The Penny Arcade rape culture debacle

[parcae_lj]

Trigger warning: Post, if you couldn't guess from the title, contains a discussion of rape.

Recap

Basically, a well-known webcomic published a strip that referenced rape, a bunch of people suggested that it might be triggering and/or contribute to the normalization of rape, and then the writers were dicks about it.

Comments

[ladyofthelog]

ugh, LJ just ate my super-long comment.

short answer: yes.

longer answer: rape is the punchline.

eta: bluemage55 is full of the wisdoms, and I am terse because I am tired and just moved into my new place (yay!). we can talk about this later if you like.

[bluemage55]

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[bluemage55]

Did I find the original comic offensive? Not particularly.

Did I find it bad for society? Certainly.

But honestly, my biggest problem was with the writers' responses and attitudes towards rape survivors and their allies. That was extremely offensive and off-putting.

Humor can often push the limits of political correctness. I accept that unintentionally hurting people's feelings is an occupational hazard. But when that does happen, deliberately taunting them is a dick move.

Edit: grammar

[waddis]

I think that the general consensus is that the response is what has bred the real meat of the issue, rather than the original comic. Their initial response was a clarification of their not-advocating-rape-ness, which was done in their typical joking form (it's a humor comic, it's what they do), which should have ended the issue once and for all.

However, there was a continued backlash, this time in the form of harshly worded criticism and moral assignation, most likely due to the fact that their response took the same joking tone that every single scrap of their interactions with the public takes on

[bluemage55]

I'm not holding the feminist blogosphere blameless here. I've personally interacted with them enough to understand that they have a capacity to be... overzealous, if not outright hostile. They're certainly fueling the fire here by attacking the authors, rather than seeking a more reconciliatory (and probably pragmatic) approach. (I also take issue with their use of survivors as rhetorical tools, but that's neither here nor there

[waddis]

I agree with you that the creators' antagonistic response is not strictly the right thing to do. However, I would point out that they are not using their comic or their blogs to throw fire on their critics. Rather, they are responding to personal attacks in a personal manner.

Moreover, Mike (aka Gabriel) has stepped in in defense of Courtney Stanton, self-proclaimed rape survivor and creator of the "Dickwolves Survivor" t-shirt (and let's set aside the fact that we have an individual here who is likening the creation of said comic to the actual act of rape), who was being harassed by one of his fans.

This is certainly a magnification of a legitimate rape culture issue, but it's being magnified by the self-appointed champions. In responding this way to a joke that in no way condoned rape, by webcomic creators who in no way condone rape, all they are doing is illegitimizing their own stance. Worse, they are operating from such a height of moral superiority that people simply are not allowed to disagree with them. Doing so, of course

[dipenates]

I agree entirely with Amanda Marcotte on this. I didn't find the original strip offensive, but I thought Penny Arcade missed the most basic fundamentals of smart communications with their response.

It's also true that there's almost no way of framing a critique of rape culture, or any of its manifestations, that will not bring down a furious misogynist rage on the head of any given feminist blogger/commentator. It's all read as hysterical carping, no matter how well evidenced or rational.

The original post reads (to me) as someone responding (wrongly, in my view) to the straw that broke the camel's back. It gets really fucking tired seeing the worst experience of your life (if it is, it might not be) constantly retold to you as a joke, or in the context of women just all being a bunch of lying sluts. The biggest injustice is certainly not that a couple of webcomic guys got yelled at when it wasn't their turn.

Also, bluemage55 speaks the truth.

[bluemage55]

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[ricaorff]

I am doing research for my university thesis, thanks for your great points, now I am acting on a sudden impulse.

[hefihoya]

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