If you grew up consuming mainstream comedy in the 1980s, 90s, or early 2000s, you were subtly taught a very specific rule about the prison system: the worst thing that could happen to a man behind bars wasn’t the loss of his freedom, the violence, or the institutionalization. It was the threat of homosexual assault.
The depiction of gay prison rape in entertainment and media content has sparked controversies and criticisms: Gay Prison Rape Porn
Media and entertainment content does not exist in a vacuum; it actively shapes public understanding and policy regarding the criminal justice system. If you grew up consuming mainstream comedy in
When a character went to prison in a sitcom, the threat of rape was treated with the same levity as a pie to the face. It was an accepted part of the "prison sandbox." Because the victims were usually criminals (even if their crimes were minor or absurd), audiences were socially conditioned to withdraw their empathy. You didn't have to feel bad for a bank robber getting assaulted in a shower, the logic went, because he "deserved" whatever he got in prison. When a character went to prison in a
Repeated exposure to graphic or trivialized depictions of institutional violence desensitizes viewers. Over time, audiences develop an apathy toward the human rights of incarcerated populations, viewing them as individuals outside the protection of basic ethical standards. Moving Toward Ethical Storytelling