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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sandglass
2011-02-04 04:25 am UTC (link)

If you're going to say, "Nothing is off the table" you have to be willing to accept some goddamned criticism, otherwise we live in a horrible world. The difference between a society that allows rape jokes because it doesn't care about rape and the society that allows them but does is that in the latter, the people who make rape jokes have to answer for it.

Also, you can totally make a rape joke that doesn't support rape culture. Wanda Syke's detachable vagina bit is perfect for that.

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	littleshebear 2011-02-04 12:52 pm UTC (link)
	Exactly. Freedom of speech does not entail freedom from criticism. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	thehunter 2011-02-04 01:52 pm UTC (link)
	Agreed on all counts. But hey, they are willing to accept criticism...sometimes. You know, on the issues that really matter. ...okay, I couldn't even type that last part without wanting to vomit a little. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	sandglass 2011-02-04 07:31 pm UTC (link)
	Could they possibly suck more? (Reply to this)(Parent)

	cmdr_zoom 2011-02-04 08:31 pm UTC (link)
	... damn. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	eleutheria 2011-02-05 11:09 am UTC (link)
	I... wow. (Reply to this)(Parent)

kattahj
2011-02-04 07:37 pm UTC (link)

If you're going to say, "Nothing is off the table" you have to be willing to accept some goddamned criticism, otherwise we live in a horrible world.

This. I'm rather fond of dark and sometimes offensive humour, which I often think serves a psychological purpose, but I'm baffled at how often offensive comedians claim people are unreasonable for being offended. To me, it just makes no sense at all. How can you play at being "edgy" and then huff at people thinking you stepped over the edge, when that's your raison d'etre in the first place? ("You" meaning the comedian, of course, not you you.)

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sandglass
2011-02-05 01:07 am UTC (link)

Yeah, I like dark and offensive humor. I was a PA fan before this, after all. Given, "offensive" is a ridiculous word with lots of different meanings to everyone, and offensive can encompass both just the outlandish and ridiculous, and the realistic and harmful. I can tell the difference, and that's why I can laugh at a comic of Gabe beating Tycho with a hammer over Patapon. But in the PA world, I guess rape is a lot like killing someone over a game. Their world must be so much nicer, and also devoid of statistics.

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kattahj
2011-02-05 10:59 am UTC (link)

IDK, I think jokes about realistic threats can serve a purpose too, though it makes rather a difference if the person telling it is a potential victim or a potential aggressor. A similar joke to the PA one told by a woman would take on a different meaning. And even then, I think the best stance would be to say, "I find this funny, in ways that are helpful to me. It is perfectly okay that you don't find this funny, and I understand how it could be harmful. I'm sorry that you were hurt, and I will put up a general warning about what kind of humour can be found here."

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	cmdr_zoom 2011-02-04 08:31 pm UTC (link)
	Agreed. (Reply to this)(Parent)

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