Roundtable: Rape Jokes - 7/18/12

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So as a change of pace, today's show had special guests Rachael Crowe and Ben Yee, and we were LIVE on the air! The main thing we wanted to talk about is what makes a rape joke unacceptable, and really dissecting the reasons someone makes a rape joke. All over the internet you will see comedians fighting for free speech, and feminists fighting for compassion for rape survivors, but in my opinion, what we really need to do is put out the torches, sit down, and have a real conversation.

Even in today's show, we talked about how many people will make jokes to get around an awkward topic. Rape is a serious topic, and can be awkward to talk about, which is why people make rape jokes. It makes sense, right? The thing is, is that rape should be treated like any other serious topic. For example, let's take the Holocaust. Would you joke about the Holocaust to a group of Jewish internment camp survivors? "NO OF COURSE NOT" you might say. Well tell me this: how is joking about rape to a rape survivor any different? The answer: it's not. You need to be sensitive to your audience, and to context. That's just being a smart comedian. 

We realize this can be a very touchy topic, and we tried to be careful, but we also wanted to get to the heart of the cultural/society associations with rape, and why rape jokes are becoming a thing.

Useful links:

1. How to Make a Rape Joke
2. Louis CK Wasn't Defending Tosh, Restores Faith in Humanity
3. What 'Rape Jokes' Could Learn From Jewish Humor
4. Sexual Assault Prevention & Awareness Center (SAPAC)
5. RAINN Rape Statistics

Clips heard in this show: 

1. Louis CK - Rape
2. Ever Mainard - Here's Your Rape!

If you have any comments about this show, disagree with us, have something to add, please please please comment on this post! We love to hear what you have to say.