Comic Louis C.K. tweeted the following in defense of Daniel Tosh, after he incited rape against an audience member:
@danieltosh your show makes me laugh every time I watch it.And you have pretty eyes.
— Louis C.K. (@louisck) July 11, 2012
Louis C.K. is a teller and defender of rape jokes. He is also, however, a favorite of lots of progressives, because he says genuinely smart things about race and sexuality. Thus is he rarely held to account for engaging in and supporting humor that minimizes and normalizes sexual violence.
The thing is, Louis C.K. is smart enough to understand that rape jokes empower rapists and perpetuate the rape culture. Why he insists on willfully refusing to give up jokes about rape, despite the demonstrable causation between empowering rapists and the real potential to trigger survivors, I do not understand.
I deeply wish he would reconsider.
[Via Vanessa.]
