I found these on Allposters.com while looking for artwork for my apartment.
Rape culture:
(This one makes me absolutely sick.)
(This is what’s known as “rape”).
(Obvi.)
Women are only after one thing:
(That’s how you want to end up with an engagement ring! Because you wore him down and drove him nuts until he caved! Romantic!).
Sometimes I hate our society.
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I'm Britni, a snarky bitch and generally awesome person. I write about sex, love, and bullshit. If sex-positivity, discussions about BDSM and kink, queer issues, and topics that are completely inappropriate by society's standards make you uncomfortable, then this blog is not for you.
Good Vibes 
16 Comments
Have you considered renaming your blog: “Commentary from the humor-impaired?”
People make comments/cartoons that are clearly tongue-in-cheek and you take them literally. Sadly, many of the comments/cartoons aren’t funny (personally, I think the woman who won’t let her man look at porn is quite funny), but they are clearly an attempt at humor (not an indication of the so-called “rape culture”).
It does your cause a disservice when you can’t distinguish humor (or attempted humor) from the legitimate signs of rape culture.
Humor, even tongue-in-cheek humor, is not above criticism. These “jokes” do indeed reinforce rape culture. Do you know why these posters aren’t funny? Because they are real situations that happen to real people all the time.
It’s not that I don’t have a sense of humor. It’s that this shit isn’t funny. And just because some people DO find it funny, doesn’t mean it should get off the hook.
I have an excellent sense of humor, especially when it comes to dry, biting wit and sarcastic humor. I even love a well-executed pun. When someone delivers truly witty humor, I’ll laugh ’til I cry.
I didn’t laugh at these posters.
Love to know what you’d consider “legitimate signs of rape culture.” From your post, my guess would be approximately that if someone’s actually being physically assaulted, you’ll think about it.
Dalanu, rock on.
I disagree. I think Britni is fully aware that the posters above are intended to be humorous. The thing is, these are jokes that are only funny if you believe in or agree with the underlying attitudes at least a little bit, even just subconsciously (i.e. people want to be groped, even if they say they don’t, or groping is fun whether she likes it or not, or it’s okay to get someone drunk to get them to have sex with you, women just want desperately to get married, etc.). Such humor is legitimately a part of rape culture, is a symptom of rape culture, and helps perpetuate rape culture by saying it’s funny instead of horrifying, much in the same way that jokes containing racial slurs perpetuate and are a symptom of racism in our society. I think it’s good to question why jokes like this are supposed to be funny.
I take exception to the implication that she needs to lighten up or somehow leave it alone just because it’s humor. Humor can be an eye-opening indication of society’s attitudes toward a number of things. As such, I think many people could stand to be more aware of what they’re laughing at and why.
So I guess if people make racist jokes, you think that should be brushed off as just humor too?
Stop contributing to the normalization of misogyny and rape culture by telling us we don’t get it. We get it. That’s why we’re mad.
The normalization of jokes involving sexual assault is rape culture.
Hey guys! Here’s a dude to tell us what we should find funny! Because he alone in all his dudeliness gets to define humor! And because jokes are never EVER reflective of the attitudes of the society they’re produced in!
How is that any worse than telling someone what NOT to find funny?
Some people have a dark sense of humour and can find things funny without believing the actual sentiment behind things.
I’m often joking about my black people being natural criminals, and my black friends know I’m not in the slightest bit racist or actually believe what I’m joking about, and so genuinely laugh along.
Of course, I wouldn’t put those jokes on a sign on my wall, but I have a feeling your problem is the jokes themselves rather than the fact they’ve been put on a sign.
Heeeere’s the thing. When you make those jokes, you’re still highlighting the societal attitude (here: all black people are criminals), and the reason it’s FUNNY is because you’re juxtaposing your attitude with the prevailing attitude. Not because joking about it somehow erases the prevailing attitude. The joke still depends on racism existing.
Also, criticizing attitudes behind certain jokes =/= telling people what not to find funny.
Also, that’s the whole POINT of dark humour.
To BE reflective of society.
I totally forgot, we should only ever tackle serious issues seriously. Humour has no place in the world unless it’s directed at other funny things. Sarcasm, satire and parody has no place in the worlds of politics, sexuality and race.
[/sarc… Fuck.
I’m sorry, Frida, but if you think some fucknut putting up a rape joke poster is somehow sarcasm, satire, or parody, then you are really fucking dumb. I can call you really fucking dumb because I’m not the slightest bit prejudiced against dumb people.
The writer of this blog did NOT tell you what to find funny. Read the goddamned post. She said that SHE didn’t find these funny, and in fact found them horrible. If you DO find them funny, then go read rape joke blogs or go shoot yourself in the head or do whatever your miserable little hobby is.
But coming here and telling Britni or any of us that we are humorless because we find rape jokes on posters offensive just proves that you are really really truly fucking stupid. And calling you that is making me laugh aloud. See? I have a sense of humor!
That wasn’t my point. I agree that these jokes are not funny. I was replying to the general point of “And because jokes are never EVER reflective of the attitudes of the society they’re produced in!”, not these specific signs. It was as if the commenter was saying that you can’t joke about touchy subjects, because the second you do, you’re saying the subject of the joke isn’t serious in itself.
Which isn’t the case at all. A good joke can be just as biting as a serious lecture. These ones? I agree that wasn’t the case.
I blame the white man
Well, shit. Here I thought that misogyny, rape and sexual harassment weren’t funny, but were actually really fucking awful things.
I guess me and my ladybrain just can’t comprehend such fine examples of hilarity. Thank you for setting us straight, Bob.