So is it ever okay to laugh at a rape joke? That’s a difficult question to answer, and there’s no easy or definitive answer. It depends on the joke, the context in which it’s being told, and the person telling it. Some people might find a particular rape joke funny, while others might find it deeply upsetting. Ultimately, it’s up to each individual to decide what they find humorous and what they don’t. Sexual assault by women of men is often ridiculed because women aren’t seen as strong enough to physically overpower a man, and sexual assault of women by other women is fetishised. After you’ve finished with the thigh and breasts, all you have left is a greasy box to put your bone in. 19. How many men does it take to open a beer? Avoid using triggering language. Some words and phrases can be particularly triggering for survivors of sexual assault. If you’re unsure whether or not something might be considered triggering, err on the side of caution and avoid using it. One male officer wrote to a female officer: “I would happily rape you … if I was single … if I was single I would happily chloroform you.”

Rape jokes, for a lot of newer comedians, tend to be an easier joke,” says Mainard. “You can tell the newer dudes by their talking about rape or homosexuality as a punch line. I think our culture is a little desensitized to it.” A spokesperson added the Met is “an organisation of more than 44,000 people; there will be a small number with attitudes and beliefs that are not welcome in the Met; we will challenge, educate and discipline as appropriate.” He also said while simulating having sex, as reported by MailOnline: "I've done another triangle. I'm f***ing a little kid. This is great. F**k the kid with the triangle. No that's too much." The video of the talk, which was on Herring's YouTube channel, has since been removed. The Met denied misogyny was a factor and a spokesperson said: “We do not believe there is a culture of misogyny in the Met. There are a number of recommendations in the report that we will consider before formally replying to the IOPC.” The Centre for Women’s Justice wants the government inquiry to be empowered to compel evidence and to hunt out the deeper reasons, such as alleged misogyny, for repeated scandals.Police officers wrote about attending a festival dressed as known sex offenders and a molested child. I've had some controversy in the papers," he says, in case I'd missed it. "It was really genuinely stressing." This surprises me. He doesn't strike me as easily stressed. But then he explains: "Radio stations and newspapers were phoning up the mothers of soldiers who'd been killed or injured fighting for their country, telling them a joke down the phone, and saying, 'What do you think of this?' I can't think of anything more inappropriate." On the one hand, research has found that people who find rape jokes funny are more likely to have sexist attitudes towards women. In one study, for example, participants who found rape jokes funnier were also more likely to agree with statements such as “women perverse themselves by leading men on” and “rape results from a woman’s insensitivity to a man’s sexual needs.” In a better world than this one, we'd all feel empowered to speak up whenever we hear something inappropriate about sexual assault. But in this world, sometimes it's simply too hard, for whatever reason. If you really don't feel comfortable speaking up for whatever reason, don't beat yourself up. This is not your fault. In this case, the best thing that you can do is express your disapproval in another way — for example, simply by leaving the conversation. If at least one person in the conversation is someone you trust, perhaps you could tell them why you left afterwards. If you feel comfortable to even just say something like "I don't think rape jokes are funny," before walking away, then your leaving will act as an exclamation point to that sentiment. Silence is a big part of the problem when it comes to victims feeling silenced, but if you can make it clear that you're walking away because you don't want to be part of a conversation that normalizes sexual assault, then it can also be a part of the solution.

I’ve had multiple female comedians come up to me after my set and shake my hand and say, ‘I want to thank you for doing that, because when I do that, it’s too easy for them to dismiss as me just being a bitch. But when you do it, there’s really nowhere to hide,’” he says. “So it’s not that comedy is right or wrong, it’s how you’re using it.”I would love to be able to walk around and go to school, without hearing someone make an insensitive joke about rape. One of the most infuriating things to experience is when people say, “Can’t you take a joke?”, “Lighten up!”, or “You don’t have a sense of humor!”. These jokes have absolutely nothing to do with your sense of humor, and everything to do with the normalization of rape in our culture today. Bas Javid, a deputy assistant commissioner with the Met, said he was “angry and disappointed”, felt “disgust and shame” and added “It’s clear we have a lot of work to do to ensure bullying and discrimination does not exist in any part of the Met. Currently, MOE is placing the teacher at the Selangor State Education Department until the investigation is completed,” the statement said. “The next action will depend on the outcome.” I’ll say, ‘I’m sorry, is a comedian saying something that’s making you uncomfortable? Maybe I should tell some rape jokes so we can all relax,’” he says.