>> ^EMPIRE:

I hate this whole rape-is-terrible-so-let-make-no-jokes-about-it. It's really annoying, insulting, and fucking stupid.
Yes, rape is terrible. So are many other things used for comedic effect: murder, racism, etc.
No one is allowed to demand SHIT from comedy. Take it or leave it.
Making a joke about something bad does not mean you condone it, in the slightest.


Two big differences between rape and murder: First, the victims of murder are usually dead, so they're unlikely to be sitting in your audience when you make a murder joke. Second, murder rates (in the United States, at least) are much lower than rape rates.

About 18% of American women have been raped. If you're a comedian performing in front of a large audience, realize that it is highly likely there are members of your audience who have experienced rape. And for many people, that shit is seriously traumatic. Does this mean comedians should avoid rape jokes? No. It's possible to tell rape jokes that aren't re-traumatizing to victims. Louis CK's joke about how there are no good reasons to rape someone except really wanting to have sex with them is clearly not a joke mocking rape victims (or potential rape victims). The humor comes from the ridiculousness of Louis's on-stage persona: Here's a guy saying something that starts out sounding reasonable but then qualifies it with something obviously ridiculous. It is the rapist's sense of entitlement, rather than the rape victim, being mocked.

This is not what Tosh's "joke" was like. Besides being infinitely less funny, it was targeted at the woman in the audience. Most of the people laughing weren't thinking "Ha ha, Tosh is saying something so obviously stupid." They were thinking "Ha ha, that bitch just got told." Tosh was asserting his dominance over this silly humorless heckler. That kind of rape joke -- where the premise of the joke is "Isn't it funny when bitchy women get raped?" -- is seriously re-traumatizing to a lot of victims.

Comedians have mastered this bullshit where telling offensive jokes and not backing down is a badge of pride. That shit was brave when Lenny Bruce was doing it, because he was purposefully challenging the ridiculousness of obscenity laws. Comedians aren't being thrown in jail for telling offensive jokes anymore. If your joke is offensive in the service of making a serious point, or even if it's just really really funny, I think you have a license to be somewhat offensive. But lionizing offensiveness for its own sake is nonsense. Tosh's joke wasn't funny and it didn't make any useful point. Obviously I'm not suggesting (nor is anyone as far as I'm aware) that he should be legally punished somehow for making the joke. His critics are just saying he's an inconsiderate asshole for making it. Why are people so upset about that?

@SDGundamX

You make a number of fair points, and I humbly accept your chastisement of my condescending attitude (<--no sarcasm here, rereading my own post with the mist of anger gone makes me feel a tad ashamed of myself). As you can see, it is not above me to make false assumptions (re: why you didn't respond to the other comment), but at least it isn't beneath me to recognise when my bitchy ego has gotten in the way.
As for the subject matter(s), I guess we disagree on Hitchens being an alcoholic and it being inappropriate to toast him. What I still stand by - and what really pissed me off to begin with (pardon my French) - is that I do not think the discussion on the Sift has been "O'Reillyfied". Sure, people get heated and say nasty things (I am one of those), but then again, we're only human. As for making snarky comments for the sole purpose of garnering votes, I have to disagree. If you had an inkling of the kind of pestering shite shiny has been here you would understand why most of us have nothing but utter contempt for both him and the ideology he persistently preaches at us (if you feel like it, browse his comment history). I think many of these comments are in the spirit of the following quote by T. Jefferson: "Ridicule is the only weapon which can be used against unintelligible propositions."

I would actually be very interested in discussing whether insulting someone's beliefs is an insult to them or not (my position is obviously that it's not).

cheers

Was this really about a Prius driver vs what looked like to be some sort of Avalanche driver or was it an over dramatic woman bitching about some dude in a big truck pulling up next to her and idling in what seemed to be a relatively empty portion of a parking lot?

Disregarding the "environmental" concerns between the two opposing vehicle factions, what the dude did is still considered rather rude. He could have parked anywhere, but chose to pull up next to the two parked Prius(i) and sit at idle. From the way the wife got all bent out of shape, the 'lanche couple seemed every bit as entitled as the woman. True colors were thrown around by both parties here.

1. He can park anywhere he chooses. Fine.
2. He can idle his truck as he pleases. Fine.
3. She could have chosen to pack up and move. Fine.

Ultimately, he had every right to be a douche and she had every right to return said douchiness back, but this could have easily been avoided by a little considering for "the next guy." Instead, it's like a giant troll video about fat, bitchy Prius drivers vs marketing/horse owners and their Detroit awesomesauce.

>> ^Yogi:

>> ^mxxcon:
Also she was really bitchy to that reporter. Reporter did nothing wrong, she asked a legitimate question.

Ya...no. In any language everyone knows what that reporter was doing...it's called baiting.
how exactly is it baiting? asking why he decided to act in movies even if he already has a music career is baiting? and baiting for what? that he'll say "i'm so greedy i wanted more money"?

>> ^mxxcon:

Also she was really bitchy to that reporter. Reporter did nothing wrong, she asked a legitimate question.


