Warning *** This story is about jokes made about the sensitive subject rape.*** This Sunday night, two of TV’s most well known animated families will meet on Fox. The long running Simpsons will welcome Seth MacFarlane's Family Guy, to Springfield. The crossover episode hasn’t aired yet and already, Bart and Stewie are getting themselves into trouble. In a twisted spin on Bart Simpsons famous Moe’s Tavern phone prank, Stewie makes a crude rape joke. Even more upsetting to viewers is the fact that this joke can be found in the show’s trailer. Check it out in the video below, but remember the above warning.
In the scene, after Bart Simpson sends Moe on a wild goose hunt for Lee Keybum, Stewie tries to join in the fun. The problem is that Family Guy’s favorite son, doesn’t have the same same handle on name puns, as Bart does, stating instead:
“Hello, Moe? Your sister's being raped."
Following the release of the trailer, Parents Television Council president, Tim Winter, spoke to reporters about the joke:
“I was blown out of my shoes when I saw the scene with the rape joke in it. It really troubled me. We don’t mock certain groups because we realise that it is highly insensitive and morally wrong. Why wouldn’t we do the same thing about sexual assault?”
Our Thoughts:
You can not restrict what subjects are ok to joke about, regardless of how sensitive the material is. If you start drawing that line, then it will never stop. However, there should be strict bounds on where it is ok to make these types of jokes. An audience member at a shock comedian’s set has a choice on whether or not they want to be there. A fellow employee in your office doesn’t have the same freedom to just walk away without seriously upsetting their life. The venue is very important. You can choose what shows you want to tune into, and any fan of Family Guy is well aware of the type of content that they will be exposed to. However, The Simpsons has a very different type of humor. Maybe this joke was put in the promo to warn viewers of worse jokes to come. However, it still feels like there could have been a better way.
Let us know your thoughts on the subject in the comments section below.
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