Depictions of rape in a cartoon - offensive?

[Daisuk]

So, to make it short, I ended up in a discussion with someone over an animated music video, which is quite humorous, in my opinion, but it also depicts "rape". Or, you know, that's one of my arguments - I don't think it really depicts rape, it's just this overly exaggerated cartoon comedic thing, and in my opinion, you have to really look to be offended if you're going to be offended by it, but then again, I haven't ever been raped, so maybe people that have experienced that can feel offended somehow by watching it.

Anyways - depictions of rape. We have movies that does that all time - shouldn't they? And if so, should we ban all depictions of violence and murder as well? Or is the depiction itself not the problem, but the fact that it's obviously meant humorous? You're the wrong people to ask, I guess, but I can't think of another place online where I can actually ask this question without getting my head chopped off.

Oh, here's the video, by the way. NSFW and all that.

 

[Daisuk]

Oh, and, I get that it's insensitive to trigger people unnecessarily, of course - it's not like I would push the ending of Irreversible in anyone's face, but ... surely, we can't just ban certain things from being depicted in movies. Where do we end up if we do that? In an ideal world there wouldn't be rape and murder, and maybe we wouldn't need rape and murder in movies, but it exists, it would be lame to censor it out.

I got robbed once in Argentina. It was a pretty horrible experience for me, had a lot of anxiety after that, and had a few years where I barely wanted to walk alone in the streets at night - but it would be absurd of me to want filmmakers and the like to just stop depicting robberies, even if they might trigger my anxieties. I'd say it would be my responsibility to stay away from those films if I knew I got triggered by brick like that, or just turn away whenever I saw a movie and a trigger scene came on or whatever.

 

[billyiddo]

You have to tread carefully around such subject matters and i think having watched the video just the once i think they've made the mistake of making the actual punchline/gag the act of rape itself? Not particularly something id lose sleep over but can see why people would be offended

 

[monkeybarry]

Banning is definitely wrong.
But glorification of subjects that cause harm to others or disadvantage to others is something everyone should try and move away from.
(The reason I'm not getting all soap box here is because we all glorify or tolerate behaviour we hate to a certain extent - the last time you brought plastic you contributed to killing a fish, the last time you brought football boots you endorsed child labour etc.
Rape is abhorrent to me. To some It may be considered less abhorrent than the things I turn a passive eye to)

 

[Daisuk]

I hear you both. I just think it's so obviously exaggerated and cartoonish here that I don't see the problem myself, but can of course understand if people think it's going a bit too far. Then again, I don't think I've ever really been offended by anything, so I'm not really sure how that feels (being a white male and all).

 

[Glenda's Legs]

So, to make it short, I ended up in a discussion with someone over an animated music video, which is quite humorous, in my opinion, but it also depicts "rape". Or, you know, that's one of my arguments - I don't think it really depicts rape, it's just this overly exaggerated cartoon comedic thing, and in my opinion, you have to really look to be offended if you're going to be offended by it, but then again, I haven't ever been raped, so maybe people that have experienced that can feel offended somehow by watching it.

Anyways - depictions of rape. We have movies that does that all time - shouldn't they? And if so, should we ban all depictions of violence and murder as well? Or is the depiction itself not the problem, but the fact that it's obviously meant humorous? You're the wrong people to ask, I guess, but I can't think of another place online where I can actually ask this question without getting my head chopped off.

Oh, here's the video, by the way. NSFW and all that.

So, without chopping your head off....we do get depictions of rape in films, tv of course, and personally I find it always uncomfortable, often disturbing and sometimes distressing to watch. But if it’s integral to the plot and not gratuitous and not ‘glorified’ for want of a better word, then it’s generally not offensive. (Rape itself is of course abhorrent as monkeybarry states above, and I speak as someone who knows someone who has been raped and the resultant emotional and mental anguish is almost impossible to describe).
I haven’t watched the video you posted. IF I understand your description correctly, it sounds like it is treating rape in a comic or non-serious manner. In which case - imo - it is probably something to be called out and criticised, as it sounds inappropriate at best. But as I said, I haven’t watched it because you have said it might be offensive. So I am not going to deliberately watch something that I have been told I might find offfensive and then claim to be offended, if that makes sense. Maybe that’s taking the easy way out.
Ultimately I think film makers, video producers etc should have a duty of responsibility in how they choose to depict sensitive topics, but I’m not about to go all Mary Whitehouse over it (one for the older readers!)

 

[awesome dawson]

Try watching the first season of the Handmaid's Tale.

 

[Glenda's Legs]

Try watching the first season of the Handmaid's Tale.

I am part way through watching that. It is very disturbing and illustrative that rape doesn’t have to be violent to be rape.

Edit better stated as doesn’t have to be accompanied by violence.

 

[Gilzeantoscore]

Well that's three minutes of my life I'll never get back.

 

[Daisuk]

So, without chopping your head off....we do get depictions of rape in films, tv of course, and personally I find it always uncomfortable, often disturbing and sometimes distressing to watch. But if it’s integral to the plot and not gratuitous and not ‘glorified’ for want of a better word, then it’s generally not offensive. (Rape itself is of course abhorrent as monkeybarry states above, and I speak as someone who knows someone who has been raped and the resultant emotional and mental anguish is almost impossible to describe).
I haven’t watched the video you posted. IF I understand your description correctly, it sounds like it is treating rape in a comic or non-serious manner. In which case - imo - it is probably something to be called out and criticised, as it sounds inappropriate at best. But as I said, I haven’t watched it because you have said it might be offensive. So I am not going to deliberately watch something that I have been told I might find offfensive and then claim to be offended, if that makes sense. Maybe that’s taking the easy way out.
Ultimately I think film makers, video producers etc should have a duty of responsibility in how they choose to depict sensitive topics, but I’m not about to go all Mary Whitehouse over it (one for the older readers!)

I hear you. I'm not trying to say "I don't understand people are offended by depictions of rape", I just don't get the outrage over the particular movie I posted, as it's a silly cartoon, and the "rape" in there could just as well be considered say a violent action or whatever - I don't think it's "glorifying" it in any way, it's just there as part of the silly "game" the video is supposed to depict, and the violence it shows is really no worse than any video game you'll play these days. Also, take Quentin Tarantino's movies, for instance (or any kind of splatter or horror movie), all of them are "glorifying" violence to a degree, yet they're lauded by many as masterpieces, works of art etc.

I guess what I'm trying to say is - depictions of violence, even comedic/humorous ones, are everywhere, it's kind of part of our culture, and I don't see how it's damaging to us in any way (apart from possibly functioning as triggers for victims of rape, for instance - who are probably well adviced to just stay away from watching those movies if they know depictions trigger them). But there are triggers for all kinds of people everywhere - some people are afraid of frogs, I already mentioned robberies, some can't stand puking, nude people, specific acts of violence etc. I'm not trying to downplay the seriousness of rape or murder, someone very close to me has been sexually abused as well, and I do know some of the impact that has made on her life, but ... should we ban depictions of it because it might be triggering trauma in some people? Shouldn't we then ban all war movies? Or all kinds of movies? Where do you draw the line?