My other blogs are linked below: steampunkbanana (funny stuff) and steampunkrainbow (my interests).
Here’s what YOU need to understand:
1) Rape is way, WAY more prevalent than you seem to think it is. Are there more than five women in your audience? You do the math, and then you run the little fantasy scenario that I just put together in your head, and you tell me how it feels.
2) I ain’t buying any of that “If I can make jokes about genocide, why can’t I make jokes about rape?” Horseshit, unless you made those genocide jokes during a gig at the Srebrenica Funny Bone. You got away with making a joke about genocide because your odds of having a holocaust survivor’s kid in the audience were pretty fucking low.
And if you did happen to have one in the audience, and he heckled you, walked out, and wrote something nasty on the internet… would you be more likely to be a human being and say “Wow. I can understand why that person’s authentic response to what I was doing was so emotional and negative. Maybe my genocide material just isn’t good enough to justify the pain that it inflicts. Maybe I need more skill in order to pull this off.” Or are you gonna be a lousy piece of shit and say, “Yeah, I apologize, I guess, IF YOU WERE OFFENDED.”
Offended hasn’t got anything to do with it, moron.
People have wounds, and those wounds are painful. That doesn’t have shit to do with the weak concept of “taking offense.” If someone talks about Texas being a shitty state, I might “take offense” at that. Fine, whatever. All of us who like comedy are generally in agreement with the idea that “taking offense” is lame, and a comedian should be willing to “offend” whenever he or she wants to.
But causing pain is quite a different fucking matter. Your job as a comedian is to take us through pain, transcend pain, transform pain. And if you don’t get that, you are a fucking bully, and I’ve got zero time for bullies.
"Comedian Curtis Luciani’s response to Daniel Tosh’s jokes about rape [Read in Full] (via jupiter-callisto)
I have never heard of Curtis Luciani before, but you can bet I’m going to look him up now. My hat goes off to you, good sir. This is beautifully put.
(via pilgrimkitty)
He really does hit the nail on the head re the difference between causing offence and causing pain, and why some things are acceptable to joke about and others aren’t.
(via lil-miss-choc)
Agreed. It’s a distinction that needs to be made more often.
(via tharook)
25th January 2013
Reblogged From pull-the-lever-kr0nk
Notes: 11086
Hilarious singer responded to rude YouTube comments about her small boobs. Remember, whenever you see a woman who is talented, smart, artistic, savvy, or a professional in her field, the most important thing about her will still be her looks and you must go out of your way to comment on her appearance!
(Source: choosechoice)
When someone is like, “Why can’t you take a joke?”
I don’t know, why can’t you take criticism of your joke?
For someone who’s so adamantly against people “getting offended” at your jokes, you’re certainly very offended that someone dared to not like your joke.
why do people think they can just say “IT’S A JOKE DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND JOKES” and have the content they’re talking about automatically excused
just because it’s a joke doesn’t make you not racist
just because it’s a joke doesn’t make you not cissexist
just because it’s a joke doesn’t make you not ableist
jokes aren’t a magical get out of jail free card that automatically excuse you for any accountability for your bigotry. they don’t automatically make it so that people don’t think about where the joke came from, and why you thought it was appropriate to make it at the expense of marginalized people, or the perpetuation of bigoted ideals
congratulations, you’ve now taken zero accountability for the fact that you’re an asshole
Curtis Luciani
This is so important.
The true genius of comedy is to unpack social norms and turn our culture inside out. Instead, by perpetuating those social norms and continuing to ostracise those who are already oppressed, you aren’t being revolutionary or funny - you’re just being a bully.
If there is any truth to the stereotype that a lot of comedians were unpopular or bullied at school (and use laughter as a coping strategy or defence mechanism) it should serve as an extra reason they should show some fucking compassion.
(via lavenderlabia)
(Source: ceedling)
film about a group of men getting into shenanigans= “comedy”
film about a group of women getting into shenanigans= “chick flick”film about a friendship between two men= “buddy flick”
film about a friendship between two women= “chick flick”emotional film about father/son relationships= “drama”
emotional film about mother/daughter relationships= “chick flick”film about a young man finding identity= “coming of age”
film about a young woman finding identity= “chick flick”
Characters voiced by black men get a pretty decent amount of screen time in animated films these days, often being the main sidekick on the hero or heroes’ journey to success, being present virtually every step of the way. Some people would argue that this is a step forward for black entertainers.
I disagree.
“Afro Circus” is simply the most recent in a long line of public displays of buffoonery that is reducing the “black” character to one-dimensional comic relief in animated films. In every installment of the Madagascar series, Chris Rock’s character, Marty the Zebra, has been a Frankenstein of stitched-together comic tropes, lending very little actual characterization to the character. Marty is constantly the butt of some joke or another, and when he isn’t its some other character voiced by POC, in this case the lemurs. Then there’s Chris Rock’s character in Bee Movie. A mosquito on his way to Alaska for moose blood that will, quote, “blow your head off.” His only purpose in that movie is comic relief while the main character has a crisis.
Some of you may be saying “Well hang on a minute, Theo! You’re just picking on Chris Rock! Surely there are other black actors out there who voice characters that can be taken seriously!”
Alright, anonymous voice from nowhere, let’s look at one of the most prolific black actors of all time: Eddie Murphy. If anyone can be taken seriously, it’s going to arguably the most successful POC in Hollywood, right?
When people think of Mulan, what image springs to mind? Sure, first of all there’s the strong female POC lead who bucks against gender norms and societal constraints and that’s fantastic. But then there’s Eddie Murphy, who brings what, exactly, to the table?
That’s right, dishonor. By allowing the “black” character to be reduced to, say it with me now, a Minstrel Show.
And what about his role in Shrek, which is arguably one of the most successful animated films of the last decade or so.
Waffles. His character is defined, in actual legitimate official promotional material, by waffles.
And the list goes on!
“But Theo! What about ‘black’ characters who AREN’T ridiculous minstrel shows?” Good point, anonymous voice from nowhere! What about them?
You know, I honestly can’t remember any.
Seriously, I can’t. And the only one I’ve managed to find by searching is Bloog from Open Season. And the only reason I can include him is because he isn’t constantly a minstrel show. He’s a walking black stereotype in the form of a bear, and I can’t decide which is worse!
I defy you to find me a “black” character from an animated film produced in the last 10 years that isn’t some form of ridiculous farce. Hollywood is being whitewashed, and when it isn’t the POC characters are only there for comic relief or to serve as some sort of cultural guide so that the white characters can feel deservedly guilty for their whiteness.
