This is one of those cartoons that I feel requires context, especially when readers land on this page months from now.

The Seth Rogen-Anna Faris movie in question is “Observe and Report,” a dark comedic answer to “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” that includes a date rape scene played for laughs. Really squeemish ones, too, I reckon. I haven’t seen it, but movie reviews tend to treat the scene as a failure in terms of being either funny or truly outrageous. MightyGodKing has a very thoughtful response to the completely understandable outrage the scene has provoked.

For me the controversy plays in a larger context that includes the recently passed and, following international outrage, revised law in Afghanistan that would have made it a wifely duty to service a husband’s sexual desires regardless of her own — in effect, compulsory marital rape. Within the same time frame Sarah Palin’s pick of Wayne Anthony Ross for Alaska’s attorney general was soundly rejected in part because of comments he made defending marital rape. This context also includes high incidents of rapes committed by male soldiers against female soldier in the U.S. military; gang rapes in Brazilian prisons; rape as a means of social control and as acts of war.

So, yeah, although I have not seen the movie in question (and I am a fan of both Rogen and Faris), I question the value of seeking humor in rape. Call me a humorless, shrill, preachy prude, but I just don’t see the point.

Tags: misogyny, rape, rape culture, sexism

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 at 12:00 am and is filed under In Contempt. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.