t’s time we had a more informed sex education system for our youths. But are we ready for it?
Trigger Warning! This article consists of topics revolving around rape and sexual violence. Please read at your own discretion.
Knock-knock jokes — the all-ages, classic blague infused with the comedians’ own twists. Or perhaps an antiquated gag that has long surpassed its life expectancy. When humour relies heavily on its audience, what differentiates a good joke from a bad one is subjective. But when it involves unorthodox topics like suicide, rape, and racism, among other themes, its contexts speak volumes of its appropriateness.
So often girls like Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam find themselves appalled by their male counterparts cackling at rape jokes. Throw a male teacher-comedian into the mix, saying, “If you want to rape someone, make sure they’re over 18”, and its context leaves no room for double entendres. If sexist humour reflects a pervasive culture of tolerance towards the sexual violence and gender inequality of women, it’s easy to extrapolate the effects of rape jokes as it’s found to spur a disposition to rape.
We bore witness to the backlash towards Ain’s account of her disturbing experience and the subsequent #MakeSchoolASaferPlace movement as it testified to the underlying nature of Malaysia’s current normative views. Unplanned pregnancies, child marriages, and baby dumping are among the societal issues stacked above this insidious social norm. Instead of deep diving into what can be done to curb it, let’s take a step back and reexamine the core of why these societal issues continue to sprout.