There is a rape joke in the movie Blazing Saddles that I use to think was funny

[Quixote1818]

but a few years back after finding out a friend had been raped years before and had all kinds of psychological manifestations from it, it occurred to me that rape is not something to joke about even in a light hearted way. Anyone know which joke I am talking about? I am curious how people who have been raped feel about such jokes?

[liberal_at_heart]

1. Blazing Saddles is a satire

meant to bring light to the ridiculousness of racism and prejudice, but I can see how it wouldn't be funny for someone who has been raped.

[Quixote1818]

3. I just watched the clip again and I guess it could be OK because it's showing the outlaws are evil

It just seems like they get too big a kick out of "rape" and the audience is supposed to laugh along. Just not sure how I feel about it now.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

18. I think in that context they're pointing out how low their bar was.

By using that example they were shining a light on just how ignorant they were.

Just my take. Humor is subjective, so I understand how yours may be different.

[Schema Thing]

22. Is it meant to hurt rape victims? That's a better standard for humor, imo.

The "will someone somewhere make a case that they are offended?" standard is lousy and fascist.


Intent is the only truly important thing in ANY verbal communication, but especially so in humor.

[burnsei sensei]

26. All effective and memorable jokes have a grain of truth in them.

And the grain of truth in this one is not pretty at all.
Jokes, particularly in satire, are not supposed to necessarily make you comfortable.
You don't have to laugh to get it.
But it is important that you get it.

[deutsey]

27. I can understand your ambivalence about it, but

I think because Brooks goes so far over the top in ridiculing just about everyone and everything throughout the entire movie, this joke doesn't stand out as offensive to me. It's part of the general bawdy, nothing's-sacred tone of the film.

Here's an example of a rape joke that I do find highly offensive, though; it's from the old Benny Hill Show from England in the '70s.

Benny, dressed up like an Old West sheriff, finds an attractive woman tied up with her dress in tatters. She tells him she was raped by a band of Indians, then by a gang of outlaws.

Benny's response?

He starts undressing himself and says: "Well, ma'am, I guess this just ain't your lucky day!"

There are many things that sets this skit apart from the Blazing Saddles joke. First, we actually see a woman who has been the victim of rape (and gang rape, at that) in the Benny Hill skit. Then we see the supposed "good guy" also joining in. And it's all played for laughs.

If you've ever seen an episode of Benny Hill, you know his humor, while sexist and even racist at times, was no where near the level of ridiculing everything and everyone like Blazing Saddles was, so this jokes jarringly stands out from the general comedic style of the show.

[Lionessa]

2. That's the case with all kinds of "jokes" though,

for example, someone might joke about a brat needing a good whooping, and I'm just mortified because I know lots of brats, including myself are brats BECAUSE we are being whooped constantly behind closed doors regardless of whether we've been good or bad, based on whims not something we could do anything about.

Also what about dead baby jokes to those that have lost a baby, or jail rape for those who've experienced it, and so on. I find nearly all jokes involving harming someone else repulsive, but I get regularly accused of having no sense of humor. On the other hand, I love sexual banter and innuendo and humor, just violence and harming others has no punch line for me.

[Quixote1818]

6. You make some good points

I was just afraid I offended her once when I made that joke to her telling her the line and she didn't seem to think it was funny. Later on I found out she had been raped.

[seabeyond]

9. me, too. after the tosh think i spent about a month listening to raw dog, uncensored

comedy, to get a feel of it. normally i listen to laugh u.s.a.

i was listening to an interview with a comic and he said he got huge laughs with a mean joke. from then on, he worked to have mean in his jokes.

i am not into mean.

i listened to carlos mencia. telling nationality jokes, but there was nothing mean in his jokes. so it worked.

[joshcryer]

4. Is this the joke?

With regards to your OP, I dunno, I love dark ass sick and twisted humor, but I would not express my feelings one way or another about a dark joke publicly. Only amongst friends.

For what it's worth that "joke" in Blazing Saddles wasn't funny to me at all even though it was corny (I like corny jokes too).

