Penny Arcade says, "Rape culture is hilarious!"
Has anyone else been following the Penny Arcade Dickwolf Controversy (as I've taken to calling it)? The whole thing started with this comic, posted in August, which many readers took offense to due to an unfunny rape joke. The argument was revived with new fervor recently, and it's still ongoing. Personally, I'm finding it really difficult to enjoy the comic lately, because of the way this whole thing has been handled.

A better and more thorough write-up than I could ever hope to put together has been posted here.

Edit: Via seiberwing: An interesting protest movement has arisen on Tumblr.
Edit again: A couple of comments have indicated that the Tumblr linked in the above post has malware, so tread lightly.

Edit 3: Via lady7jane: This isn't the first time that Mike has exhibited douchebaggy behavior. "I don't know, Love Systems doesn't seem so bad to me."

Edit 4: Via airawyn and alexa: Jerry responds.

Edit 5: Via number13baby, Mike calls for the discussion to end.

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	jaseroque 2011-02-02 05:37 am UTC (link)
	I don't know why I was expecting better. :( Because it's a woman's blog, and I figured her readers would be sympathetic? Because she's saying things that can only be considered logical? But no. It's amazing how many ways they're finding of making her be wrong. (I only read a little bit, and then I walked away for the sake of my blood pressure.) (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	dottiness 2011-02-02 06:02 am UTC (link)
	That blog is the one a lot of the PA "supporters" have targeted to prove how right they are about everything; apparently they've been sending the author of that post nothing but "RAPE RAPE RAPE" tweets and occasionally images of mutilated women. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	jaseroque 2011-02-02 06:03 am UTC (link)
	I -- images -- of......... How can they even defend themselves. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

dottiness
2011-02-02 06:05 am UTC (link)

This is why I really wish the PA authors would at least try to rein in their fanbase. I know the fans will probably still do stupid things, but sending vulgar tweets? Not to mention demanding the author of that post prove she's a rape survivor and when she justifiably tells them to screw off, report to the internet at large that she's just lying to try and get money?

Fuck this.

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jaseroque
2011-02-02 06:13 am UTC (link)

Yeah. I mean, people are going to do bad stuff... and I blame them for letting this whole thing get started, but the level to which it has sunk now is so far beyond anything anyone should be able to consider acceptable. Even if they can defend their original actions in their minds, how can they even think of not trying to rein in something that's become this horrible? Even "I stand by my overall views regarding my comic, but what you guys are doing is totally unacceptable" would be better than just... ignoring something this foul.

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dottiness
2011-02-02 06:16 am UTC (link)

The worst of it is that from what I've read, Mike is just encouraging them on twitter for the most part -- of the many, many of them tweeting vulgar, gross things and being absolute assholes, he's reprimanded exactly one, and many of his other tweets on the subject have been devil-may-care "well if you're offended, it's not my problem, stop being so angry, geez" sorts of stuff.

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