The teaser trailer for the "The Simpsons" and "Family Guy" crossover episode is causing outrage amongst their fans for featuring a “rape joke.”
The Associated Press reports the FOX network has yet to respond to people asking the punchline be removed from the episode. The “joke” comes after Bart teaches Stewie Griffin how to make a prank phone call during the episode.
"Hello, Moe?" Stewie said. "Your sister's being raped."
Tim Winter, president of the advocacy group Parents Television Council, released a statement regarding the “rape joke” and is asking FOX to edit the scene before it debuts on Sept. 28.
“Rape is never a laughing matter. Never,” Winter said in a news release. “But particularly in light of our nation’s growing concern for high-profile cases of domestic abuse; and particularly at a time when rape on college and university campuses appears to be endemic; it is simply indefensible for a broadcaster to use the publicly owned airwaves to make tasteless and senseless jokes about rape.
“Today, we urgently renew our call on the Fox Broadcast Network – as well as the creators of 'The Simpsons' and 'Family Guy' – to remove the rape joke and any others from Sunday’s crossover episode broadcast.”
However, Katherine Hull Fliflet, spokeswoman for the Washington-based Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, told AP she didn’t think anything was wrong with the line. Fliflet claimed the joke points out how sexual assault isn’t something people should be joking about.
"I think the show is making it clear that rape is not funny by how they are positioning the joke," Fliflet said. "It's my hope that would be the viewers' takeaway."
