Joking about Sexual Abuse: Neither Right nor Left
Since our friends at the Daily Illini have fallen prey to the journalistic trap of overplaying the storyline of left vs. right instead of seeking the objective truth by running a letter from the College Republicans president instead of my letter, I have decided to post my comments here.
Sexual abuse and rape are not funny. Apparently the officers of the College Democrats feel differently. In fact, rather than taking a stand against the disproportional incidence of violence against women on college campuses, they have chosen to advertise a bar crawl with t-shirts that read, "Donkey Punching Our Way to Victory." A man performs a donkey punch by striking his partner in the back of the head while penetrating his partner from behind. His goal is to startle his partner which will cause anal or vaginal contractions, thus improving the assailant's sexual experience. The sexually explicit term is not only considered sexual abuse when performed, in some instances it can be considered rape. Designed to humiliate women with violence, this misogynistic glorification of sexual subordination should offend not only women but all people. That members of a party committed to women's rights and gender equity would make a joke out of this immoral and criminal behavior is reprehensible. The daily battles young democrats wage against social conservatism cannot be won when campus liberal leaders confuse humor with sexual crime.
Amanda Palazzo, Democrat
Illinois Student Senate
Junior, ACES
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Sexual abuse and rape are not funny. Apparently the officers of the College Democrats feel differently. In fact, rather than taking a stand against the disproportional incidence of violence against women on college campuses, they have chosen to advertise a bar crawl with t-shirts that read, "Donkey Punching Our Way to Victory." A man performs a donkey punch by striking his partner in the back of the head while penetrating his partner from behind. His goal is to startle his partner which will cause anal or vaginal contractions, thus improving the assailant's sexual experience. The sexually explicit term is not only considered sexual abuse when performed, in some instances it can be considered rape. Designed to humiliate women with violence, this misogynistic glorification of sexual subordination should offend not only women but all people. That members of a party committed to women's rights and gender equity would make a joke out of this immoral and criminal behavior is reprehensible. The daily battles young democrats wage against social conservatism cannot be won when campus liberal leaders confuse humor with sexual crime.
Amanda Palazzo, Democrat
Illinois Student Senate
Junior, ACES
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
posted by Illinois Student Senate | 1:08 PM
11 Comments:
Here's where I think you're making an error in judgment. The humor derived from this t-shirt is not centered around the fact that donkey punching is abusive. There are a slew of ridiculous terms for extreme, bizarre, sexually explicit acts, most of which do not entail abuse of any kind. If the term "donkey punching" was used to describe something like that, I imagine the college democrats would be just as eager to use it, since the humor lies in the absurdity of the act and its name, not its abusiveness to women. Obviously it is representative of a sense of humor than not everyone will subscribe to or enjoy, but that does not make it offensive.
Given that the democratic party is much friendlier to women than the republican party, I feel like you're merely playing into a republican ploy to arouse outrage over a harmless shirt in order to distract from the fact that the republican party does nothing to support gender equity and actively tries to limit women's rights. These are the issues that deserve attention and outrage, and making the college democrats look bad is not going to aid what I'm sure is your well intentioned commitment to creating an environment respectful to women everywhere.
Brian your post was thoroughly absurd. You are using poor and convoluted logic to rationalize something that cannot be defended except by an apology. The fact is that if College Republicans or the OBO put out the exact same t-shirt, you and the rest of this damn campus would be totally enraged about it.
Your most telling line is, "the humor lies in the absurdity of the act and its name, not its abusiveness to women." What the hell are you trying to say with this sentence Brian? That it is ok to make sexually abusive jokes about women so long as the joke is very funny and the phrase can be interpreted in multiple ways?
Also, when you say that "the humor lies in the absurdity of the act" do you mean to say that the "act" of donkey punching a girl during intercourse is humorous to you? And, even if the "name" is funny or if the joke can be interpreted in a non-offensive way, does that excuse it? Does that mean I can submit any joke to the public so long as I have an alternative rationalization for it?
Also, you chastise Amanda for "playing into a republican ploy," should her party affiliation override her sense of anger at the joke? Also, how in the hell does the Republican party try to limit women's rights? If you are referring to abortion then you ought to be informed that it is a constitutionally debatable issue and is certainly not a full-fledged right in the constitutional world, it is not settled law and it will not be for many years.
You have summoned this terrible argument to defend your party, please have the courage to admit when your party has made misstep.
Both parties are incredibly flawed.
Best,
Billy Joe Mills
You're completely misunderstanding what I'm saying. The fact that you're actually asking me if I think donkey punching a woman is funny is representative of how disconnected from reality you have become. Of course donkey punching a woman isn't funny. I repeat, the humor does not lie in the abuse of women. And this is not an "alternative rationalization," it's what any reasonable person who isn't searching for things to be offended by would think. YOUR interpretation of the joke as offensive and sexist is itself a rationalization to attack something that is utterly harmless. There was no support or endorsement of the concept of donkey punching, to think there was is absurd. Donkey punching isn't something plaguing campuses nationwide, it is a sexual act that never even really happens.
