by Sarah Mo (Mon Feb 08, 2010)
Comic relief - the
act of injecting humor into serious situations and social issues - dates back
to Greek theater and it exists for a reason. If we could not laugh at the human
condition, we would most likely go mad. Society could possibly crumble without
it.
But are all
serious social issues the same? Should some never be joked about? I am talking
about rape, here.
Is it ever
acceptable to joke about rape? Is it a black-and-white issue, or is there some
gray area that leaves room for debate? For example, what if we placed a
moratorium on jokes about violent rape, but allowed non-violent and statutory
rape jokes, for whatever reason, into the social discourse? Is there a
distinction, and if so, does it matter when we evaluate a joke about rape?
I am asking
these questions because a rather disturbing rape joke was featured in a popular
television program in America this week. The majority opinion is that the joke was
offensive to rape victims. But, there is a contingent of viewers who feel that,
while it may be offensive, the joke was rightfully left uncensored - that some
viewers could (somehow) find the joke, in that context, funny.
Perhaps these
rape-joke-apologists do not realize how traumatic a comical depiction of rape
can be to a person with (or even without) a history of sexual abuse. Or, maybe
they are simply trying to make light of a serious situation? Maybe they believe that comic relief can soothe
the ills caused by the existence of rape?
Regardless of
whatever noble intentions might be attached to rape jokes, are they ever OK? And if so, in
what context?
