I think that pretty much sums up the “it’s funny!” side of this discussion.

I kind of think it is funny, but in a low frat boy way of looking at it. This is a comic that should never have appeared in a college paper.

It reminds me of Cyanide and Happiness. Twisted and wrong, and irreverent. There I used that word again. And I agree with Sandra that this celebrates male misogynistic behavior. That is what makes it twisted and wrong.

I think we need to remember that it is okay to dislike something, even be offended by it, and then just move on. Race, religion, sex, and political ideologies are all very delicate subjects, but I hope that cartoonists will continue to expose ourselves and our society through cartoons that spotlight these subjects.

“This isn’t a funny comic.”

Yes it is, very much so.

“The problem here is the deadpan tone. If there were some indication that the cartoonist was winking at you, that sarcasm or sardonicism or ridiculousness was at play, something over-the-top to let you know that hey, we’re not being serious here, then just maybe it could be read as not condoning rape.”

The entire scenario could not be MORE over the top. The sheer outrageousness of it is why it’s funny.

The inherent meaning of the strip is not one of rape, it’s one of pulling a prank. Granted, it’s an extreme prank, but a prank none-the-less. The meaning of rape is being applied to it post-creation. It’s the same thing that happens when someone applies a meaning to the lyrics of a song that was never the artist’s intent. It wasn’t the strip’s intent to indicate rape or even promote it. It was detailing a ridiculous and (obviously subjective) humorous situation.

I’m sorry if anyone here feels that I’m a monster for thinking this way. I don’t condone rape in any way, shape, or form. But then again I don’t condone racism or sexism and I laugh at jokes that stereotype. I believe that humor is the best way of dealing with the horrors that happen in real life.

And for the record, before anyone else blindly calls me on this, I shared all of this with my wife and she’s on my side. So if I’m a monster, at least I’m lucky enough to have another monster’s company.

Ted, I have to disagree with you here. The “wink” is the big part of the problem. The wink says the males’ sexual misconduct is harmless fun…it’s that old “boys will be boys”.

A 16 year-old girl in British Columbia was gang-raped recently. Reportedly, there were 12 witnesses to the attack and none of them intervened. One did have the wherewithall to record the rape on his cellphone. From there, it was posted on Facebook. Like that genie will ever be put back in the bottle. Some students and Facebook commenters don’t see the problem…feel the attack was what she wanted…and other ridiculous drivel. Where does this attitude come from?That girl has been violated on so many levels, I can’t begin to count.

This news item is probably why I have posted on this thread as many times as I have. I normally wouldn’t.

I agree that college is a place for debate, critical thought and analysis. I agree that this cartoon could be used as a springboard for discussion. However, I would concur with Susan’s comment…

“But no one can deny the seriousness of rape and thus if it’s going to be depicted without some kind of context then it serves as gratuitous violence.”

I won’t post anymore on this thread as I think anything else I say will be just be repetitious.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve personally never been with a woman who I think could not tell if their guy had been switched out “mid-process”.

It’s clearly a ridiculous, absurd situation. Therein lay the “wink”.

However, ridiculous or not, the behavior could certainly be categorized as a type of rape and is therefore absolutely OFFENSIVE to vast numbers of people, surely the majority of any audience, juvenile or not.

This isn’t a funny comic.

The problem here is the deadpan tone. If there were some indication that the cartoonist was winking at you, that sarcasm or sardonicism or ridiculousness was at play, something over-the-top to let you know that hey, we’re not being serious here, then just maybe it could be read as not condoning rape.

As things stand, however, there’s no other way to look at it.

I get it, and I mostly agree with you. I think we’re generally on the same page. I guess the main point is that, although I see where you’re coming from, I feel that student newspapers ARE an appropriate place to publish such things… mainly because student newspapers are a place where this sort of discussion (either frank open discussion, discussion through mockery/comedy, etc) takes place, and MUST take place. Student newspapers are unique in that they tend to be almost completely without censorship of any kind, and that’s a good thing… even when the result is offensive. In my experience, this sort of comic or article just leads to articles/comments/letters/comics addressing the offense in the NEXT week’s paper.