I came across an article recently discussing a recent comic by Penny Arcade and it’s follow up comic and if rape culture’s normalization has reached a sort of critical mass.
I’m making this thread to see what everyone’s opinion is here about how normalized rape culture is – not if Penny Arcade supports it.
I hear it all the time: He/she/it/I/they got raped.
Really? Raped?
Someone getting beaten in a game is not rape.
I even hear guys telling each other that they’re going to rape someone because they think that someone is attractive and they want to have sex with them. They don’t actually mean it, but really? Why would you say some shit like that?
Do words not have meaning any more?
I’ve never been raped. I do, however, know more and more people who have been raped. Brutally. Some are faring better than others in that their eyes don’t cloud over and they don’t shut down when the subject comes up.
I know this is going to bring some douchebags in here who want to troll and I don’t really care if you do or not. Frankly, you’ll be ignored.
It can’t be just a few people who see how normalized rape has become can it? Is it just a few loud, humorless bitches trying to ruin everyone’s fun by stepping up and saying that rape isn’t funny? Have you ever said that someone or something got raped by someone or something else? Have you considered what you’re actually saying? I’d almost say that this was limited to the internet and I think we can all agree that the internet is no place to try to suggest that people watch what they say, but I’m starting to hear “rape” thrown around in everyday conversation now.
So, what are your thoughts? Is this going to far? Should everyone lighten up? Are you going to write a troll response and hit submit?
Well, this is obvious. Getting beaten in a game is also not murder, slaughter, a killing, destruction, or annihilation in the literal sense, either, but nobody bats an eye at those usages.
This is where you have a point. Some people will argue that if you understand that the person doesn’t mean it literally, then there’s no sense in being “Over-PC” or whatever. I don’t agree. I think saying something like that, even in jest, is extremely tacky and potentially hurtful, so I would never do it.
If someone feels sensitive about it they should say something. I am all for being thoughtful of others but you can’t worry about everything. Gotta live life and enjoy yourself.
So unless someone says, “Please don’t say ‘this’ for ‘this’ reason” then I will continue on normally.
I’ve been telling women for years I’d only rape them if they return the favor a la Isla Fischer in Wedding Crashers.
I have a text from an ex describing a dream she had. “So I was with my bf and you show up with like your peeps and steal me away from him and yeahh we fucked though I didn’t really want it…so it was kinda rape…yeah it was an interesting dream” (FYI the text was followed up with an I miss you:rofl:) I also got a test from another girl. “I’ve never been tied up n used like that”
As long as its use doesn’t cause people to think rape is not that serious of a crime because they get “raped” all the time in games or cause people to think it’s ok to rape other people I don’t think it’s a problem. of course if someone told me they did have a problem with it then i wouldn’t use it around them.
Of course I can’t directly relate to the feeling of being raped and then having to hear people use the term casually but as a minority i have experienced discrimination and that didn’t make me like racist jokes any less. In fact I love racist jokes, even about my own race. As long as there is no real malice then it’s no big deal.
Not that I’m a fan of Dane Cook, but he made this point in one of his TV specials.
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I thought it was a good point - I think there are a number of terms whose meanings have been softened, like the ones Warpticon mentioned. I think TV and movies have desensitized most of us more that we care to admit.
thats dumb. People have said they “died” or i “killed” you, in videogames since forever, but everyone still knows that real death is serious buisness. (well most people anyway)
ANd its sensitive people like you that give the word its power and make it a preferable term to use.
Geez would ya look at the time… ( i dont have the pyramid head picture )
I can see the inconsistency you and warp are pointing out but imo rape is a word associated with a more specific traumatic event. Killing is a kind of “general” term imo. If you got a close friend who was killed in a car accident, would you stop using “kill” in the casual sense like in gaming? Probably not. Doesn’t necessarily jar up memories of your dead pal. Now what if you knew a friend who was traumatized by rape. You going to use the word to describe beating someone convincingly in a competition, without something in the back of your head telling you its a bit inappropriate? I probably wouldn’t.
I gotta agree with shogun17- I think we are getting pretty desensitize but don’t like realize it and take offense when we get called out on it. Either way, I am probably going to say “rape” in jest with my friends but certainly does make me think how insensitive it could be to other people =/
The only thing that you can say that’s safe is “that’s stupid.” Every time you say something like “that is stupid” no one is going to be offended because everyone has a huge ego and they don’t like being wrong. No one thinks they’re stupid. Just look at hipsters and their stupid hair cuts, music, values, and postmodern beatnik shenanigans they’re always spouting. No one wants to hear how much you hate Republicans, love Nietzsche, your thoughts on Derrida, and the latest band that I don’t give a shit about you stupid cunts.
This reminds me of how “gay” has a completely different meaning in youth culture than it did 10 years ago. “Rape” has taken on a completely different meaning when used in context with gaming and youth. I see no problem in it as its just evolution of the language and the slang adopted by this generation. Of course some people will get offended by it, but people get offended by all sorts of shit.
It’s the connotation and meaning that counts, not the word itself. Nobody is ever going to misuse either form of the word rape, or even begin to equate the severity of their respective actions. Btw, to reference how not to handle this argument, look up Dr. Laura : )
yeah thats true. I guess that puts me in the “lighten up” camp.
But like azn skater said, its pretty much a homophone at this point. Obviously when someone says rape in a videogame, they are clearly not talking about physical sexual intercourse in any sence. So maybe it would be less offensive and help distinguish the difference if it was spelled differently? RAIP, ReiP. lol i dunno
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