To object the use of the word 'rape' in a friend's FB status?

[crazycanuck]

He used it referring to his bank account getting raped by charges from his bank. When I called him on it he said he was referring to the 2nd definition in the Oxford dictionary that defines it as to wantonly destroy. (Cue his knuckle-dragger friends coming on and cheering and back-slapping him for his cleverness). Technically he is correct I guess but I really hate the way he and his generation (he's 18 years younger than me) use that term, because I think they reckon they are being all hip and edgy by using it (he had to look it up in the dictionary to get that definition before he posted his response!) because it gets a response from what they commonly refer to as man-hating feminists. I think it's part of the problem contributing to the normalisation of rape.

Am I being oversensitive? I also hate the term 'frape', which he also uses on a regular basis.

Apologies if I seem to post and run, it being a school morning.

Faggot also means bunclde of sticks.

Would be bloody inappropriate and triggering to use that terminology then argue it was justified.

*Bundle

" ... and back in the day, gay meant happy. "

It still does.

Faggots are also meatballs :) 'Mr Brains Faggots', never heard of it being a bundle of sticks though.

I might raise my eyebrows at his use of the word rape but it wouldn't horrify me - I would just think he is stupid - but then lots of people are.

YABU I think. It's like saying you have been shafted by bank charges. Or like he has been fucked up the arse by the bank. :)

I have heard all of those sayings. And it's like a couple of others said about the word 'murder' which is a worse crime, but we don't mind hearing that we could 'murder such and such'.

See my post about the murder thing though. We don't use it in the same way at all.

YABU.

If a word has two definitions it should be able to be used in both contexts.

Like wank sock said too.

Ugh. Yanbu. I used to work with a young graduate who came crying into work one day claiming the bank had "raped" her. It was the first time I'd ever heard the word being used like that, and actually thought the bank manager had raped her! . I remember trying to be sensitive, and telling my other colleague who just laughed at me, and told me she wasn't actually raped, and that they'd taken money from her or something leaving her in debt...

Such a stupid way to use the word.

It's just another way to trivialise a serious crime that is (mainly) against women IMO.

The fella's a buffoon.

Imo one difference in offensiveness level between 'raping a bank account' and 'murdering a cup of tea' is that society is still full of people trying to downplay the seriousness of rape and treat it as a bit of a joke; this is hardly a problem with murder.

Exactly cory. IMO this is just another way for society to trivialise just how serious rape is. The laws reflect that, therefore to stop society getting in an uproar about it; colloquialism must reflect that. It naturally desensitises us to the horridness of the act.

I'm seeing the same thing with people who suffer from Autism. Lots of my peers say 'don't be Autistic!' or when someone makes a gofy mistake it's now 'God, you're so Autistic!'

That also sends the message that Autistic children are just badly behaved or stupid. Subconscious desensitisation.

I just feel very very sorry for anyone who has been raped if the word rape is increasingly used in this manner. It must be terrible to be constantly reminded of it.

He's right.

Therefore YAB a bit U

You're right termite.

It's horrible. :(

It happened to my best dearest friend. She understands people use the word though! I object to it being mentioned in front of her in a blaise way but she doesn't even notice it.

People are just over thinking it. And saying its more important than not saying murder is stupid. Just because it's a woman only crime? Hold on we want equality and then play that card? Silly

Well it doesn't bother me.

It's not the rape victims that normally make a big deal of it.

Ghostship No-one actually seems to have answered my point about the murder thing though. Which is not the same as what you're saying it is.

I defriend anyone who uses the word "frape" in their FB updates. Also those who use phrases like "he has the touch of a rapist" (yes really, to describe a brilliant footballing friend). it's not big, and it's not clever

LST:

I'm a rape victim. I make an absolute tantrum out of it if people are callous enough to use that expression in front of me in regards to something as fucking money.

Not all rape victims 'make a bg deal out of it.'

But I can guarantee it would hit a nerve with most rape victims. Not speaking up doesn't mean it's okay.

madbus (sorry missed your post) that's a very valid point!

I know I'll regret this but....

What does frape mean?

So am I lurking and I hate to be reminded of it by making the word painful to use.

I understand it to be 'Facebook rape' (f for Facebook)