There was a comedian recently who made a really bad rape joke to a heckler. Tosh? I think? I'm not sure. I think DU had quite a few discussions about it.

[Quixote1818]

7. Yes, I also posted it above. nt

[-..__...]

19. Or, the Number 6 Dance...

[seabeyond]

5. had to google to see what it was. i like rape... no

i didnt laugh or think it was funny. i dont know if i have heard one rape joke that is funny.

they generally leave me just sitting there thinking, not funny.

[joshcryer]

10. I think this is the only way it works where no one can call foul:

Warning: Vulgarity.

Louie CK is really great at that sort of thing.

[Quixote1818]

11. See I think that is really funny! It's very carefully done and doesn't disrespect women. nt

[seabeyond]

14. doesn't disrespect women.

that is what it is.

i think that is the significant difference when we have so many of the conversations about sexism. there is that absolute feel between playful and disrespectful. disrespectful to me, is always obvious. this was not disrespectful.

[susanna]

23. I agree...he's examining HIS conscience...

and saying "no" to something that is fundamentally disturbing to him. I have no problem with how he approaches it.

[seabeyond]

12. this guy is interesting... he bugs the shit out of me some

but as i said above, after tosh i started listening to raw dog to get an idea what was out there. he was on. there was some funny shit. and there was a bit i didnt like at all.

but.... ya, that one made me laugh, or smile anyway.

[slampoet]

8. It is a more of a joke about stupid people talking to stupid people than rape.

[Quixote1818]

13. Yes, that is kind of the conclusion I came to after watching it again just now

However, telling the line directly to someone takes on completely different meaning. It ONLY works in the context of the film and is in a sense making fun of Aiken types so I agree with you.

[daeron]

15. It depends

whether the 'joke' dulls your moral compass or not ? The Blazing Saddles example was not being used as a political tool to dull your morality.

The mere use of the word is undesirable for people still trying to recover their sense of worth after such abuse, but every word in the dictionary can be equally hurtful depending on the individual's history - we can never be certain if some word might trigger horrific memories and unresolved anguish; but then again words like rape are a LOT more likely to do so.. so it certainly should never be an opening joke.

[Odin2005]

16. I was the same way untill a friend of mine was raped.

[LunaSea]

17. 'Saddles other rape joke

is the one I thought you were referring to

Taggart: I got it! I got it!
Hedley Lamarr: You do?
Taggart: We'll work up a Number 6 on 'em.
Hedley Lamarr: [frowns] "Number 6"? I'm afraid I'm not familiar with that one.
Taggart: Well, that's where we go a-ridin' into town, a-whompin' and a-whumpin' every livin' thing that moves within an inch of its life. Except the women folks, of course.
Hedley Lamarr: You spare the women?
Taggart: Naw, we rape the shit out of them at the Number Six Dance later on.
Hedley Lamarr: Marvelous!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071230/quotes?qt=qt0371644

[kentauros]

20. Whereas, this was the first quote I thought of:

Reverend Johnson: Now I don't have to tell you good folks what's been happening in our beloved little town. Sheriff murdered, crops burned, stores looted, people stampeded, and cattle raped. The time has come to act, and act fast. I'm leaving.

[intaglio]

21. Rape and 7 Brides for 7 Brothers

A wonderful film, great dancing, fine singing

And I cannot watch it - the whole thing is about marriage under false pretenses, abduction, parental bigotry and how the little ladies come to love their abductors because they are "real men" and not town bred wimps.

[Agnosticsherbet]

24. How about Young Frankenstein, where the Monster rapes Frankenstein's fiancee and she...

sings "Oh Sweet Mystery of Life at last you found me." She is actually greatly upset when he leaves her and doesn't do it again.

Mel Brooks is known for such crude humor.

[Kennah]

25. There are also Nazis, Klansmen, and lots of racists, even townspeople sympathetic to Sheriff Bart

[HopeHoops]

28. That movie was carefully designed to have SOMETHING that would offend absolutely EVERYONE!

That was the entire purpose of it, and I'm pretty sure they succeeded.

And yes, I know precisely which joke you're talking about - the sign-up line for Hedley's evil gang of outlaws.