Hmm. I'm confliccted about this. On one hand, I didn't find the original story particularly funny. On the other hand, I can see without a problem how someone might find it funny, the same way a dead baby most certainly isn't funny, but there are still plenty of "dead baby" jokes.
I disagree with Zen, as well. A lack of empathy for the woman would lead to considering this an assault story - he did something she didn't approve of, she kicked the shit out of him*. That's not funny. My feelings are, I think, mostly in line with what Bhamv said: it could make for an "awesome" story (if she had no trauma or enduring damage from this situation) of justice and the eaker one striking back and so on (as the comparison has been made with bullying). It falls short of this because of the injury - be it physical or psychological - still incurred by the intended victim. Had she gotten away scott free (psychologically included, which I'll grant is probably impossible unless she herself was already psychologically damaged to begin with), it could be an inspiring tale of overcoming adversity.
Chad: what you say is all very true, but the same can be said for very, very many jokes. Most jokes, when considered in any serious way, tend to be sad stories. Observe: "Two men walked into a bar. The third one ducked". Easiest and lamest joke in the world, but it's still a sad story of two men suffering serious trauma, possibly a broken nose, with a third one narrowly escaping danger.² A lot - if not most - humor comes from tragic situations.
Rape is, of course, a serious and sensitive subject³, but it is in large part a matter of scale. Dave originally saw the "awesome" side and, perhaps unknowingly, didn't appreciate the impact and the reality of this story. On the other hand, taking this type of sensitivity to an absolute extreme°, most humor is impossible. Many comedians actively avoid rape jokes because they're considered too much, and to avoid triggering someone. However, a joke about infidelity in marriage is quite common. A more absolute view could lead to saying that someone who has been the victim of an untrue partner could feel bad about those as well, so those should be avoided. And so on, straight down to not making jokes about being late for school because someone might've gotten a bad grade over it.
Once again, I am not at all trying to compare these, as there is not just a gulf but a veritable ocean of difference in scale between these sorts of things; I'm only trying to say that Dave's original take on this does not suddenly make him an unfeeling horrible sociopathic rape apologist. Or something.
*Note that a total lack of empathy = sociopath = not good at all. I'm in no way condoning or approving of any sentiment in this neighbourhood.
²Analogies, people. Once again, not AT ALL saying rape is anywhere near "walking into a bar", but it's 7 am for me (having gotten up at 2 pm yesterday) and I'm tired so I'm probably misrepresenting myself as per usual.
³And as my position on it has already been much misconstrued on these boards, I don't think I'll be posting any more in this thread.
°Which I am not at all implying anyone in this thread is anywhere near doing at all - I think so far all responses both ways have been somewhere in the "normal" range.
