Disclaimer: The following is written by an overly privileged, upper middle-class male living in a developed country with an abundant access to free speech and a working internet connection that isn't censored or blocked by the government. The views and opinions expressed should therefore be taken in the spirit that they are meant: tongue-in-cheek and not entirely factual.
In case you have been living under a metaphorical rock that happens to block out all gaming-culture related news, "Dickwolves" are a fictional being brought into life by the creators of the video-gaming related webcomic Penny Arcade. In the comic, an NPC character begs the player to save him from being "raped to sleep by the dickwolves", who then promptly refuses.
The above comic sparked a large controversy among people who disliked the casual use of rape as a setup for a joke, and while Mike Krahulik, one of the creators of Penny Arcade, has apologized several times to the public, he has also ridiculed his critics by offering merchandise with "Dickwolves" plastered all over it.
While the act of rape itself is a very touchy subject, one that many people have already gotten into trouble with, the situation against Penny Arcade and their single comic has been blown way out of proportion. While one cannot speak for what the creators thought the intent was, to me, the comic is simply portraying the fact that a player in an MMO has a finite amount of resources to collect, in this case slaves, to finish a quest. Nothing more. The fact that the slaves are raped to sleep is a mere descriptor, used to contrast the player's rational decision to not save any more.
Would the comic have been less funny if instead of being "raped to sleep" the slaves were "tortured to sleep" or even "electrocuted to sleep"? Absolutely not. Likewise, if the slave had only mentioned that his life is pure agony and unbearable and completely left out the rape part, would the joke's punchline cease to exist? Of course not. Of the hundreds of comics produced, this one is simply yet another that pokes fun at an aspect of video-games and the culture surrounding it.
Granted, the way Penny Arcade has handled this situation isn't very exemplary. I wouldn't want to be one of them and then have to explain to my children why t-shirts with "Team Dickwolves" on the front exist. Some websites that cover video-game news have even refused to continue coverage on PAX, an expo organized by Penny Arcade stating that they "believe that the values of the company operating those events conflict with ours". Stating that "It’s funny and the fact that some people don’t get it, or are offended by it doesn’t change that" is a valid thing to say because it expresses your honest opinion. Removing the merchandise, then talking about how their removal was "one of their biggest regrets" is also an honest opinion, if a little bit misguided.
If Penny Arcade really did support a so-called "rape culture", what is stopping you, a consumer of free, uncensored speech, from simply not reading it? Yes, you do have every right to stand up and criticize a joke being made about rape, but accusing someone of supporting or propagating the act of rape is pretty close to being just as bad.
Criticizing is easy. Forgiving or ignoring somebody's mistakes and opinions is a lot more work. Let's all take a look at the original comic, read it, and then take it for what it's intended purpose was: a simple joke about how ridiculous video-games are compared to real life. Because that's really all Penny Arcade really is.
Rape is taboo; torture is not. We see people getting tortured in our movies, video games, and television shows but rarely does the portrayal of rape occur in the media. While it does pop up now and again, it is almost never done so lightheartedly. For women, being raped is a very real threat even today.
ReplyDeleteMel Brooks is a king of playing on the taboo. Just take a look at The Producers with its title piece "Springtime for Hitler in Germany". What is more taboo than Hitler? Brooks, as a Jew, reached out for a way to combat the negativity surrounding his people but he did so for the purpose of healing. This was how a director fought racism: with laughs.
Mike Krahulik is benefiting no one with this joke, nor is he trying to making a statement. Of course he didn't mean to hurt anyone but it was poor taste to use rape, perhaps the worst thing one person can do to another, as comedy. Imagine a world where rape was not taboo; where people become desensitized to this evil. A world where we do see people being raped in movies and television shows and where the culprits are not punished. Its hard the think the number of rape cases wouldn't be affected.