When Rape Jokes Aren’t Funny

When Rape Jokes Aren’t Funny

Rape jokes that expose the cruelty of the act can be funny. Tosh’s wasn’t. 

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When comedian Daniel Tosh told an audience member that her gang rape would be “funny,” he crossed the line between humor that points out the cruelty of rape and one that celebrates the act. Nation columnist Jessica Valenti joined fellow Nation columnist Melissa Harris-Perry to discuss Tosh’s lack of sensitivity, the feminist perspective and if there’s such a thing as a genuinely funny rape joke.

—Max Rivlin-Nadler

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