Poll: Daniel Tosh threatens Woman with Gang Rape
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I'm reminded of this funny story where the king of England was joking around with some of his knights about how it would be really funny if someone just killed this bothersome fellow named Thomas a Becket (a bishop who argued that the Pope rather than the king had the authority to appoint new bishops).Z of the Na said:
The punchline was when a gang of those knights went out later that night and killed Thomas.
This. I used to think that Encyclopedia Dramatica was the height of hilarity when I was like 17-18. Then I realized how formulaic and banal transgressive humor actually is - you basically just play mad libs with words and images some people find offensive. Tosh seems like a comedian for ppl who are still in that stage.everythingbeeps said:
I don?t know anything about this Daniel Tosh, but what he said to this woman was a tad out of order (it wasn?t really a joke, just a shitty comeback). But if she didn?t like it, she should?ve left. It?s a comedy club, offensive jokes are bound to be thrown around and you should be prepared for that. Don?t interrupt a guy in the middle of his performance just because you?ve suddenly decided that you don?t like his particular brand of humour. It?s like being a Middle Eastern man who pays to see Frankie Boyle and piping up when he makes jokes about terrorists.
Personally, I think you can generate humour out of anything, as long as you don?t take the piss out of a specific victim or something like that. We?ve all laughed at politically incorrect jokes and, perhaps, felt a bit guilty about it because of the subject nature. But if it?s funny, it?s done the job, hasn?t it? For example, it?s perfectly fine to joke about the Fritzl case (obviously, within limits; perhaps something about how no-one ever found out what he was doing), but not take the piss out of the daughter?s abuse.
Basically, anything is fair game, as long as you handle it correctly. If you?re going to complain about this, how about the amount of jokes about murder, race, homosexuality and Catholic priests? molestation of children that numerous comedians have flown around? Offense is subjective, after all, and your sensitivity isn?t the comedian?s fault. So boo-fucking-hoo, get over it, they?re not attacking you directly, so shut up or get the fuck out. Stop acting as if you?re the only person in the world whose feelings matter. You get what you pay for.
Now to exercise my freedom of a speech with another joke:
Personally, I think you can generate humour out of anything, as long as you don?t take the piss out of a specific victim or something like that. We?ve all laughed at politically incorrect jokes and, perhaps, felt a bit guilty about it because of the subject nature. But if it?s funny, it?s done the job, hasn?t it? For example, it?s perfectly fine to joke about the Fritzl case (obviously, within limits; perhaps something about how no-one ever found out what he was doing), but not take the piss out of the daughter?s abuse.
Basically, anything is fair game, as long as you handle it correctly. If you?re going to complain about this, how about the amount of jokes about murder, race, homosexuality and Catholic priests? molestation of children that numerous comedians have flown around? Offense is subjective, after all, and your sensitivity isn?t the comedian?s fault. So boo-fucking-hoo, get over it, they?re not attacking you directly, so shut up or get the fuck out. Stop acting as if you?re the only person in the world whose feelings matter. You get what you pay for.
Now to exercise my freedom of a speech with another joke:
Sorry if you happen to be the relative of an abused prostitute or something, but it?s not as if I was directing at you.
"Wouldn't it be funny if that girl got raped by like, 5 guys right now? Like right now? What if a bunch of guys just raped her..."
...no... I want him to answer this: How. How would this be funny?
It'd be like saying, "Wouldn't it be funny if Tosh got stabbed by like, 5 girls right now?"
...no... I want him to answer this: How. How would this be funny?
It'd be like saying, "Wouldn't it be funny if Tosh got stabbed by like, 5 girls right now?"
I think he was going for an irony gag. She was just complaining about rape then SURPRISE! Rape!redisforever said:
Honestly I think his joke just fell through, she did put him on the spot though, so I don't blame him, unlike the OP.
Eeeeeexcept Henry II said, "Who will rid me of this turbulent priest?" (or words to that effect) which has a completely different meaning. Also, 12th Century=/=21st Century.craddoke said:
I don't consider any topic of humor completely out of bounds, so I am not offended by the "joke" he was trying to make. What surprises me is that he alluded to how funny it would be if five guys raped a woman in his audience. To me, his words are precariously close to calling for an act of violence against another human being. If I said, "Would it be funny if five guys caved your face in," to someone, within earshot of a police officer, I would hope it would expect to find myself in cuffs.
Maybe the rules of conduct are different in comedy clubs? Frankly, I find most of them lame.
Maybe the rules of conduct are different in comedy clubs? Frankly, I find most of them lame.
This wont garner much hatred towards Tosh because in the world of Comedy, style is key: not substance. Which really makes me sound like an assbag for defending him, but let me explain.
Why do you think that Kramer got flamed for using "The N word", while comedians like Dave Chappelle have free reign. Context and style. Look at white Comic Louie CK. He certainly doesnt go around shouting the N word, but he incorperates it into his shows. But the difference is he doesn't use it in a malice filled way - he never uses it as a term of degradation. He talks about how the word is degrading, but never uses it in that manner. Dave Chappele is the same way - he never uses it to insult a group a people. He certainly can push that boundary a lot further than other comedians (lets face it, black Comedians ALWAYS can because there is virtually no stigma for using that word if your not white). Kramer, on the other hand, shouted it out as an insult.
And thats how context works. Daniel Tosh has a very offensive style - he goes for a shock and awe style over a normal comedic context. He also deals with Hecklers is a specific way - he comes off very cocky and boastful - thats his "character". Shouting out during a show is disrespectful and disruptive - you probably shouldnt see Tosh if you find any subject extremely offesnive. As far as making jokes go, I will defend Tosh. He has the right to say whatever he wants to. The price of Free Speech is listening to crap that shouldnt be said. Its obvious Tosh is offensive - he always mentions touchy issues. Vote with your dollars. If a comedian offends you, dont pay to see their content. Its. that. simple.
