• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
College Magazine logo

College Magazine

College Life, Dating, Career & Campus Advice

  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
    • Find Your College
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
Home » Latest Posts » Humor Holdup: When to cut the rape jokes
Life

Humor Holdup: When to cut the rape jokes

Facebook Tweet
Michele Corriston   August 24, 2012

When Rep. Todd Akin tried to cloak his ignorance in science, he birthed (no pun intended) one of the week’s most caustic catchphrases: “legitimate rape.” Politicos on both sides of the aisle balked, calling for the Missouri Republican’s to resign from his congressional race (SPOILER ALERT: He didn’t). But Akin’s absurd, slut-shaming stupidity wasn’t the only rape-related controversy to infuriate the masses this summer. Way back in July, comedian Daniel Tosh tried to be funny. He really should stop that. Because when he make a crack that rape jokes are always super duper funny, one audience member grew offended, yelling, “Actually, rape jokes are never funny!” Tosh’s retort was somehow less funny than his original spiel: he joked that five men should gang bang the girl for daring to heckle at a comedy show. The incident gained national attention through a Tumblr blog post, igniting a web-wide conversation about society’s perception of rape and a solid condemnation of Tosh. Bloggers, pundits and random Tweets have all put in their two cents. For our part, we rounded up some of the most cringe-worthy, debate-sparking comedian “jokes.” Legitimately funny or completely crossing the line? It’s your call — but we’re sticking with “decidedly unfunny.” 

1) Daniel Tosh

“Wouldn’t it be funny if that girl got raped by, like, five guys right now? Like right now?”

See intro. Blech blech blech. 

2) Tracy Morgan


trending

463

10 Student Organizations Breaking the Mold at Berkeley

184

Top 10 Spots Around Emerson College to Get Inspired

161

Top 10 Ways to Spot a UT Austin Alum


 “If my son talks to me in a gay voice, I will pull out my knife and stab him.” And after being booed, “If they can take a f***** d*** up their ass, they can take a f***** joke.” 

Even the audience in notoriously gay-unfriendly Tennessee (see its government’s recent, failed push to pass a bill banning discussion of LGBT issues in public schools) couldn’t stomach Morgan’s shtick. The zany comedian made headlines in 2011 for bringing this homophobic — and not to mention patricidal — joke to a Nashville theater. In a year full of tragic teen suicides, Morgan’s joke was too real, too cruel. 

3) Michael Richards

In another heckler-comedian showdown, Richards shed the lovable goofball image he’d cultivated on “Seinfeld” (ask your parents) when he tried to quell audience members at a 2006 Laugh Factory performance. His strategy? Racial epithets. Bad move, especially when the whole outburst was caught on a cell-phone camera. Technology these days. 

“Fifty years ago, we’d have had you dangling upside down with a fucking fork shoved up your ass! He’s a n******!” Richards screamed at black audience members, referencing lynching. With racial inequalities in America far from being resolved and much tension surrounding the n-word, pretty much no one sided with Kramer. 

4) Louis C.K

Louis C.K. is generally a provocative but hysterical comedian who commands a lot of respect for not shying away from big issues. But in 2006, he learned that time, place and taste are everything. C.K. performed at a comedy fundraiser for a homeless women’s shelter and decided he should definitely make a domestic abuse joke and crack one about smashing his four-year-old daughter’s head in. Right. We’ll categorize that one as a misfire. 

5) Daniel Tosh

On pranking his sister, Tosh said earlier this year, “I replaced her pepper spray with silly string. Anyway, that night she got raped, and she called me the next day going, ‘You son of a bitch, you got me so good. As soon as I started spraying him in the face I’m like “Daniel, this is gonna really hurt.”’”

Please, Tosh. No more rape jokes.

About Michele Corriston

Sophomore > Magazine Journalism > Northwestern

The Art of the Hot Girl Walk

I Used to Outrun My Feet

What I Wish I Had Known About Mental Health So I Wouldn’t Have to Call Myself a College Dropout

Ant-Man Opens the Doors for Marvel’s New Phase

10 Boba Tea Spots for Houston College Students

10 Ways to Have Fun with Your Friends Indoors

Do You Actually Care, Or Do You Want to Look Like You Do?

unsplash.com

Top Ten Inspirational Quotes from Your Favorite Sports TV Shows

I lived with my three best friends. Here’s how it went.

Previous Post:Soul Food and Sweet Tea: College in the South
Next Post:What I Wish I Knew About College Guys

colleges

  • College Guides
  • College Rankings
  • Campus life
  • Academics
  • Dating
  • Freshmen Year
  • Health
  • Party

majors

  • All College Majors
  • Most Popular Majors
  • Choosing a Major

intern

  • Internships Directory
  • How to Write a Resume
  • How to Write a Cover Letter
  • How to Interview
  • How to Get an Internship
  • How to Network

money

  • How to Make Money
  • How to Save Money
  • How to Get a Job
  • Credit Cards 101
  • College Loans

travel

  • Study Abroad
  • College Spring Break
  • How to Travel Cheap
  • Things to Do

shop

  • College Packing List
  • Gift Guides
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

College Magazine logo

Copyright © 2023 Powered by BizBudding