from the menace of ill-manners! Here in the home of the afraid and the land of the needy!




Or, there comes a point where it is unreasonable to expect to have your feelings coddled. Being at a late night comedy show (watching Daniel Tosh!) is one of those times.

 

[Meed]

Who ****** cares what Daniel Tosh said or how he said it in a single set during his comedy routine?

Zeke the plumber.

 

[jimtron]

If you didn't like a play would you think it was okay to start heckling? Hecklers disrupt people who are trying to do their jobs and disrupt the entertainment of people who have paid to watch them do their jobs. The appropriate thing to do is just leave.

Unless the comedian was directly asking for audience input... Which one of the 3 accounts seems to indicate.

I wasn't arguing about whether it was acceptable or not to heckle. My point was that Tosh has a right to tell any kind of joke he wants, but it's not for him to tell her what she shouldn't be offended by; also that she has a right to be offended and criticize his act. I wasn't addressing the heckling aspect--I'm not necessarily saying it was OK to disrupt the act.

 

[Ziggurat]

All somewhat off-topic; but when I heard that joke, it was in a Cold War context involving Czechoslovakia, the USSR, and China. (A Czech fishing in the River Vltava in Prague catches a magic fish, who gives him three wishes...)

That works pretty well too. But at least in the US, though, the Polish version has the advantage that it looks like it's going to be another "Polacks are dumb" joke but the punchline veers in a completely different direction. When you start telling a joke about a Czech, there isn't really a set expectation.

 

[Daald]

I've been at plenty of comedy shows and once I was the target of Lisa Lampanelli for the entire show. I did not care one bit and it was funny.

If you go to a comedy show and get offended then to me it is the equivalent of going to a swingers party and complaining of sexual harassment when people ask to have sex with you.

 

[Tsukasa Buddha]

And I can't imagine such weak-minded people who let what other people think get to them so much. I've never really cared what people think. Some like me, some don't. I know I'm living a good, honest life, so I can't really be bothered with people's opinions.

I know it's very important in this day and age for people to be accepted and liked, and I guess that's fine. But much like you "can't imagine a scenario in which its true", I have a hard time understanding people volunatarily giving someone else SO MUCH power that the very words they say can cause you harm. I know it happens, but I have a hard time understanding it.

Ah, so now it is not a choice of letting them. It is in fact a negative character trait. They are also susceptible to Force Persuasion?

I see it as an involuntary, subjective emotional reaction. I've never heard of anyone choosing to feel hurt, except from people who torture the English language.

 

[lane99]

Do you have an obsession with rape? Just curious since you seem to post about it a lot...

And there's at least one other multi-page thread on JREF about rape jokes.

Lame. Make it better:

eight Norwegians are about to rape a German girl.

She screams, "Nein! Nein!"

So the Norwegians called a friend.

(I just got hung up on "why would they stop on her say-so and how did they decide who of the three should go home?)

Personally I don't find jokes about gang-raping children all that amusing. But, and thank god for small mercies, at least you didn't say "so the Norwegians called 91 friends".

 

[DuvalHMFIC]

Okay, I'll ammend what I said a bit. I HAVE been hurt by words, IF they came from someone I cared about deeply. Be it my significant other, my parents, or maybe a sibling. But a random bully, man on the street, or a comedian? I can honestly say that I've NEVER been bothered by stuff that people I could give two flicks about, say to/about me.

And again, back to the topic at hand, you can't honestly tell me that this woman was "hurt" by what Tosh said. She felt it was her duty-brought about in a world of Political Correctness-to call him out because she didn't think it was "right." He was a performer, and when you don't like a performer, you leave, change the channel, or turn it off. You don't interrupt their show. Even if he was taking questions-this wasn't a question. It was her attempting to railroad his show, based on her beliefs.

 

[Careyp74]

I've been at plenty of comedy shows and once I was the target of Lisa Lampanelli for the entire show. I did not care one bit and it was funny.

That was you? The entire time I kept thinking ok, he isn't THAT fat..... wow Lisa, he isn't THAT ugly..... OK, yeah he is that bald but still...... OK give the guy a break those clothes were stylish at ONE time..... Geez Lisa, I doubt he is THAT stupid..... Really Lisa, you are going to base EVERY guy living in Queens off of this one?