Its also not a threat. I can say all day that I think rape is funny (for the record, I don't). Its not illegal until I start making plans - if Tosh had said "I have 5 guys waiting outside to rape you", or "Im going to rape you" then it would be an issue. The way Tosh handeled it was the way you deal with Hecklers - you turn it back on them. Yeah, rape is wrong - and I certainly don't condone it. But it all makes sence within Toshes style.
Why do you think that Kramer got flamed for using "The N word", while comedians like Dave Chappelle have free reign. Context and style. Look at white Comic Louie CK. He certainly doesnt go around shouting the N word, but he incorperates it into his shows. But the difference is he doesn't use it in a malice filled way - he never uses it as a term of degradation. He talks about how the word is degrading, but never uses it in that manner. Dave Chappele is the same way - he never uses it to insult a group a people. He certainly can push that boundary a lot further than other comedians (lets face it, black Comedians ALWAYS can because there is virtually no stigma for using that word if your not white). Kramer, on the other hand, shouted it out as an insult.
And thats how context works. Daniel Tosh has a very offensive style - he goes for a shock and awe style over a normal comedic context. He also deals with Hecklers is a specific way - he comes off very cocky and boastful - thats his "character". Shouting out during a show is disrespectful and disruptive - you probably shouldnt see Tosh if you find any subject extremely offesnive. As far as making jokes go, I will defend Tosh. He has the right to say whatever he wants to. The price of Free Speech is listening to crap that shouldnt be said. Its obvious Tosh is offensive - he always mentions touchy issues. Vote with your dollars. If a comedian offends you, dont pay to see their content. Its. that. simple.
Its also not a threat. I can say all day that I think rape is funny (for the record, I don't). Its not illegal until I start making plans - if Tosh had said "I have 5 guys waiting outside to rape you", or "Im going to rape you" then it would be an issue. The way Tosh handeled it was the way you deal with Hecklers - you turn it back on them. Yeah, rape is wrong - and I certainly don't condone it. But it all makes sence within Toshes style.
So you would honestly say if someone made a joke about a serious problem that effects you at a comedy club You'd be like "Ah well, that's humour". We don't know anything about this woman. hat if at some point in her life she had been raped or threatened with rape? Dark humour is not making jokes about how rape is funny, or even how murder is funny. His style is NOT dark humour, it's just plain offensive. Dark Humour requires a certain level of refinement and tends to be self depracating, reffering to a specific event and whilst pressing the borderline of shocking and/or offensive, but never steps the mark. Tosh is an asshole, he sets out to offend people because people with a simple sense of humour choose to take it as dark.Pb Zeppelin said:
There's a difference between heckling and standing up for a problem that effects you as something that shouldn't be joked about. She had every right to be stand up and tell him he was wrong.
It's not any more horrific than dead baby jokes... which I've been known to pull out on occasion.
If I was in the comedy club and rape jokes started flying, I'd LEAVE. Same as if he pulled out the dead baby comedy and just wouldn't stop.
Heckling is just asking for trouble.
If I was in the comedy club and rape jokes started flying, I'd LEAVE. Same as if he pulled out the dead baby comedy and just wouldn't stop.
Heckling is just asking for trouble.
If you go to a comedy club and see someone known for their offensive humour there's usually someone else on the bill. That's how comedy clubs work. More than one person performs. So you're a firm believer in the whole "Sticks and Stones" bullshit.FelixG said:
Btw, Bad idea to bring Lisa Lapaneli in as a method of defending your argument, I'm bi and MASSIVELY against her revolting brand of shit. People who do offensive humour are one of the main reasons for intolerance in the wider scale of things, when it's done for "Comedy" It's apparently less bad than any other circumstance. It's not. For example (Because we all like talking about LL so much) why is it that if a woman on the street screams homophobic abuse it's wrong, but if she says the exact same things in a comedy club it's ok, and even gets laughs? Freedom of speech is a bullshit argument to bring up in these situations, because their freedom of speech silences others through promoting intolerance and hate. It only goes so far. Thin skinned feelings? Okay, hows about you walk up to a rape victim and do five minutes of stand up on why it's her own fault and it's so damned funny? I guess if she cries she's just thinned skinned. They are NOT just jokes. That's like saying the N word is just something to describe black people with. This sort of offensive humour goes out of it's way to upset people, for every one person who finds it hysterical, there's another that finds it deeply upsetting. Don't you dare put it down as those people are just thinned skinned. It ultimatly only serves to make you look like a jerk.
I think the problem is that while very few people think that murder is okay or understandable, a huge number of men seem to think that rape really isn't that bad.Spot1990 said:
Consider these statistics:
8% of men admit committing acts that meet the legal definition of rape or attempted rape. Of these men who committed rape, 84% said that what they did was definitely not rape.
More than one in five men report "becoming so sexually aroused that they could not stop themselves from having sex, even though the woman did not consent."
35% of men report at least some degree of likelihood of raping if they could be assured they wouldn't be caught or punished.
With that in mind, his jokes didn't demonstrate some kind of ironic commentary or statement; and considering that probably quite a few people in his audience probably do believe that rape is funny and awesome and not bad at all, his jokes are offensive and immature. Remember how Yahtzee said you can be satirical all you like, but someone is still going to jerk off to it? The same thing applies here. Daniel Tosh can claim to be trading in "dark humor" or "satire," but what makes his statements offensive is the fact that what he "jokes" about reflects and feeds on a real misogyny that is destructive and terrible.