The word “rape” vs. Comedy

by Ian Douglas Terry

I’ve recently been at odds with a certain word in the English language, and this word is “rape” and how it fits into the confines of the world of comedy. (Though I perform in a comedy group and do a large amount of comedy shows I do not feel the need to call myself a “comedian”, because I believe that title belongs to people who actually successfully pursue comedy as a career. Just as you would not call yourself a basketball player if you just play around with your friends on the weekend. We’ve made some decent money and opened for some awesome comedians…but I work in an office and am realistic about my place in the world and don’t have any delusions of grandeur. This is also my opinion, and I expect it to be treated as an opinion. I’m not telling anyone what to do or that they suck. Party on.)

We can all agree that rape is one of the most despicable acts a human being can commit, at least I sincerely hope we all can. We can also all probably agree that comedy is extremely subjective…what one person finds humorous another person doesn’t, etc… The topic of rape seems to be a staple in the “Comedy World”…or at least the more mainstream comedy world, and is mostly associated with “shock” humor. This is where someone tells a joke that is shockingly sexist, racist, misogynistic, homophobic, or just flat out gross to get a laugh…and is in my opinion “lazy comedy”. That is my opinion, I just feel that saying something offensive to get a laugh has been happening for hundreds of years and Family Guy episodes that when comedians do it now it just seems desperate and hackey. It isn’t hard to say something shocking, it isn’t clever…but if that’s what works for you and that’s what makes you feel like you’re connecting with other human beings than good for you. Ian’s got opinions, that doesn’t make him better than anyone else.

At a recent show we put on I noticed that seven out of the nine comedians (who were all male, sorry ladies but Omaha needs more female comics) all used the word “rape” in their sets. Their usage of it was mostly varied…only two used it within the context of raping a woman. We decided after the show that those two people would not be asked to do our shows again, which we had to struggle with because we do not feel like it is our duty to police comedy in the town we live in…but at the same time our group is putting on a show and our reputation and fan base are both on the line, and we were brought up listening to a lot of Propagandhi and dating a few Women’s Studies majors….so we agreed that our shows would fall under the old punk rock tradition of “No homophobic, sexist, or racist bullshit”. We feel that in order to create a thriving alternative comedy scene in our city, that the old traditions of white males acting like white males needs to take a backseat to creativity and community. If people truly want comedy to be an art form it needs to be treated so, and not as the self-important bathroom wall graffiti that it normally is. If you feel like that is censorship or unfair, I apologize…but I’m tired of shitty lazy jokes.

I feel like if a person writes a joke that they love and genuinely think is funny…then they should tell it. I won’t ever understand how trivializing the rape of a woman would ever be something that anyone should feel is a creative and important thing to express to others. At the same time if you do not like a comedian’s material…just don’t laugh. That’s the worst thing you can do to someone who is crazy enough to get on a stage in front of strangers and say words into a microphone.

Love,
Ian Douglas Terry

(I’m sure people get offended with me rambling about horses and wearing t-shirts that don’t fit…but let’s be honest….horses are monsters.)