Twitter’s Fuming That Jim Sarbh’s ‘Rape Joke’ Made Kangana Ranaut Laugh

Someone please let Kangana Ranaut and Jim Sarbh know that any anecdote with sexual assault as a punch line, is NOT a joke.

By: Trinaa Prasad |
May 18, 2018 12:58 pm

A video of Kangana Ranaut with Jim Sarbh at a Cannes after-party that’s currently going viral, teaches us two things. First, there is a particular set of people who somehow think that rape jokes are funny. Second, there’s no point idolising anyone, because everyone disappoints.

For those not on Twitter (and what a gloriously blissful existence you must lead), there’s a video with Queen actor Kangana Ranaut and Padmavati actor Jim Sarbh, that’s currently making Twitter fume.

Jim Sarbh

In the video, Kangana and Jim can be seen standing side-by-side, as Sarbh tells a joke. We hear only the punch-line, if it can indeed be called that. Jim can be heard saying, “I’d rather be raped by 12 prostitutes than touch alcohol and the Punjabi says ‘Me too, I didn’t know that was an option.” One doesn’t even have to hear the joke in its entirety to figure out that there’s no way whatever precedes it, could have made it more palatable.

Rape jokes are NOT kosher. In fact, ‘jokes’ that use sexual assault as a punch line in any way or form, are not jokes. Put that on a sticky note and memorise it.

With the recent Kathua rape case and the country-wide protest against it fresh in everyone’s minds, the joke seems especially tone-deaf. Sarbh, when asked for a clarification, had this to say, “Sexual violence is a serious issue and I treat it as such. It is unfortunate that my comments were taken out of context. I do not now nor have I ever condoned any form of sexual violence.”

Comments are taken out-of-context? What was the context? Things people say to trivialise sexual harassment and assault? How to normalise rape culture? How to mock a community’s alcohol dependency while also saying they have questionable morals? What was the context that when taken out, turned his words into a rape joke? The representatives of the actor want us to know that this incident was recorded without his permission, at a ‘private place’ where he was rehearsing for a play. Well then, that makes it all better, doesn’t it?

Kangana Ranaut at Cannes 2018
(Photo: Instagram/ @afashionistasdiaries)

But it isn’t Sarbh who is making social media angry, strangely. What’s gotten Twitter’s goat is the fact that Kangana Ranaut, who took Salman Khan to task for his description of what his work-out schedule during Sultan was, is seen laughing at Sarbh’s ‘joke’.

To be honest, we’re just as disappointed in Kangana as they are. For someone who has made it a point to shut down people whose comments she finds offensive watching Kangana chuckle at Sarbh’s ‘joke’ is quite disturbing. Or did she actually find his jest funny? The latter possibility makes it all the more worse, doesn’t it?

UGH.

Dear Jim Sarbh/ Kangana Ranaut
Rape jokes are not funny. Rape is NOT a joke. If you tell or laugh at jokes about rape you are a part of the problem. https://t.co/Pk5bSB9zCr

— _\_(_)_/_ (@karishmau) May 15, 2018

Jim Sarbh making a rape joke and Kangana laughing on it only proves how most Bollywood actors are feminists just on the social media. Same goes for Sonam posting pic as to how she supports Salman.
Lesson: Don’t take them too seriously.

— Aman (@cadence99) May 15, 2018

Yaaaass,drag these shit heads. Rape is not okay and joking about isn’t okay either. And Ms.Ranaut laughing it off is such a put off. I mean why pretend and be the most woke feminist and laughing at disgusting jokes? And Jim? Ew. Seriously disgusting. Didn’t expect this at all.

— Dolly (@Dolly8999) May 17, 2018

Wtf Jim cracking rape jokes and Kangana alongwith the rest of the gang is laughing.
That’s not even funny.
Ridiculous.

— Ranbir-Deepika Club (@RKDPClub) May 15, 2018

Hypocrisy of #KanganaRanaut
got EXPOSED !!

Kangana laughs as Jim Sarbh jokes about “RAPE” at a Cannes event.
Interesting thing was she once bashed popular star for using this word “Rape” and called that insensitive.
But now she herself joking around._https://t.co/yRsW3vtujA

— Sanket_KAABIL Indian (@iSanket_363) May 17, 2018

Here goes 2 Mindless Bollytards #JimSarbh who thinks getting Raped is better than drinking alcohol, made joke out of a heinous crime like Rape and #KanganaRanaut laughed it off https://t.co/IVwErfX4Y8

— Pinki Bhattacharya (@Pinki10B) May 18, 2018

Jim Sarbh, Rape jokes are not funny and Fake feminist Kangana Ranaut is cancelled too.

— #1 The Lucky One stan (@feminist__stan) May 18, 2018