Boring Work Day, So WDWWT?

VarunaTT · July 2012

I don't think this has been discussed here.

I've been reading up on the Daniel Tosh rape joke controversy. For those not in the know, here's the blog that started it all: http://breakfastcookie.tumblr.com/post/26879625651/so-a-girl-walks-into-a-comedy-club. There are conflicting stories about how much is truth and how much isn't. The point no one disagrees on is that he TOLD the actual joke, but some disagreement on context, severity, if woman actually walked out, etc.

My $.02: I miss the cents key. Also, I tend to err on the side of comedy. I mean, I never thought cancer could be funny until I saw one of my professors do a one-woman show about her breast cancer treatment that was poignant and hilarious at the same time. And the Archer episodes about cancer are some of the best there are. Sometimes being able to laugh about something so inordinately painful can be really healing.

I'm not sure if I could laugh at any rape joke. But I think what Tosh did wasn't funny. B/c it wasn't a joke in the context of the routine. He did it to reestablish his power on stage and he did it in the most base way that men have been establishing power over women since the beginning of time: reminding them of their vulnerability. I really enjoyed this female comedian's take on it: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/07/11/why-daniel-tosh-s-rape-joke-at-the-laugh-factory-wasn-t-funny.html

Thoughts?

Wzz · July 2012

meh.

i don't find race jokes funny. not all jokes are for all people.

comedians are such divas. people will be offended; they need to just own it and move on.

tawillers · July 2012

I'm not really sure. I really enjoy the nasty comedy of Daniel Tosh and Louis C.K. so I'm sort of wondering if this woman knew anything about Tosh's comedy before she went to see him. I think it's absolutely expected of him to say things like that.

**O-Face** · July 2012

Yes, I would liken him to shock jocks...just out there to get a gasp or what not. BUT, I don't think anything about rape is funny. This is being said without reading all that you linked.

I usually side with comedians, but on this one...? Not so sure.

mrsconn23 · July 2012

Humor can definitely found in any situation and trying to find humor in the worst situations can be healing (I distinctly remember joking with my friend A in my last conversation with her that I couldn't believe she didn't remember me being at the hospital after she had to be intubated and how could she forget the cake I baked her).

However, that is not what Daniel Tosh did at all. I'm not a big fan of his brand of humor as a whole. I feel like he gets laughs from making people uncomfortable and he took it way too far.

VarunaTT · July 2012

For the TL: DR:

Woman admit knew nothing about comedy. Tosh is setting up rape joke, saying anything can be funny, even rape. She yells out, "Rape is never funny". He says, "Wouldn't it be funny if woman heckler were raped right now, by like 5 guys from audience?" She feels threatened and leaves. <--point of contention, manager says she complained but stayed.

hmonkey · July 2012

i agree with you, v. it was absolutely about power.

it's gaslighting on his part -- it's a way of saying that someone is crazy and they are not "right" to feel the way they feel.

**O-Face** · July 2012

Patronization and trying to invalidate my feelings get me from 0----->hulk smash in .2 seconds.

baconsmom · July 2012

I'm with you, Varuna. And I do think there are rape jokes that can be funny. This wasn't one of them, period.

But Tosh is an unfunny jerk to begin with, IMO.

VarunaTT · July 2012

Ooo, this was just in my newsfeed. This is an amazingly good and well written explanation of how wrong this was by a male comedian:

http://austin.culturemap.com/newsdetail/07-12-12-14-37-the-best-response-weve-heard-to-daniel-toshs-misquoted-rape-jokes/

Boring Work Day, So WDWWT?

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