Depends on who is making the joke. If it's a professional comedian I'm fine with it, as long as it's either funny, or at least really making a valid attempt at humor. I have found jokes about almost every subject funny at some point, and you go see a pro because they are creative and can approach subjects that might be taboo for the rest of society. I pretty much agreed with everything Jim Norton said in that clip. By the way, I would walk out on an act if they were making jokes that weren't funny, regardless of if it's about rape or Easter egg hunts. Difference is, the bar is much higher for a joke about rape to actually be funny. But the point of what Jim was saying was that if you don't like something, leave, blog about it, tell your friends, just don't attack the financial strings of the art form. Because these are artists, and they need to be able to try different material, sometimes edgy material, to see if they can pull off certain types of jokes.
I haven't checked the newspaper funnies lately, but I doubt they've changed--A few years ago I counted, and more than half of the jokes were about violence toward men. It was never toward women. If men make rape jokes (I've never heard any), their feelings are compensating for the daily intimidation drilled into them by 1) the violence which the American system encourages against men, and 2) the legal system's overuse of the word "rape" to include a) mere touching, or b) voluntary sex instigated by horny 16-17 year old girls.
And I have heard it more than once and there were no repercussions or even a media uproar about it. Maybe I'm just more sensitive to it and you didn't notice.
As long as it's funny. Most comedians make their living commenting on/making jokes of social taboos. If the audience is offended that's too bad but they have no right to not be. Little Jimmy is a smart guy and a good off-the-cuff comedian. I actually don't like stand-up very much but he is hilarious on O&A.
Why rape and not plunder and pillage? Why aren't there any plunder and pillage jokes? I could see plundering and pillaging being much funnier. It really doesn't seem fair, rape, pillage and plunder have been together since... since people have been raping, plundering and pillaging. Comedians should give up the rape and just focus on the plunder and pillage.
I always thought pillaging was causing the havoc in which the plundering takes place. I could be wrong though.
[video=youtube;6gH8d_1ZHzM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_717084&feature=iv&src_vid=FpSsvaaMIkg&v=6gH8d_1ZHzM[/video]
"Rape joke" is an oxymoron, and those who find humor in rape are just morons. C'mon, have a little bit of class.
I agree with what you're saying, and I still defend their right to say things that make us think they are morons. Go Blazers
Michael Jackson and catholic priest molesting jokes seem to be pretty socially acceptable, Q: why does Michael Jackson like KMart? A; because little boy pants are half off! do you consider that more tasteful and acceptable than a sexist rape joke directed at women?
