On Dickwolves
...No, seriously. I'm going to talk seriously about Dickwolves. I feel like maybe I'm a little less of a person for this.
There's been a bit of a to-do lately over a Penny Arcade strip that referenced rape by dickwolf. Apparently there was also a "dickwolves" t-shirt in their store, which has since been taken down. I didn't see it. Full disclosure: I don't regularly read Penny Arcade. Or, like, even semi-regularly. Not my thing.
It seems like the whole thing started when some readers complained about the rape joke in the strip, and presumably that by selling the t-shirt they were essentially profiting off of a rape joke. So Gabe and Tycho pulled the shirt, and then more people started complaining that they'd given in to hysterical feminists that just needed a good lay. At least, I can only assume that's the sort of thing they were saying. I have a rule about reading comments.
Personally, I didn't find the joke terribly offensive, and I think they've done way more off-color strips. Then again, I'm not a rape survivor.
I'm sure there are people who overreacted and got their shorts in a wad over the strip unnecessarily. Yes, certainly, if people don't like what's being posted there, they can just stop reading. No one's forcing them to read Penny Arcade.
Here's the thing: if there's something, somewhere, someone you like, and you're used to that thing, and you're comfortable with it, and you've given it some measure of trust, then maybe you can imagine that if that person/place/thing suddenly did something you found grossly offensive, you'd feel a bit betrayed. And maybe you don't want to give up on it, you just want to say: I felt let down by this. Private businesses can do as they please (hello, Chick-fil-A), and if they're okay with doing as they please even if it alienates a portion of their clientele, okay. I guess that's their prerogative.
I also think it's shitty to tell people who have supported you, endorsed you, given you their money, etc. "I couldn't care less what you think. If you don't like it, don't come back." It's not really a healthy way for people to engage with each other.
Overreactions aside, someone who's a rape survivor has EVERY FUCKING RIGHT to feel hurt and offended when they see something that they feel makes light of rape, that diminishes their experience (it's no HR3, but still). They have a right to speak up about it. And, while Gabe and Tycho had every right to tell the people complaining to go hang, I appreciate that they made an effort (albeit slightly grudging) to acknowledge that they had readers who felt hurt, and they wanted to do something to make nice.
It's just that, when someone has been raped, especially in a place where they normally go for a laugh, I think their feelings trump the importance of whatever little joke was being made. It doesn't hurt anyone to take some time and think about whether what they are saying, especially to a large group of people, might be hurtful or insensitive. It does hurt rape survivors when you make them feel like they're not welcome.
Okay, well. I just wrote in earnest about an online comic featuring something called a dickwolf. I pretty much forfeit any reason anyone had to take me seriously up until now.
There's been a bit of a to-do lately over a Penny Arcade strip that referenced rape by dickwolf. Apparently there was also a "dickwolves" t-shirt in their store, which has since been taken down. I didn't see it. Full disclosure: I don't regularly read Penny Arcade. Or, like, even semi-regularly. Not my thing.
It seems like the whole thing started when some readers complained about the rape joke in the strip, and presumably that by selling the t-shirt they were essentially profiting off of a rape joke. So Gabe and Tycho pulled the shirt, and then more people started complaining that they'd given in to hysterical feminists that just needed a good lay. At least, I can only assume that's the sort of thing they were saying. I have a rule about reading comments.
Personally, I didn't find the joke terribly offensive, and I think they've done way more off-color strips. Then again, I'm not a rape survivor.
I'm sure there are people who overreacted and got their shorts in a wad over the strip unnecessarily. Yes, certainly, if people don't like what's being posted there, they can just stop reading. No one's forcing them to read Penny Arcade.
Here's the thing: if there's something, somewhere, someone you like, and you're used to that thing, and you're comfortable with it, and you've given it some measure of trust, then maybe you can imagine that if that person/place/thing suddenly did something you found grossly offensive, you'd feel a bit betrayed. And maybe you don't want to give up on it, you just want to say: I felt let down by this. Private businesses can do as they please (hello, Chick-fil-A), and if they're okay with doing as they please even if it alienates a portion of their clientele, okay. I guess that's their prerogative.
I also think it's shitty to tell people who have supported you, endorsed you, given you their money, etc. "I couldn't care less what you think. If you don't like it, don't come back." It's not really a healthy way for people to engage with each other.
Overreactions aside, someone who's a rape survivor has EVERY FUCKING RIGHT to feel hurt and offended when they see something that they feel makes light of rape, that diminishes their experience (it's no HR3, but still). They have a right to speak up about it. And, while Gabe and Tycho had every right to tell the people complaining to go hang, I appreciate that they made an effort (albeit slightly grudging) to acknowledge that they had readers who felt hurt, and they wanted to do something to make nice.
It's just that, when someone has been raped, especially in a place where they normally go for a laugh, I think their feelings trump the importance of whatever little joke was being made. It doesn't hurt anyone to take some time and think about whether what they are saying, especially to a large group of people, might be hurtful or insensitive. It does hurt rape survivors when you make them feel like they're not welcome.
Okay, well. I just wrote in earnest about an online comic featuring something called a dickwolf. I pretty much forfeit any reason anyone had to take me seriously up until now.