Amanda's outrage is genuine and I do not attack its integrity. I do disagree with it, and I do question the motives of those members of college republicans who, in my opinion, are feigning outrage in order to tarnish the democratic party's image in the hopes it will make an alternative party seem more appealing. I wasn't saying her political affiliation should trump her outrage, only that she should consider what ultimate good her objection to this t-shirt will do and whether she is focusing on a non-issue instead of issues that actually affect women's lives.
Also, you're right that abortion as a right is not constitutionally settled. Again, I made no argument that it was. My interpretation, however, is that abortion should be considered a constitutional right, and the sooner it becomes settled law, the better. Obviously this is debatable, and it would be better left for another discussion at another time. We can argue all day long over which party is better for women; my main point was that the outrage over this t-shirt is for some (like Amanda) misguided, and for others (like the college republicans president) a move based purely on political interests.
Brian,
Ok, you are not understanding the subtlety of this issue. It isn't that anyone thinks the Dems or you support Donkey Punching women, it is the fact that they could be so insensitive and unaware as to make the joke in the first place.
I personally don’t give a damn about the political motivations side of this debate, the well known fact is that both parties are uninspiring and corrupt.
Love,
WJ Mills
The insensitivity argument would make sense if the shirt were making a joke about date rape or some other issue that is pervasive on college campuses and that is a genuine problem in our society. A joke like that would be out of line. But donkey punching isn't something that ever even really happens. You can be sensitive to real concerns that affect real people. This isn't that. This is creating an issue where there was none because you are taking something harmless and stretching it out to make it appear harmful.
You wrote, "The insensitivity argument would make sense if the shirt were making a joke about date rape..."
Donkey Punching is legally considered rape, and so is hardly different from date rape. Your distinction makes no sense.
"...or some other issue that is pervasive on college campuses and that is a genuine problem in our society." So in order for people to be offended by a joke's reference it needs to be widespread and a problem for our society? So if I made a CR's barcrawl shirt joking about genocide or the Holocaust that would be acceptable since it isn't "pervasive on college campuses" or "a genuine problem in our society"????
Finally, as regards the frequency of these attacks. Simply no one can say with any authority that these attacks occur frequently or infrequently. But, just as genocide is not a frequent occurence, joking about it does not excuse one from my indignation. The frequency does not matter at all. All that matters is that it has and does happen.
WJM
Where is the proof that a that a 'donkey punch' is 'legally considered rape'? Thats right, there isnt any, because one has never occured. 'Donkey Punches' exist in the mind of young men and no where else.
Also, to all the women out there that are having a conniption fit, you obviously aren't imaginitive, because a 'donkey punch' could happen to a man also. BUT BECAUSE AN INVOLUNTARY 'DONKEY PUNCH' HAS PROBABLY NEVER HAPPENED, THIS ENTIRE DEBATE IS WORTHLESS.
First, donkey punching is not considered rape unless you use an uncommonly accepted definition of it. And while there is little statistical analysis in the area, I feel pretty comfortable asserting that it doesn't happen except in the rarest of circumstances.
Second, and more importantly, take a step back from what you're saying for a second. You're comparing making a joke about the Holocaust to making a joke about donkey punching. This doesn't make sense and you know it. There are lines we draw, and there are reasons we draw them. The Holocaust was an event of unimaginable horror, death, and suffering. There's no comparison. The Holocaust is an event still fresh in our history the evilness of which haunts us to this day. If I were to make a joke, however, about people who were guillotined during the French Revolution, would you say I was being insensitive then?
And you can't make the argument that if it has happened, even if only once, it becomes something you can't joke about. That's a ridiculous standard. I'm saying if something is an actual problem that affects people's lives, the way that date rape is or the Holocaust is, then there's reason to exercise caution and sensitivity. This is way beyond being an actual problem.
I propose that your indignation is not a result of any sincere feeling that this is offensive but of your perception that if it were the college republicans or OBO who made this joke, people would be up in arms about it. That's a half-way reasonable assertion, but not one that supports the argument that this t-shirt is offensive, only that there exists a double standard that needs to be addressed.
Can someone clarify for those of us who are completely lost... What the hell is the point of this t-shirt? It's intended to communicate something; what exactly would that be?
And if it is something that "never happens", why do you all seem to know about this practice that never happens, which btw makes little diff if it happens to a man or a woman. It's offensive to anyone, whether it's imaginary or not.
Isn't donkey punch an alcoholic drink, too? Could they mean that instead? Seems a little too dumb for the Dems to put it on the shirt otherwise.
Sources:
http://www.webtender.com/db/drink/5699
http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink3228.html
http://www.freedrinkrecipes.com/punches-drinks-recipes/donkeypunch-drink-recipe.html
http://www.1001cocktails.com/recipes/cocktails/recipe_cocktail.php?id_cocktail=300515&recipe=donkey+punch
I loved the last line in Amanda's post:
"The daily battles young democrats wage against social conservatism cannot be won when campus liberal leaders confuse humor with sexual crime."
I would bet that Brian would defend video games that are racist, sexist, and violent because they are "fun" and "harmless". But the inability to understand the outrage that people feel over these things is part of what fuels the Social Conservatives. I think the Democrats need to fight against the puritanism and traditional values of the Social Conservatives without going to the other extreme of defending a piggish and pornagraphic sexulity that degrades and offends women. I think that Barak Obama and Rod Blogoivich are two Democrats that actually do "get it".
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