When “just kidding� just doesn’t cut it.

This is a wee late, but I thought it was necessary to cover.
Much hoopla has been brought about at the University of Western Ontario since the student newspaper released a spoof April Fools’ Day issue that included a female student being raped by the chief of police. You know, because rape is so funny and all.

“The article spoofed Take Back the Night, a campaign to raise awareness of violence against women. It described a fake event called ‘Take Back the Nighties,’ during which feminists march through the streets of London, Ont. wearing their nighties while on-looking men masturbate.�

Later, a character with a similar name of a member of the Women’s Issues Network (WIN) and the Miss G Project, a women’s group on campus, is not only raped by the London Chief of Police, but whose vagina ends up taking on a life of its own and says “I love it when a man in uniform takes control.�
Not surprisingly, WIN has called for the resignation of editor-in-chief Ian Van Den Hurk, who says that the newspaper’s goal was to create satire:

“We crammed in every possible feminist stereotype and we thought that it was so ridiculous that no one could think we were being serious.�

Ha! And what kind of satire is this? Doesn’t sound like satire to me. And what stereotypes are you talking about? That all feminists wear nighties? It seems obvious to me that Van Den Hurk and whomever wrote the article used the excuse of the spoof issue to publicize their own heinous misogyny. Yes, there can sometimes be a thin line between what’s funny and what’s offensive to people, but it sounds like this article was a very obvious and serious offense to WIN and to all women, particularly women who have been raped.
Apparently the university has allowed Van Den Hurk to keep his position as editor-in-chief, but is working with him to “implement several changes for the next publishing year,� including a new study group that will take students’ concerns and suggestions when publishing each issue.
Spoof issue or no, to allow a story to be published that makes humor out of the portrayal of women not only as merely bodies in lingerie to jerk off to but, more importantly, dehumanized as body parts to be raped (and enjoy it in the process) is horrific and merits an immediate sacking. I’m pretty appalled this guy was let off with what only seems as a slight misdemeanor.
Check out Zuzu’s coverage of the story from a wee back.