Rape joke gone too far?

[ljen]

Comedian Bill Maher is no stranger to controversy and offensive jokes, but when he flung a cruel rape joke at the expense of "The View's" Elisabeth Hasselbeck, she wasn't going to take it lightly.

The two sparr and throw insults back and forth to each other, as Elisabeth is noticeably (and rightly) agitated.

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Do you think that rape jokes are every

Comments

[arinwolfe]

While I aknowledge that some victims use rape humor as a way to deal with things, I find it offensive all the time. I hate it.
PS I'm genderqueer.

PPS: ok that one wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I don't even know if that is a true "rape joke."

[brenbell]

I don't think they are ever appropriate. And while rape is rarer among men then it is among women it still happens. Some things just aren't funny no matter what.

[paraboobizarre]

Rape jokes = definitely not okay.
But Hasselbeck needs to grow up and get a life. As he said, she is a public figure. She will be made fun of no matter and some of these jokes may be in bad taste.
In that segment she just comes across as petty and unprofessional though, especially in contrast to Maher.

[smittenlotus]

While I don't think there is ever a scenario where a rape joke would be "appropriate," I think whether or not it can be seen as vastly offensive depends on the joke itself and the context in which it was used. Some are minor and can be taken with a grain of salt, I think (like how gamers often use it, ie "Dude we're getting raped in this level!"). A lot of words are used outside of their intended definition these days just for emphasis.

[tabular_rasa]

In regards to the appropriateness of rape jokes: I have to be honest and say I don't know. Sometimes I find them to be in terribly bad taste, but sometimes, perhaps in spite of myself, I find them funny. It seems to depend on a lot of factors, including the audience for the joke, who is telling it, and just plain how funny the jokes is. (Ie, was it *worth* bringing rape into it?). Considering how difficult it is to appropriately satisfy those requirements, generally I don't think rape jokes are appropriate in media intended for a public audience, as was the case with Maher's. (He points out "it's HBO, edgy is okay"-- but I think he made too tall of an assumption, as people with access to HBO were offended in some cases). But in terms of private citizens telling jokes in private company . . . I don't know. It's hard to say, especially since what constitutes a "rape joke" can be very broad