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Penny Arcade Rape Controversy

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They were absolute cunts in the response, from what I can see in OP. And for that they do deserve hell. Whether or not the feminist lot overreacted (and its funny, how rape survivors tend to overreact to things that make fun of rape) their response in turn was absolutely disgusting, scummy. Fuck them.
 
When I originally read that comic strip when it came out, I laughed, and left it at that. I hadn't even given it a second thought until the next week when PA talked about it in a blog post.

I have read this comic every day since 2000. I watch PA TV every friday, watch blamimations, and have emailed them before a few times. I am not a part of their forum and I have never been to PAX. I am definitely a huge fan though.

That being said I do not defend them because I am a fan, but because this is ludicrous. I see NO issue with what they said, rape is a constant thing talked about on the internet. Why don't these anti rape and feminist people go to 4chan and try telling them what they think? How about if one of these people take a few seconds to jump on WoW, join a pvp session, and see someone yell "I JUST GOT RAPED BY A ROGUE ORC, HOLY HELL, I HOPE HE GETS AIDS AND DIES." How about they justget on Call of Duty, or Halo, and LISTEN TO THE CHAT THERE.

THE INTERNET IS A TERRIBLE PLACE AND TERRIBLE PEOPLE ARE ALL OVER IT. GET USED TO IT.

Also, should we even MENTION how Penny Arcade donates thousands upon thousands of dollars to children hospitals EVERY YEAR? Everyone making a big deal about it is a bunch of assholes. PA may have not been entirely tactful in handling the situation and apology, but this is outrageous.

Its not like they haven't done WORSE things... What about these comics?

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2005/2/9/

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2003/11/24/

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/1/18/

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2003/12/3/

I mean, they touch infant abuse, beastiality, homosexuality... murder (quite often too)... Doesn't southpark talk about rape often? Didn't Cartmen in one episode murder a kids parents and then feed it to him in a stew?


They may not have handled it that well, but they have been sarcastic and goofy forever, and their response (and everyone elses) just made it escalate into something much more stupid and dramatic than it originally needed to be.
 
akuchi] Whether or not the feminist lot overreacted (and its funny said:
omfg someone posted a comic about being raped by "dick wolves"
omfg take down the site blah blah blah.
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Like, okay, guys. Penny Arcade made a comic that offended someone, and that someone, who is apparently a blogger, blogged about it. This is not "overreaction." It isn't even surprising. It's just a thing that happened. Most of the other feminist backlash came about after Penny Arcade's horrible counterargument comic (which many people who support PA apparently acknowledge as retarded), their ludicrous attempt to cash in on the whole debacle with t-shirts, and their horrible misogynistic fanbase got involved.

There's a timeline in the OP for a reason. Maybe some of you guys should take a look at the actual order of events.


"THE INTERNET IS A TERRIBLE PLACE AND TERRIBLE PEOPLE ARE ALL OVER IT. GET USED TO IT."

defeatist nonsense, these arguments really just do not belong anywhere in my opinion.
 
I dont know when Blame Game is going to realize that he will never get a meaningful discussion or argument going in this thread or any thread in this forum outside of the sports threads, so im going to take bets as to how many posts from now he does.

Im gonna go with 8
 
Blame Game said:
"THE INTERNET IS A TERRIBLE PLACE AND TERRIBLE PEOPLE ARE ALL OVER IT. GET USED TO IT."

defeatist nonsense, these arguments really just do not belong anywhere in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Are you kidding me? This is how the internet is. This forum is FILLED with jerks who tear apart people and be dicks completely.

I wouldn't say I am being a defeatist, I am more of a realist. And from what I know, the internet is full of assholes, and you will always have shit like this happening. Always. Even if you say "okay guys, seriously," people will just continue trolling you to death, for something as simple as a question or maybe a real life situation.

Regardless, I did read the original time line, and I DID say that PA was not tactful in their response or apology at all. That there is the real issue, and the real reason why this is out of hand.

But what I am saying is this happens all the time on the internet. All the freaking time. You can't get on the internet with out hearing the word Rape, (BAN ME PLEASE), (BAN ME PLEASE), Aids, Cancer, or whatever other insults people tend to shoot out. And the reason why? Another Penny Arcade comic for the exact problem.


