Rape is a Crime – Not a Punch Line

Monday’s media storm after this weekend’s 2009 MTV Video Music Awards centered pretty exclusively on what many perceived as the night’s biggest faux pas – Kanye West’s outburst during Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech for “Best Female Video” award.

“As inexcusable as it gets” reported the NY Daily News. “Kanye West should be banned from future award shows.”

“MTV Awards Marred by Performer’s Comments,” read the New York Times.

President Obama calls West a “jackass” for his outburst at the VMAs during an interview with CNBC.

The buzz surrounding West’s outburst exploded following the show, but the most deplorable, offensive comments of the evening came and went with little to no attention from the media at all.

What could be more controversial than West’s outburst? How about a joke about rape?

No I’m not kidding. And no I’m not laughing.

The award’s host, comic Russell Brand, poked numerous inappropriate jabs throughout the show, but the joke directed at Megan Fox goes beyond the pale.

“She has admitted she is a little bit cuckoo upstairs and I have trained in psychiatry. So Megan, if you do have a little dizzy spell love, I could probably drop you a little pill. You can go and have a lie down in my dressing room. You might get some crazy dreams about being visited by a scarecrow, a perfumed weirdo leaning over you. But let me tell you, that’s a common side-effect. Megan, take your medicine.”

Reading between the lines of Brand’s joke you get the idea that the punch line is intended to poke fun at date rape. He tells Fox that he’d like to drop her a “little pill” that will impair her senses so she can lie down in his dressing room. It is clear that he is joking about drugging and taking advantage of her.

Isn’t joking about date rape more controversial than interrupting someone’s speech? Why wasn’t Brand kicked out of the show for his inexcusable comments? How is it possible that President Obama heard about West’s outburst but is in the dark regarding the date rape “joke”?

Perhaps, it is because I only found one article on MSN, “Russell Brand Makes Saucy Jokes About Leading Ladies at VMAs,” that covered Brand’s offensive “joke(s).” Had it not been for a good friend of mine who called me during the awards completely and utterly horrified I may still be in the dark too (Thanks Viki!).

Still though, I’m amazed that Brand’s date rape “joke” didn’t receive more criticism, especially considering this isn’t the first time he has made a “joke” at the expense of women.

Last summer during a gig in the UK, the comic used an audience member’s cell phone to prank call an emergency rape line set up by police as part of his stand-up routine, pretending he had information about a man suspected of sexual assaulting women in underpasses.

Interfering with an investigation for a suspected rapist is not funny – it’s a crime! Using rape as a vehicle to garner laughs whether it be on stage or in conversation is unbelievable – not to mention offensive, disrespectful, and downright disgusting.

Every two minutes someone in the United States is sexually assaulted. That means that during the duration of the VMA’s roughly another 60 women were sexually assaulted in this country.

Making light of this horrific crime is a slap in the face to survivors of rape and women everywhere. Brand should be ashamed for using rape as part of his comedy and embarrassed that he is not more creative in his attempts to make people laugh. We, as a country, should be ashamed that jokes such as these fly under the radar and embarrassed that people let them go so easily.

Rape is a crime – not a punch line. It’s about time people started acting that way.

Pyui Mok/PA; Photo originally published on the Guardian (UK) - http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/theatreblog/2008/jul/16/russellbrand

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Fatime H.

6:16AM PST on Feb 2, 2011

Any way , the rape is crime, and every one should consider rape as a crime.

send a green star

Claire W.

7:15PM PST on Nov 21, 2010

I think it is important to consider context; the main focus of the joke is on Brand's appearance as a 'scarecrow' rather than date rape.
Joking about rape, especially from a bigoted perspective is horrible, but if we don't allow it to be mentioned at all within jokes at all then this makes it more difficult to discuss society's reaction to it, which would stifle freedom of speech and slow down progression.
Regarding the UK gig, most of the comments Brand made were mocking the attacker. By making light of the attacker this undermines the control and fear these people have over us. This fear is ultimately useless because we cannot control what will happen to a large extend, so fear isn't a helpful response.

Danielle P.

1:28AM PST on Feb 15, 2010

It is disgusting the way people so often make light of something horrific as rape. And, it seems to be happening more and more lately.

Amanda M.

3:51PM PDT on Oct 29, 2009

He obviously has never been raped and cant imagine what it does to someone psychologically. You may be able to get over physical damage, but the mental - emotional damage is probably worse. This man is an idiot.

RRRR B.

9:41AM PDT on Oct 1, 2009

Gee, poor taste on an award show that rewards more poor taste on a network that deals almost exclusively in poor taste? How shocking is that?

Rachel G.

12:45AM PDT on Sep 28, 2009

he looks like such a fucking idiot in that picture up there. Excuse my french. What is our society coming to?

David B.

4:07AM PDT on Sep 26, 2009

i would suggest ,dropping his pants and have the acted preformed on hisself and then see how funny he thinks it !!

Ge A.

1:51PM PDT on Sep 25, 2009

I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SEEN WITH THIS INFORMATION THAT IS SHARED WITH us TODAY:

BRAND WAS ARRESTED FOR TERRORISTIC THREAT!
among other CHARGES ON BRAND for his comment!

IT IS IN THE HATE SPEECH of BRAND
in this very PUBLIC DISPLAY BY BRAND

"DATE RAPE" Brand has INCITED!

"DATE RAPE" Brand has CHEERED ON!

IT IS THE USE BY Brand of PUBLIC ACCESS to DIMINISH THE WELFARE OF WOMEN... of FEMALES

HOW MANY ARE THE WOMEN...
here on this POST ALONE...
and THINK IT OVER PEOPLE...
HOW MANY ARE THE CONVERSATIONS...
HOW MANY THE OUTRAGED WOMEN ACROSS NATIONS...
!

Brand committed a CRIMINAL ACT.

Had Brand TALKED his VIOLENCE toward the USA as DIRECTLY as he has against FEMALE LIVES his TERRORISM SPEAK would have landed him in PRISON already... !

IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE that Brand
and or
any other in a PUBLIC ACCESS
DEMEAN WOMEN's LIVES!

CHARGE this pitiful excuse for a comedian!
SET A PRECEDENCE FOR ONCE:
REGARD THE WELFARE OF WOMEN IN EVERY NATION!

with that said...
WITH Brand charged...
there is a sense of
"DATE RAPE" SPEECH LIKE ALL HATE SPEECH
IS NOT ACCEPTABLE
AND IS NOT ENTERTAINMENT
AND IS NOT FREE SPEECH!!!

If particular care
and attention
is not paid to the ladies,
we are determined to foment a rebellion,
and
will not hold ourselves bound by any laws
in which we have no voice,
or representation.
Abigail Adams

Abigail Adams Former First Lady of USA

Cara H.

4:46AM PDT on Sep 25, 2009

It's time to school Russel Brand in the basics. First, let's start with the alphabet. In this case, the letter L is for loser, and look, there's a picture of Russell right next to it!
Real men don't rape and don't think that rape is funny.

David W.

2:42PM PDT on Sep 22, 2009

Carrie,

No, and for that reason there was no arrest nor should there have been.

Now put Russell Brand in an auditorium of children (no adults), blowing up balloons and twisting them into animals. He looks at one and starts his special routine adapted for molestation.

Those children who have no idea of what he is talking about leave it all behind in the auditorium, but for little boys and victims of molestation it is a different thing: it is suggestive or painfully suggestive.

Surely many in the MTV audience had strong feelings, aroused by such suggestion.