Margaret Cho’s comedy show uproar highlights the trivialisation of celebrity rape survivors

It’s not unheard of for comedians to push boundaries and take inspiration from issues that many shy away from discussing, and America’s Margaret Cho is one of them. Over the weekend Cho, who is also an actress, designer, author and singer, performed in front of a sold out crowd in New Jersey but it wasn’t long until the crowd learnt they were not exactly getting what they paid for.

Instead of a night full of light-hearted jokes, Cho began her show by discussing the death of recent actor and comedian Garry Shandling. However, it was when she started to talk about her own experiences of being raped that the crowd really began to revolt.

A video circulated by TMZ shows Cho yelling at many of her angry audience members who were leaving midway through her routine, while an angry man can be heard saying, “Really? This is comedy before Easter? Rape, rape, rape.”

Cho questioned why people were leaving, with one attendee telling the New York Post: “When she noticed a guy in the front row with his back to her, she started yelling about white privilege and said the audience was victim-blaming because she was trying to inform us about rape.”

Cho’s behavior at her show has since been described by multiple reports as a ‘meltdown’, with many seeming to disregard the very real subject matter she had raised and instead trivialising her pain and comments akin to a breakdown.

But there are also many others who have praised and expressed gratitude over Cho’s willingness to discuss a topic that is often considered taboo for those in the public eye.

It is not new for celebrities who are victims of sexual abuse to be either ignored, trivialised or simply considered to be liars when they share their experiences; accused of a desperate attempt at publicity.

One such instance is that of singer-songwriter Kesha’s current legal battle with her record label Sony and longtime producer Dr Luke, who she sued for years of emotional and sexual abuse after claiming he would force her to take substances that rendered her unable to defend herself, allowing him to sexually abuse her.

There has been much speculation regarding the validity of Kesha’s claims since they were made public, as she had previously stated in 2011 that Dr Luke, whose real name is Lukasz Gottwald, hadn’t made advances towards her.

Gottwald has since continuously denied the allegations made against him, with his attorney labeling Kesha’s claims as ‘malicious lies’.

Kesha’s request to be relieved from her contract with Dr Luke and Sony was denied earlier in the year by a judge who ruled that Kesha was to fulfill the remainder of her contract, as the commercial loss Sony would experience if Kesha was freed could not be justified, despite Kesha being afraid to work with Dr Luke.

"You're asking the court to decimate a contract that was heavily negotiated and typical for the industry," she said.

"My instinct is to do the commercially reasonable thing."

It was after this ruling that the outpouring of support for Kesha began, with many well-known celebrities who had previously worked with Dr Luke, including Kelly Clarkson, voicing their support for Kesha, leading many to believe there may indeed be truth to her claims.

Soon after the ruling was made public, the hashtag #FreeKesha began trending on Twitter as well as several other social media platforms in an attempt to free Kesha from her contract. Many said the singer was “punished” for speaking out as she has since been sued for defamation and extortion and is unable to produce music or tour independently.

While Kesha has received support across the world for her struggles, it cannot be ignored that she has also been blamed for the situation. Several media outlets have accused Kesha of “crying rape”, with her claims being called desperate pleas for media attention.

This prompted further outcry from celebrities including comedian Margaret Cho as well as fans who felt that the ruling was unjust and another case of ‘victim blaming’.

Lady Gaga, who is one of the most popular singers of this generation, is another celebrity who came forward and discussed her own experience of rape at 19, by a man 20 years her senior.

Gaga first revealed the instance of her rape in 2014 during an interview with Howard Stern, and shared that she initially attempted to repress her own feelings regarding the incident and refused to admit it had actually happened for some time.

She has now become much more vocal regarding the topic, having written an Oscar-nominated song regarding rape titled, “Til It Happens to You”, which asks listeners to put themselves in victims’ shoes instead of making assumptions.

“People don’t know this about me because I don’t share it, and I know they see me as this kind of celebrity that has success and money and the world watching and that I must have no problems,” Gaga told New York radio station Z100 earlier in March, acknowledging the issue had previously been “swept under” the rug.

In another interview she also discussed the issue of victim-blaming and the idea that if a woman dresses provocatively, as she does, many assume they are to blame.

“Because of the way that I dress, and the way that I'm provocative as a person, I thought that I had brought it on myself in some way, that it was my fault."

"I didn't know how to think about it. I didn't know how to accept it. I didn't know how not to blame myself, or think it was my fault. It was something that really changed my life. It changed who I was completely."

This simple statement from a woman who has experienced sexual abuse -- regardless of whether she is famous -- highlights exactly what is wrong with the way rape is viewed.

And if women who are constantly in the public eye; who have the platform to share their stories like Kesha, Lady Gaga and Margaret Cho are made to feel like their suffering is unimportant, how can other victims be expected to come forward?