Can we stop with the prison rape humor?

[jgraz]

I just heard yet another liberal talk show host make a joke about convicted conservatives being raped in prison. I've heard similar comments from Mike Malloy, Sam Seder, Mike Papantonio and others.

As much as I relish seeing Jack Abramoff, Bob Ney, Tom Noe and Randy Cunningham punished for their crimes, it just seems beyond the pale for people to be hoping that anyone be brutalized in this manner. Not because I care that much about these Rethug fuckheads, but because I'm pretty sure that most of the people being raped while we laugh about it are young non-violent offenders who are going to be horribly traumatized for the rest of their lives.

And before y'all hit me with calls of PC, let me just say that it's one thing to use an insensitive word or turn of phrase. It's quite another thing to advocate (and laugh about) this kind of institutionalized brutality.

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. Agreed.

[twilight_sailing]

2. I agree.

People who get their jollies with rape humor just creep me out.

[Blue in Bama]

3. Don't worry about it...

Malloy , etc and the rest of the offenders have no earthly idea what they are talking about wherer that subject is concerned....

[wryter2000]

6. Welcome to DU

:hi:

[Blue in Bama]

7. Thanks

...there are some friendly folks on this site. I'm glad I found it!

[northofdenali]

9. Welcome to this insane little world, Blue in Bama!!

:hi:

Roll Tide or War Eagle?

On edit: I fully agree with the OP. Prison is brutal enough; joking about prison rape is disgusting.

[Blue in Bama]

10. Roll Tide....

U of A Class of ....wellll, lets not go THERE, haha,. Is this REALLY an insane litle3 world? If so, I'm in the right place!

[northofdenali]

13. My daughter is a UofA grad student.

When she was little (preschool), we were at the Alabama-Auburn game; Bama won by a kick in the last few seconds (don't remember what year). A news guy noticed her crimson & white outfit, pompoms and elephant painted on her cheeck, and asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up.

She huffed (as only a little one can) and said, "A cheerleader for the Crimson Tide!" (But pronounced all her R's like W's.)

[Mythsaje]

4. Oh, no...it's an appalling thing.

Rachel Maddow had someone on yesterday talking about it.

It's not funny. Rape isn't funny. Period.

NOT laughing.

[wryter2000]

5. I'm with you n/t

n/t

[Bunny]

8. You know, piss on anyone who calls PC. I'm sick of people demanding to be allowed

to be assholes and blaming "PC" when they're called on it. Rape of any sort, even prison rape by "the Mighty Bubba" is repulsive and does not need to be gloated over by people who claim to be progressive.

Some of these same people may want to consider that fellow DUers have loved ones currently in prison. How do you think they feel when they see/hear this sort of thing?

[wryter2000]

11. Hey, Bunny

Telling it like it is, as usual. Bump-tee-bump-tee-bump!

[Bunny]

20. Hi wryter - Have a nice turkey day!

Any special plans? I am going to my mom's house - I'll see my misfit crew of siblings and their families, then be really glad to return home to my own special weirdness. :D

[JeffR]

12. You're right.

This kind of joke isn't funny.

[jgraz]

14. The most ironic part is...

That all of these hosts were HORRIFIED at Michael Richards' comments about lynching. Then they turn around and make jokes at the current form of humiliation and torture being visited upon poor, young black men.

[William769]

15. Rape is rape.

People that advocate it in any form are assholes.

[jgraz]

17. The problem is they aren't assholes

These are some of the best people in radio. My guess is that they're not thinking and letting their lust for revenge take over. Someone should point out to them the proportion of 60-yr-old white collar criminals being raped in prison, compared to poor non-violent black boys (and I say "boys" because many of these prsioners are under 18). I bet they change their tunes pretty quickly.

[William769]

19. I am retired from the Florida Dept. of Corrections

Rape in prison does not discriminate against race, age or sexuality.

[jgraz]

22. "Rape in prison does not discriminate against race, age or sexuality."

Agreed, but being in prison certainly does.

