The entire Daniel Tosh frenzy.
My Twitter has blown up about Daniel Tosh lately. I don't get it, myself. His entire act is based on cruelty to everyone. It's like getting mad that a child molester hit a puppy. (Personally, I would be more upset about the puppy but I admit that I'm not a normal person in that respect.) If Bill Cosby started throwing the N word around, yeah, I'd be shocked -- not Chris Rock, though. And here is a guy who makes a living by making racist, sexist, anti-everything jokes. He subjects himself to nudity and shock & awe type comedy. His entire show is based on internet videos that present people doing stupid things, then he calls people stupid.
I can't imagine why people are mad about him making rape jokes, but not about making jokes about black people or gay people. The basis of his name is belittling others. If he made a living by telling knock-knock jokes, I would give some validity to people getting pissed.
Here's where I think he made a mistake. Instead of talking to a general camera audience (the "you" when he speaks to the television), he was speaking to a specific woman. In my eyes, this makes it a direct threat, not a joke. He threatened someone. I would possibly take legal action for that. I also think he owed the woman a sincere apology, which he did not give. Until this time, I assumed his comedy was an act, not a personal opinion about hating everyone. Now I wonder. However, I am not going to stop watching his show or give him crap for what he did. He did what he has ALWAYS done, and I don't find it out of character in the slightest. Anyone who went to see his act should have known what they were in for.
That said, good for the chick for leaving. I still think it was his right to make jokes about rape (and any other topic he wants), but when he told her to her face that she should be raped, I call it harassment.
But the main point people seem to be making lately is that rape joke aren't funny. To which I say, sure they are if told right. (And those that say I would feel differently if I'd been raped -- I disagree and will just add that I've been in some questionable situations, myself.) Anything can be funny. It's up to you how far you want to take it, and how you want others to view you. But I absolutely support someone's right to make any joke they want to make. It's your decision about whether you find it funny. It's their decision what jokes to make. Freedom, folks. The line should be drawn at threatening an audience member, not at the joke itself.
I can't imagine why people are mad about him making rape jokes, but not about making jokes about black people or gay people. The basis of his name is belittling others. If he made a living by telling knock-knock jokes, I would give some validity to people getting pissed.
Here's where I think he made a mistake. Instead of talking to a general camera audience (the "you" when he speaks to the television), he was speaking to a specific woman. In my eyes, this makes it a direct threat, not a joke. He threatened someone. I would possibly take legal action for that. I also think he owed the woman a sincere apology, which he did not give. Until this time, I assumed his comedy was an act, not a personal opinion about hating everyone. Now I wonder. However, I am not going to stop watching his show or give him crap for what he did. He did what he has ALWAYS done, and I don't find it out of character in the slightest. Anyone who went to see his act should have known what they were in for.
That said, good for the chick for leaving. I still think it was his right to make jokes about rape (and any other topic he wants), but when he told her to her face that she should be raped, I call it harassment.
But the main point people seem to be making lately is that rape joke aren't funny. To which I say, sure they are if told right. (And those that say I would feel differently if I'd been raped -- I disagree and will just add that I've been in some questionable situations, myself.) Anything can be funny. It's up to you how far you want to take it, and how you want others to view you. But I absolutely support someone's right to make any joke they want to make. It's your decision about whether you find it funny. It's their decision what jokes to make. Freedom, folks. The line should be drawn at threatening an audience member, not at the joke itself.