We've been on the sidelines of a debate about whether or not it's ever acceptable to joke about rape or violence up here at the Edinburgh Fringe.
The concensus is that it's never right… unless it has happened to you. If as a victim of rape or domestic violence, you are asked to tell your story on a public platform and you chose to add an humorous anecdote, would this be wrong? We have the right as individuals to use comedy to illustrate our own personal experiences, just as if you are disabled, black, gay – it is your story to tell.
What isn’t funny is young men on stage bragging about hitting their girlfriends, just as Chris Turner did earlier this week during a comedy show.
Unfortunately for Chris, Guardian journalist Tanya Gold was there in the audience and asked him why he had to tell jokes about domestic violence? He retorted that this was because “It's funny enough"and he’s studied feminism. What has the world come to when a fresh-faced 22 year old man is allowed to run a mock with this glib kind of rubbish on stage?
Tanya went on to report this incident in an article, stating that misogyny is a constant in stand-up, and we don’t disagree. It’s still a staple of male jokes characterised by ‘mothers in law’ and other such female stereotyping. Yet depictions of rape and violence against women and men have existed in art and culture for centuries – take the many versions of the 'Rape of Lucretia' for example – not to excuse this practice in any way at all, but it is down to ‘how you tell ‘em’.
Anything that appears to ‘normalise’ or ‘excuse’ rape or violence towards women has a negative impact on society. Comedy is a particularly powerful and far reaching form of communication, so young men flippantly slapping out a joke about hitting their girlfriends sends out a very dangerous message. As Tanya says, “if it is easy to laugh about, it is hard to take seriously.”
You can read the full article from the Guardian by Tanya Gold HERE.
