Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site decwrl.DEC.COM
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!gamma!epsilon!zeta!sabre!petrus!bellcore!decvax!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-vaxuum!dyer
From: dyer@dec-vaxuum.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.women,net.jokes.d
Subject: Re: traditional values - offensive to Extremists of any sort
Message-ID: <793@decwrl.DEC.COM>
Date: Wed, 29-Jan-86 11:57:07 EST
Article-I.D.: decwrl.793
Posted: Wed Jan 29 11:57:07 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Feb-86 00:27:42 EST
Sender: daemon@decwrl.DEC.COM
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Lines: 35
Xref: watmath net.women:8561 net.jokes.d:1348

Re: traditional values - offensive to Extremists of any sort______

	The issue isn't whether the joke is offensive or not.  I
get the feeling that many who would defend the joke are viewing
those who oppose the joke as prudes who object to sexual referen-
ces (despite the fact that many sex-oriented jokes appear in
net.jokes without inspiring the commentary this one has).
	The issue isn't sex, or prostitution, but the fact that it
characterizes accusations of rape as something that a woman (or a
"lowly" woman, as most people view prostitutes) does trivially or
capriciously.  What's funny about that?
	Woolley defended his joke by claiming that the humor lies
in the realization that the woman is a prostitute.  I doubt it.
Consider the following joke:

    IRS Auditor:  I'm sorry, but you can't deduct your
      bed as a business expense.
    Woman:  You can when you're in my line of work.

Even though we can gather from this joke that the woman is a
prostitute, it's not funny.
	No, the "humorous" aspect of Woolley's joke is that the
woman off-handedly makes a false accusation of rape.  I imagine
that those who can't handle the reality about rape might find some
relief - perhaps some comic relief - in a joke that promotes myths
that some would prefer to hang on to.
		<_Jym_>
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::'  ::  `::::             Jym Dyer             ::::'  ::  `::::
::'    ::    `::       Dracut, Massachusetts      ::'    ::    `::
::     ::     ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::     ::     ::
::   .::::.   ::   DYER%VAXUUM.DEC@DECWRL.ARPA    ::   .::::.   ::
::..:' :: `:..::  {allegra|decvax|ihnp4|ucbvax}   ::..:' :: `:..::
::::.  ::  .:::: decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-vaxuum!dyer  ::::'  ::  `::::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::