Jokes About Rape Aren’t Funny. Period.

Baby, It's Cold Outside doesn't bother me. But a morning radio jock making jokes about raping sorority girls DOES.

Let me preface this by breaking down the fourth wall - yes, radio stations pay attention to each other. From the contests we run to the commercials - we're not oblivious to what the "station across the street" is doing. This is NOT a radio war stunt or attack, as in one show vs. another - this is about DECENCY. 

I don't care how long you've been in radio or what "legacy" you believe you have; we all do the same job and we all work hard at it. And we're all a TEAM. We can't just say and do whatever we want; we ALL have to be vigilant.

And as a member of the radio team, I'm going to call one of my fellow jocks out on something he said on his morning show. 

Obviously, because we're on the air at the same time, I didn't hear this live. It was shared on social media by said radio station. I have the audio if you'd like it; I'm not going to give them the satisfaction of sharing the video but here's the transcript:

MALE MORNING SHOW HOST TO FEMALE CO-HOST: "What do you get when you cross a sorority girl with an ape? I don’t know, there’s only so much you can force an ape to do.”

FEMALE COHOST: *silence*

OTHER MALE MORNING SHOW CO-HOSTS: *roaring laughter*

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I'm no snowflake. I do NOT CARE about things like banning the song Baby It's Cold Outside. I don't make a big deal out of this, but I was a victim of sexual assault in 2013 and that person is now in prison. But that doesn't mean that I'm extra-sensitive, even in the #metoo culture. Hell, I even thought we should cut Louis CK some slack.

So, if you say something that makes MY jaw drop? You've probably crossed the line. 

Not that I'm letting the male host off the hook, but I'm truly shocked that the female co-host was so complicit in her response. Actually, the non-response. She didn't clap back. She's a former sorority girl, which is what prompted the joke. And she said nothing.

However, I will NOT blame a woman for something that a MAN did. And, let's be honest - this particular radio host's views are well-known to his audience, as dated as they may sound. Different strokes for different folks. I know we're not all talking to the same audience. But that does NOT excuse what he said.

Just because you're talking to people who think you're funny, doesn't mean you can make a joke about raping women. 

I understand what it's like to put together a show. It's a LOT of time to fill. We, too, work hard at it every day. In fact, their show is twice the size of ours, which means TWICE the input. They have two more staff members to work on their show than we do. In the end, this is BAD RADIO. It's not always going to be award-winning content when you turn on your mic, but this is LAZINESS. He didn't write the joke; he probably Googled it. Mind you, he still makes Monica Lewinsky/blue dress jokes as well, so that's what we're dealing with.

These jokes are old and tired, and are a direct reflection of the people who use them. I yell at my own father for making jokes like this when he visits, and I have no problem calling out said radio jock. Grow up. Evolve with the times. And it doesn't matter how long you've been in radio; you have to be mindful of what you say, just like the rest of us.