Do you ever find yourself overhearing a joke about 9/11? Or someone jokingly mentioning wanting to off themselves? Or even someone yelling a slur across the hall? Chances are you have heard these jokes, read them, or participated in saying them yourself.
Throughout the years these kinds of jokes are becoming more and more apparent. Getting worse and often affecting people who are overhearing these jokes.
Social media is probably the main strive as to why the jokes about rape have become so normal on platforms and in speech. Many younger generations are not only being exposed to these types of jokes but are also using these jokes and things sometimes without knowing what they might mean.
On media, especially TikTok, Youtube, and Instagram, you might find yourself coming across normal videos yet stumble on a video of a younger child in a normal onesie or comfy clothes, and the comments will consist of “Game is game” or “If their age is on the clock,” or even commenting things about the child’s look and appearance.
This isnt only on children posts, it is also on posts about people who share their experience on rape or express that something happened to them, “game is game” is most likely the most apparent.
These jokes on rape and joking about raping are not even remotely funny, yet so many try to argue and defend themselves online when someone calls them out. These things are serious situations and very much real, they are not just some punchline you can throw for some laughs.
“Jokes about rape, it’s just uncomfortable, especially when they’re male students, because that’s not something to joke about” states sophomore Seven Snelten.”It’s something you should be taken seriously, especially when it comes from a guy, it’s a bit more concerning, because it just shows that they don’t really take it seriously.”
Jokes about rape have been constant for so many years, far over a decade. With how toxic the media can get, many children are exposed to those kinds of “jokes” so early on. Along with comments about suicide, abuse, and so much more. These types of jokes should not be so normalized within schools, media, nor the public.
Not only jokes about serious situations but also jokes about serious events, the most common being 9/11. So many younger people who either weren’t alive during the time or were not old enough to remember or care make jokes about the event.
From cartoons clipping to the plane hitting the towers, or people recreating it with building blocks or objects, just to get some views online.
But it’s not just jokes about tragic events, language as a whole is becoming more careless, especially with how slurs are being used.
Another big issue is how slurs have casually made their way into everyday speech, especially among teens. Words that were once seen as clearly offensive are now being tossed around like slang.
You might hear someone using racial, homophobic, or ableist slurs like it’s just a normal part of how they talk. Some try to play it off like it’s “just a joke” or say they “don’t mean it that way,” but that doesn’t take away from the harm those words carry.
While yes, joking about serious events that affect you is often a way of coping, many people still fail to know that certain jokes can upset someone or bring back negative memories.
Events that happen to someone or a huge amount of people can impact them for a long time, some even their entire lifetime. Yet so many people who didn’t witness or experienced it joke about it so normally and this overall takes away from the reality that that happened.
“Think about what you say and how it affects people around you because oftentimes, it affects people you love and care about,” states Snelten.
The use of slurs along with jokes about serious situations and events should not be normalized. It affects people and can for a long time. Take into consideration what you’re saying before you say it, don’t make jokes about things that are not funny.