It is imperative to note that comedy is an exciting topic for discussion, and some of the jokes over the years have been quite controversial. Rape is a subject matter that is incredibly worrying, and most individuals are not aware of the severity of this problem. One of the videos suggests that the dissimilarity between jokes that are well-structured and focused on exaggeration and the openly sexist ones is tremendous (“Rape Joke Supercut: I Can’t Believe You Clapped for That”).
This topic has led to many disagreements, and many individuals think that any complaints are not reasonable. It is understandable that an enormous percentage of the population enjoys dark comedy, and many people believe that there should be no limitations on what issues can be discussed. It is imperative to understand that it is not possible to dictate what should be considered funny and whatnot. Kramer suggests that the way such jokes are perceived is affected by an ethical and political position of a person (160).
On the other hand, the issue is that many people are not aware of the scope of this issues and why it is so problematic. They do not understand the psychological and physical trauma that victims have to deal with, and the process of recovery may also be complicated. The most significant issue that needs to be discussed is that some of the jokes are focused on blaming women that were raped, and they do not recognize that people could not control the situation.
It is evident that many companies such as Facebook do not support this kind of humor and take necessary measures to ensure that it is avoided (Laidlaw 122). The fact that many think that it the fault of victims is worrying, and one should educate himself or herself on this topic before making such jokes. Individuals that oppose this perspective may suggest that the shock factor is one of the approaches that are frequently used by comedians, and some aspects are exaggerated.
Men are not the only ones that are known for this type of humor. Many women also do not view rape jokes as problematic, and there is a significant difference in perception of such comedy and real offenses (Krishnan 67). Sexual violence has become such an enormous problem that it would be reasonable to exclude this topic from comedy because many individuals are misinformed (Raphael 83). One of the studies has shown that there are consequences of this problem, and the level of person body surveillance increases after women have to experience such comedy (Ford et al. 253).
In conclusion, it is imperative to understand that it would be unreasonable to try and limit the freedom of speech because comedy can be viewed as a particular form of art. However, individuals should be much more careful with their jokes because they may lead to severe consequences in some cases, and they should be prepared for criticism and negative reaction. Moreover, public figures have enormous influence over other people, and an increase in the popularity of such jokes is a significant issue. They should have an understanding of the fact that rape is a traumatizing experience and making fun of victims is a behavior that is not acceptable, and they may have to review their stance on this topic.
Questions
- What can be done to educate the population on why such comedy is problematic?
- Have you noticed disapproval towards this type of comedy from your personal experience?
Works Cited
Ford, Thomas E., Julie A. Woodzicka, Whitney E. Petit, Kyle Richardson, and Shaun K. Lappi. “Sexist Humor as a Trigger of State Self-objectification in Women.” HUMOR 28.2 (2015): 253-269. Print.
Kramer, Elise. “The Playful is Political: The Metapragmatics of Internet Rape-Joke Arguments.” Language in Society 40.2 (2011): 137-68. Print.
Krishnan, Sneha. “Agency, Intimacy, and Rape Jokes: An Ethnographic Study of Young Women and Sexual Risk in Chennai.” The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 22.1 (2016): 67-83. Print.
Laidlaw, Emily B. Regulating Speech in Cyberspace. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2015. Print.
“Rape Joke Supercut: I Can’t Believe You Clapped for That.” YouTube. 2012. Web.
Raphael, Jody. Rape is Rape: How Denial, Distortion, and Victim Blaming are Fueling a Hidden Acquaintance Rape Crisis. Chicago, IL: Chicago Review Press, 2013. Print.