Did Comedienne Sandra Bernhard Cross The Line With “Gang Rape” Joke About Palin?

Comedienne Sandra Bernhard is drawing fire for a joke she made last month in Washington during her one-woman show.  The comedienne joked (???) about VP nominee Sarah Palin, allegedly saying that she would be “gang-raped by my big black brothers” if she ever visited New York.  WTF??!!

Now I’m certainly no fan of Palin, but I don’t wish for her or any other woman to have jokes like that made about her.  And I certainly don’t appreciate Bernhard tossing in the piece about the “black brothers” who would do the raping, which only serves to further perpetuate despicable stereotypes of African American men as dangerous, sex-starved thugs.  I find it funny that Bernhard didn’t joke that her “big Jewish brothers” would commit the gang-rape.  You know Sandra, men of ALL races and religions abuse women, and not just Black men!  Further, those “big black men” you joke about are NOT your “brothers”— because if they were, you certainly would not make such degrading and disgusting jokes about them.

 Bernhard’s comments have drawn criticism from many women’s groups, and have resulted in canceled appearances for the controversial funny woman. 

Bernhard has issued a statement on her website saying that the comments were taken out of context and were part of her act in which she addresses topics of “racism, freedom, women’s rights, and the extreme views of Gov. Sarah Palin — a woman who doesn’t believe that other women should have the right to choose.” She went on to write, “…I certainly wish Gov. Palin no harm — I’d just like her to explain to me how she can hold such outrageous views … and then go back to Alaska.”

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