‘Simpsons’/’Family Guy’ Crossover Rape Joke Causes Uproar

FOX has received numerous complaints about its upcoming Simpsons/Family Guy crossover episode, and it isn’t coming from die-hard purist fans of either show.

Instead, the issue stems from a joke seen in the trailer, where Stewie learns how to make a prank phone calls from Bart. Although the Simpson son usually calls Moe the Bartender with a clever, punny name (in this case Keybum, first name Lee = leaky bum), the youngest Griffin instead dials the tavern and simply says: “Hello, Moe? Your sister’s being raped!”

Tim Winter, president of the advocacy group Parents Television Council and a longtime fan of Matt Groening & The Simpsons, said, “I was blown out of my shoes when I saw the scene with the rape joke in it. It really troubled me.”

Winter thought it especially inappropriate in light of recent news headlines involving sexual assaults on college campuses and the NFL abuse scandals. He said when rape is used in a humorous way “it becomes less outrageous in real life.”

Winter wrote to Groening, Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane, and FOX in August to request that the joke be removed when the episode is shown on television, but received no reply. FOX has not publicly commented on the controversy.

MacFarlane mentioned the line recently in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, saying the comment would likely receive some backlash. But in context,” he said, “it’s pretty funny.”

Personally, I think MacFarlane is right. I definitely believe rape and/or sexual assault itself isn’t something to laugh at, and that’s kind of the whole point of the joke. Instead of making a humorous prank call like Bart, Stewie instead goes completely over the line with his statement to Moe, saying something disturbingly unfunny.

For what it’s worth, Katherine Hull Fliflet, spokeswoman for the Washington-based Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, said she did not find the line offensive either.

“I think the show is making it clear that rape is not funny by how they are positioning the joke,” Fliflet said. “It’s my hope that would be the viewers’ take-away.”

If past experiences mean anything, both The Simpsons & Family Guy are unlikely to change a possibly-offensive joke over viewer complaints, and if anything, this only gives the line more public exposure.

Jokes can only be one of two things: funny or unfunny. If somebody thinks a comment falls into the latter category, they should simply not laugh at it, and move on – allowing it to fade away. Public statements, petitions, and lawsuits will only give it more unnecessary attention.

[via The Associated Press]