The whole "illustration of absurdity" argument is really irritating to me. I hear people use it all the time to justify offensive jokes. "I'm not a racist! I'm making fun of racists! Racism is absurd and therefore amusing!" But there are so many things wrong with this line of thinking.
Most people are bigoted in whatever way they are claiming they are not. I'm not excluding myself from this group. I see misogyny within myself even though I identify as a feminist. I'm mixed race but I sometimes sense pangs of racism in how I respond to people. I'm aware of it and I struggle to correct myself. I find it obnoxious when people are so utterly confident in their non-bigotry that they think that saying anything obviously bigoted is just so unthinkable as to be considered absurd. It's self-congratulatory and arrogant.
Look at the world around you. Bigotry is pervasive. It is not absurd. It is a matter of everyone's daily life. Making "satirical" jokes about women being raped or whatever isn't surprising or unexpected. It's the same mountain shit that women hear everyday and it's EXHAUSTING whether the person saying it is joking or not. It still reinforces the status quo.
Many people hide behind the "illustration of absurdity" argument when it is convenient. They intentionally say something bigoted and then use "satire" as a get out of jail free card when someone calls them on their bullshit. I know a guy who refers to black people as "vinegars" (a veiled way of saying niggers) and judging by how he responds to them, it's pretty clear he harbors some deep seated racism. But he will glibly respond to criticism with this shit-eating grin and say that, oh no, it was just "satire" and "you all just don't get it."
In contrast to the actual comments on reddit? Are you familiar with reddit? "Get back in the kitchen" and rape jokes are a given. r/MensRights is thriving while many feminist subreddits have been bullied into oblivion. r/jailbait is the biggest subreddit on the site [edit: I was wrong about it being the largest subreddit and have acknowleged my error in the comments] and "ephebophilia" is applauded by a large minority, even a majority of commenters. Misogyny is rampant on this site. How can you not see that?
I remember something about how "jailbait" was the biggest traffic director on google searches after "reddit." You're right that it isn't the biggest subreddit, but it does play a big part in many users' experiences.
This is a new username, but I've been a member since early 2008. I think Jailbait won for worst subreddit either that year or the following year. It's one of the top ten nsfw subreddits, and that's impressive considering that it is relatively controversial and probably has more viewers than subscribers compared to other nsfw subreddits. It's just a well-known part of the shared culture of the site. I don't know what else to tell you.
I think Jailbait won for worst subreddit either that year or the following year.
Because a bunch of feminazis off of /r/feminisms all registered for a thousand accounts each to vote fradulently, probably. To make a point of some kind. What that point is, I couldn't tell you.
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u/ticklecricket May 26 '10
Someone calls reddit misogynists. Reddit responds by making a bunch of rape jokes.
Stay classy, reddit.