Bits & Bobs On Feminsit Theory #12 :On Rape Jokes And Lazy Comedy

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I love Louis C.K.'s bit on white privilege. To me, it's the epitome of what good comedy is and does; it allows us to tackle hard sociopolitical realities in a way that is accessible to everyone. True comedy is philosophy. True comedy illuminates the truths of our world in an objective way, without alienating those of us who might be the targets of that truth.

Lazy comedy doesn't do that. Fat/black/ugly/asian/gay/female etc. jokes, don't do that. The one thing that all those jokes have in common is that they boil down to a common idea: "Laugh at this thing/person because it's different!" That's not funny. It's lazy and unmotivated. I know that sometimes people are different from me. That's what makes life so interesting. I don't need a half-assed comedian to point that out.

Bad rape jokes are the worst kind of lazy comedy.

It's not that I think that rape should never be laughed about. Comedy can and should be cathartic, but making the victim of rape the butt of the joke is harmful and contributes to rape culture. Why would it ever  be funny to say "Ha Ha! Laugh at this person because they got raped!" Rape is a traumatizing crime that isn't treated with the sensitivity that it deserves for either male or female victims. To re-traumatize those victims by making light of their experience? Pretty shitty, no?

Smart and funny rape jokes take shots at rape culture, not its victims. Smart rape jokes acknowledge the realities of the way that rape is treated in our society without laying blame. Smart rape jokes talk about difficulties of navigating rape culture. Smart rape jokes respond to the way in which people are expected to adjust their lives in order to avoid being victimized.

Lazy rape jokes don't do that. "Ha, ha! She got raped!" Is not a joke, it's an assertion that plays right into dominant ideas that the suffering that women (and men) face is not to be taken seriously. Good rape jokes target and dismantle the system that normalizes that suffering.

Tackling sensitive topics with comedy takes skill. If you don't have skill, maybe leave it to those who do?


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