[LostinVA]

16. Agreed -- and I've stated it on her several times

[Stu DeBeouf]

18. Never...

..It would kill the comedy industry...Prison rape scenarios are one of the seven pillars of modern comedy....Have you never been to a small town "comedy" club?..or a big town one either? The genre would die...kinda like taking the banana peel outta slapstick.

[jgraz]

21. Yeah, I've been there

Last time they had a "comic" who said he would feed his children to his dogs if the kids turned out "faggoty".

Funny guy.

[boolean]

23. Groan.....

:eyes:

Let's not joke about anything anymore.

Judging from the threads around here the last few days, EVERYTHING IS OFF LIMITS. Got that, guys? No more talking, joking, or opining about A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Oh, and let's not use words F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, and P. Everybody plug into the system and assimilate, because we all ought to be a bunch of BORGS.

[jgraz]

29. Yes, that's exactly what I was saying

Nice to know you still have your strong grasp of subtlety.

ETA: :sarcasm: since it's boolean

[rude boy]

24. Black humor can be graphic

and violent by nature. Are you equally opposed to all forms of black humor or is it that this particular topic is a sacred cow? What if someone joked about how much fun it would be to nail Abramoff's foot to the floor? That's arguably a more horrific graphic image that even rape, however, a reasonable person can make a distinction between a gross joke and actually committing such an atrocity. At least, that's the way I would tend to look at it. I'm not a huge fan of censorship or even pressuring people into self-censorship, which is why I raise the question.

[Bunny]

25. How often does someone actually get their foot nailed to the floor,

as compared to how often a rape occurs? Come up with a comparative analysis, then perhaps we can talk.

[rude boy]

30. I picked that example

as one which is as offensive as anything imaginable, however, if the reason why joking about prison rape is offensive is because it is something that actually occurs then let's use the example of murder. Murder is also a heinous crime that occurs all the time in prison. What, if anything, would the distinction be between murder and rape?

[Vektor]

32. Good question.

I'd say rape is far scarier, grosser, and more horrific a concept than a foot being nailed to the floor, but to each their own, eh?

Welcome to DU. :hi:

[rude boy]

33. Thanks for the welcome!

Yes, I suppose it's six on one hand half a dozen the other. Personally, I prefer my victims be forced to chew on razor blades, but don't go by me.

[FormerDittoHead]

26. I don't mind the humor, it's the REALITY that disturbs me. n/t

[Ksec]

27. Hey, did you hear the one about Foley going to prison...

Im just messin with ya.

Lighten up. I see way too much sensitivity on DU.

[jgraz]

28. OK, who had 37 minutes in the anti-PC-police pool?

[Vektor]

31. I tend to agree. Rape is hardly funny.

There comes a point where, no matter how much we dislike someone, wishing certain evils upon them is just going above and beyond what's acceptable.

Wishing murder or rape upon another person, no matter how vile they are, is just going too far IMHO.

But that's just my opinion. That and fifty cents will get you a newspaper.

(Can you still buy a newspaper for $.50?)

[rude boy]

36. Rape and murder are as serious as cancer,

but there is a certain morbidity or something in people that compels them to joke about the most horrible things. I saw an ad for a movie just this past week about two guys being sent to prison and the cell block bull comes on to them. What my point is is regardless of the funniness or lack there of, would this movie be inappropriate as well?

[Trajan]

34. It isnt about PC ....

When the FUCK did 'PC' become a fig leaf for assaultive behaviour ? ....

Its a fucking CRIME to rape another human being .....

I do not wish that criminal acts be perpetrated against ANY human being .... including those whom I politically oppose ....

This is not a tough call ....

[dave502d]

35. Thank you jgraz.

I think it's about time someone dose
something about rape in prison.Most of them
are kids put in prison for drugs.

[jgraz]

39. Anything for a Cubs fan

We understand suffering

[zonkers]

37. Anyone callous enough to joke about the misery of prison probably has never

been incarcerated nor had a loved one incarcerated.

[rude boy]

38. I have been incarcerated as a youth

and I was hassled by a dude twice my size who wanted to make me his bitch and I pile drived his head into a concrete floor. Believe me, I understand it's a horrible problem.