Women's eNews

When women are told that they shouldn’t drink too much or walk alone at night or wear a revealing top, they are being given a guided tour of the boundaries of acceptable female conduct. Women are supposed to understand that these boundaries are policed by rapists. We cross the line at our own risk. And if we are caught, the brutal punishment is one we have earned.

A comedian who shoots down an audience member who objects to his rape jokes by joking about her being gang-raped on the spot isn’t being funny. He’s using rape to shut up a woman who crossed a boundary by speaking out of turn. That is unacceptable. Tosh was free to say what he said, of course. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t morally repugnant. It was.