Seriously, I am one of those people who WANT the internet to be less controversial, LESS trolling, more people actually trying to be nice and legit when a question is asked or a situation is brought up. But, the honest truth is it is impossible, with the amount of fuck heads on the internet, we can't bring up any issue with out having some ass hats ruin it.

Believe me, I really REALLY REALLLLLLY wish people weren't like this on the internet. But through my experience (at least) this is just how it is.
 
Also, question, was this comic really that bad of a response? I found it humorous, I found it legit, it said how they felt about rape, rapped up one of their typical jokes in it, and it should have ended here.

Seriously, I didnt think it was a slap to anti rape people or feminists... I thought it matched their humor, and it cleared up their views completely.

Edit: I just read this too, and I didn't really understand how this was an issue? http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2010/08/survivors-are-so-sensitive.html

"Yesterday, Shaker Milli A wrote a guest post about a Penny Arcade strip that included a joke about rape. The two authors, in response to criticism of said comic, then published a follow-up, in which their avatars simply peer out at the audience and say the following:
Tycho: Hello, this is Tycho Brahe, of Penny Arcade. We recently made a comic strip where an imaginary person was raped imaginarily by a mythological creature whose every limb was an erect phallus. Some found that idea disturbing.

Gabe: We want to state in clear language, without ambiguity or room for interpretation: We hate rapers, and all the rapes they do. Seriously, though. Rapists are really the worst.

Tycho: It's possible you read our cartoon, and became a rapist as a direct result. If you're raping someone right now, stop. Apologize. And leave. Go, and rape no more.​
Quite a pithy—and familiar—reaction. It encompasses the three same old tired strategies that defenders of rape jokes typically employ:

1. Misrepresenting critics' primary objection as the assertion that rape jokes "create" rapists and/or "cause" rape.

2. Summarily treating that idea as absurd.

3. Concluding that critics are thus hypersensitive reactionaries with no legitimate critique.

Most critics of rape jokes object on one of two bases, neither of which are "your rape joke will directly cause someone to go out and commit a rape." (That idea is absurd—which is why it's so appealing to defenders of rape jokes to deliberately misrepresent critics' arguments in such a fashion.) One criticism is that rape jokes are triggers for survivors of sexual violence (and/or attempted sexual violence). The other is that rape jokes contribute to a rape culture in which rape is normalized."

I mean, it seems more like they attacked their defense and said "typical defense for such kind of joke." I don't know. Maybe I am just taking it too lightly as well.


Also I would like to point out, I am a teacher, I teach kids, and I know rape victims and I do feel for them, I really do. But, you can't control the internet. The guys at PA should have handled it better for sure, but I just really wish they would all drop it and just accept apologies with out dragging it on any more.
 
THE IRON KENYAN said:
I dont know when Blame Game is going to realize that he will never get a meaningful discussion or argument going in this thread or any thread in this forum outside of the sports threads, so im going to take bets as to how many posts from now he does.
Click to expand...
do you not see how many posts I have in Policy Review? this is my favorite thread in years

Are you kidding me? This is how the internet is.
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okay you are just repeating the same useless tired non-argument that you tried in your previous post. I really do not have the patience to explain why "it's already like super terrible and stuff, why bother trying to improve things" is not a valid argument. your observations (that "the problem will never be fully solved") are likely true, but they say nothing about the usefulness of efforts to improve things from what they are.


EDIT:

RaRaRabbit said:
Seriously, I didnt think it was a slap to anti rape people or feminists... I thought it matched their humor, and it cleared up their views completely.
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They used strawmen to try to paint a false portrait of their feminist detractors (as crazy irrational whiners. apparently it worked). Nobody ever claimed that they were advocating rape or that their comic could cause someone to go out and commit rape. The comic makes it seem like those were the claims, though, while also continuing to make light of the situation (also questionable).
 
My favorite part of feminism is the portion that is 100% Dependant on man but still prideful. I know two of them.

My favorite part of rape is the cheap bulk candy.

Seriously though, hypersensitivity totally undermines their goals. Yeah, women aren't completely equal and they never will be. Why? Well for one they aren't as suited to jobs involving heavy lifting, like quarrying, they are far more suited to multi tasking, like a secretary. Not to mention how passive aggressive and catty workplaces get (I've seen it many times) when a group of women are in charge like a bunch of clucking hens. One or two boss ladies are great, the best boss I've ever had was a woman...throw like 5 in the mix and it is a shitstorm of powerplays, asking "it would be nice if someone did this task" instead of "Go this this task".

