Sex Criminal Fashions

April 13, 2008 · Filed Under Society

I hate the mentality that rape is a funny word. Rape is not a funny word, action or mindset and it should most definitely not be used in a comedy bit; the same goes for the word pedophile. These words have absolutely no place in comedy, yet lately it seems to be popping up everywhere and the people who are seeing these words being used in comedy are going right along with it, which infuriates me.

This particular video, entitled ‘Pedophile Beards,’ by Jon Lajoie is actually a followup video for a previous one entitled ‘Rapist Glasses.’ With over 214,000 views, 1,249 text comments and 11 video responses, the majority of Jon’s viewers are laughing right along with him, saying that it is the funniest thing that they have seen in a while and that they know many people who fit into the stereotypes that he is pointing out–those being not only rapists and pedophiles, but he has also added public masturbators and serial killers to the mix. And the point to the video? Using well known visual stereotypes in a “comedic,” and I use that word very lightly, video about sex criminal fashions.

Sure, while it is “meant to be funny,” Tshirts with the words ’serial rapist’ on them, such as the shirt (and those like them) posted over at SAFER were also just “meant as a joke” and are now in the process of being removed from Cafepress.

I, for one, am not laughing.