Ya...no. In any language everyone knows what that reporter was doing...it's called baiting.

As someone who can understand what she's saying, her Russian is pretty rusty(giggidy). She can understand well enough, but she speaks with a really strong accent and uses awkward words. Also she was really bitchy to that reporter. Reporter did nothing wrong, she asked a legitimate question. And all the reaction/laughter in the audience sounded more like "look that horse can count, look that monkey can do tricks". It wasn't that either of them said anything funny but the fact that Kunis unprovoked was bitching at the reporter.

I want to smell Meg's hat.

In a relationship we have to take the good with the bad, or put people on ignore and shut the fuck up about it. Either or

In reply to this comment by alien_concept:
It's not that that annoys me, it's you. You're either pissing and moaning about something, or you're being over-friendly and random. Can't you just take something that keeps you on an even keel?

In reply to this comment by BoneRemake:
You're the one who pissed away your points, dont get all bitchy with me.

Your the one who pissed away your points, dont get all bitchy with me.

"No More Games. No More Bombs. No More Walking. No More Fun. No More Swimming. 67. That is 17 years past 50. 17 more than I needed or wanted. Boring. I am always bitchy. No Fun – for anybody. 67. You are getting Greedy. Act your old age. Relax – This won’t hurt." - Hunter S. Thompson

I'd like to respect Chris Wallace, but when you open the interview in such a bitchy, douchy way that he did....

Meh. That's a closed chapter, but feel free to look in there - I stand by all that happened.

Is it ever ok for a man to hit another man? Is it ever ok for a woman to hit a man? Is it ever ok for a woman to hit another woman?

Why is a man hitting a woman in a "friendly" environment so much worse than the rest? In abusive environments, all of those are bad, but women aren't inherently bigger victims than the rest.

It seems to me that you have an axe to grind, that's your deal - I'm just pissed when people make judgments about me, when they don't know me - and, you don't know me. The thread you mention is complete horseshit, from one end to the other, so don't drag that into this.

You are in no position to judge me.. at all.

I don't even have to agree with the video I've posted. Do you agree with all the videos you've posted?

http://videosift.com/video/Today-Show-flasher - are you a flasher?
http://videosift.com/video/Famous-people-on-drugs - are you a drug addict?
http://videosift.com/video/Hipster-gets-glassess-tattooed-on-his-face - are you an idiot hipster?

I doubt you are, but you did post those videos.

What I do know, is that you interpret stories from one side, make retarded and judgmental comments about other people, get on your oh-so-high horse and stroke your superiority complex. All of that tells me you're a dick.

Dick.

In reply to this comment by kymbos:
Happy to play, champ. Your immature, confused and ignorant attitudes towards women are well kmown and documented here. Would you like me to go find the thread in which your behaviour towards women in Texas is discussed by those adversely affected by it?

I'm not surprised you don't understand why posting a video of a man punching a women reflects poorly on the person who posted it. But let me make this clear to you - it is never ok for a man to punch a woman. Never. And all you're defending by posting that, Captain Liberty, is the interests of the poor oppressed people who like to punch women.

Yes, my comment was judgemental. I am judging you.

In reply to this comment by gwiz665:
Aww, bitchy and judgmental kymbos, so fearful for all the little women out there who can't defend themselves.

If you want to attack me, I'll bite back.


So fuck you.

It was certainly judgemental, and I'm ok with 'bitchy'. I don't think it's ok for men to punch women.

In reply to this comment by eric3579:
I assume you mean violence against women being perpetrated by men. I'm just curious if it were two men or two women doing this would it bother you? I think your comments, regarding the person who sifted it, reflects poorly on you. Of course it's just my opinion. But that last sentence seems a bit bitchy and judgmental.

Happy to play, champ. Your immature, confused and ignorant attitudes towards women are well kmown and documented here. Would you like me to go find the thread in which your behaviour towards women in Texas is discussed by those adversely affected by it?

I'm not surprised you don't understand why posting a video of a man punching a women reflects poorly on the person who posted it. But let me make this clear to you - it is never ok for a man to punch a woman. Never. And all you're defending by posting that, Captain Liberty, is the interests of the poor oppressed people who like to punch women.

Yes, my comment was judgemental. I am judging you.

In reply to this comment by gwiz665:
Aww, bitchy and judgmental kymbos, so fearful for all the little women out there who can't defend themselves.

If you want to attack me, I'll bite back.


So fuck you.

Aww, bitchy and judgmental kymbos, so fearful for all the little women out there who can't defend themselves.

If you want to attack me, I'll bite back.


So fuck you.

I assume you mean violence against women being perpetrated by men. I'm just curious if it were two men or two women doing this would it bother you? I think your comments, regarding the person who sifted it, reflects poorly on you. Of course it's just my opinion. But that last sentence seems a bit bitchy and judgmental.

In reply to this comment by kymbos:
I'm happy to say that violence against women was part of the reason I downvoted this. In addition to it being not funny at all.

It's just a shit video and it reflects poorly on you for sifting it. But who's surprised?