If women want equality 100%, they can have it- but I demand affirmative chivalry. If I pull out her chair, she better fucking pull mine out at the same time. I once was told I'm an asshole for saying that, by a feminist leaning bitch. I apologized, admitting she was right. I asked that the next time anyone insults her she let me know as I was planning to adorn a full suit of armor and joust that mother fucker into oblivion. She said that's not what chivalry is...Wikipedia says, first line:

Chivalry is a term related to the medieval (middle ages) institution of knighthood which has an aristocratic military origin of individual training and service to others
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So women want all the perks of equalness and all the perks of a time when they were a commodity to be bartered and sold. What a bunch of selfish bitches, either you get treated like a princess or you get treated like an equal.

Fuck feminism, rape jokes can be funny. Oversensitive people need to fuck right off. If I make an joke and they get offended, it's not my problem it's theirs.
 
god damnit popemobile don't catch me off guard like that

got lol all over the place
 
They probably should have just clarified that they didn't mean to offend any rape victims, that the joke was about World of Warcraft and how odd it is to save a few slaves in a quest while leaving others behind. They responded the way they did (in a really annoyed snarky manner) because the joke was so clearly not about rape, or making fun of rape victims. By apologizing they make it seem as if they did something wrong, and they didn't. They were being crusaded against by a group that wants to make rape victims seem like broken objects, because as horrible a violent crime as rape already is, there is this childish notion that by making it worse than murder, rapists will see the error of their ways and not rape. This is fucking disgusting, but it is the prevalent attitude regarding rape. Here's a news flash, rapists are empowered by the idea that they can destroy a woman. Whatever this organization is that started this mess can go fuck themselves.
 
I personally don't think it was offensive enough and will be campaigning against the comic for lack of a graphic portrayal of Dickwolf rape
 
If I had a nickel for every time I saw the word "rape" on the Internet...

Well here's how many times people put the word "rape" into Google (the king of the Internet):
Rape:
viz

I particularly like the jump right before 2008.
The Y axis is especially helpful
And I also like the whole Trend page for it. The most common "rape" search language is Tagalog, the most common region to search for "rape" is Pakistan, although the top 2 cities to make "rape" searches are both Indian

Why exactly do they all have that same spike before 2008?

Ass:
viz

Boobs:
viz

Sex:
viz

Penis:
viz

Oh and who cares what feminists think anyway
 
Blame Game said:
okay you are just repeating the same useless tired non-argument that you tried in your previous post. I really do not have the patience to explain why "it's already like super terrible and stuff, why bother trying to improve things" is not a valid argument. your observations (that "the problem will never be fully solved") are likely true, but they say nothing about the usefulness of efforts to improve things from what they are.
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Okay, I see your point, and I agree with that. As I said though, I am a REALIST.

I will continue to act as nicely as possible and do my part for helping SOLVE the issue, I don't troll, I act reasonable, and I want nothing but the best reactions of others because that's what I would want to receive. Treat others as you wish to be treated.

I am also not saying "its already super terrible why bother," more of a, its impossible because of others not cooperating. I just can't see HOW it can be fixed unless everyone banded together. I really can't. Unless we had internet police, unless everyone in the world cooperated, unless we did something to establish a reputation to people through the internet, I can't see any way it can be fixed.

Blizzard just came up with something with their new blizzard accounts, having accounts be attached to peoples names and faces, now making users have their actual faces connected with their actions via the internet. This is a GREAT step, but the fact is that until we get to a point where something like this is universal to the internet, we are always going to have offensive and trolling douche bags. Until then, we have to suck it up, and do the best we can as individuals in a sea of douche baggery.

To be honest, I don't feel that my argument is invalid. Not because of what I am trying to argue, but because at the moment we truly need to just deal with it until some sort of "internet courtesy" or "internet policing" (unlikely for sure) takes place. I agree with you, completely. But I am trying to be realistic.
 
Amanda Marcotte getting offended by something someone else posted is laughable. She's said more vile, disgusting things than anything Penny Arcade has done and they write comic exaggerations while she's supposedly serious. She makes nastiness part of her daily crusade.

Penny Arcade is a webcomic ffs. In this case busting on the assininity of fetch-quests that require slightly more morality than slaughtering things at the Pig Beach for 20 pig heads.

Offensive satires must be news to these people.
 
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